February GSO/Faculty Meeting Minutes February 3rd, 2022 Attending Members: Fox Foley, Aaron Trigg, Tyler Stokes, Jeff Blackmon, Kip Matthews, Catherine Deibel, Rob Hynes
Updates from end of last semester:
Haven't heard any grumbles about the qual, y'all hear anything?
7/10 passed
Aaron: Would be useful to see demographics of who is general physics vs astro
Rob: supposed to be undergrad level if you take all of the lsu courses, something to talk to the committee about curriculum
GCC committee took all feedback from forum and are revisiting a number of things, especially pertaining to the alternate path and frequency of exam
2. This month’s discussion
Lot of incoming grad students weren't getting emails and felt blind coming in, you can't give us emails so how do we figure this out?
Forward everything through Ilya and Paige for email stuff
47 offers; Increasing stipend offers by $1000 and so 2nd years will also get the raise!!!
3. Do we have ETA for panels or anything yet?
Open house in ~early March
No decision on virtual or prospective visit yet
Invite but also give virtual option
4. COVID
LSU still having events and stuff… eesh
Numbers getting better
No more extensions for profs choosing online vs in-person
Unsure if there’s a requirement for profs to still have recordings for people who miss bc of quarantine
5. MASKS PLZ FOR TAs AND EXTRA FOR UNDERGRADS
Jeff going to get some ordered!
Faculty and staff were given N95s (qt0
6. Faculty search updates?
Two faculty searches will have a short list at next faculty meeting (4 or 5 people per search)
There are 3 ongoing searches though: exp materials, theory AMO, theory nuclear
Invite people to come but can do some virtual meets with prospectives
Might have more than 1 a week, might have to use Tuesdays
Big room in Coates on Thursdays for sure
Jim Sauls: negotiations done and he has an offer. He’s going to be coming back for a visit in a few weeks
7. Updates from GSO
Still working on qual survey results (sorry)
A lot of the women’s bathrooms in the department don’t have disposal containers for menstrual products… have contacted Carol and facility services already to get something done but like wtf?
GSO elections coming up in May
Want to get more people interested
Catherine: post something in the grad student cubicles and/or flyers on desks
8. Faculty updates/Questions?
GSO email: going to make a new email. There has to be an owner and then another one who has access to the account.
Rob: Owner gets logged out to go into it. Going to have someone more “permanent” (Laurie) be the owner and then give access to current GSO Secretary
TL;DR:
Get ready for some pizza lunches and colloquia coming your way!
Gonna get masks for TAs :)
Offer letters sent, open house soon, stipends getting increased by $1000!! (that means you, too current first years)