The Social Welfare Graduate Assembly (SWGA)

SWGA Meeting Minutes
March 4, 2008

National Day of Service
April 26 if interested in attending contact Leslie Carson. Those receiving money from Americorps can used these as service hours. Great networking opportunity. Work with “Rebuilding Together.”

Limited Social Justice Symposium t-shirts
$15 checks to SWGA or cash. Contact Monie.

SWGA Suggestions Envelope
Available during meetings and at the SWGA office.
Office Hours for SWGA available. Please sign up.

Executive Committee Report

Field Placement - Difficulty with field placements. Problems and limited placements for Title IV-E and hospitals. MSW program at CSU Monterey opening so more students will be competing for positions.

Graduation -- Saturday, May 17th at 6:00pm Zellerbach Hall. We have to plan our graduation so it would be good to attend. Also, volunteer opportunities.
Claudia Elbano (works part time – community organizing)

Budget Cuts – Dean has to implement 7% cuts. Affect us in the next 3 years. No details of what will be cut. Not going to be adding new electives.

Meeting with Dean – Planned in October 2008. First & second years. Dean is excited to meet and greet.

Student/Faculty Mixers – Need to know by August so we can plan for fall.

Family Violence Prevention Fund – Director will come and talk to us and about her program in May or September. Internship opportunity (similar to a part time job).

March Fundraiser
Planned bake sales for the 17th and 18th. Prospective students are visiting on these days. Better opportunity for sales. Contributions in time and bake goods appreciated.

Website
Outdated information. Email Armando with suggestions at abarragoan@berkeley.edu. Has been active in changing information.

Q&A section Possible ideas of what to include: How do I get involved SWGA? What do I do to become a member? What are the upcoming events? When’s the application deadline? Housing, parking, other tips from students, Diversity contact Cynthia Dimon. Update photos of school, library, lounge, etc.

T-shirt committee
Reprinting is done. Being distributed in the SWGA office. Thursday 12pm to 2pm and Tuesday during SWGA hours.

HBSE Curriculum

Speaking to faculty about difference between two different HBSE classes. Materials standardized? Susan Stone the Chair said that they might be able to have a standardized textbook. Have two professors meet together.

Flex exams -- Cover what HBSE as class teaches. Not designed to be hard. Prior classes that you’ve taken in the past may matter in the decision to pass.

Field/Method
Concern from students that there are not enough practice classes. Need more concrete questions in survey. Want to know what is working and what is not working. Possibility for change is likely. Need input from students. Extra requirement instead of research. Having a foundation that is more specialized.

Diversity Class
Want approval for it to be counted as a Methods course. Faculty felt that it wasn’t strong enough to be a Practice. Another practice course may be cut. Currently students need to have 50 units but supposed to be 48 units. Going to be making 1 less requirement.

Research
Julian Chow the chair and Eileen Gambrill, Jill Berrick, Susan Stone. Emphasis on research in being consumers not researchers. Qualitative research. Research 3 courses now maybe cut to 2 courses. Students complained it was repetitive. Have different opinions of research. 280 may be cut. Quantitative – explanatory testing. We’re not going to be doing these kinds of research. 2nd Research – terminology is useful, need to learn in the first year.

NASW Lobby Days 2008
This Sunday. Directions will be provided. Meeting at school in the morning at 7:00am. If you need to drive, you will get a call from Nathan.

Diversity Task Force
Developed a proposal to give to the Dean about have a PhD GSR position to recruit more diverse students here. C.Dimon will send it off to Dean this week. We don’t know if it will pass, but it is a proposal. Wait for feedback from Dean.

Children & Families
There was a meeting with 2nd year rep and 1st year rep about 2nd year child welfare classes being only worth 1 unit. Students want to increase the workload and get more units. Or add another class. Email Janelle@berkeley.edu

Spring Day/Diversity Day
Encourage students to attend. Contact Rafael Herrera. Different shifts between 2 days.

Gerontology
Earth Day tree sale for April 22. Tabling on April 14, 15 – turn around less than a week Created in San Francisco 1970. Assistance & ideas needed. Email Laura at lliesem@berkeley.edu

Events

Orientation - We need to start planning now, most people won’t be around for orientation in the summer.

Friends of the Urban Forrest – 10 people allowed. Service oriented – if your agency needs volunteers contact. Habitat for Humanity a possibility.

Fundraising for gifts for our janitors – Rebecca will be contact for this. Donation Basket is an idea from past year. Why? Wage campaign, not moving very quickly. We don’t recognize the work that they do. Great big thanks!

Albany Bowl Night - Cal specials on Thursday free shoe rentals. 5:30pm. San Pablo Avenue. Organize carpooling. Need a group of at least 10 & game will be $4.

Policy
Introduction. Contact Jessie – Jessica.eschman@berkeley.edu

Caucus Check In

Social Justice Symposium - Recruiting for next year. Anna Geer.
Need better advertisement. Please join in planning. Need more 2nd year participation to make this happen. This will be our year.

International Awareness – Next Monday a panel at 4pm with James Midgely. Working with refugees and immigrants. Studying abroad. Summer opportunities, etc.

Caucus Calendar - is up in the SWGA office. Reserve bake sale dates.

Gang Violence Presentation
April 28th. Advocating colloquium. We can have people come in. Topics of interest? May be able to provide an Honorarium. How can we be more involved? Talk to Robert Ayasse. Clare Sheridan schedules them in.

Prospective Student
After 2 pm they have nothing to do. Leslie is planning a fun day in San Francisco together

Team building
After finals are over, organize a group rate to go to As game.

Seneca Center
Has couple of free trainings (Topics: transgender clients, Depression in African-Americans, sexually abused children, HIV/AIDs children) Some on Saturday and some on Friday. Contact Meier.michelle@gmail.com

Mindfulness and the Recovery Model
March 14th all day in Fresno. $40 fee for registration. Additional information put on website.

Next Meeting April 1st. Tuesday after spring break.