Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
President of the Council of Graduate Students
Topic: Transition Report: 20172018
Date: June 30, 2018
Author: Lauren Mitchell
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Letter from the Outgoing President……………………………………………………………….1
Resolution on Measuring and Maintaining Adequate Campus Mental Health Services………...10
Resolution on Expanding OnCampus Childcare………………………………………………..15
Resolution, Student Employees Should Not Be Mandatory Reporters………………………….17
Resolution on Ensuring Equitable Taxation for Graduate Students……………………………..19
Position Statement on Support for Students Affected by DACA, TPS, and the Travel Ban…….22
Position Statement on Proposed Student Conduct Code Changes Regarding Student Groups….23
Position Statement on Reporting Basic Sexual Harassment Data……………………………….25
Resolution on OnCampus Child Care…………………………………………………………..30
Resolution, Expanding the Board’s Access to the University Community……………………...36
Resolution on the Selection of Representatives to the Minnesota Regents……………………...38
Letter from the Outgoing President
I really struggled with how to write this transition report. The past couple of years in COGS
have been difficult for me. I’ve been hurt and let down, and it’s made me cynical and bitter. I
wasn’t sure what to say, that wouldn’t just be more cynicism and bitterness. Then I was going
through an old purse and found this scrap of paper:
Sometime last year, after a lot of really difficult, scary, and trying things had happened, Jonathan
and I sat down at Lyle’s, had a few drinks, and made a list of everything we had learned so far. I
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want to share this list with you, because I think a lot of these ideas are helpful for a wide range of
situations. I hope it will be helpful to future COGS leaders who might find themselves in
difficult situations they never expected to encounter. I wish I had looked back at this list more
often, because I think I would have benefitted from remembering some of these lessons.
● Know who the people who love drama are, and be really careful of them.
Some people really get excited about drama in the organization. That’s a sure sign of trouble.
Don’t blame drama on the people who seem to be causing it, because you probably don’t know
who actually started something. Look for the people who are excited about it, who feel more
alive when there’s drama going on, who get more involved when there’s drama. Often these are
the “peacemakers,” and if you watch them carefully over time, you’ll see that they are actually
the people feeding and prolonging the problem, and benefiting from it. If you want to figure out
who’s the problem, look for who’s gaining from the conflict.
● Sara Carvell is a nasty piece of work.
Sara lies to students, and lies about students to other staff members. She’s not afraid to lie in
high stakes situations. She makes inappropriate comments about students to other student
leaders. She involves herself in the politics of student government, and seems to have her own
agenda. She tries to turn students against each other, and plays favorites within the
organizations. I think she’s had a really harmful impact, and I don’t trust her one bit.
● Tell the truth even if you don’t like it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr2nM4n3mPw
● Weak people can be extremely dangerous.
COGS has a tendency to attract people who are not doing well. They might be seeking
connections outside their department because they haven’t made a lot of friends, or they might be
seeking a sense of competence, power, and meaning that they aren’t getting in their program,
because they haven’t been successful at research. That can make COGS a dangerous place.
People who feel desperate, threatened, and alone don’t act like themselves.
I still don’t quite know what to do about this, because these are also the kinds of people who can
benefit a lot from COGS. I came in with a weak research program and I benefited tremendously
from the influence of people like Jonathan and Andrea, who encouraged me to step it up, and
work on questions I felt were important and interesting. I think there’s often an opportunity to
scoop weak people up and strengthen them, so they don’t feel so threatened and alone. But you
have to balance that with protecting yourself.
● If you have a suspicion something happened, ask and find out.
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Social niceties can protect bad people and prevent issues from coming to the surface, where they
can be dealt with. It’s awkward to ask if something problematic is happening, but get over it and
ask. Someone might be feeling really alone and desperate because it’s just too uncomfortable for
anyone to reach out and ask what’s going on.
● Sometimes _____ is being the asshole.
I think it’s fairly easy for us to accept that the “bad guys” aren’t all bad. But I think it’s harder
for us to accept that the “good guys” aren’t always being good. There are gray areas in both
directions, and even people who are generally good can sometimes be petty, hurtful, and just
wrong.
● Confront problems that involve other people directly with those people.
This is not to say don’t ask other people to help, if you need it. But going around behind
people’s backs and not confronting them directly increases the drama. We know this from like,
middle school, right? Somehow this environment seems to make us forget that.
● When something bad happens, find out exactly what happened before you decide what to
think and what to do.
I don’t mean the label for what happened, I mean what actually happened: what words were said,
what actions were taken by who, when, and why. Talk directly to the people who were actually
involved, and don’t rely on third parties. It’s ok to ask to see emails and other written messages
that can provide harder evidence.
I think a lot of people feel like when something bad and dramatic happens, it’s more respectable
to not want to get involved and not know any of the details “Just tell me the bare minimum I
need to know to be able to decide how to act.” The problem is, that minimal story is probably
going to be missing some important parts, and is probably going to be filtered through
somebody’s biased perspective. I think the most respectable thing to do is to get the facts, make
up your own mind about how to act, and be prepared to explain your reasons why. “Tell me the
minimum” increases the drama of the situation because there’s ambiguity and room for
argument. Looking at the hard facts and making a decision about what to do, especially if you
can do it in public, is how you resolve bad situations cleanly and stop drama.
● Use the same strategies that work for advocacy.
We used a couple of strategies for planning advocacy that turned out to be really helpful. One
was pro/con lists, which are straightforward. The other was “why, what, how,” which I suspect
has been around for a long time, but has been popularized by a TED talk by Simon Sinek . It’s
basically just saying, start with your purpose, then move to broad strategies, before deciding
specific action steps. We used these strategies with decisions like, “What projects should Mental
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Health Committee prioritize this semester?” but we didn’t often think to use them with decisions
like, “Should I talk to my family about this really stressful situation?” or “How can I retain this
good person who is considering leaving COGS?” Instead we made gut decisions and often got it
wrong, when we could have gotten it right with a little bit of structured, intentional thinking.
● The importance of knowing who the good people are, and confiding in them.
COGS attracts some really caring, generous, and levelheaded people. Figure out who those
people are, and make friends with them. Be honest and open with them about what’s going on,
because you’ll need them.
● Guilt can be dangerous.
If you act like you’re guilty of something, people will take that as evidence that you are guilty.
Don’t apologize if you haven’t actually done something wrong, and don’t quietly accept
punishments that aren’t warranted by your behavior.
● Don’t be scared. People stop being human beings when they’re scared.
People stop thinking right when they’re scared they might get in trouble. Their empathy turns
off, they stop worrying about taking care of other people, and they avoid taking responsibility,
even for things that are their job.
● Don’t trust Daddy to come in and fix everything.
It’s tempting to give ideas to University staff or administrators, and hope that they’ll run with
them and bring them to reality. But if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.
If you want to put on good programs, or run a good survey, or advocate for a meaningful policy
change, COGS needs to run it inhouse. Turning the project over to another office will just end
up with it watered down and weak.
Similarly, if there’s a conflict or problem, you can’t count on University officials to swoop in and
solve it. It would be really nice if you could. But ultimately that problem is going to stay your
problem, and yours alone, until you solve it yourself. The people working at offices like OCS,
SCRC, and EOAA are not any smarter or more courageous than we are, and will not have some
magic remedy for the situation. Don’t expect them to make it just disappear, and don’t assume
that they won’t make things worse. It might be useful to consult with them it also might not be
useful.
● Lots of people just don’t know what they are doing.
Just because something is in someone’s job description doesn’t mean they’re any good at it, or
know even basic facts about it. I worked for a music booking agency after college, and I
remember having to explain to a wedding coordinator the difference between a string quartet and
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a jazz trio. That’s basic knowledge for someone whose job it is to plan weddings. I’ve had a lot
of similar experiences at this university. Don’t be surprised if you and your grad student peers
are more knowledgeable than many of the other people working at the university.
● Ask more questions about how things will happen. Be more insistent they happen by the
book.
Every policy has a shadow policy there’s the way we say things happen, and then there’s the
way they actually happen. Just because something is written in the rules is no guarantee that it’s
actually enforced or carried out the way it’s written. People who are empowered have a lot of
freedom to just ignore procedures and policies that are meant to protect people who are
disempowered, and they do, all the time, even in very important and high stakes situations.
