The UNLV Graduate & Professional Student Association
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING
GPSA EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING 44-11
Monday, November 25, 2024
9:00 AM
MINUTES
HYBRID PUBLIC MEETING:
IN PERSON: GRADUATE COMMONS CONFERENCE ROOM
LIED LIBRARY 2ND FLOOR
VIRTUAL: https://unlv.zoom.us/my/gpsa.meeting.room
PASSCODE: GPSAUNLV
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE AGENDA AND PUBLIC MEETING NOTE:
PERTAINING TO VIRTUAL MEETINGS:
This meeting will be held via teleconference only pursuant to Section 1 of the Declaration of Emergency Directive 006 (“Directive 006”) issued by the State of Nevada Executive Department. If a physical location is required for the meeting, participants may be able to access the livestream by visiting the Graduate Commons at the Lied Library 2nd floor.
Public Comment may be submitted via email to gpsapresident@unlv.edu.
Messages received by 9:00 AM on the Monday prior to the meeting may be entered into the record during the meeting. Any other public comment form submissions and/or voicemails received prior to the adjournment of the meeting will be transcribed and included in the permanent record.
Members of the public wishing to listen to the meeting may do so via: https://unlv.zoom.us/my/gpsa.meeting.room
CONTINUED:
Below is an agenda of all items scheduled to be presented and considered at the meeting. Notification is hereby provided that items on the agenda may be taken out of the order and presented, two or more agenda items may be combined for consideration, and an agenda item may be removed from the agenda or discussion relating to an item on the agenda may be delayed at any time.
Some agenda items are noted as having accompanying reference material. Copies of the reference materials that are distributed at the meeting may be requested by emailing the Executive Board at gpsa@unlv.edu.
This meeting’s agenda has been posted in accordance with NRS 241.020. Copies of the agenda and reference material will be made available as follows: 1. Digitally at the UNLV.edu/GPSA/Agendas and the Nevada Public Notice Website, 2. Physically located on the First Floor of the Lied Library at 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV, 3. Physically located in the Carol C. Harter Classroom Building Complex (CHB) at 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV.
Reasonable efforts will be made to assist and accommodate persons with a disability attending the meeting. Please email the GPSA Manager at gpsa@unlv.edu in advance so that arrangements may be made.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Public comment will be taken during this agenda item. No action may be taken on a matter raised under this item until the matter is included on an agenda as an item on which action may be taken. Comments will be limited to three minutes per person. Persons making comment will be asked to begin by stating their name for the record and to spell their last name. The Board Chair may elect to allow additional public comment on a specific agenda item when that agenda item is being considered. In accordance with Attorney General Opinion No. 00-047, as restated in the Attorney General’s Open Meeting Law Manual, the Chair may prohibit comment if the content of that comment is a topic that is not relevant to, or within the authority of, the Body, or if the content is willfully disruptive of the meeting by being irrelevant, repetitious, slanderous, offensive, inflammatory, irrational or amounting to personal attacks or interfering with the rights of other speakers.
EXECUTIVE BOARD
PRESIDENT |
VICE PRESIDENT |
TREASURER |
SECRETARY |
☑ Teresa Marie |
☑Aliciah Carr |
☑ Devin Lopez |
☑ David King Left meeting at 10:21am |
PRESIDENT’S CABINET (EX-OFFICIO, NON-VOTING)
Engagement & Outreach Director |
Chief of Staff |
Director of Communications & Marketing |
◻ Ariadna Gutierrez EXCUSED |
◻VACANT |
☑ Delight Ejiaka Left meeting at 10:42 am |
Members of the Public Present
Virginia Smercina – GPSA Business Manager☑
Bill Robinson, Ph.D. – GPSA Faculty Advisor ☑
John Colombo, Ph.D. – GPSA Faculty Advisor
Valarie Burke, Ph.D. – Graduate College Representative
Emily Lin, Ph.D.- Graduate College Representative ☑
Alissa Gardner – TGA Director ☑
Kristine Bartolome
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
- PUBLIC COMMENT INFORMATION ONLY
(See foregoing notation regarding public comment)
- APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
Minutes from the 44-0 meeting are being completed, no action at this time.
- REPORTS & RECOMMENDATIONS INFORMATION ONLY
3a) GPSA Executive Board & Committees
-
- President
President Marie will report to the GPSA Executive Board concerning UNLV related issues or events important to the UNLV graduate student body.
- Board of Regents 12/4 & 12/5 @UNLV Ballrooms 7am-5pm
President Marie mentioned that GPSA is awaiting approval on how to proceed with dissemination of information for the case that a graduate student passes. She also mentioned that there is an effort from NSHE to change compensation of those in student government to scholarship pay, which would be detrimental to some students. President Marie also mentioned the project for graduate student housing and how the planning for it is not widely known amongst the university community. She plans on recording the time it takes to get there from the main campus as well as planning for a town all discussing the future of the housing.
-
- Vice President
Vice President Carr will report to the GPSA Executive Board concerning UNLV related issues or events important to the UNLV graduate student body.
VP Carr reported that there was about $36,000 made in requests despite the low number of applications. A waitlist option will be newly offered for students that have applications that are approved but cannot be funded.
-
- Treasurer
Treasurer Lopez will report to the GPSA Executive Board concerning UNLV related issues or events important to the UNLV graduate Student body.
