Mr.Bender, Mr. Sadowsky and the Community-at-Large,

Mr. Bender's email about the GSA listerv and website really got me to
thinking about the issue of communicating and several other issues related
to graduate education and graduate organizations at M.U.

One of the first of many things that came to mind is that things occur on
this campus to graduate students and in opposition to graduate and
professional students because:

- There are less than 2,000 of us compared to nearly 17,000 undergraduates
and we have no organizing body or see a reason to collaborate with one
another;

-  Graduate directors and faculty are not charged with advocating for us or
even told that they must be civil, humane, collegial or provide good
advisement and mentoring for us.  Many of them have not been trained
themselves to work with people of diverse communities or even how to mentor
or advise properly;

- Folks feel isolated and alienated from one another and from their faculty
and staff colleagues.  Ask any graduate student of color, non-traditional or
international student how many people regularly interface with them in their
departments, cross-disciplines or socially and you'll find that the reality
of a positive graduate experience is a myth;

- Apathy rules! Folks feel they are only here for 2-6 years, so why ask
questions or why participate;

- There is no strong student centered advocacy presence on this campus for
graduate and professional students, translation there is no real
representation for the community and no one to really fight for us;

-  Graduate and professional students are seen as transient, inexpensive
labor, not collegial peers of faculty and staff;

- Graduate and professional students don't realize their economic power.  We
teach a large percentage of courses and labs on this campus, yet we don't
really have a significant voice on any of the university committees and
councils, although we have a seat on them;

- We don't see attending a GSA or GSCA meeting, event or serving on a
committee as relative to our experience here, yet we complain about our low
pay, lack of parking, rights in the classroom, etc.;

-  The graduate student organizations that do exist operate almost entirely
in a vacuum and don't engage or collaborate with one another;

-   The graduate student organizations are fledgling and under-funded.  The
graduate student organizations that do exist operate with a meager to
non-existent budget. The M.U. water polo team operating budget and yearly
funding is in excess of GSA and certainly GSCA.   We all know if you have no
money or very little you have no real power, you are vulnerable to the winds
of bureaucracy and oppression;

- At this writing M.U. surpasses others in terms of research, etc., yet is
light years behind many graduate education institution in terms of holistic
career planning for its students;

-...I can add to this list for days, but I am sure you and my colleagues can
too, so I'll stop!

Secondly, I made an error in my last post when I mentioned that "Both list
are to be moderated by a member of the communications committee and the
webmanager is to update the website with notices, links, minutes, etc."  The
community GSA listserv is not supposed to be a moderated list, it was
established as an open dialogue venue for graduate and professional students
at M.U. All messages sent on the community listserv are received by all list
members and may be read, responded to and/or deleted, as the individual list
member deems necessary.

Again the difference in the community list and the MUGSA listserv list is
the latter is an electronic venue for the GSA board to disseminate timely
and relative materials to the graduate community.  Both listservs are needed
at Miami University and that is why the accounts were established in 1999.

The GSA and GSCA are supposed to provide information (under the respective
missions) about scholarly, professional development and social events and
opportunities. In the past informal emails amongst small groups of students
have served that purpose, but a wider, more holistic remittance of
information needs to occur on this campus. A listserv is one mode of
communication and community building that helps folks network and create
community.  This is gravely important when we come here and become isolated
and entrenched in the daily goings on and politics of our programs.

A listserv where students can post freely anything they want within reason
(common sense should precluding sending bias laden material, pornographic
materials, etc.) that addresses the needs and concerns of graduate students
is imperative to the growth, stabilization and visibility of graduate
student organizations on a campus where graduate and professional students
are a minority population.  The sense of community, empowerment, visibility
and mobility that graduate student’s experience on this campus pales in
comparison to some schools in the state and nation.  Regular dialogue about
our needs and concerns on a listserv, at meetings or access to a well
designed, regularly updated website will go a long way to make positive,
standing change on this campus. Access to a listserv and website are small
concerns in light of more pressing issues (looming war, passing comps,
etc.), but if GSA or the GSCA is to ever become legitimate, powerful
entities on this campus they must begin to create venues that will help them
manifest exponentially the missions of the organizations.

An active listserv, timely advertised and well attended meetings, relative
events and a great website will help GSA to be more than a group that starts
from zero each year and by December figures out they have been asking the
wrong people the right questions; a group that spends 70% of their annual
budget on a travel fund that they really don't control, a group that does
not have enough cachet on this campus to get a darn office or lounge for its
organization and community; a group that is known more for hosting a few
parties every year than for advocating for students right to a decent
stipend, parking, better health benefits, etc.; or a group that only
liminally represents the graduate and community.

In conclusion what good are any of us if we can not be of service to one
another and what is this deluge of nationalism about if we can't get
together around issues that deal with empowerment for us all?  Hopefully, my
commentary is one gesture to get some real dialogue going about the quality
of life of all graduate and professional students at Miami University or to
at least get folks that sit as leaders of our organizations to think about
their responsibility to the community they were elected to serve.


Regards,
Yolanda R. Brown

To decide to live at the level of choice is to take responsibility
and be in control of your life.                         Arbie M. Dale


Be prepared, curious and vigilant!                      Yolanda R. Brown


Be the change you wish to see in the world.      Mahatma Gandhi


Vision looks inward and becomes duty.
Vision looks outward and becomes aspiration.
Vision looks upward and becomes faith.          Author unknown
=============================================================
The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to
which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged
material.  Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or
taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or
entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited.   If you received
this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any
computer.


_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp