UVIC library: grad student input

A big thanks to all the graduate students who participated in giving the library feedback. Your ideas have been included in the library's internal review. Have a look at this summary of graduate student input!

Copyright infringement case at U of T leads to how-to guide

Another interesting post on Macleans.ca

A number of high-profile copyright infringement cases – including one at the University of Toronto – have inspired a campaign to educate graduate students about their rights when it comes to protecting ideas and work from possible theft.

The Carleton Graduate Students' Association is spearheading an initiative to educate the university's 3,300 grad students on how to safeguard their intellectual property while ensuring they're being properly recognized for their work.

The initiative will include workshops and a handbook outlining what would constitute an infraction of students' intellectual property rights, said association president Oren Howlett.

Examples include a student not receiving authorship on written work, or having a professor take credit for their work.

Full story here

UofT to dump tobacco investments

Found online at macleans.ca. Interesting given the move to consider smoking ban at UVIC.

The University of Toronto is the latest university to alter its investment portfolio, citing ethical concerns. With yesterday’s announcement to divest millions in tobacco stocks, U of T became the first educational institution in Canada to boycott the tobacco industry.

A student activist who successfully campaigned to have U of T sell off its tobacco investments says other Canadian schools should follow suit and end the "unethical practice."

"We hope that other institutions will get a clear message that investing in tobacco companies is an unethical practice and it's something that should not be done," Tyler Ward, president of Education Bringing Youth Tobacco Truths (E-BUTT).

Many universities have taken similar steps for ethical reasons. Recently, Queen’s University divested its holdings in two Chinese oil companies because of their involvement in Darfur.

Read the full story here

Grad Rep Council April 17 Meeting call

Dear Grad Reps,

The GSS Executive Board has decided to call an April meeting of the Grad Rep council for April 17 at 5pm.

Agenda as currently proposed is below. I added more background than usual at the request of a member.:

1. Approve Agenda
2. Approve Minutes
    (January 2007 and February 2007)

3. Executive Reports
4. Departmental Reports (If you would like to submit a written report to save time, please email it to me by April 11 and I will attach it to the agenda)

5. CFS Membership Review Committee report (referred from SGM to Grad Council)
6. Election of a CFS-BC representative
7. Fellowship Campaign review and update

We have a temporary improvement in the current situation, but some grad reps have expressed concern that we have not had a chance to discuss this solution, nor the presentation by the Dean at the last GRC.

8. Seek volunteers for a 2007-08 Campaigns planning session (to meet in the Summer)

The GSS Executive will do quite a bit of planning for Fall and Spring campaigns during the Summer. This is an invite for any grad reps who would like to help shape that campaign plan.

9. Summer Leisure Club!

It will be as good as you make it!

10. Announcements/Other business
11. Adjournment
______________________________
If you would like to add any further agenda items, please send them to me at gssmgr@uvic.ca and I will circulate a final agenda on May 10.

If you are going to be away, please seek an alternate to attend from your department. If there is no one that can attend from your department, please RSVP ASAP and let us know so we will be aware of any quorum issues well in advance.

Thanks very much!

And a big BIG thanks to everyone who came out to the SGM, last week.

Stacy

New GSS Executive Elected

The people have spoken and the Grad Exec for 2007/08 will take office April 1.

Chair: Patrick Reed (Philosophy)
Director of Services: Brandy Sistili (Dispute Resolution)
Director of Communications: Joseph Kolthammer (Physics)
Director of Finance: Ian Hussey (Sociology)
Director of Student Affairs: Lee Blanding (History)

Thank you to everyone who came to the Semi-annual General Meeting and participated in selecting your new executive board.

Victory on Fellowships .. partly

The campaign has paid off, we have achieved a significant improvement to the UVIC fellowship policy. It is not perfect, but it does provide more economic security for fellowship holders.

UVIC's new policy will be:
Fellowship cheques and cheques for all scholarships at UVIC (including the new BC Graduate Student Scholarships) will not be withheld unless tuition is unpaid in the previous semester. Therefore, students starting in September will receive their cheques in Septembr, October, November, December without interruption, but MUST pay their tuition by the end of December.
Late fees will apply as for any other student.

This policy will stand until the NOVA system is in place, allowing more flexibility for installments of tuition to be taken off cheques paid to students by UVIC.

The full text of the letter from FGS about this change is available in letter format outside the GSS office.

Stacy

Great new site for Canadian Grad Students!

Check out this site from the publishers of The Peer Review. Its called the Grad Student Survival guide and has links to great information and past articles from their magazine.