November 2010

Several Berkeley City Commissions have vacancies and City Councilmember Jesse Arreguin is looking for people, including students, to appoint to fill these openings. Serving on a City Commission is a good way to learn more about local issues and to affect local policy decisions.

The following commissions currently have vacancies:

• Community Health Commission
• Elmwood Advisory Board
• Homeless Commission
• Housing Advisory Commission
• Human Welfare and Community Action Commission
• Loan Administration Board
• Police Review Commission
• Transportation Commission
• Youth Commission

If you are interested in serving on one of these commissions or have questions, please contact Councilmember Arreguin’s office at (510) 981-7140 or JArreguin@ci.berkeley.ca.us. General information about commissions can be found at: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/general.htm.

Many graduate students are concerned about what the reorganization suggested under the Operational Excellence initiative may mean for them and their departments.

Graduate Student Services is soliciting graduate student feedback to inform this process by holding small focus groups on Wednesday, December 1. To talk over the issues that concern you and share your ideas, email Assistant Dean Corinne Kosmitzki (ckosmitzki@berkeley.edu) to reserve a spot in one of these groups. Include in the email your name, department, degree expected, and year. Also indicate whether you wish to attend Session 1 (12-2 pm) or Session 2 (6:30-8:30 pm). Both sessions will be held in 394 Minor Hall (School of Optometry).

If you need further incentive, there will be free Zachary’s pizza and drinks provided.

There is a chance that the proposal to change the name of “educational fees” to “tuition,” which the regents will vote on next week, could undermine the guaranteed fee remission that GSIs currently receive. (For graduate students, educational and registration fees total about $9,000/year.) To learn more about what the language change may mean for graduate student instructors as well as the status of ongoing contract negotiations (the existing contract extension expires on Monday, November 15), attend today’s union meeting. It begins at 4 pm in 88 Dwinelle.

It’s mid-November and time for our final giveaway of the semester, hopefully leaving the lucky winner enough time to use the prize before this school year ends. This week we’re giving away a $55 gift certificate to the RSF. This is enough for a 50-minute massage, but can also be put toward any other product or service the RSF provides.

For a chance to win, leave a comment below letting us know what issue or issues concern you as a member of the UC Berkeley campus community. The giveaway is open to all UC Berkeley students and staff. Only one entry per person. Good luck!

Update: Lucy is our winner. Congratulations! And thank you all for your thoughtful responses. In the future, the Berkeley Graduate will do its best to expand coverage of those issues.