Graduate Student Reportfor the

Spring Meeting of the Corporation

Merrill B. Lamont III

President, Graduate Student GovernmentWPI

18 May 2007

“Promoting Graduate Life”

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The Past

○ 6 officers of equal footing– “Co-chair is no chair”

○ Unorganized, unrecognized, stagnant

○ Trustee recommendations (Oct 2006)– Value proposition– Department-level bond

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Definition & Mission

The Graduate Student Government (GSG) is the governing body of the graduate students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

PromotingGraduate

Life

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Broad Goals

○ Representation– Grad Student

Voice– Address concerns– Promote general

welfare

○ Communication– Grads-Admin– Grads-GSG– Transparency

○ Academic– Curriculum

changes– Science Cross-Talk– Conference funding

○ Social– Fund clubs– De-stress events

○ Orientation– Welcome to

“Woostah”

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Products & Services

○ Conference Funding ($300 x 20)○ Student Organization Allocation & Funding○ Events

– TSA, ISO, CSSA, dance, Office of Grad Studies workshops

– End-of-semester parties, bowling, Valentine’s Ball

○ Science Cross-Talk (NEW!)○Meetings: Advisory Board & General Body○ Office Hours

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Major Issues

○ Housing○ Funding○ Parking○ Health Insurance○ Orientation

○ Czar: dedicated Executive Board member

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Graduate Student GovernmentOrganization Chart

President

VP ofOperations

VP ofFinances

VP ofEvents

DepartmentGraduate

Representatives

VP ofAdministration

Relations

VP ofStudent

Relations

CommitteeGraduate

Representatives

OrganizationGraduate

Representatives

Advisory Board

Executive Board

VP ofMarketing

PRE: Merrill LamontVPO: Girish Mali (CZH) VPM: Ivor RodriguesVPF: Kunal Atigre (CZP) VPA: Terumi Hisano (CZF)VPE: Amit Bagadia (CZO) VPS: Judy Shum (CZI)

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Science Cross-Talk (SXT)

○ Graduate student interactions: notoriously limited to within departments– Untapped potential!– Social & Academic Growth

○ Promote Inter-disciplinary Communication– One department hosting another– Intimate + informal– Lunch + mini-lecture

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SXT I: Phy @ ChemEng

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SXT II: Math @ ECE

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NAGPS

○ National Association of Graduate-Professional Students– Develop and sustain a member network to

connect graduate and professional students and their associations

– Provide resources and support to empower members

– Advocate on local and national levels on their behalf

○ Health Insurance option○ North-East Regional Coordinator

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Task Force

○ Strategic & Campaign Planning– Match President’s Vision with WPI’s

Strategic Plan

○ Understand & am a fan of UG program

○ Promoting Graduate Education○ Silent Pillar: Entrepreneurship

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Summary of GSG Changes

○ Re-evaluation of our Mission & Effectiveness

○ Restructuring– Appropriate levels of influence into

departments

○ Refocusing– Knowledge Bank

○ Science Cross-Talk (SXT)○ Nation-wide Connections (NAGPS)

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The Future

○ Stronger GSG– New President: Terumi Okano– Continue framework– Grow SXT

○ Personal Direction– Develop & Grow SXT (Consortium, …)– Leverage NAGPS Connections– Promote Entrepreneurship on campus

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Thank You!

“Promoting Graduate Life”

gsg@wpi.eduwpi.edu/~gsg