Graduate Student Community

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Board of Trustees Meeting February 25, 2005
Presented by Graduate Leadership Council
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Graduate Student Community

• Diverse Backgrounds and needs
• Differing ages, nationalities, prior experiences
• Isolation to individual graduate programs
• Limited social interaction outside
• More difficult to blend into NU community

3
Graduate Leadership Council (GLC)
TGS
CGSA
GSA
BGSA
G-SALSA
CSSA
To improve the quality of graduate student life
at Northwestern
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Strengthening the Graduate Community

• Initiatives of GLC
• Bringing together various grad groups
• Lobbying for common student causes
• Mentoring activities for undergrads
• Social Programming among peer groups
• Volunteer drives
• BGSA conference
• Graduate student homepage

5
Concerns and Challenges

• Need a stronger sense of NU identity
• Lower graduate student turnout at NU games
• Lower number of graduate student donors
• Quality of life needs to be improved Social and
  financial
• Social concerns cannot be addressed overnight,
  Financial concerns can be!

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Financial Concerns
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Typical Budget
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Rising Living Costs
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Stipend Comparisons (9 month)
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Stipend Comparisons (12 month)
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Health Insurance
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NUs Student Hospitalization Plan

• One of the best student health plans in the
  nation
• Health Insurance is expensive
• Students depend heavily on subsidy
• One of the most expensive premiums for
  individuals and dependents
• Need improved communication

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Rising Health Insurance Premium

• Increases ave. 24 per year
• Subsidy maintains a 35 reduction

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Problems with Aetna

• Some students are exceeding 5000 prescription
  cap
• Chicago students must pay for medications and
  wait for reimbursement
• Customer service issues
• Too costly and benefits are too comprehensive

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Projections for 05 - 06

• Two tiers
• Unlimited prescriptions - drug card issued 2/05
• Increased of mental health visits
• Large PYD for lower tiered plan

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Financial Impact

• Upper Tiered-Plan
• 2659 - 35 subsidy

• Lower Tiered-Plan
• 1891 - 50 subsidy

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Concerns

• Majority of students may choose lower tiered-plan
  when it is not appropriate for them
• Forum with Chickering to help students choose
  their plan
• Communication
• Little opportunity for student participation in
  the negotiations
• Late announcement of changes to both students and
  staff

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Conclusions

• One of the best student health plans in the
  nation
• Two-tiered plan next year with unlimited
  prescriptions, high PYD for lower tier
• Health Insurance is expensive
• Students depend heavily on subsidy
• 50 of lower tier, 35 of upper tier
• Need improved communication
• Student representatives on health insurance
  committee

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Comparative Benefits
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Closing of Lake Shore Center

• LSC gym members consist of graduate, medical,
  law school, professional degree programs,
  business school, faculty, and NU staff
• Promote a healthier lifestyle
• Quality of life issues
• Major selling point for prospective students

So what are possible solutions?
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Closing of Lake Shore Center Solutions

• Maintain the LSC athletic facility in 850 LSD
• Athletic facility in Abbot Hall
• Establish a bulk-rate discount with nearby
  fitness center

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Credit Union for International Students

• International students not only experience
  cultural differences, but also financial
  differences
• No established credit history
• Opening certain accounts can be difficult
• A major credit card is even required to open a
  Blockbuster account

So what are possible solutions?
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Credit Union for International Students
Solutions

• Establish a Credit Union
• Announced during Fall 2004 Quarter
• Offer secured credit cards

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Needs of the Graduate Community on Diversity
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Progress in Obtaining Goal

• University Administration providing structural
  support in hiring practices
• Town Hall Meeting in April 2003
• Development of best practices guides from all
  levels

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Areas of Concern for 2005

• Faculty Hiring
• What Every department should develop best
  practices guide
• Who Department Chairperson or Faculty Recruiter
• When Review every 2 years

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Areas of Concern

• TGS
• Structuring of Office of Student Life and
  Multicultural Affairs (SLMA)
• Expanding responsibilities without expanding
  resources
• Should define new constituency and estimate
  students to be served

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Areas of Concern for 2005

• Communication Structures
• Departments should be aware of resources of TGS
• Who SLMA staff and Department Admissions Officer
  should meet to discuss joint initiatives
• Exit Interviews for graduate students
• Who TGS Student Services Staff

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Summary

• Procedures should be in place that ensure the
  longevity
• Driving force should come from University
  Administration, TGS, and Departments

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Transportation
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U-PASS

• Previous Survey (undergraduates and graduate
  students) reflected no need.
• Transportation benefits Current CTA monthly
  pass is 90
• U-PASS quarter pass is 45
• Graduate students willing to pay?

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U-PASS

• Fall 2004 survey to graduate students
• 634 students answered (18 response)
• 88 who responded to the survey, live near the
  Evanston Campus.
• Primary mode of transportation of those who
  responded

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U-PASS (cont.)

• 63 is willing to purchase the U-PASS
• 85 of students wanted the pass to be included in
  tuition
• Possible solutions?

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Possible Solutions to U-PASS

• Transportation fee charged to students
• All the students of The Graduate School must pay
  for the pass through a Transportation fee.
• However, what happens to students who pay for the
  NU parking permit?
• TGS waive the Transportation fee to those
  students (similar to DePaul CTI)
• Include into the Transportation fee a nominal
  charge to subsidize the U-PASS for parking permit
  users