The UNLV Graduate & Professional Student Association
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NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING
MINUTES
GPSA EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING 44-05
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2024 | 3:30 PM
HYBRID PUBLIC MEETING:
IN PERSON: GRADUATE COMMONS CONFERNCE ROOM
LIED LIBRARY 2ND FLOOR
VIRTUAL:
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:
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
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PRESIDENT |
VICE PRESIDENT |
TREASURER |
SECRETARY |
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☑ Teresa Marie |
☑Aliciah Carr |
☑Devin Lopez |
☑David King |
PRESIDENT’S CABINET (EX-OFFICIO, NON-VOTING)
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Engagement & Outreach Director |
Chief of Staff |
Director of Operations |
Director of Communications & Marketing |
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Members of the Public Present
☑Virginia Smercina – GPSA Business Manager
☑Bill Robinson – GPSA Faculty Advisor
CALL TO ORDER
Called to order 3:38 PM
ROLL CALL
- PUBLIC COMMENT INFORMATION ONLY
(See foregoing notation regarding public comment)
President Marie stated that there was a $36 fee increase proposed for a new parking structure behind the transit center. The Board of Regents were not happy with the multiple fee increases and were not interested in moving forward with a decision on the fee increase. Regent Downs asked if no decision was made, would the parking fees still increase and UNLV stated that it is not projected for that to occur and more analysis is needed. However, the fees were still increased without notification from administration.
Business Manager Smercina shared a public comment regarding the fee increase and that the appropriate administration can be requested to provide more transparency on how this fee was determined.
- APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
- The GPSA Executive Board will consider approval of the minutes from the June 2024 Executive Board Meetings (44-04) as posted to the public GPSA Drive.
Moved by Secretary King, seconded by VP Carr. Passed unanimously.
- REPORTS & RECOMMENDATIONS INFORMATION ONLY
3a) GPSA Executive Board & Committees
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- 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 Workshop on students needs and barriers. A push for focus on the pipeline of CCSD to UNLV.
President Marie reported that the Board of Regents held a workshop on student needs and barriers. President Marie was the only student in attendance and expressed that the Board of Regents discussed the meeting without considering student voices during the meeting. President Marie gave public comment which led to the Board of Regents to be more vigilant about addressing student voices and concerns in future meetings.
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- 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 the July cycle was concluded and a total of $19,986.42 was awarded to students for sponsorship. Further discussions will be made on transparency with the sponsorship rubric and how this will be shared with students that have their applications graded.
Business Manager Smercina stated that faculty inquired how the sponsorship program was run and if faculty have input in this program. She suggested that the Graduate Council, consisting of graduate coordinators, can provide input to the application to strengthen support for the operation of the sponsorship program.
President Marie suggested sending out the rubric to the Graduate Council to receive input about the rubric.
VP Carr mentioned that additional language was added to the sponsorship operating policy that addresses using the funding for monetary value. Secretary King, Business Manager Smercina, and Dr. Bill Robinson also inputted how the language should be phrased to address the possibility of direct revenue from the sponsorship funding, which should not be allowed.
VP Carr, Secretary King, President Marie, and Business Manager Smercina discussed how faculty endorsements should be approached, and they will be discussed in more detail in a future meeting.
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- 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 stated that during the W&M Committee meeting in July, most RSO related items were struck down as it was moved to Sponsorship.
Treasurer Lopez reported that the Treasurer’s role in the W&M committee was adjusted and clarified in the operating policy and is situated as an ex-officio non-voting member of the committee except in the case of a voting tie.
VP Carr mentioned that most of this should be assessed in the bylaws. Business Manager Smercina mentioned that the bylaws need to be updated immediately.
Budget allocations will be assessed by President Marie, Business Manager Smercina, and Treasurer Lopez at a meeting on August 12th, 2024.
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- 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 no interest was expressed so far in regard to graduate students serving on any GPSA related committees.
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. Updates about information on Fundraising and other monetary raising opportunities for GPSA.
Business Manager Smercina mentioned that some of our documents were not ADA compliant even though they are passing in the program. This poses a challenge as certain procedures in approaching this do not meet OML. Faculty Advisor Bill Robinson mentioned that these documents can be converted to .html so that the documents can pass the checks.
President Marie made a note that most “ADA-compliant” UNLV documents are actually not accessible to students that are ADA.
Business Manager Smercina discussed future events for GPSA tabling and updating the council website. GPSA is not a nonprofit so there are issues concerning potential fundraising. She also mentioned that fee increases are difficult to propose in the current climate, but President Marie and Business Manager Smercina mentioned that further discussion will be needed and it will be agendized.
Business Manager Smercina also mentioned that the Grad Commons are getting new computers and TDX will be used for the GPSA front desk. New student workers are also going to be hired for the front desk.
