College	Department	Name	Attendance
	Art	Dan Hernandez	☑
	Film	Victoria Marshall	☑
	Music	Lukas Hutchinson	☑
	Theatre	Nick Case	☑
College of Hospitality:	Hospitality & Hotel Administration	Jaimi Garlington	☑
Integrated Health Sciences:	Health Physics & Diagnostic Sciences	Clare Bennett Absent	☐
	Kinesiology & Nutrition Sciences	Donya Shahamati	☑
	Physical Therapy	VACANT	☐
	Brain Health	Steph | Stephanie Apodaca	☑
Boyd School of Law:	Law	John Netto	☑
College of Liberal Arts:	Anthropology	Emily Edmonds	☑
	English	Carlos Tkacz	☑
	History	Tyler Rodney	☑
	Political Science	Lila Hearn	☑
	Psychology	Hoor Ul Ain	☑
	Sociology	Drue Sahuc	☑
	World Languages & Cultures	VACANT	☐
School of Medicine:	Couple & Family Therapy	VACANT	☐
	Medicine	Michael Karo	☑
School of Nursing:	Nursing	Laura Chechel	☑
College	Department	Name	Attendance
School of Public Health:	Environmental & Occupational Health	Emylia Terry	☑
	Healthcare Admin & Policy	Sisinyous Zerihun Mengesha	☑
	Epidemiology & Biostatistics	Amruta Godbole	☑
	Social & Behavioral Health	Ana Gonzalez	☑
College of Sciences:	Chemistry & Biochemistry	Jenny | Jennifer Napoles	☑
	Geoscience	Sierra Ramsey	☑
	Life Sciences	TJ | Thomas Crippen	☑
	Mathematical Sciences	Ali Balooch	☑
	Physics & Astronomy	VACANT	☐
College of Urban Affairs:	Communication Studies	VACANT	☐
	Criminal Justice	Elisha Longoria	☑
	Journalism & Media Studies	Leena Atout	☑
	Public Policy & Leadership	Christine Nolan	☑
	Social Work	Emily Arriviello	☑
Interdisciplinary Programs:	Integrated Health Sciences	Katie | Katherine Bricarell	☑
	Data Analytics & Cybersecurity	Anne Poole	☑

*Members may have been appointed by their department between the time of agenda posting and the meeting. All other members present will be available in the Minutes and listed below.

Members-at-Large: Amrit Shahi – Civil and Environmental Engineering Kevin Navarrete-Parra – Political Science Miriam Borvick – School of Medicine Joe Cadiz – Nursing

Members of the Public Present: ☑Virginia Smercina – Business Manager ☑Bill Robinson – Faculty Advisor John Colombo – Faculty Advisor Dr. Christina Hall Dante Washington Dr. Valarie Burke Jennifer Tidwell

AGENDA

1. CALL TO ORDER

Called to order at 5:36pm.

2. ROLL CALL

Quorum has been established.

3. PUBLIC COMMENT                                                                            INFORMATION ONLY

(See foregoing notation regarding public comment)

4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES                                                                 FOR POSSIBLE ACTION

4a) The GPSA Council will consider approval of the minutes from the October 2024 Council Meetings (44-06) as posted to the public GPSA Drive.

Moved by Tyler Rodney, seconded by Lila Hearn. Passed unanimously.

5. REPORTS & RECOMMENDATIONS                                              INFORMATION ONLY

5a) Executive Board

1. 1. President

President Marie will report to the GPSA Council concerning UNLV related issues or events important to the UNLV graduate student body.

• Graduate Student Life Project Updates
• Shadow Lane Updates
• Passing of Graduate Student Colleague Tatiana Marshall
• Update on sponsorship disbursements

A moment of silence was held to recognize the tragic passing of Tatiana Marshall, a fellow graduate student. President Marie discussed updates on the Tiny Housing project that is raising many concerns across the university committee. Shadow Lane campus representatives to send out Google forms to collect student testimonials about lack of study space and send results to President Marie by January.

1. 2. Vice President

Vice President Carr will report to the GPSA Council concerning UNLV related issues or events important to the UNLV graduate student body. Updates about sponsorship program.

VP Carr reported on the organization's spending from the last cycle, with an original allotment of $14,375, adjusted to $14,724 and 68 cents. They awarded $13,130 and 36 cents, leaving them with funds for the next cycle. Out of 21 applications, 15 were funded, with 5 eligible but not funded and one canceled. The total budget for the year is $134,117 and 80 cents. VP Carr also mentioned issues with financial aid due to a new policy, but assured that rosters are being sent out and funds are being processed.

1. 3. Treasurer

Treasurer Lopez will report to the GPSA Council concerning UNLV related issues or events important to the UNLV graduate Student body. This includes the budget report for the past month.

Treasurer Lopez presented a budget report, showing that 86% of the allotted budget for sponsorships has been spent, and that there is currently $174,985 and 65 cents existing in all accounts.

1. 4. Secretary

Secretary King will report to the GPSA Council concerning UNLV related issues or events important to the UNLV graduate Student body.

No reports.

5b) President’s Cabinet

• • • Director of Communications & Marketing

Delight updated the GPSA Council on the newsletter.

• • • Director of Engagement & Outreach

Ariadna provided details on the Grad Appreciation Night at the UNLV Symphony

• • • Attorney General (vacant)

5c) GPSA Business Manager & Advisor

• Business Manager Virginia Smercina will report to GPSA Council concerning UNLV related issues or events important to the UNLV graduate student body.
  • Changes to the Graduate Commons Space

Business Manager Smercina discussed the progress of the Shadow Lane Council representatives' updates and the potential transition from Team Dynamics to Salesforce for software management. The Graduate Commons space is undergoing changes, with adult coloring available for students. Business Manager Smercina also reported on the upcoming Tiny Home Tour and the need for volunteers for the Grad Appreciation Night at the dining hall.