Nobody will advocate for you except yourself: ask all the questions, and don’t be afraid to go
over someone’s head, if they’re not doing their job right.
● Save everything in writing.
After meetings that feel important, I like to sit down and write down any quotes, phrases, or
ideas I can remember. I don’t delete any emails or Slack messages. Keep everything you have
no idea what might become important later. Personally, I don’t feel comfortable secretly
recording meetings with administrators, which is something that I’ve heard previous student
government leaders have done. However, I recommend writing down notes immediately
afterwards so that you can be sure exactly what people told you, if they change their story down
the line.
● There are certain things you shouldn’t try to handle by yourself.
This is hard to balance with one of the other points: Don’t trust Daddy to come in and fix
everything. Nobody else is going to step in and fix problems for you. But there are a lot of
people at this university who have already been through something like what you’re dealing
with, or who have better instincts than you, or who can see the situation more clearly because
they have more distance. Don’t try to hand over responsibility to them, but do ask for their
advice.
● Call Rosha sooner. Call Kaler sooner. Call Deb Cran sooner. Call my sister sooner.
Lean on the people you trust for advice and support, as soon as things start getting bad, before
you’re so overwhelmed and so much has happened that it feels impossible to explain. Rosha,
Kaler, Deb, and my sister aren’t people who I always agree with, but they’re people who have
been straightforward and honest with me, and treated me with respect. I’ve had conversations
with each of them where I’ve really wished I had talked to them earlier, because they had helpful
advice, were able to do useful things that I couldn’t do myself, or just had some empathy and
understanding that I really needed at the time.
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● Sunlight is a good disinfectant.
Bring things out in the open. Make things public as much as possible. Again, I think people
have the instinct that handling issues discretely and privately is best, but I have so many times
regretted not making things more public. You can only hold people to promises they make in
front of a crowd. And if you’re going to complain, doing it in public helps protect you from
retaliation.
● Take care of the people who are helping.
COGS has always had a handful of people who help out, who readily volunteer, who take on
tasks to help keep the ship moving, even if they’re thankless or hard tasks. Recognize those
people, reward them, and take care of them, because they are precious and it’s easy to forget that.
This year, I think Natalie and Mariya have been those kind of people. They have done really
difficult work, they’ve brought other people into the work of COGS, they’ve been dependable,
and they deserve all our recognition and praise. Thank you to both of you.
● Talk to each other.
When you’re exhausted and burnt out, it can be really hard to find the motivation to talk about
what is going on. Each extra person I have to meet with and update is another time that I have to
keep these things running back through my mind again and again, when all I want is to ignore
them. But when you stop talking with people, you lose them. You earn the ability to depend on
people by meeting with them regularly.
● Making good curry is much more possible than you might assume.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/sep/24/howtomaketheperfectchanamasala
● Go outside.
You have to take care of yourself. You HAVE to take care of yourself. You’ll feel better if you
do, and you’ll become a monster if you don’t.
● Vacation helps.
I recommend Duluth. During the school year, you can stay for a weekend for less than most of
our stipends. Winter hiking is really beautiful up there bring yak tracks so you don’t slip! And
get some pie at the Rustic Inn.
● Keep doing nice things.
SPCO has free student tickets: https://www.thespco.org/
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Como Conservatory is gorgeous:
http://www.comozooconservatory.org/attractions/gardens/sunkengardens/#/info
Go to Quang for lunch: http://www.quangrestaurant.com/
Hang out with your friends outside COGS and keep in touch with your friends outside grad
school.
Do something fun with your COGS friends after GAs. We used to do that and I miss it.
● Even 5 righteous people can be the difference between destruction and safety.
When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with
them to see them on their way. Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about
to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be
blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household
after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring
about for Abraham what he has promised him.”
Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so
grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has
reached me. If not, I will know.”
The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.
Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare
the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing—to
kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you!
Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place
for their sake.”
Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I
am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you
destroy the whole city for lack of five people?”
“If I find fortyfive there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”
Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?”
He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”
Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found
there?”
He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
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Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be
found there?”
He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”
Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can
be found there?”
He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”
When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
● If everyone is alive, anything is possible.
I have felt a lot of hopelessness in this role. Sometimes you need to just keep telling yourself
that anything is possible, even if it really, really doesn’t feel like that’s true. You never know
what might happen.
● We’re a wolf and a lion.
I wrote this to Rob around the time that I kicked off my COGS President campaign and he asked
about the wolf symbol:
The wolf is for a couple of reasons.
#1: When I took preparing future faculty a couple years ago, the instructor gave us a pep talk
about public speaking that stuck with me. It's easy to feel like prey when you're up in front of a
class, but you have to recognize that they are the little bunnies, and you are the wolf. I've been
taking that stance more and more when it comes to teaching, research, and now advocacy. I
brought a student to Kaler's office hours with me last week and she was trembling the whole time
she didn't realize the students are the ones who are the wolves.
#2: I was talking with Jonathan about this and we were coming up with acronyms for WOLF, and
he threw out Women of Limitless Fury. It was just a joke, but I like it. I am often the one who
fills in the gaps in COGS whenever something needs to happen, particularly invisible and
laborintensive jobs, I'm the one who steps up. I'm the most qualified and experienced person in
student government for the job right now, and the thought didn't cross anyone's mind that I might
run (other than Jonathan's, and Abeer's actually), until just a few weeks ago. I know Nicholas is
drumming up candidates to run, and he hasn't talked to me about running even once. We haven't
had a woman president my entire time here, and few women vice presidents. COGS is full of
incredibly talented women leaders right now Andrea, Jeanna, Julie, etc. I want to make sure
their talents are respected and used wisely and not abusively, and that they are appropriately
recognized for their contributions.
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This is just coincidental, but recently Bob Holt told me a story about his advisor in college, Theta
Holmes Wolf. They had a great relationship and he asked her to write him a letter of
recommendation to Princeton. She had her husband write it for him instead, because Princeton
wouldn't take her letter seriously, because it was the 1930's and she was a woman. Bob got a
little tearyeyed telling me that story. She sounded like a really remarkable woman.
I feel a little cynical looking back at this, like I was so hopeful and naive. This year hasn’t
turned out anything like I wanted it to. But the fact that this year was a failure in my eyes
doesn’t mean that this isn’t still who I am.
● Defend yourself: tell a story.
Situations in COGS are usually a complex and messy series of events. People have short
attention spans and don’t want to get involved. You have to be like a journalist and hook people
in with the simple, emotional story. Once they already care, then you can get into the nitty gritty
details.
● Be patient.
Ugh! This is all really hard. Try to be kind and calm, and cut each other some slack.
These are the lessons we learned in 20162017. They’re good lessons I didn’t always follow all
of them (apart from the one about telling the truth), and I wish I had. This year was difficult too.
I want to do the same thing and write down everything I’ve learned, but I’m not quite ready to
digest it yet. Even though I’ve felt really let down in COGS, the big things are going right for
me. I graduated last month, I’ll be starting a great postdoc this fall, and I get to live near my
family and many of my friends. That makes me feel really lucky. I hope COGS has a great year
next year. I know I will!
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MEASURING AND MAINTAINING ADEQUATE CAMPUS MENTAL HEALTH
SERVICES
Council of Graduate Students General Assembly University of Minnesota
Topic: Measuring and Maintaining Adequate Campus Mental Health Services
Date: October 30, 2017
Author: Lauren Mitchell
BACKGROUND:
In 20152016, waitlists for mental health counseling services on campus were out of control.
Students routinely waited over a month to receive care after requesting an appointment1, and
waitlists at Boynton Mental Health Clinic peaked at 5060 students2. Students united around this
problem in an unprecedented way. Along with several other student groups, COGS advocated
for the hire of new counseling staff to address the waitlist crisis, and also a more intentional
approach to planning services, so that a crisis of that magnitude would never happen again3.
Waitlists have been mostly under control in recent semesters, but demand for mental health
services has continued to increase substantially. For example, this semester, Boynton Mental
Health Clinic estimates an 18% increase in demand over last year4. If the University does not
proactively address these increases in demand, then we will quickly find ourselves back where
we started two years ago. We must continue to make incremental progress, so that we do not slip
back into crisis.
