Officers Present: Carlos Lopez, President; Ian Richmond, Vice President; Stephanie Abundo, Secretary; Laurie Littlepage, Treasurer.

Departments NOT Represented: Astronomy, Business Economics, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Comparative Literature, Earth and Planetary Sciences, East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Economics, English and American Literature and Language, Government, Inner Asian and Altaic Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Psychology, Romance Languages and Literatures, Slavic Languages and Literatures.

1. Announcements
   • GSC Conference Grants: Application deadline is Monday, October 19. Completed applications due in the GSC Office by 5:00 p.m. This is open to all GSAS students whose departments are represented at the GSC meetings and have paid their GSC fee.

   • GSC Halloween Pub Night: Friday, October 30, 1998, 9 p.m. - 1 a.m. in the Dudley House Dining Hall.

   • Brunch for Student-Parents and their Families: Saturday, November 7, 1998, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. in the Dudley House Common Room.

   • GSC Parents Network: This group was formed to discuss issues of interest to graduate student-parents, and advocate for student-parents. For more information, including directions to subscribe to the GSC Parents Network mailing list, see the GSC web site.

   • Graduate Fund Phone-a-thon: Thursday, October 29, 1998. GSAS students are needed for a phone-a-thon. The time commitment is from 6-9:30 p.m. for one evening only. Dinner and a $25 stipend is provided. Contact Kelly Westerhouse at 496-6898 or kelly_westerhouse@harvard.edu to volunteer.

   • NAGPS (National Association of Graduate Professional Students) National Conference: November 13-15, 1998 in Braintree. Volunteers are needed to help at the conference.
   
   
   
2. Matters Arising from the minutes of May 1998 meeting: None.

   
   
   

3. Elections

   • Laurie Littlepage resigned as Treasurer.
   • Treasurer: Zoltan Maliga, Biophysics.
   • Social Officers: Gabriella Gonzales, Sociology, Kyriell Muhammad, The Study of Religion.
   • Representations to the Committee on Graduate Education: Lisa Laskin, History; Julie Rohwein, Music.
   • Facilities/Computer Officer: Position remains unfilled.
   
   
   
4. Treasurer's Report
   • The GSC voted to allocate $500 for the Canadian Club for a party and for office expenses.

   
   
   

5. Discussion: Meeting with Division of Medical Sciences (DMS) administrators and DMSSO representatives.
   • Approximately 20% of GSAS students are in the Division of Medical Sciences, and spend all day at the Medical Area. Many students feel not included in GSC activities, which are at Dudley House in Harvard Yard. In order to include more DMS students in GSC activities, two resolutions were passed. 1) The February 12, 1999 Pub Night will be held in the Medical Area (exact location to be determined, and 2) One GSC meeting of the 1998-1999 academic year will be held in the Medical Area.

     An Ad-hoc Committee on DMS, chaired by Gabriella Gonzales, has been formed to discuss more ways to bridge the gap between GSAS students in the Medical Area and in Cambridge.

   
   
   
6. Update: Graduate Student Life and Education Document.
   • This document is being finalized. The final document will go before the Committee on Graduate Education in November. The draft can be viewed from the GSC web site.

   
   
   
7. Discussion: Proposal for Excellence in Mentoring Award.
   • A tentative timeline for the awards process was distributed. The proposal will be voted on in the November meeting.

   
   
   
8. Discussion: Proposed Constitutional and By-Laws Amendments.
   • The GSC does not have by-laws, and should have them. Members are needed for the committee on the GSC Constitution.

   
   
   
9. New Business: GSHAC (Graduate Student Health Advisory Committee).
   • Its first meeting of the year will be Wednesday, October 21, in the Fireside Room of Dudley House at 4 pm. All GSAS students interested in health issues are welcome. GSHAC will be working on improving prescription coverage, and providing some optical coverage for GSAS students. The MAC renovations did not happen during the summer, despite being funded and scheduled.

   
   
   

Respectfully submitted,
Stephanie Abundo