Minutes January 19, 2015

ECEGSA Meeting Minutes – January 19, 2015

Location: MCLD 418

Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Attendance: Ahmed, Tanzil, Shreya, Arvind, Michelle

Regrets: Felix

 

Meeting minutes from Dec 8, Dec 16 and Jan 9: Approved (confirmed)

Meeting minutes from Jan 16:

– discussed changing some details about the Think! Engineering event

– want to balance conciseness and clarity with appropriate level of detail

– Michelle to write a revision and send out again for comments

 

Think! Engineering event email

Points of discussion:

– first priority is doing what’s best overall for students

– concerns about students confusing this event with our upcoming Networking Night

– believe that most students will know about the event without our email anyway

– if our email will have little effect on attendance of the Think! event, maybe best to just send it

– us sending the email shows our support of the event

– would be polite to reply IEEE in some way

– a reply to IEEE student branch that we chose not to forward their invitation may inadvertently create conflict between our organizations by making this into a bigger issue than it is

– we are in a conflict of interest position because of our own networking event

– considered forwarding to the department or replying to IEEE student branch recommending to forward to department (a more impartial body)

– involving the department could again inadvertently create conflict where it is not necessary

– this issue is not that big and has already taken more time than it deserves

Decision:

– should we forward the IEEE email? – voted no by majority

– should we reply to the IEEE in some way? – decision postponed

 

Snowshoeing

– decided on Hollyburn, unless there is not enough drivers, then Grouse

– Grouse we can reach by transit which is convenient for planning, but costs $10 each way for the trolley and we have to pick up snowshoes elsewhere

– we will charge $5 per person, unless it’s Grouse then it will have to be $10 to cover the additional trolley cost

– Shreya to forward email to Michelle to send out

– Michelle (and possibly others) to be available at afternoon social to collect money

 

Ping Pong

– things are more or less in order

– Arvind to forward email to Michelle

 

Workshops

– things are more or less in order

– Arvind to forward email to Michelle

 

Chinese New Year

– no update this week

 

Networking night

Sponsors:

– MDA is interested – to follow up with email

– Fortinet – check for payment tomorrow, need to follow up with email

– NZ technologies – waiting on response, signs are positive

– Cadex – Shreya to talk to this week

– Pulse – Michelle to contact tomorrow

– Net App (number 106 on list) – Michelle to contact

– Statoil – Ahmed filled out online form, has received some response

– Michelle to fill out other online forms

– start inviting organizations (eg BCTIA) and individuals? – some has already been done, but continue

– start phone calls, try to get contact info from them and then email package

– for calls, prioritize big names and those with vancouver offices, those with and phone numbers

– each person to call 5 companies before next meeting, pick whichever ones we want

Panel:

– John Madden is not available for panel

– Bill Tam is a Maybe – Ahmed to follow up with Andre

– Philippe Kruchten maybe – Ahmed to follow up

– Andre is a yes, if needed

– Guy Lemieux – another possibility to ask

– Zahra Amadian or Mazana Armstrong – Ahmed to check with Andre first, if yes then Michelle to contact Mazana first (more industry experience)

Square Up vs. PayPal:

– will companies be ok with unfamiliar system? – concerns about security

– have to send link, all stuff is through email

– PayPal is more popular

– still can pay by cheque anyway, so if people aren’t comfortable they can do that

– no upfront cost until we have transactions

– still not sure about transfer to future execs

– relatively easy and fast to set up

– will companies have credit cards? – probably

– would be good for attendees (but maybe not as important for sponsors)

– decision: will get it set-up and use if possible, if not no big deal (because no up-front fees)

Volunteers:

– have 13 volunteers, varying availability

– several categories: one exec person to head up each one (Ahmed to oversee everything)

– have volunteers reporting to each of the heads directly

– divide duties for before and during event so we each have as even as possible load both before and during the event

– organization of volunteer responsibilities will be put in Google Drive – Ahmed to do (organize low level tasks, sort volunteers)

– Ahmed – general overseeing

– Tanzil – finances

– remaining positions: pick at next week’s meetings

Advertising:

– posters

– social media

– email lists – Materials Engineering, GSS, ECESS, ours

– optionally go to SFU, BCIT, etc if we need more attendees, but not a priority

Printing:

– volunteers to do design (no need to hire someone)

Signature wall:

– printing should not be an issue – get some quotes and details next week

– where to hang? – will have to confirm dimensions, get a solution for how to hang, etc

Photography:

– look among volunteers we already have

– maybe send general email out if no one responds

– will fall under someone’s jobs next week

 

ECESS pool table

– the ECESS is buying a new table and want some money from us for pool cues and balls

Points of dicussion:

– do we have access to use? – no, not easily at least

– could we take the old one?

– do we have room in our lounge? – would likely have to choose between Pool and Ping Pong

– not sure when they want to do it – could wait until end of the year when we know what money we have left in our budget

– we have many other things we could spend money on in the lounge that people would appreciate more than a pool table

– could tell them we will consider it at the end of the term, but don’t want toif it will end up being no anyway

Decision:

– will reply no because we don’t have it in our budget

 

Furniture for Grad Lounge

– discuss at end of term, when we know budget better

 

Afternoon social

– start paying for treats when there are gaps, as we have it in the budget to do so

 

Money from GSS

– need to get on top of this if we want it for Chinese New Year

– might be able to get more from GSS than originally offered – talk to Sima or Saquib

 

Money for networking night

– we have $7000 so far

– if we order at least $6000 in food and beverages, the venue fee is waived

– AV is extra

– we are in good shape

 

Invite NSERC?

– not sure, find out what has been done is previous years

 

MBE

– reminder: meeting tomorrow at 1 pm

 

Sun Run

– emailed Darla, waiting to hear back (to see what reimbursement will be even if we have no practice sessions)

– Pooneh might be able to get us a volunteer for practice sessions

– hopefully a volunteer can take care of practice sessions, then we would just have to deal with the money

 

Sima attending an ECEGSA meeting

– she was trying to get involved, wait and see if she follows up

– things are busy now so it’s not a great time, maybe after networking night we can follow up with her to see if she still wants to come

 

Email about access to old ECEGSA exams

– as far as we know, we have no old exams

 

iGSN event

– we’ve been invited to contribute money and/or time to an Interdisciplinary Grad Student Network (iGSN) event

– maybe just money?

– Michelle and Ahmed will go to meeting on Wednesday to find out more