September 2022 GSO Meeting Minutes

GSO Meeting Minutes

[09/29/22]

Attendance: Ashley, Aaron, Riley, David, Nageeb, Farzaneh, 11 other graduate students in person, and 6 other graduate students via Zoom

• Qual feedback

  • Dr. Frank sent out the proposed changes to the qualifying exam

  • Brief summary:

    • Three steps: Everyone takes the full exam, if you don’t pass then you either take the full again, a partial exam, or a proposed research topic.

    • Will be reviewed by the committee to decide the best course of action

    • Aimed to be voted on this semester to hopefully go into effect for the January exam

      • But might more realistically be done by August

  • Need your feedback!

    • Survey will probably be open for about a week

      • https://forms.gle/Dgb9xLMtwpEYgPcf9

      • Please fill it out asap!

      • Survey will be anonymous, just taking opinions and demographic data

    • Question: on the partial exam, is it just a shorter version?

      • A: Understood to be a retake of a section one did particularly badly on

    • Question: How many qual committee members are going on sabbatical?

      • A: Nobody to the best of our knowledge

    • If you find any errors with the qual (such as typos) please email Aaron so that he can contact the committee about them

    • Suggestion: Negotiate with the qual committee to separate the test into two parts over two days instead of two parts over one day (it’s too long!)

      • Also maybe extend the time for those taking it online so that they have time to scan papers

• Mentorship survey

  • Designed to give you another resource to navigate through graduate school, LSU, Baton Rouge, etc.

  • It is what you make it!

  • https://forms.gle/r1ZcP579mEcGa1MJ6

• Social events

  • Movie night!

    • Ideally sciency stuff

    • The people want the scary movies, but not everyone likes those sadly…

  • Need some movie ideas!

    • Interstellar?

      • Aaron: “Nope! Vetoed!”

    • Martian?

    • Will put a poll in Discord

  • Thinking of a Friday night in October, somewhere in Nicholson (the big auditorium room?) with snacks

    • Best date?

    • 7th?

      • Aaron can’t make it

    • 21st?

      • Farzaneh can’t make it

    • Officers will discuss it and figure out a solid date.

• thesis workshop updates

  • Updates from Catherine McKenzie:

    • The website is up to date and the best source for information

    • Alicia Paxton reviews theses; Catherine McKenzie reviews dissertations.

    • Dissertations have their own format no matter the field.

    • Different departments do NOT have their own standards.

    • https://www.lsu.edu/graduateschool/current_students/theses_and_dissertations/index.php

• Other

  • Will pester people about the mold on the first floor

    • Also, there are ants!

    • Need to clean the building (especially the whiteboards!)

    • If you find mold, send us the pics! We need to let people know where it all is so that they can get it fixed.

    • Have tried contacting maintenance, but they haven’t done anything about it. LSU’s infrastructure is not safe in a lot of buildings, the school is behind on repairs by a LOT.

    • https://forms.gle/MNiJM1NSznf18wwn9

  • Can reach out to any of the officers!

  • Anonymous Department Complaints

    • https://forms.gle/mxkUMgTbGF3ftUr97

  • Officer checking:

    • Ashley: Doesn’t have anything

    • Aaron: GSO/Faculty minutes to be posted soon!

      • Try to attend these meetings! They are cool!

    • David: Got nothing *cough*

    • Riley: *shakes head no*

    • Farzaneh: Nope

    • Nageeb: Nope

    • Mari: *not here*

  • Question:

    • David: Trash can in each lab room.

  • Amendment for international student liaison

    • Ashley will finish the draft soon and then send it out for a vote (everyone needs to vote!!!)

    • A position to collaborate with the ISO.
      

• Meeting adjourned