Graduate Student Senate/Strategic Plan/Vision and Mission/Phase2
Contents |
[edit] Strengths
- Broad Representation
- SGS Support
- Bargaining Power
- Social Activities
- Well-known meeting times with supporting infrastructure
- Student activity fee = budget (we get 100%)
- Orientation
- Vfund/Diekhoff Awards
- Student Affairs Office
[edit] Weaknesses (Opportunities for improvement)
- Diversity
- Involvement of Departments
- Ethnic/Cultural/Racial
- Departmental-level engagement
- Information Dissemination
- Relationship with professional schools
- Lack recognition of student-led groups
- Partnering
- Cleveland community relations
- Community Service engagement
- Improved Health Care
- Grievance Forum (Arbitration & Mediation)
- Apathy
Upon closer examination of the above points, strengths of the GSS deal mainly with infrastructure, resources, and social initiatives, while opportunities for improvement best fit under the headings of communication, diversification, and partnering. In tabulated form, then, the above reduces to two short lists of three items each.
[edit] Goals
Starting with the short list of opportunities for growth, the following initiatives were thereby formulated and their implementation broadcast over a five year time period.
In the first year, the GSS Newsletter will be revived in order to reopen lines of communication between the graduate student senate and the university community. Diversity will be promoted by seeking representatives from already established ethnic, cultural, and racial organizations on campus as well as the UGSG and professional student associations. The establishment of new graduate student organizations will be encouraged by the development of a graduate student organization "startup kit" consisting of such items as templates for a constitution and by-laws and information regarding GSS support of the newly formed group.
Efforts to disseminate University and SGS news relevant to the graduate student population in addition to the start up of new community service projects will extend from year one into year two while movement to partner with local businesses in order to enhance Case graduate employability will be ongoing for the first three years.
Beginning in year two, communication, diversification, and partnering will be upheld via initiatives through which the handling of grievances, newly formed student organizations, and interdepartmental consultation, respectively, will be launched.
During years three to five, a more formal arbitration/mediation program as well as partnerships with national and potentially even global industries will be established.
And, finally, a conscious effort to maintain two-way communication with the university community in as many forms as possible (e.g., the GSS Newsletter, email, website postings) will be made throughout the five-year strategic plan time period.
[edit] 1-Year
- increase ethnic/cultural/racial/departmental diversity from pre-existing groups
- create "department GSS" startup kit w/ constitution template, bylaws, etc
- get reps from UGSG and Professional Student Association on GSS (works toward 5-Year goal)
- GSS Newsletter
- start grievances vehicle
[edit] 3-Year
- consultation (leading to arbitration/mediation)
- increase ethnic/cultural/racial/departmental diversity from not-yet-existing groups
- Partnership: Cleveland (lean on career center to provide support/medium)
[edit] 5-Year
- arbitration/mediation
- working relationship with UGSG and Professional Student Association
- information gathering & dissemination