Toward that goal, students have advocated for the University to collect and publicly report data
on mental health services to the Board of Regents5. The Board is charged with monitoring and
evaluating the University’s performance, and is the chief mechanism for ensuring accountability
among University administration. The information that the University is required to report to the
Board shapes how staff allocate their time and attention, and the situation that arose in
20152016 could only have come about by inattention. Preparing and delivering this report to
the Board will ensure that University administration is actively attending to and monitoring
mental health needs.
Here, we request that the Board receive an annual report on the status of student mental health,
consisting of the measures identified in the Appendix of this resolution. Furthermore, we request
that a subset of these measures be reported annually on the University Progress Card. These
1
20152016 Report of the Student Representatives to the Board of Regents
2
Boynton Health Service Student Services Fee Request, 20152016 and 20162017 Academic Years
3
COGS Resolution, Commitment to Campus Mental Health Services, December 2016
4
http://www.mndaily.com/article/2017/10/ntrafficincreases18percentatboyntonmentalhealthclinic
5
20162017 Report of the Student Representatives to the Board of Regents
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measures would provide enough information, to the Board and to the public, to be able to
identify potential problems in the University mental health system before they reach a crisis
level.
Resources to support student mental health should not only be obtained through a destructive
cycle of crisis and agitation followed by reluctant investments. Routine assessment and
evaluation of mental health services will allow us to break this destructive cycle.
RESOLUTION:
Resolved , the Council of Graduate Students requests that the Office of the President and the
Office of the Provost commit to providing an annual report of the measures indicated in the
Appendix of this Resolution to the Mission Fulfillment committee of the Board of Regents; and
be it further
Resolved , the Council of Graduate Students requests that the first three measures indicated in the
Appendix of this Resolution be published annually on the University Progress Card.
Done in the General Assembly on October 30, 2017.
Zach Sheffler, Speaker
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Appendix: Proposed Mental Health Measures
First, we recommend that three measures of student mental health outcomes be added to the
University Progress Card. These three measures, outlined below, would provide the most basic
and important information about student mental health, without needlessly lengthening the
Progress Card.
Proposed Progress Card Measures
Prevalence of specified mental illnesses as diagnosable, diagnosed, and treated, as
measured by screening questions in student mental health surveys such as Healthy Minds
Ratios of counseling staff to student number, by campus
Wait times for beginning multisession individual counseling, as measured by days till
third available appointment; peak and average over academic year
Second, we recommend that, in addition to the Progress Card measures, the University collect
and report more detailed data on student mental health to the Board of Regents on an annual
basis. This report could take place in an appropriate committee of the Board, such as Mission
Fulfillment. Here, we recommend several measures that should be included in such a report, in
order to provide the Board with an appropriate amount of information to be able to hold
administrators accountable for their commitment to meeting students’ mental health needs.
Wait times
Average number of days until third available appointment for beginning multisession
individual counseling
Peak number of days until third available appointment for beginning multisession
individual counseling
Average number of days until third available appointment for psychiatry
Average number of days until third available appointment for services with a specific
provider
Average number of days until third available appointment for services with the first
available provider
Student perception of accessibility of services
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Incidence
Prevalence of specified mental illnesses as diagnosable, diagnosed, and treated as
measured by screening questions in student mental health surveys such as Healthy Minds.
Suicide and Crisis
Number of completed suicides
Number of attempted suicides, as currently measured by Boynton Health Services
Number of calls and texts to crisis hotlines
Number of crisis appointments made with oncampus providers
Referral
Proportion of students referred to community resources due to a complex diagnosis
Proportion of students referred to community resources due to reaching service limits
Quality of insurance of students referred to community resources
Quality of Services
Overall selfreported client satisfaction
Selfreported client satisfaction by diagnosis
Selfreported client satisfaction by severity of concerns
Selfreported client satisfaction by type of service received
Number of appointments, by appointment length
Number of missed appointments that had been scheduled in advance (“noshows”)
Credentials of staff members
Number of counseling staff, and ratios of counseling staff to student number
Rate of staff turnover
Provider’s reported satisfaction with quality of care
Provider’s reported satisfaction with work environment
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Expenditures
Revenues and Reimbursement
Reimbursements from insurance
Revenues from state funds
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EXPANDING ONCAMPUS CHILDCARE
For consideration by the Council of Graduate Students, University of Minnesota
Topic: Supporting student parents systemwide through the collection of student parent data, and on the
Twin Cities campus through stable funding source for childcare grants
Date: November 21, 2017
Authors: Nicholas Ames, George Abdallah
BACKGROUND:
Student parents are a unique and important part of the University community at both the undergraduate
and graduate level. Data collected by Boynton Health estimates that 14% of graduate students on the Twin
Cities campus are parents, and 5% are expecting. Since the 1980s two student group sponsored coops,
the Community Child Care Center (CCCC) located in the Commonwealth Terrace Cooperative (CTC),
and the Como Early Learning Center (CELC), located in the Como Student Community Cooperative
(CSCC), have offered accredited child care with slidingscale fees amounting up to 25% of tuition due to
their ability to apply for Student Services Fee (SSF) funding.
Compared to several peer institutions, the University of Minnesota offers fewer officially recognized
options for accredited child care and those that exist at the University of Minnesota are comparatively
underfunded and undersupported. For example, there are 140 spots, as of 2015 within the University of
Minnesota Twin Cities oncampus childcare centers. Comparatively, childcare at the University of
WisconsinMadison has spaces for 443 children. Oncampus resources of CCCC, CELC, and UMCDC
have combined waitlists approaching an excess of 600 children indicating a systemwide deficit in
resources for student parents. Unfortunately, without additional data, this deficit can not be fully
understood.
Changes to the Student Service Fee (SSF) process have created a decrease of $140,000 in funding towards
the CCCC and the CELC in the Twin Cities, threatening the ability to offer the slidingscale fees for those
who are most vulnerable. A solution that has been proposed is to create an annual $150,000 grant program
for student parents to use towards childcare costs. This program offers increased flexibility to student
parents and allows the Office for Student Affairs (OSA) to serve student parents who were ineligible for
benefits in the past. OSA and the Student Parent Help Center (SPHC) have both committed to making
these funds accessible to as many students as possible. However, full information on the systemwide
needs of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students is still not available, and year over year grant
funding tends to be more vulnerable to dissolution than commitment through a formal process. It also
places the onus of application on the student parent, who may not know that there are assistance funds
available.
RESOLUTION:
Whereas , the changes to the SSF process have affected ability of CCCC and CELC to serve the
University of Minnesota community as they have for decades and to expand, rather than reduce, the
availability of affordable oncampus child care options for students as part of an effort to support student
parents,
And whereas , the University of Minnesota system is a land grant institution charged with the education
of the state as a whole, including those that are most vulnerable,
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And whereas , the proposed $150,000 may be difficult for student parents to access without proper
outreach and public engagement,
And whereas , the Council of Graduate Students stands behind all student parents and graduate student
parents, specifically in the University community, and commends the University administration’s previous
support of student parents through CCCC and CELC as well as their continued support through the grants
program; therefore be it
Resolved, the Council of Graduate Students will bring awareness to programs for student parents and
encourage student parents to apply for childcare grants on the Twin Cities campus by fostering
connections between the SPHC and student parents during the 20172018 school year by partnering with
MSA, PSG, and COGS to develop a communications strategy for each constituent group, and be it further
Resolved , that the Council of Graduate Students urges the University administration, in recognition of the
unique role adequate child care support plays in serving the University community and in order to
preserve the ability of students to be able to obtain adequate child care options, to commit to solidifying
existing grant funding and engaging in awareness outreach, and be it further
Resolved , that the Council of Graduate Students urges the University administration to conduct a data
survey of the demographics and needs of student parents on campus for the entire University of
Minnesota System, and be it further
Resolved , that we urge the University to expand services and funding to student parents in the University
of Minnesota System, commensurate with the findings of the aforementioned data survey, and to conduct
this survey regularly, in periods not exceeding two years, in order to be able to make an informed decision
about supporting this vulnerable community.