• GPSA Faculty Advisor Dr. Bill Robinson will report to GPSA Council concerning UNLV Related issues or even important to the UNLV graduate student body.

Dr. Robinson and President Marie discussed concerns about the future of the Board of Regents and its impact on the universities in Nevada. They highlighted that the Board of Regents is considering abolishing the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) committee, which could lead to a loss of funding from the Department of Education. President Marie emphasized the importance of maintaining higher education and the need for a plan to protect students if such changes occur. They also noted that the Board of Regents is planning to reduce the number of regents from 13 to 9, potentially leading to a lack of representation for certain communities. Dr. Robinson added that the Governor might not agree to redo the funding formula and that the incoming administration wants to eliminate regional accrediting bodies and establish a single federal body to set educational standards.

• GPSA Faculty Advisor Dr. John Colombo will report to GPSA Council concerning UNLV Related issues or even important to the UNLV graduate student body.

5d) GPSA Committee Reports

Ways and Means: Announced that the November meeting was cancelled and that the next time the committee meet will be during December.

Sponsorship:

Constitution & Bylaws: Meetings are ongoing to revise the GPSA Constitution & Bylaws.

5e) UNLV Campus-Wide Committees

Representatives serving on any external committee on GPSA behalf may use this time to provide updates.

5f) UNLV Departments/ Units

• • • Graduate College:

Dante announced the closing of the scholarship and fellowship portal, and Dr. Burke shared updates on the Rebel Grad Slam and International Education Week.

6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS                                                                                FOR POSSIBLE ACTION

Unfinished Business is any motion or action item that was under discussion and was postponed or moved to this meeting at the discretion of the public body as approved by the chair.

6a) Graduate Campus Committees                                                                      INFORMATION ONLY

Secretary King requests time for the discussion of the campus committees that have seats available GPSA students. 2 mins

Interest Form here:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScsEFMzEmahR7EpegLQ4tvAdjQA8K2ERHGZ7xNLNZnqE8MeDQ/viewform

6b) Internal Committee Interest                                                                           INFORMATION ONLY

Secretary King requests time for the discussion of the campus committees that have seats available GPSA students. 2 mins

Interest Form here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSctJ2ExkI0bcRAITBsiolOTgyZwd2xK1-a-SkDRm9QZTbDefg/viewform?usp=sf_link

7. NEW BUSINESS                                                                                               FOR POSSIBLE ACTION

New business is any motion that is new to this meeting. All items will be for possible action unless otherwise stated.

7a) Vote on OIT Proposed Fee Increase                                                          FOR POSSIBLE ACTION

President Marie requests time for discussion and possible action on the proposed student technology fee increase from $11/credit to $18/credit. This fee supports canvas, email, access to wifi on campus, as well as the RebelCard access.

President Marie discussed a proposed fee increase for Wi-Fi and technology services on campus, which would go from approximately $99 to $168 per semester for 9 credits. The increase was attributed to inflation and the need for technology upgrades, Wi-Fi extensions, and additional staff. Secretary King expressed concern about the increase. The fee increase would apply to all students, including undergrads and graduates. The GPSA agreed to support the fee increase, recognizing its importance for technology resources on campus.

Moved by Hoor Ul Ain, seconded by Secretary King. Passed unanimously.

7b) UNLV Cares Program Presentation                                                          INFORMATION ONLY

Director Hall requests time to give a presentation about the Cares Program at UNLV. 10 mins

Director Hall from the Care Center presented the services they provide to students, staff, and faculty who have experienced power-based violence. She explained that they offer emotional support, safety planning, and connections to resources. Director Hall also discussed the Care Survivor Fund, a financial resource for students experiencing financial impacts due to power-based violence. The fund can be used for housing, utilities, transportation, and other basic needs. She noted that the fund has been used by five graduate students since its inception in 2022. Yash asked about the possibility of using the fund for a graduate student who had to move out due to a toxic roommate situation, but Christina clarified that this might not fall under power-based violence and suggested meeting with an advocate for alternative funding options.

7c) UNLV Office of Student Affairs                                                                 INFORMATION ONLY

Associate Vice President of Student Life, Dr. Merino Contino requests time to give a presentation regarding student life feedback and discussion of student life fee. 10 mins

7d) UNLV Wellness Center Update                                                                 INFORMATION ONLY

UNLV Wellness center requests time to give update about the wellness center resources and the fee increase that was approved by BoR June 2024. 10 mins

Dr. Landis provided the GPSA Council with an update on how the fee increase is being utilized in the Wellness Center and how it benefits the graduate student body.

November Graduate Appreciation at the Dining Commons                         INFORMATION ONLY

Director of Engagement and Outreach Gutierrez requests time to talk about the second graduate appreciation event at the dining commons held Wednesday, November 13^th, 2024. 5 mins

Volunteer Interest:

Email: GPSA.eo@unlv.edu

7e) December Meetings & Events                                                                     INFORMATION ONLY

President Marie requests time to discuss December council meeting and events 5 mins

7h) Call for New Business Items

Items for consideration at future meetings may be suggested. Discussion is limited to description and clarification of the subject matter of the item, including the reasons for the request; emergency items  added at the discretion of the President (GPSA Bylaws Article IV, Sec.3).

8. ANNOUNCEMENTS                                                                                        INFORMATION ONLY
   - Research Forum 2025 April 12, 2025.
   - Next Meeting will be MONDAY December 2nd, 2024 @ 5:30pm
9. PUBLIC COMMENT                                                                                        INFORMATION ONLY

(See foregoing notation regarding public comment)

10. ADJOURNMENT                                                                                             FOR POSSIBLE ACTION

Adjourned at 7:30pm.