Department of Anthropology, University at Buffalo

AGSA Minutes - November 09, 2001

In Attendance:
Eva Hulse, Monique Fortunato, Jennifer Richardson, Alex Miller, Tammy Butler, Jennifer Muller, Dustin Keeler, Ed Button, Ryan Austin, Chris Wahlfeld, Sonja Schwake, Maury Hutcheson, Bill McFarlane, Mike Roets, Sue Maguire, Dan Mazeau

Funds were allocated for the following:

  - Guatemala Discussion co-sponsored with Geography     25$
  - Anthropology-Philosophy Mixer                                30$
        Held at Bonnie’s at 9:00 on November 11th
  - The November the 10th meeting                                25$
A vote was held not to increase funds for an event after the initial vote

AAA run throughs can be scheduled if anyone is interested in practicing their 
presentations. If anyone does want to present please email the list-serve

Tim Sullivan’s advisor is in town this December and is interested in giving a 
brown bag lecture. More information will be available at a later date

Capital Equipment fund is drawing near. Suggestions for equipment include: Slide projector, 
PowerPoint (would require outside funding too), Microscope, Scanner, CPU, Slide Scanner. 
The members present voted on a CPU and Slide-Scanner

Volunteer activities:
-       Urban Christian Ministries
o       No response from this organization, but because response was favorable to give 
kids tours of the department. Jennifer is contacting other community groups to see if 
there is an interest elsewhere
-       Blood Drive
o       Needs to be postponed
-       City Mission
o       Homeless shelter for men
o       Volunteer in soup kitchen
o       Food collection
§       Posters around Ellicott
§       Barrels near Department

Sonja the Grad Committee Representative requests feedback on several issues:
-       Reconfigure funding formula
-       Making Qualifying less important as years go by and activities increase in 
importance after second year
-       Should papers and publications work into funding formula
-       Should priority go to funding new students to draw them into the department 
or funding for retention of those currently enrolled? Concern was expressed that 
funding them to cut them off would weaken it, but bring them in the first year and 
then throw them into the funding formula was considered
-       Students who come in with an MA should they have to fulfill first year 
requirements and take the qualifying exam

Curriculum requirements were discussed. It seems to be unclear what classes are 
necessary and what classes are not. It was suggested we compile list of classes we 
feel fit requirements but the AGSA voted against this measure. It was however 
suggested that we request a syllabus before drop/add date for all classes listing 
what requirement it fills, dates of assignments and readings

The representative for the Hiring Committee for AGSA is Mary Anne Schultz

Senators: Senators are responsible for organizing themselves for the meetings.
 They must get with the other senators to make sure ALL meetings are covered. Our 
funding is dependent on attendance at these meetings.

Repectfully submitted,

Jennifer Randall,
Secretary

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