Done in the General Assembly, October 30 2017
Zachary Sheffler, Speaker
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STUDENT EMPLOYEES SHOULD NOT BE MANDATORY REPORTERS
Council of Graduate Students Executive Committee University of Minnesota
Topic: Student Employees Should Not Be Mandatory Reporters
Date: November 20, 2017
BACKGROUND:
The Council of Graduate Students went through substantial discussion on the proposed sexual
misconduct policy in Spring, 2017. One of the issues that became clear through these
discussions is that graduate students have a problem with the idea of making all student
employees mandatory reporters. This is reflected in a resolution adopted by the COGS General
Assembly in April, 2017, in which COGS advocated that “Student employees who are not in
supervisory positions should be exempt from requirements to report sexual misconduct to the
campus Title IX office.” Despite expressing our concerns, this change is being pushed through
into policy.
Making student employees mandatory reporters is a drastic change from current policy and
practice, and we have not heard any compelling reason why we should do it. Mandatory
reporting makes sense in cases where the victim isn’t empowered to make a report on their own,
such as cases where the victim is a child. Mandatory reporting also makes sense in cases where
the person hearing a complaint may be motivated to cover it up, as in cases where the person
hearing the complaint is a department head or supervisor. However, when graduate students are
hearing about a case of sexual misconduct, it generally does not fit in either of these categories.
In these cases, mandatory reporting does not compensate for specific vulnerabilities it just
prevents students from using our own discretion and judgment.
Thoughtless mandatory reporting policies can have unintended consequences that reduce support
for victims. People who are afraid they could get in trouble are less likely to ask questions and
open up conversations that could trigger their reporting obligations. This can isolate victims, by
discouraging others from reaching out to them to learn what happened, and how they can help.
We are concerned that this policy will make students worry about their official obligations
instead of fully focusing on taking care of the person in front of them.
In our April resolution, COGS suggested that the University undertake a democratic, open
consultation process with students to develop constructive and sensible reporting requirements.
However, we received no response to that proposal, and the mandatory reporting obligation that
we have objected to remains in the current draft. As such, we reiterate and reaffirm our position,
that student employees who are not in supervisory positions should be exempt from requirements
17
to report sexual misconduct to the campus Title IX office. By this resolution, we hope to bring
this issue to the attention of the President and the Board of Regents.
RESOLUTION:
Resolved , the Executive Committee of the Council of Graduate Students requests that Section II
of the administrative policy, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Stalking and Relationship
Violence, be amended to remove reporting obligations for student employees, including graduate
assistants.
Done in the Executive Committee on November 20, 2017.
Zachary Sheffler, Speaker
18
ENSURING EQUITABLE TAXATION FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
Council of Graduate Students General Assembly, University of Minnesota
Concerning: T he implications of proposed federal taxation schema on the accessibility of graduate
education
Date: November 27, 2017
Author: Kelly Kristen Wallin
BACKGROUND
More than 13,000 graduate students are currently enrolled at the University of Minnesota,
on the Twin Cities and Duluth campuses.6 Through the pursuit of their individual educational goals,
graduate students play a critical role in the advancement of the University’s overall mission to
“generate and preserve knowledge… share that knowledge, understanding, and creativity… [and]
extend, apply, and exchange knowledge between the University and society”.7 Graduate students fill
various roles and perform valuable work in multiple arenas, including theoretical, experimental,
and applied research; teaching assistance and direct instruction; outreach and extension; clinical
and medical services; and the writing of both peer‑reviewed publications and applications for
funding. In the absence of graduate students, the University of Minnesota would struggle to educate
its large undergraduate student population and risk the loss of University’s reputation as a world‑
class leader in education as well as clinical and experimental research.
The pursuit of a master’s or doctorate degree is, for most students, made financially
possible by three contributions from the University: a small but serviceable stipend, generally
distributed by a student’s department and/or faculty advisor(s); enrollment in the University’s
health insurance program through HealthPartners; and a waiver of the student’s assessed tuition
fees. Stipends vary across departments (from ~$15,400 to $31,200 annually8), but yearly tuition
values are constant for most students: for the 2017‑2018 academic year, in‑state graduate tuition is
$16,728 for pre‑candidacy students and is reduced to $2,788 once candidacy (full time equivalent,
FTE) has been awarded9, which generally occurs in a student’s second or third year of a graduate
program.
Under current tax law, graduate students must pay income taxes on stipends, but tuition
waivers are not considered taxable income (IRC §117(d))10, as these tuition payments are generally
financial transactions between units within the University, involving money that is never handled
by graduate students. However, the US House of Representatives recently introduced the Tax Cut
and Jobs Act (TCJA)11, a major revision of the federal tax code that, among other changes relevant to
higher education, removes this subsection. The immediate negative effects of this change on
6
https://www.oir.umn.edu/student/enrollment
7
https://regents.umn.edu/sites/regents.umn.edu/files/policies/Mission_Statement.pdf
8
https://humanresources.umn.edu/sites/humanresources.umn.edu/files/academic_salary_floors_fy18.pdf
https://cla.umn.edu/academicsexperience/graduateprograms/fundingsupport
9
https://onestop.umn.edu/finances/tuition
10
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/117
11
https://waysandmeansforms.house.gov/uploadedfiles/bill_text.pdf
https://waysandmeansforms.house.gov/uploadedfiles/tax_cuts_and_jobs_act_section_by_section_hr1.pdf
19
graduate education as a whole has been discussed at length12, and detailed analyses have been
conducted by graduate students at institutions including the University of California, Berkeley13;
Ohio State University14; and the University of Notre Dame15. Based on these analyses, we estimate
that should the final version of the TCJA consider tuition waivers as taxable income, graduate
students at the University of Minnesota can expect to see an increase in their federal income tax
of ~$2,500 precandidacy (falling to an increase of ~$420 for FTE students). For pre‑candidacy
students receiving the average stipend of $24,400, this amounts to a more than 10% of their annual
income. Factoring in federal and state income taxes on a student’s stipend and other mandatory
University costs (i.e., student fees and health insurance premiums), some students, particularly
those with dependents, rapidly approach the federal poverty line16. The proposed tax changes thus
exacerbate already existing social inequities that make the pursuit of graduate‑level education most
easily accessible to those students from wealthy and/or privileged backgrounds‑‑an outcome that is
directly contrary to the University’s stated goals as a public institution.
It is likely that the addition of waived tuition to graduate students’ taxable income will have
a dramatic negative effect on the enrollment and retention of graduate students at all academic
institutions, including the University of Minnesota. Indeed, the fears of graduate students at the
University of Minnesota in particular have already been well‑documented17. Addressing graduate
students’ concerns quickly and openly is essential to reassuring the entire University community
that this institution is committed to maintaining a diverse, collaborative, and innovative research
and educational environment. Publicly outlining a strategy for defending graduate students is
necessary for the retention of current students, but it is also critical for the recruitment of future
graduate students, many of whom may not even apply to graduate programs that have not clearly
demonstrated their agility to respond effectively to a continuously evolving political landscape.