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 there was no discussion of graduate education during the Regents meeting. GPSA should set up a foundation with the graduate college. BitLocker is also being run on the computers in UNLV, but it should not be run in the graduate commons as there is potential for data encryption to happen on accident.
3d) GPSA President’s Cabinet
- Engagement & Outreach Director
- Director of Operations
- Director of Communications & Marketing
- Chief of Staff
- 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) Annual Goals
INFORMATION ONLY
President Marie requests time to discuss with the executive board the annual goals and initiatives of GPSA.These are the things that the executive board and the president's cabinet want to work on carrying out over the next 2024-2025 year.
No action taken. A workshop will be held.
5b) Events for the 2024-2025 year INFORMATION ONLY
President Marie requests time to discuss the events GPSA has planned of the 2024-2025 school year.
This includes:
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President Marie discussed tabling at multiple events including Premier to spread the word about GPSA and facilitate more graduate student involvement.
Business Manager Smercina left the room at 4:42pm.
President Marie discussed that public comment should be stated at the BoR Meeting expressing the fee increases that are occurring in the university.
Business Manager Smercina returned at 4:50pm.
5c) Proposed Operation Policy for Continuation and Support Grant INFORMATION ONLY
President Marie requests time to discuss the for the continuation and support grant.
5d) Proposed 3+3 accelerated program for undergraduate to law school ACTION ITEM
President Marie requests time to discuss a 3+3 program memorandum to UNLV leadership for an accelerated program that would allow undergraduate students in their junior year who apply and accepted to Boyd law school to complete their final year of their bachelor's degree concurrently with their first year of law school.
President Marie discussed that Boyd Law School is the only accredited law school in the State of Nevada. The State of Massachusetts has been successful in integrating this program.
Motioned by Secretary King, seconded by VP Carr.
Treasurer Lopez spoke out in support for the accelerated program.
Business Manager Smercina expressed concerns that this would be a GPSA initiative but President Marie expressed that it would just be a memorandum to express to administration for the creation of the program.
Faculty Advisor Robinson expressed that support can be drawn from undergraduate student organizations towards the administration for this initiative.
Passed unanimously.
5e) Discussion of Legislative Priorities for 2025-2027 Biennium INFORMATION ONLY
President Marie Requests time to discuss the 2025-2027 Biennium legislative priorities. Which includes an additional $14.2M ($6.1, yr 1 / $8.1, yr2) increase to student stipends.
President Aktar with GSA is interested in collaborating on efforts. Discussions of template written public comment for submission as well as template scripts for in person legislative meetings. September BoR meeting for approval of budget to include this increase.
President Marie discussed the action item with the executive board. Business Manager Smercina suggested tabling this, but President Marie mentioned that this is a priority set by UNLV. Faculty Advisor Robinson mentioned that monies were going to be transferred to the community colleges, so discussions have to be prepared in order to advocate for student stipend increases in legislation.
5f) Proposal for Formal Report – Sponsorship ACTION ITEM
Business manager Smercina requests time to discuss and a possible vote a formal report of the approved tickets that need funding, which are conditional, which would be rooted through their department.
Business Manager Smercina discussed that providing this report will make processing the awards streamlined.
Moved by VP Carr, seconded by Treasurer Lopez
Passed unanimously.
5g) Proposal for an Update Pamphlet for the NV Bar Exam ACTION ITEM
President Marie requests time to discuss and vote on the creation and email out to students a pamphlet with information on the updates to the NV bar exam.
President Marie discussed supporting the UNLV Law students by updating the pamphlet for the NV Bar exam. Secretary King expressed concerns regarding this, however these concerns were addressed by President Marie that there are Law students ready to work on this initiative.
Business Manager Smercina exited the meeting at 5:13pm but joined online.
No action was taken for this agenda item.
5h) Memorandum in support of revisiting the 10 hour additional work clause ACTION ITEM
President Marie requests time to discuss and possible vote on a memorandum for the Board of Regents to revisit the language in the Board of Regents Handbook Title 4 - Chapter 5 - Section 2 - Part 6. (Has not been updated since 06/03)
President Marie discussed that many students are restricted from pursuing additional work in order to make enough money to pay for fees and living expenses.
Motioned by Secretary King, seconded by Treasurer Lopez
Secretary King expressed that it should not be anyone's business for pursuing outside work, and that it should be the sole responsibility of the GA to determine if additional work is needed. It is also a privacy matter regarding the students and their decision in pursuing outside work. This matter should be closely followed in support for future meetings.
Passed unanimously.
5i)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.
No action taken.
5j) 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).
A new business item will be added to discuss fee grievances and the sponsorship operating policy. The executive board will schedule meetings, trainings, and workshops for the month of August and September.
- PUBLIC COMMENT INFORMATION ONLY
(See foregoing notation regarding public comment)
No public comment.
- ANNOUNCEMENTS INFORMATION ONLY
No announcements
- ADJOURNMENT FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
Adjourned at 5:47pm