Sep. 1, 2024

The UNLV Graduate & Professional Student Association

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

MINUTES

GPSA EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING 44-04

FRIDAY, JUNE 28th, 2024 

4:00 PM

HYBRID PUBLIC MEETING:

IN PERSON: GRADUATE COMMONS CONFERNCE ROOM

LIED LIBRARY 2ND FLOOR

VIRTUAL:

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:

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

PRESIDENT’S CABINET (EX-OFFICIO, NON-VOTING)

Engagement & Outreach Director

Chief of Staff

Director of Operations

Director of Communications & Marketing

◻ VACANT

◻VACANT

☑ Naseem Benjelloun

◻ VACANT

Members of the Public Present

Virginia Smercina – GPSA Business Manager ☑

Bill Robinson – GPSA Faculty Advisor ☑

All are present. Quorum has been established.

 

CALL TO ORDER

4:04pm called to order

ROLL CALL

  1. PUBLIC COMMENT                                                                                                INFORMATION ONLY

Treasurer Lopez had a question about unanimous consent, President Marie answered that this could be possible.

  1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES                                                                                   FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
    1. The GPSA Executive Board will consider approval of the minutes from the June 2024 Executive Board Meetings (44-03) as posted to the public.

Moved by Treasurer Lopez, seconded by Secretary King. Passed unanimously.

  1. REPORTS & RECOMMENDATIONS                                                                  INFORMATION ONLY

3a) GPSA Executive Board & Committees

    1. President

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

President Marie talked about supporting accelerated programs that could support undergraduate students pursing law school. It would shorten their graduation time by one year.

    1. 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.

Vice President Carr discussed three major changes to the sponsorship operations policy.

  • TDX visibility
  • Increase total points from 20 -> 25 and 80%->85%
  • Decrease the $2,500 down to $1,250 semester

    1. Treasurer

Treasurer Lopez will report to the GPSA Executive Board concerning UNLV related issues or events important to the UNLV graduate Student body.

Fiscal year is approaching, Council and Ways & Means commitee final budget approval is pending.. Treasurer Lopez also mentioned that the Treasurer should not have the ability to vote in this process, RSO budget will also be reassessed.

    1. 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 mentioned that there is a possible misunderstanding with sponsorship funding between students from the School of Medicine. President Marie, Vice President Carr, and Business Manager Smercina all discussed that there are ways we can be more involved with students such as holding workshops and increasing visibility amongst students to help demystify the sponsorship process.

3b) GPSA Business Manager & Advisor


Business Manager Smercina will report to the GPSA Executive Board concerning UNLV related issues or events important to the UNLV graduate student body.

No reports.

3c) GPSA Faculty Advisor

       

       Faculty Advisor Bill Robinson will report to the Executive Board concerning UNLV related issues or events important to the UNLV graduate student body.

       Faculty Advisor Robinson mentioned that GPSA needs to be more vigilant about funding. Departments all across campus have been cut 25% in funding.

3d) GPSA President’s Cabinet

  1. Engagement & Outreach Director
  2. Director of Operations
  3. Director of Communications & Marketing
  4. Chief of Staff

No reports.

  1. 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.

4a) Expanding the Committee for Bylaws and Constitution                                FOR POSSIBLE ACTION

President Marie requests time to discuss and a possible vote to expand the bylaws and constitution committee to include the operating policy documents for internal committees of the GPSA. Discussion of changing the name to the GPSA Policy Review Committee.

Lopez speaks in support for an attorney general position and how a creation of a committee could cause more “blockage” in progressing to establish more standardized policies for GPSA operations.

4b)Moving RSO to Sponsorship Funding                                                              FOR POSSIBLE ACTION

Treasurer Lopez requests time to discuss and possible vote on moving the Registered Student Organization Funding Program from being under the direction of the Treasurer & Ways and Means to the Sponsorship Funding directive.

Lopez discussed the reasons that he is not comfortable having the RSO funding program under Ways & Means, including that it is a conflict of interest for the Treasurer to be involved with voting processes.

Moved by Vice President Carr, seconded by Secretary King. Passed.

4c) Creation of Director of Program Initiatives and Oversight                           INFORMATION ONLY

President Marie requests time to discuss the creation of an Initiative and Oversight Programs Director. This position would be responsible for leading the strategic development, implementation, and supervision of new and existing programs within the organization This role ensures that all programs are effectively managed, aligned with organizational goals, and meets established standards of accountability and performance.

Discussion included in 5b.

4d) Graduation Cost Incorporation into Cost of Attendance                              FOR POSSIBLE ACTION

President Marie requests time to discuss and possible vote on supporting a memorandum to UNLV Graduate College supporting the opportunity for Graduate and Professional students to incorporate their costs of regalia and graduation into their cost of attendance providing for the opportunity to be covered by financial aid.

Motioned by Treasurer Lopez, seconded by Vice President Carr. Passed unanimously.

4e) Fee Waivers for Graduate Assistants                                                               INFORMATION ONLY

President Marie requests time to discuss and possible vote on supporting a memorandum/initiative to UNLV leadership regarding Fee Waivers for Graduate Assistants.

President Marie discussed that fees for graduate students are set to increase in the next fiscal year. She suggested that a program should be created to support the graduate student community in providing fee waivers.

Vice President Carr suggested that the student life fee is high and graduate students might not benefit from it as much as the undergraduate student community does.

Treasurer Lopez discussed that most of his first paycheck as an incoming masters student went towards fees.

Faculty Advisor Robinson suggested keeping an eye on the student parking fee increase process.

President Marie mentioned that it was inappropriate for the fee increase to be mentioned without GPSA’s knowledge until the Board of Regents Meeting.

  1. 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.

5a) Proposal to Create Grant/External Funding Committee                             FOR POSSIBLE ACTION

Treasurer Lopez requests time to discuss and possible vote on starting an grant/external funding committee to help support the efforts of the GPSA.

Postponed until the next meeting.

5b) Proposal to Create Attorney General Position                                              FOR POSSIBLE ACTION

President Marie requests time to discuss and possibly vote on creating an attorney general position. The AG ensures that GPSA’s actions comply with its constitution, bylaws, and other governing documents.

Creation of the Attorney General position was discussed briefly earlier in the meeting and was met with supportive discussion. Motioned by Treasurer Lopez, seconded by Vice President Carr. Passed.

5b)General Operations                                                                                           INFORMATION ONLY

Executive Board members may use this time for a discussion and review of potential changes to the governing documents of GPSA, including their compliance and necessary updates in the functioning of the student government. No formal action will be taken during this item, but suggestions for future changes may be discussed.

Business Manager Smercina discussed that there is support for incorporation of Salesforce over TeamDynamix.

Director of Operations Benjelloun voiced support for retaining TDX and that Salesforce is more expensive and does not have the same capabilities as TDX has.

5c) 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).

President Marie discussed that there is a new business item for memorandum of support for the creation of the grant/external funding committee.

Business Manager Smercina talked about formalizing a memorandum process for potential to be incorporated into the Bylaws. Director of Operations Benjelloun mentioned CSUN also utilizes memos.

  1. PUBLIC COMMENT                                                                                                  INFORMATION ONLY

(See foregoing notation regarding public comment)

  1. ANNOUNCEMENTS                                                                                                 INFORMATION ONLY

  1. ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                        FOR POSSIBLE ACTION

Adjourned at 5:46pm.