12
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586017059256
https://www.chronicle.com/article/RepublicanTaxProposalGets/241662
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/15/us/politics/housetaxbillhighereducationincreasestuition.html
13
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e3oIk8AO9F_UL98z5cieKha1V5e9azzB/view
14
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AGjFPz55sDoiiBHatqgeL___eY8PEs/view
15
https://surlysubgroup.com/2017/11/06/gopraisestaxesongraduatestudentsordoesit/
16
https://aspe.hhs.gov/povertyguidelines
http://www.mnbudgetproject.org/researchanalysis/economicsecurity/povertyincome/federalpovertyguidelines
17
http://www.mndaily.com/article/2017/11/numngraduatestudentsworryoverfinancialimpactofgoptaxplan
http://www.fox9.com/news/graduatestudentsshareanxietyabouttaxreformbill
http://www.mndaily.com/article/2017/11/ngoptaxbillcouldharmgraduatestudentfinances
20
RESOLUTION
Whereas graduate students function as both scholars and employees to provide the University of
Minnesota with critical physical and intellectual labor that advance the educational, research,
outreach, and clinical excellence of the University and, therefore, the State of Minnesota;
And whereas although graduate students generally receive a small stipend as compensation for
their labor, which in many cases may be sufficient to cover living expenses, a major mechanism for
the recruitment of graduate students, particularly those from underrepresented communities or
low‑income families, is the prospect of further educational advancement without incurring
tuition‑related debt, as is available in most graduate programs through the form of tuition waivers;
And whereas the federal taxation reform legislation passed by the House of Representatives would
require graduate students to consider the value of tuition waivers as taxable income, which would
significantly increase the tax burden on most graduate students at both public and private academic
institutions, including the University of Minnesota;
And whereas this increase in taxation would have a disproportionate effect on some populations of
graduate students, including non‑citizen and international students, who are not eligible to claim
the standard income tax deduction available to citizens; and students with dependents or who are
otherwise responsible for the financial support of family members; which would likely further
exacerbate already existing challenges with the recruitment and retention of underrepresented,
first generation, and diverse graduate students; be it
Resolved that the General Assembly of the Council of Graduate Students requests the University of
Minnesota administration designate a committee of persons from offices as they see fit, including
(but not limited to) from One Stop Student Services, the Office of Human Resources, International
Student and Scholar Services, the Office of the Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations, the
Council of Graduate Students, and other relevant University offices, who shall assess federal tax
reforms and develop specific strategies to reclassify tuition waivers, thus mitigating their impact on
graduate students; and further be it
Resolved that the Council of Graduate Students further requests that detailed information about
the strategies developed by the University be shared at frequent intervals with graduate students,
college deans, and faculty; and further be it
Resolved that the Council of Graduate Students further requests that the University implements a
policy allowing currently enrolled students who find it necessary to leave their respective program
temporarily due to financial challenges related to the proposed tax reform are permitted to return
to their studies without penalty or loss of academic standing.
Done in the General Assembly of the Council of Graduate Students, November 27, 2017
Zachary Sheffler, Speaker
21
ACADEMIC SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS AFFECTED BY DACA, TPS, AND THE
TRAVEL BAN
Council of Graduate Students General Assembly University of Minnesota
Topic: Academic Support for Students Affected by DACA, TPS, and the Travel Ban
Date: December 11, 2017
Authors: Lauren Mitchell
POSITION STATEMENT:
Federal actions such as the termination of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA),
reversal of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and the Travel Ban may impact students at the
University of Minnesota and prevent them from physically attending the University.
The Minnesota Student Association has circulated a petition supporting students who may be
affected:
In the event that students at the University of Minnesota find themselves with uncertain
residential status, and – as a result of the termination of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
(DACA), reversal of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), or the Travel Ban – are not able to
physically attend the University of Minnesota due to deportation or denied entry into the United
States, we, as faculty, stand willing to assist students in the successful completion of their
degrees. We urge the University’s leadership to take the steps necessary to remove barriers by
allowing faculty to implement flexible learning plans and enable students to meet their academic
goals to complete their degrees.
The Council of Graduate Students affirms strong support for this action, and encourages faculty,
instructors, and advisors to help impacted students to complete their degrees.
Done in the General Assembly on December 11, 2017.
Zach Sheffler, Speaker
22
The University has recently proposed the modification of the Student Conduct Code, expanding the
liability of student groups from simply directed, organized, or endorsed conduct under “Will not unless”
conditions to “May” conditions with expansions to the conditions under which the organization may be
held responsible for the conduct of one of its members.
This change to the Student Code of Conduct without additional clarifying language is highly
troubling. Three sections of the language need to be amended or clarified.
“Endorsed”
Endorsed needs clarifying language. While this language was in the first iteration of the rule, the
expansion calls for additional examination of the language. What does endorsement mean? Does
informing the body of the organization that an event is occurring qualify as endorsement? Or must
specific action be directed in clear and convincing language?
A level of suggestion must be added to section (a), differentiating informing from hinting from direct
action suggestion. Each of these may be counted as endorsement, but suggest clearly different motives
and levels of evidence which are not considered in the language given above. We would prefer not to
weight on the judgement of any university committee, and have clear guidance previous to any action.
Such an elusive definition clearly restrains any student organization, urging them to place more caution on
action, even if such action were to fall under First Amendment rights which the University as a public
institution is obliged to honor.
23
“likely to occur during or directly related to an activity or event”
The addition of section (b) warrants particularly close examination as it is the largest expansion of the
language. While the language of “reasonably should have known” is troubling, the key phrase here is
“likely to occur during or directly related to an activity or event”.
This places an onus upon student groups, and particularly that of registered student governance
organizations (RSGOs), that they are not equipped to handle given their current resources. More
specifically, RSGOs often engage in divisive political discussion and political action that is appropriate
and even pursuant to their stated organization goals. Advocacy is often against an opponent, either within
the organization or without.
This section essentially chills any RSGO from engaging in protest or action that may engender a response,
as they are “likely” to result in a student conduct code violation. This consequently neuters an RSGO
from advocating for even interests that are clearly within their purview so long as an opponent
organization or even small set of individuals exist. Specifically this is addressed in Gregory v.
Chicago , 394 U.S. 111 (1969) which held that protestors may not be held responsible for the actions of
bystanders. This change in language to “likely” holds that any strong or controversial action by any group
on campus would be cautioned against, a form of prior restraint. This is likely to affect minority view
groups more strongly than majority view groups, something that the University should not be engaging in.
“May”
This language seems to change the procedural evidence burden from an assumption that groups shall be
presumed to be not in violation unless strong evidence suggests otherwise. This change to “May” seems
to indicate a change to a weaker evidentiary standard. We request clarification on this change in language,
and whether this indicates a change in standards.
COGS General Assembly, January 29 2018
24
REPORTING BASIC SEXUAL HARASSMENT DATA
Council of Graduate Students General Assembly University of Minnesota
Topic: Reporting Basic Sexual Harassment Data
Date: February 26, 2018
Author: Lauren Mitchell and Jonathan Borowsky
Sexual harassment is a serious concern for graduate students at the University of Minnesota.
Cases such as Stephanie Jenkins’ 2015 lawsuit against Ted Swem and the University18 have
brought attention to the fact that sexual harassment of graduate students is a problem at the
University of Minnesota, and illustrate the extent of the harm that can be caused when a graduate
student is harassed by a person who holds power over the student’s career progress. The
University of Minnesota is home to roughly 8,000 graduate students, who play pivotal roles in
conducting research and educating students. Anecdotally, we know that sexual harassment can
derail graduate students’ academic progress and damage their careers. COGS believes that the
University has a responsibility to respond to instances of sexual harassment promptly, to mitigate
damage to students, and to protect those who have been harassed from further harm.
However, graduate students’ advocacy on this issue has been limited by inadequate information
about the extent of the problem. Basic data about the frequency of sexual harassment reports and
investigations, the consequences of investigations, and whether students, staff, or faculty are
involved as complainants or respondents, have historically not been available. Although
Minnesota state law requires postsecondary institutions to annually report statistics on sexual
assault, which are published online by the Office of Higher Education19, parallel statistics for
incidents of sexual harassment are not publicly reported.
In a meeting of the President’s Initiative to Prevent Sexual Misconduct this past fall, I (LM)
asked that basic information regarding the frequency and outcomes of sexual harassment reports
be made publicly available. The Title IX coordinator, who is also the director of the Office for
Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, told the committee that her office was in the process
of compiling a report that would address the requested information.
The first annual EOAA report20 was released this January, and includes the following specific
information on sexual harassment:
The number of reports of sexual harassment by employees made to EOAA
The number of reports of sexual harassment involving student respondents or involving
student complainants in situations where the respondent was not affiliated with the
University or was unknown to EOAA
18
http://www.startribune.com/aformerphdstudentattheuniversityofminnesotasuesoversexualharass
ment/330035091/
19
https://www.ohe.state.mn.us/sPages/SADR.cfm
20
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6_3xqTsCi5Q243S3hMR1pkZTZ3WnUxLUlVUUkxUWVnakpV/view?us
p=sharing
25
However, the report does not include the following important information:
The total number of reports of sexual harassment made to EOAA
The number of reports of sexual harassment made to the Aurora Center
The number of investigations of sexual harassment conducted by EOAA
The number of sexual harassment investigations resulting in an eventual finding of
responsibility by the body ultimately responsible for making that determination
The number of cases of sexual harassment resulting in disciplinary action
The types of disciplinary action that have been taken
The breakdown of number of reports of sexual harassment by the identity (student, staff,
faculty) of both the respondent and complainant (see Appendix)
The breakdown of number of reports of sexual harassment leading to ultimate findings of
responsibility, and to disciplinary action, by the identity of both the respondent and
complainant (see Appendix)
This information is an important part of ensuring accountability in the University’s response to
sexual harassment. For instance, if investigations that result in a finding of responsibility rarely
lead to disciplinary action, that would be concerning. Making these data publicly available
would provide a basis for concrete discussions and evaluation of the University’s response to
sexual harassment reports.
