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
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!
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.
Can reach out to any of the officers!
Anonymous Department Complaints
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
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