EEGSA Comments

1
EEGSA Comments Faculty Retreat, April 2003 Greg
McIntyre

• EEGSA Roles Responsibilities
• EE Grad Survey Results

2
EEGSA Structure
Officers for the 2002-2003 academic year
Greg McIntyre President  Scott
Hafemann Treasurer Steve Molesa Social
Chair  Tuyen Le Social Chair Hanching
Fuh Academic Chair/Photo Board Project Jeff
Hammel Academic Chair Adam Cataldo Webmaster
Parvez Ahammad Delegate Dan Schonberg Delegate
Ling Shi Delegate Nate Pletcher Delegate Tanya
Roosta Delegate
3
EEGSA Roles and Responsibilities
Academic
Social
Recruitment

• Social Hour (every
• Wed 330 430)
• Special Events
• Jupiter, Triple Rock
• Endorse Grad Social Club Events

• Prelim
• Student Prep
• Student/Faculty Panel Discussion (tent. May 12)
• Department Committees

• Visit Day
• housing
• pizza party
• panel discussion
• campus tour
• Call-a-thon
• Orientation Week

4
Student Feedback Results of Survey

• How satisfied are you with the following aspects
  of grad school (scale of 1 10)
• Overall 7.67
• Department Administration 8.11
• Faculty 7.70
• Other Students 8.11
• Research Opportunities 7.63
• Social Life 6.44
• Admissions Process (1st years only) 8.00

5
First Years Only
2) Do you think the department could/should do
more to help you find an advisor?

• Make it clear which professors are not taking
  on students
• its pretty lousy to show up and realize the
  people you
• want to work with are not taking on anymore
  students
• Professors web sites are often outdated
• Group web sites (with updated student work)
  are the best reference for new students trying to
  find a place in life
• A roadmap of all the opportunities would
  really help

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3) How did admissions, visit day, orientation
week and existing services help make the
transition to grad school?
First Years Only

• The visit day was by far the best one I
  attended
• interaction with current students ..
  informative.
• great enthusiasm for this place (students
  faculty)
• Orientation week? Is there really such a
  week?
• Graduate Office is phenomenal!

7
4) What other services could/should the
department provide incoming students?
First Years Only

• Cory 490
• arrange and assign desks with keys so they can
  store
• things like laptops and their books
• Give them a small budget so first years can
  have a bit more of a community through their
  office (cory 490)
• a checklist of things to think about before
  moving here
• an informal list of all the places to look for
  housingand something to help find a roommate

8
5) Comments on the prelim, quals, dissertation
talks, etc. (i.e. fairness, format, etc.)

• Prelim
• too short, how can one hour determine your
  future?
• fair
• does not accurately test a students potential
  to do research
• Quals no comments
• Dissertation talk
• dissertation defense (although they wont admit
  to calling it that) should have been
  grand-fathered in
• now UCB is the only place to have four major
  requirements (aside from classes) for a Ph.D.
  (prelim, quals, thesis, and now the talk/defense

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6) Is there enough diversity in the department
(race, gender, socio-economical, etc)?

• Majority of responses yes
• Other comments
• great diversity in terms of international
  students but not in terms of US students
• certainly not beyond the over-represented
  minorities
• probably not enough, but its better here than
  most places Ive been
• Seems to depend on your perspective

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7) What more would you like to see the student
organizations do?

• Grad Student Lounge
• Cory 325 will be returned to Grads soon??
  (working with Scott McNally)
• there is no kitchen (coffee machine
  microwave) for grads
• More regular outlets (like this survey) to
  communicate grad concerns to faculty/administratio
  n

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8) Any other comments for the faculty (about
anything)?

• Wide variety of Facilities between groups
• it would be nice if there were a regular event
  where students could socialize with faculty not
  directly related to their research
• gaping seam between the instructional and
  departmental networks is embarrassing for an EECS
  dept.

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comments for the faculty (continued)

• the tools used in classes should be the same
  as the tools used for industry and research
• Most faculty have been very helpful.. Except
  for occasional bad teaching, not showing to
  meetings, and just being too damn busy.
• keep up the good work

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Suggested Action Items

• Clarify New Student Research Opportunities
• Update your websites
• Orientation Week
• Research Fair
• Open Office Hours (like visit day)
• Prelim Student/Faculty Panel Discussion (12 May)
• Increase Social Interaction (Wednesdays _at_ 330)