When a draft of this position statement was presented to the COGS General Assembly, some
graduate students asked whether it is common for other universities to report this information.
They do not, but we think they should. These statistics provide a basic understanding of the
status of sexual harassment prevalence and response at colleges and universities. We believe that
understanding the current status is a necessary step for developing effective response and
prevention strategies. It is important to be clear that we are not asking for colleges and
universities to collect new data. Rather, we are asking for the detailed public reporting of
information that is already collected in the course of colleges and universities exercising their
legal obligations to prevent and respond to sexual harassment.
Some of our representatives asked whether we should be asking for data to be even further
broken down by administrative units like academic departments or colleges within the University
of Minnesota. This would help identify problem departments, or perhaps help problem
departments identify themselves as such. We see the value of such transparency, and encourage
the University to consider releasing unitlevel data to the community, however for the purposes
of the state mandating public data reporting, we believe that the campus is an appropriate level of
reporting detail.
Similarly, some of our representatives asked whether we should be asking for student data to be
broken down by the type of student (e.g., undergraduate, graduate, or professional).
Representatives also asked how a case would be reported that involves a third party who is not a
student, staff, or faculty member. We agree that these breakdowns would provide valuable
information and transparency, and have requested that colleges and universities report these
details as well, as appropriate (see Appendix).
26
Representatives also asked how data can be reported in a way that protects individuals’ privacy,
in instances where there are a small number of cases in a cell (e.g., <5). We recommend, in these
situations, that cases be aggregated across years. For example, if there were three cases of
facultyfaculty sexual harassment reported in 2017 and another four in in 2018, then those
figures could be aggregated and reported as seven reported cases of facultyfaculty sexual
harassment between 20172018. We think this is preferable to aggregating by group (e.g.,
grouping cases involving staff and faculty together), because it retains the information regarding
the identity of the complainants and respondents, which is important for guiding response and
prevention efforts.
Some representatives asked whether reporting these statistics might be harmful to the
University’s reputation. We believe that depends on what the statistics demonstrate about the
prevalence and response to sexual harassment at a given institution. We believe that
understanding the current situation is a crucial first step for developing strategies to prevent and
respond to sexual harassment. Reporting this information publicly will encourage greater
accountability and transparency in how colleges and universities handle sexual harassment.
Last year, State Representative Sarah Anderson introduced a bill that would require the
University of Minnesota to report data on sexual harassment, analogous to the data it already
reports on sexual assault21. COGS supports greater transparency around the frequency and
outcomes of sexual harassment cases at the University of Minnesota. Sexual harassment can be
incredibly harmful to graduate students, and the University has a responsibility to take action to
mitigate and prevent further harm to students who have reported sexual harassment. Reporting
these basic pieces of information is the first step toward ensuring the University is accountable.
The Council of Graduate Students at the University of Minnesota supports public release of the
following data regarding sexual harassment at institutions of higher education, on an annual
basis:
a) The number of reports of sexual harassment made to the institution’s Title IX Office;
b) The number of reports of sexual harassment made to the institution’s victim resources
unit, if one exists;
c) The number of sexual harassment investigations conducted by the institution;
d) The number of sexual harassment investigations resulting in a finding of responsibility;
e) The number of cases of sexual harassment resulting in disciplinary action, and the types
of actions;
f) The number of cases of sexual harassment involving students, faculty, staff, and others as
complainants and as respondents.
We ask that the legislature consider legislation that would require institutions of higher education
to report these statistics.
21
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF2669&session=ls90&version=list&session_number=
0&session_year=2017
27
Done in the General Assembly on February 26, 2018.
Zach Sheffler, Speaker
28
APPENDIX
The following chart could be used to summarize these pieces of information requested in the
position statement:
The breakdown of number of reports of sexual harassment by the identity (student, staff,
faculty, or others) of both the respondent and complainant
The breakdown of number of reports of sexual harassment leading to ultimate findings of
responsibility, and to disciplinary action, by the identity of both the respondent and
complainant
Complainant
Student
Staff
Respondent
Faculty
Others
We also recommend that data be further broken down by college or department, and by type of
student (graduate, professional, or undergraduate), where possible. Where cell sizes are small
(e.g., <5), data may be aggregated across multiple years, to protect the privacy of individuals
involved.
29
RESOLUTION: OnCampus Child Care
Council of Graduate Students General Assembly University of Minnesota
Topic: OnCampus Child Care
Date: February 26, 2018
Authors: Lauren Mitchell, Tayler Loiselle, Zach Sheffler, Xin Chen, Julia Brokaw, Julie
Wellman, Erin Gilbert, Jeanna Wieselmann, Jonathan Borowsky
RESOLUTION:
Whereas the Council of Graduate Students believes that greater attention and resources should
be devoted to providing high quality child care at the University of Minnesota,
And Whereas , the Council of Graduate Students believes that availability of highquality
oncampus child care has a particularly strong impact on the graduate student community,
And Whereas , the Council of Graduate Students supports and approves of the resolution of the
University Senate titled “ Seeking a Commitment to HighQuality Campus Child Care ” and
the subsequent decision of the university administration to temporarily suspend closure of the
Child Development Center (CDC) daycare center to allow for further consultation and
discussion,
Resolved , the Council of Graduate Students respectfully requests that graduate student
representatives should be invited to participate in conversations and decisions regarding campus
childcare provision,
Resolved , the Council of Graduate Students supports establishing unitary responsibility for child
care services serving students, faculty, and staff in an appropriate Vice Presidentiallevel office
of the University,
Resolved , the Council of Graduate Students supports an expansion of oncampus high quality
childcare slots to a number based on a reasonable populationbased estimate of need, rather than
historical levels of provision.
COMMENT:
1. Background
On January 22, 2018, the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) announced
the planned closure of the University Child Development Center (CDC), the only fullday
oncampus daycare center at the University of Minnesota. The reason given for the planned
closure of CDC was to make space available for the Institute of Child Development’s Shirley
Moore Lab School, the university’s developmental research facility, which provides partday
daycare services for about 9 months of the year. CEHD Dean Jean Quam announced the closure
30
to students and families via a letter that gave families of the CDC a year to vet other childcare
options before the scheduled closure.
For 45 years, the NAEYCaccredited CDC has upheld a shining reputation by providing high
quality child care for University staff, faculty, and students. A routine external report conducted
in July 2017 extolled strengths of the CDC, which included a strong philosophical foundation,
high quality of staff, exemplary connections with families, and their large role in student training,
teacher certification, and University research. The CDC currently serves 140 children between
the ages of 35 ½ years old and has an extensive waitlist of 200 children, with an average wait
time of 18 months. According to the Minnesota Department of Human Service 2016 data, the
number of children supported by current Twin Cities licensed child centers is disproportionately
smaller than the number of children potentially needing services. These centers would need to
see a growth rate of 38 percent in order to fulfill the regional needs. In addition to the lack of
licensed centers, Minnesota ranks as the 3rd highest in the nation for licensed child center costs
with prices ranging with prices ranging above $9,000 annually. Prices for childcare are also
predicted to increase to an average of $16,000 in annual costs with inflation and the rapid
population growth in Minnesota. In relation to other licensed centers in the Twin Cities, the CDC
formerly offered relatively lower tuition on a sliding scale depending on age of student and
family incomes, costing families anywhere between $44 5$750 per child every two weeks.