Treasurer Lopez reported that Ways & Means is currently putting together the budget operating policy. He also proxied for President Marie at the President’s breakfast and was disappointed at the lack of conversation at the roundtable regarding student needs.
-
- Secretary
Secretary King will report to the GPSA Executive Board concerning UNLV related issues or events important to the UNLV graduate Student body.
Secretary King reported that there was interest in expanding the council seats to accommodate bigger programs that are under only one council seat that represents the entire department. President Marie and Business Manager Smercina provided more information on the process of expansion of the council.
3b) GPSA Business Manager & Advisor
Business Manager Virginia Smercina will report to the GPSA Executive Board concerning UNLV related issues or events important to the UNLV graduate student body.
- Out of town 12/3-12/7
- Volunteers for Graduation Tuesday December 17, 2024
- Grad commons space being renovated over winter break need help clearing out the space after graduation (December 18th)
Business Manager Smercina discussed future GPSA events including events that need volunteers. Private information regarding the passing of a graduate student and how much of that information should be revealed was also discussed.
3c) GPSA Faculty Advisors
- Faculty Advisor Bill Robinson will report to the Executive Board concerning UNLV related issues or events important to the UNLV graduate student body.
Dr. Robinson reported that NSHE lost 2 regents and student needs are not being properly addressed for future consideration.
- Faculty Advisor John Colombo will report to the Executive Board concerning UNLV related issues or events important to the UNLV graduate student body.
3d) GPSA President’s Cabinet
- Engagement & Outreach Director
- Update on how the Wind Orchestra Event went.
President Marie gave an update on behalf of Ariadna for the event and it had remarkable success.
- Director of Communications & Marketing
- 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.
- NEW BUSINESS FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
New business is any motion that is new to this meeting. All items will be for action unless otherwise stated.
5a) Workshop Collaboration with The Grad Academy (TGA) FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
TGA Director, Alissa Gardner, requests time to meet with the Executive Board to discuss TGA's upcoming workshops and see which ones GPSA would like to collaborate on for Spring 2025. TGA has also offered volunteer support for any upcoming GPSA events this spring (add events to this sign-up sheet).
Motioned by Treasurer Lopez, Seconded by VP Carr.
Alissa Gardner discussed TGA’s offerings, including a wide variety of workshops.
5b) Commencement by College Discussion FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
President Marie requests time for discussion and possible vote on an action plan to get feedback on graduation process from students.
Motioned by Treasurer Lopez, seconded by VP Carr. Passed unanimously.
5c) Fee Increase Discussion FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
President Marie requests time for discussion and possible vote on an action plan for a GPSA fee increase.
Motioned by VP Carr, seconded by Treasurer Lopez. Potential increase amounts and approaches to the increase with consideration of sustaining GPSA’s existing programs were extensively discussed.
Motion to suspend Robert’s Rules made by VP Carr, seconded by Treasurer Lopez. Passed unanimously.
Motioned by VP Carr to approve, seconded by Treasurer Lopez. Passed unanimously.
5d) GPSA Hosting NSA Mixer 12/3/2024 INFORMATION ONLY
President Marie requests time to discuss the 12/3/2024 mixer with NSA.
5e) GPSA Open House 1/21/2024 INFORMATION ONLY
President Marie requests time to discuss the graduate commons open house, spring elections, networking ideas, and spring swag order.
5f) G.R.A.D Events at the Dining Commons - Modify Spring Dates INFORMATION ONLY
GPSA Manager, Virginia Smercina, requests time to discuss modifying the monthly commitment at the Dining Commons for Grad Rebel Appreciation Day where graduate students receive a discounted rate. Tabling for this event in the fall has proven challenging to find volunteers on a monthly basis. Proposing two Dining Commons events in the spring:
- Wednesday, January 29, 2025 (second week of spring semester) and
- Wednesday, April 9, 2025 (during National Graduate-Professional Student Appreciation Week, Apr 7-11, 2025)
5g) Discussion of NSHE Procedures & Guidelines Manual Revisions for FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
Student Government Officers Financial Support
GPSA Manager Virginia Smercina requests time to discuss proposed revisions to the NSHE Procedures & Guidelines Manual, which mandate that compensation for student government officers (e.g., stipends) be issued exclusively as scholarships, eliminating employment-based compensation. The revisions stem from BOR Chair Carvalho’s response to public comments highlighting disparities in student government leader compensation across institutions, particularly undocumented students unable to receive traditional employment pay.
Motioned by Treasurer Lopez, seconded by VP Carr. Passed unanimously.
Motion to suspend Robert’s Rules made by Treasurer Lopez, seconded by VP Carr. Passed unanimously.
Business Manager Smercina discussed the requirements to hold office in GPSA/Student government in general is a position as an elected official and is not just an extracurricular for students. The proposed revisions were discussed to be detrimental for the graduate students that are in GPSA, especially the fact that students would be compensated through the financial aid office as scholarships.
5h) Call for New Business Items INFORMATION ONLY
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).
- PUBLIC COMMENT INFORMATION ONLY
(See foregoing notation regarding public comment)
- ANNOUNCEMENTS INFORMATION ONLY
- NSA mixer 12/3, we are ordering Panda Express and sharing swag bags
- Snack bags during study week
- Graduate Winter Commencement is December 17th
- Open House event January 21st
- ADJOURNMENT FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
Adjourned at 12:57pm.