From Flan and John. 

Every DSC meeting begins w/ an update about some program or service at the GC.  At this meeting, we heard from Bob Hatcher, Director of the Wellness Center.

•  Student Counseling Services:
• For more details, see: https://www.gc.cuny.edu/Prospective-Current-Students/Student-Life/Health—Wellness/Couseling-Services
  • The GC has 2 full-time counselors, one 3/4^th time counselor + 6 grad student counselors
  • For those of you struggling with your first year of grad school, please don’t feel alone!  36% of students come during their first year.
  • Couples and group counseling services available (no time limit on group sessions)
  • The Center also offers workshops
    • Examples: the imposter syndrome; getting what you need from your adviser; countless procrastination workshops, parenting in grad school; coping w/ field work
• Student health services
• https://www.gc.cuny.edu/Prospective-Current-Students/Student-Life/Health—Wellness/Health-Services
  • We have 1 nurse practitioner
  • Health insurance not required.  40% of students who visit do not have health insurance (go USA)
  • Hours:
    • Mondays between 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm.
      Tuesdays and Thursdays between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm.
      Wednesdays between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm.
      The Nurse Practitioner is not on site on Fridays
  • Get tested for tuberculosis and STDs
  • Also offers workshops, including the Wellness Festival; Ergonomics workshop, Cancer awareness program, and HIV screening

We then heard updates from various DSC committee chairs.  Here are few highlights that you might find relevant:

• Sign up for the DSC listserve here: https://gc.listserv.cuny.edu/ScriptsGC/wa-gc.exe?SUBED1=DSC-L&A=1
• New fellowship packages updates:
  • The DSC voted unanimously to form a new ad hoc committee delegated w/ formulating a response
    • We know lots of you are interested in this issue, so we’ll be sure to keep you updated
    • The ad hoc group will work closely w/ a number of other groups (ex: the Adjunct Project)
  • Most reps agreed that there is considerable anger among their constituents about the generous new packages that will be offered only to incoming students.
  • Anne Donlon, our co-chair of communications, reported that both President Kelly and Provost Robinson told her that they *might* push for reduced course load for current for current ECFs…once incoming students begin teaching (so not until fall 2014)
  • Chancellor Goldstein has been unsympathetic to complaints that GC restructuring will make us less diverse.  I didn’t get the exact quote, but he told one of our chairs something to the effect of, “If strengthening our program means restricting admission and admitting only the best students, then I have no problem with that.”
• Movie pass prices are going up to $6.50, effective immediately.  Reminder: you can buy passes in the main DSC office (5495), but you need to pay by check. See: https://cunydsc.org/tix
• NYSHIP rates are also going up a few dollars (I just received my letter in the mail yesterday; you should be getting one soon if you haven’t already).  This is the biggest increase yet.
  
• Many lockers in the DSC rooms are not being used.  Emails will be going out soon…if your locker is empty, you will lose it.  That means those of us sans locker will get another shot soon.
  
• Room reservations
  • Give yourself lots of time if you need any type of equipment for your event.  From personal experience, I’ve found that you should contact facilities at least a week before (https://www.gc.cuny.edu/About-the-GC/Resource-Services/Facilities-Services-Campus-Planning/Audio-Visual-Services)
• There will be gender neutral bathrooms on the 1^st and 5^th floors at an undisclosed future date.  I’m not sure yet if this will affect our current bathrooms on the 5th floor.
• Blood drive updates:
  • The DSC passed a resolution in May asking that blood drives no longer be held at the GC until the FDA lifts the ban on the blood of men who have sex with men.
  • The DSC has received support from the administration, and the October blood drive at the GC was canceled.  
  • DSC reps recently met with reps from the administration and from the New York Blood Center (NYBC).  The New York Blood Center reports that it does not have enough buses to hold the blood drives off-campus by the GC, as the DSC has suggested.  DSC reps continued to defend their position, urging the NYBC to look for other resources.  I’ll keep you updated.
  • See GC Advocate coverage here: https://opencuny.org/gcadvocate/category/dsc/
• If you’re on Twitter, check out the #USSFAIL Twitter Campaign.  The University Student Senate has a budget of $330,000, paid for by us.  The DSC recently conducted an excellent audit, which you can find here: https://opencuny.org/uuss/auditreport/.  Look for an investigative piece coming soon from the GC Advocate.
  
• We also heard an update on the DSC budget (remember, the student activity fee you pay every semester w/ your tuition goes to the DSC).  There was concern expressed that the $108,150 spent by the DSC on the wellness center should be coming from other sources.  
• The new CUNY dorms are bringing in a profit.
  
• The GC currently does not offer any type of parental leave for students, and the DSC has formed an ad hoc committee in response.  The committee will meet w/ the Provost in Jan.  

As always, please let John McMahon or me know if you have any questions or concerns that you’d like us to take the the next DSC meeting.