The CDC closure announcement follows a funding cut announced last academic year for two
daycares that primarily serve University of Minnesota studentparents, the Como Early Learning
Center and the Community Child Care Center. These nonprofit centers are located on the two
student housing coops near the St. Paul campus that house primarily graduate students with
families, and these centers provide high quality day care services that are utilized by many of the
residents of those housing coops. The coop centers had received $85,000 from Student Service
Fees in the past, but are now subject to funding caps that reduce their student services fee
funding to a maximum of $55,000. These Student Services Fee changes have led those centers
to discontinue their “sliding scale” fee model. In order to continue to support student parents
negatively affected by this funding change, the Office of Student Affairs created a grants
program that targeted graduate student parents. However many students perceive this program
as a poor substitute for subsidized day care slots, as it is perceived to be a more difficult and
uncertain way to access subsidized care. The closure of the CDC only exacerbates the already
inaccessible and unaffordable childcare options, especially for studentparents at the University
of Minnesota. Ironically, in the time between the announcement of the CDC closure and the
writing of this comment, the Student Services Fee funded grant program ran out of its allocated
funding and stopped accepting new applicants.
The CDC closure announcement was met with dismay, and vigorous, immediate opposition by
many members of the community, especially parents of children at the center. A group called
“ UMCDC Parents Organized ” was quickly formed and produced and circulated papers and
reports arguing for the necessity of preserving the CDC child centers, as well as a petition signed
by many parents, faculty, staff, students, and other members of the community. The Faculty
Consultative Committee, P&A Consultative Committee, and Senate Consultative Committee
passed a resolution, “ Seeking a Commitment to HighQuality Campus Child Care ”, that
31
complained about about defects in the decisionmaking and consultation process, requested that
plans to close the CDC be suspended, and called for a clear statement of commitment to a
“quality child care solution.” President Eric Kaler and Provost Karen Hanson announced in a
letter on February 22, 2018, that they would be postponing the closure in order to address issues
and concerns expressed by the University community to come up with adequate alternatives for
accessible child care options.
2. Importance of High Quality Childcare
Good Daycare is Important to Graduate Students
Graduate students tend to be in an age range when they are likely to have children. Although
benefits to providing childcare extend to undergraduates, staff, and faculty, here we emphasize
the needs of graduate students with regards to childcare. Graduate students typically have low
wages, demanding work conditions, and often work in isolation from their peers. A high
proportion of graduate students are international and outofstate students, meaning their usual
support networks are distant and unable to help directly with childcare. When faced with these
conditions, the inability to secure affordable childcare proximate to one’s work can have
significant impact on a person’s life, extending well beyond their time of need for childcare22.
Support for Women and Families
COGS is firmly committed to, and believes that the University should be committed to,
supporting both women and families in the University. This commitment aligns with the
University’s stated mission and interests in promoting equity and access. Childcare services are
one component of that support for women and families. Decisions that limit or disrupt access to
quality childcare services disproportionately affect women because they generally take on a
larger burden of raising their children. When parents are forced to choose between advancing
their careers or caring for their children, the parents and the University suffer.
Recruitment and Retention
Maintaining standards on access to childcare resources can be the tipping point on a prospective
graduate student’s decision to attend the University of Minnesota over another institution. We
emphasize that this does not necessarily imply childcare subsidized by the University, but rather
making available spots for members of the University community to access. This is a common
selling point among companies in competitive industries23, as well as among institutions like
universities.
3. We Need More High Quality, OnCampus Slots
There Are Not Enough HighQuality Slots On or Near Campus
There are simply not enough childcare slots on campus and in the surrounding community to
meet demand for childcare from University students, staff, and faculty. According to calculations
based on the 2013 COGS survey, the ratio of the number of dependent children of graduate
students to the number of graduate students is about 0.31, and applying this to the number of
22
https://www.henrikkleven.com/uploads/3/7/3/1/37310663/klevenlandaissogaard_gender_feb2017.pdf
23
http://fortune.com/2013/10/14/whichtechcompanyoffersthebestchildcare/
32
active graduate students, 7628, implies approximately 2,280 dependent children of graduate
students. Based on the 2010 U.S. Census, the ratio of children under age 5 to adults ages 2045 is
about 0.19. Applying this ratio to the number of active graduate students would imply that there
are approximately 1,400 children under 5 years old of University of Minnesota graduate students
alone, not including the children of staff or faculty, professional students, or undergraduate
students. This may well be an overestimate, because graduate students may be less likely to have
young children than the general US population age 2045. Though more accurate estimates of
the number of children of University of Minnesota graduate students would be helpful, these
estimates indicate that there are likely thousands of children of University of Minnesota students,
staff, and faculty who could benefit from oncampus childcare.
Recent efforts to support graduate student parents have focused on providing funding to
subsidize childcare, but these efforts are not effective when there are not sufficient slots in
childcare centers to use those funds. We believe that the University’s efforts should be focused
on expanding the availability of childcare slots. According to research prepared by the CDC
parents advocacy group, the University of Minnesota ranks near the bottom of the Big 10 for
provision of oncampus childcare slots, even without accounting for the disparities in the size of
the University community of the University of Minnesota and other peer institutions. The
Universities of Michigan, Wisconsin, Purdue, Penn State, and Ohio State all offer more than
double the number of oncampus fullday slots available at the University of Minnesota.
The table below provides information on the childcare centers within a onemile radius of
Morrill Hall:
Starrating Part or
Licensed Openings
Program Location or Full
capacity posted?
Accreditation Day
UMN Child NAEYC
Oncampus Fullday 140 No
Development Center accredited
4 stars,
Shirley G. Moore
Oncampus NAEYC Partday 60 No
Laboratory School
accredited
Miniapple
International MarcyHolmes 4 stars Fullday 147 No
Montessori
Glendale Early 4 stars,
Childhood Family Prospect Park NHSA Fullday 108 No
Development Center accredited
KinderCare Learning 4 stars,
Prospect Park Fullday 103 No
Center NAEYC
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accredited
NAEYC
MetroKids CedarRiverside Fullday 88 No
accredited
Anew Dimension 4 stars,
Child Enrichment CedarRiverside NAEYC Fullday 82 Yes
Center accredited
4 stars,
C.H.I.L.D., Franklin
CedarRiverside NAEYC Fullday 65 Yes
Ave
accredited
Cedar Riverside Child
CedarRiverside 4 stars Fullday 56 No
Care Center LLC
4 stars,
C.H.I.L.D., Riverside
CedarRiverside NAEYC Fullday 24 No
Ave
accredited
Learning to Grow
MarcyHolmes none Fullday 20 Yes
Academy
There are a total of 1004 childcare slots in the area near Morrill Hall, but only 200 of them are on
campus, and very few childcare centers have openings available at the time of writing. Given
our estimates of the number of graduate students with children, 1004 slots is likely insufficient to
meet the needs of graduate students, staff, and faculty with children in various financial
situations.
OnCampus Care is a Qualitatively Better Service
We believe that oncampus daycare provision can be a qualitatively different experience from
offcampus daycare, for parents and for children. A parent using an oncampus center can more
feasibly stop in to visit, perhaps simply to stop by and say hello to the child and staff who are
caring for them, but also to pick up or help care for a child who is sick or unhappy and in need of
parental reassurance. This ease of access is particularly important when children are very young,
and whether that access is available may well make the difference in whether the parent of a
young child is willing to use a daycare service at all. As many graduate students have children
who are very young, this is particularly important to us. We believe that, overall, oncampus
child care is the most efficient option for allowing parents to meet both their family and work
obligations, and also provides greater peace of mind and accessibility, especially to graduate
students.
OnCampus Care is Easier to Use
Proximity is important for any parent considering daycare, but it may be particularly important
for graduate student parents. According to a American Association of University Women
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(AAUW) report in 201424, compared to students without dependent children, student parents are
more likely to drop out of their programs. This is not what we want to see here at the University
of Minnesota. Simply offering oncampus child care is an important recruitment tool when it
comes to attracting graduate students of diverse backgrounds and life experiences. Graduate
students have unpredictable schedules, and they have to balance their duties of research,
teaching, service and taking care of their children. Oncampus child care can provide the
convenience necessary when running experiments or meeting lastminute submission deadlines..
It is also especially valuable to us to be able to walk over and pick our kids up from daycare on
campus, rather than having to drive and pay for expensive parking, or make a timeconsuming
trip using public transit. Simple proximity between the workplace and the center can make a big
difference.
OnCampus Care Provides Greater Quality Assurance
Providing oncampus childcare allows for greater trust and assurance of quality for University of
Minnesota parents. It can be difficult to ascertain the quality of offcampus childcare services
and find highquality childcare. Anecdotally, graduate students report that offcampus childcare
options are often unreliable and substandard in quality. The problem of evaluating and selecting
high quality centers may particularly burden members of the University who are new transplants
to Minnesota, whether from other parts of the United States or from other countries. Attaching
the University of Minnesota’s name and reputation to childcare services serves as an important
impetus to maintain high standards services, and also provides assurance to parents that their
children are receiving quality care. Having services easily accessible oncampus also makes it
easier for parents to visit centers and get to know the staff, and this also is a valuable assurance
of quality.
Conclusion
Access to high quality childcare on campus is important to graduate students, and to the
University community more broadly. This service allows students, staff, and faculty members
who are parents to focus on their academic and work obligations, confident that their children are
safe and well attended while they are gone. Through talking with graduate student parents, and
through our estimates made with the data that’s available, we have reason to believe that the
demand for childcare slots far exceeds the number that are actually available. This is a serious
problem that has been neglected for years. We are hopeful that the University of Minnesota can
harness the attention and momentum that has been recently sparked on these issues, adopt
successful strategies from our peer institutions, and make a lasting commitment to ensuring
access to these fundamental services.
Approved by the General Assembly on February 26, 2018.
Zach Sheffler, Speaker
24
https://www.aauw.org/2014/05/06/childcareoncccampus
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RESOLUTION EXPANDING THE BOARD’S ACCESS TO THE UNIVERSITY
COMMUNITY
Council of Graduate Students General Assembly University of Minnesota
Topic: Expanding the Board’s Access to the University Community
Date: April 30, 2018
Author: Lauren Mitchell
RESOLUTION:
Resolved , that the Council of Graduate Students requests that a public forum, in which any
member of the University community is invited to speak on any topic of interest to the Regents
or the University community, be included in the Board of Regents meeting agenda at all
meetings.
COMMENT:
Historically, a public forum available for any member of the University of Minnesota to speak to
the Board of Regents was made available once per year, at the annual budget forum. The budget
forum was traditionally held at the May meeting, when most students are focusing on their final
exams, or in the case of some campuses, are already on summer vacation. It was also
traditionally held on the Twin Cities campus, and all but inaccessible to members of the system
campuses. Nonetheless, this forum was a powerful tool for student voices to be heard. When
students have been able to take advantage of this opportunity to speak directly to the Board, and
make their concerns and priorities clear, it has resulted in effective action.
At the 2016 budget forum, many students spoke about issues with student mental health services,
and as a consequence, the Board intervened to provide $200,000 in funding to hire additional
counseling staff. After this effective action, the budget forum was discontinued the next year.
There are many limitations in the ways that students can be heard at the University. At the level
of the Board of Regents, students are now only included through the student representatives to
the Board. Although the student representatives are purported to provide a conduit between the
Board and the student body, they are not sufficient for ensuring that student voices are
adequately represented to the Board. It is unreasonable to expect eight students to accurately
convey the needs and positions of the over fifty thousand students enrolled at the University of
Minnesota.
The climate of the University of Minnesota is characterized by a high degree of adversariality,
and limited accountability. This has been made evident through a series of recent events,
including: student conduct code charges and arrests made against members of Whose Diversity?;
violations of research ethics in the Department of Psychiatry; University action against graduate
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student unionization efforts; neighborhood association protests against the demolition of the
Electric Steel Elevator; rushed student conduct code revisions that disregarded concerns about
medical amnesty; adoption of PeopleSoft software in a disruptive and ineffectual way; the
investigation of members of the football team following accusations of sexual assault; and most
recently, the threatened closure of the Child Development Center. In each of these cases, the
Board might have benefitted from hearing directly from members of the University community.
The Regents should be informed in a straightforward and unrestricted way about important ideas
in the University community. The existing structures limit Regents’ exposure to positions that
may be challenging to administrators. As a result, the Board receives a relatively sheltered and
innocuous view of University affairs, and are shielded from important and compelling
information.
Other peer institutions regularly hold public meetings that allow all members of the institution an
opportunity to share their views and knowledge with their governing boards. For example, the
University of Michigan holds a public comment section at every regular monthly meeting of
their Board of Regents. Any member of the University community may attend and speak for up
to five minutes on a topic relevant to the Board’s work. A similar mechanism at the University
of Minnesota would ensure that the Regents can access viewpoints from across the University
community, allowing them to make decisions with the full range of information available.
37
RESOLUTION ON SELECTION OF REPRESENTATIVES TO THE MINNESOTA
REGENTS
Council of Graduate Students General Assembly University of Minnesota
Topic: On the Selection of Representatives to the Minnesota Board of Regents
Date: April 30, 2018
Authors: Zachary Sheffler
RESOLUTION:
Whereas, Regents’ Policy “Student Representatives to the Board of Regents” and the
Recognized Student Governance Association Agreement allow the Council of Graduate Students
to participate in the selection for the Representatives to Regents
And Whereas, the Council of Graduate Students governance structure solely empowers the
General Assembly to choose representatives to University governance councils,
And Whereas, neither the Council of Graduate Students General Assembly nor its leadership
were consulted in the selection of candidates to the Minnesota Board of Regents, be it
Resolved, that the Council of Graduate Students expresses disapproval of the selected
Representatives to the Minnesota Regents, and further be it
Resolved, the Council of Graduate Students calls on the Board of Regents to vacate the selected
student government representatives to the Board of Regents and refer them for reselection
between all student governments, and further be it
Resolved, the Council of Graduate Students affirms its commitment to the principle that student
governments should be permitted to independently set their own advocacy agendas, especially
with respect to representation within the University, and further be it
Resolved, the Council of Graduate Students calls on the Minnesota Regents to amend its policy
on Student Representatives to the Board of Regents to explicitly include one seat for the Council
of Graduate Students and one seat for the Professional Student Government.
Done in the General Assembly, April 30, 2018
Zachary Sheffler, Speaker
38
COMMENT:
Representatives to the Minnesota Regents have been selected through a process which is
informal and lacks selection guidelines. Since the dissolution of GAPSA, Regents policy has not
been substantially updated in a manner which takes into account the separate nature of the two
postbaccalaureate student governments.
Last year, incoming COGS President Lauren Mitchell objected to the structure of this process
and drafted an amendment to the bylaws which explicitly notes that COGS shall make its
selection within the General Assembly. This was done for a number of reasons, most notable:
● The COGS governing structure gives an executive seat to the Rep to Regents, and no
executive committee member is represented in the selection committee
● The RSGA agreement between COGS and OSA was signed, in part, with the
understanding that COGS would be permitted to select its own Rep to Regents
● The process in place does not have sufficient or indeed any safeguards to protect
against discrimination or bad faith, and the opacity of the process runs counter to
principles of transparency championed by the COGSGA
● The Reps to Regents selection committee disadvantages PSG and COGS by requiring the
other governments countersign Rep to Regents selection
Incoming PSG and MSA presidents Rachel Cardwell and Trish Palermo were notified of the
changes to COGS’ internal governing documents. As a show of good faith, COGS participated in
the process again in the 20162017 academic year.
Earlier in April, it came to my attention that the Reps to Regents selection committee was
convened again, with invitations sent to Lauren Mitchell, COGS President, and Sean Chen,
COGS PresidentElect. Both objected to the process and declined to participate, given that
organization bylaws would make that inappropriate. No call was sent to Graduate Students, nor
was the request for such a call directed to the appropriate party. I objected to the leaders of PSG
and MSA, and was informed that the process would go forward irrespective of COGS
involvement. An invitation to the selection committee was extended to me at noon on Friday,
April 20, with the selection taking place at 9:30 AM on Sunday, April 22. I declined the
invitation.
Last week, it became known to me that the committee selected four representatives, none of
which were COGS members. The two COGS members who did apply through that process were
not considered.
The interpretation of Regents policy as I understand it is that all three student governments must
mutually agree to the seating of the reps to Regents. I do not believe that a meaningful effort was
made to engage COGS on the part of the other student governments. As such, I, and the General
Assembly, register our objection to the candidates selected as well as the process as it took place.
Zachary Sheffler
Speaker, Chair of the COGSGA
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