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NOTE: The June 2007 meeting was cancelled, the following is the letter
sent out to the GSG Assembly via email by GSG Chair Shin-Yi Lin prior to
the meeting.  Also included is Karin Sigloch's update on child care.
**********************************************************************

Hi Assembly,

Exec looked at the agenda items we had for June and there wasn't much to
discuss. So, we decided to cancel the meeting and send emails for what
we want to discuss. The department report schedule will be shifted by
one month (Classics, Chem engineering, Slavics will go in July).

Since we won't be having an actual meeting, I ask that you please take a
look the emails that will be coming soon and reply to gsg-assembly
immediately with any comments you have.

Emails to look out for: Karin: An update on the child care discussion
Dan: An update on the Furniture Drive (going on now!) Jenny: An update
on the June 27th GSG summer event (at Frist!)

Also, there will be an email going out at the end of June about the
summer letter writing campaign we do every year to bring pressing issues
to the university administration. I would encourage you to piggy-back on
that email and personally encourage your constituents to contribute
their ideas on what needs improvement.

Enjoy the extra free time!

Shin-Yi Lin GSG Chair


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Karin Sigloch's update on child care issues follows.
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Gradute students with small children:

As you may know, the University is starting a child care assistance 
program ("SCCAP") for students with small children in the fall term. 
Details are at
http://gradschool.princeton.edu/studentlife/childcare/sccap/
At the Grad Student Government, we got a lot of feedback/converns from 
students who will not be eligible (usually because their spouse is not 
employed at least 50%) but who need child care just the same. We have 
also had several conversations with the university administration about 
this.

The GSG recommends that if you need child care assistance next year then 
you should apply to the SCCAP by July 1, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU 
QUALIFY UNDER THE FORMAL SCCAP RULES (i.e. whether or not you meet the 
spouse-employment requirement, or if you need more than $5,000). Also, 
please apply if you would like a grant to enroll you child to the 
educational part of pre-school. Currently it looks unlikely that the 
formal rules for the first year will be changed before they have even 
been tried. However, the Child Care Working Group sees this as an 
experimental first stage, a process in flux, and that adjustments can be 
made as experiences/feedback come in. Discretionary money is also 
available during the first year although it's not clear how much exactly.

Therefore, YOU SHOULD REGARD THE SCCAP APPLICATION AS A MEANS OF 
COMMUNICATION, as a chance to communicate your specific situation and 
your needs. The university wants this data about demand for services. 
They welcome your speaking up. We don't know how many people will 
receive discretionary money this year. But participation will greatly 
increase everybody's chances of having a better formal program next 
year. THE BALL REALLY IS IN GRAD STUDENT PARENTS' COURT AT THIS POINT!

Fill out the SCCAP application online by July.
http://gradschool.princeton.edu/about/docs/studentlife/sccap_application.pdf
It's important that you be specific about your situation and why you 
need the grant. Examples are powerful and many of them are necessary to 
achieve a change. You need to make a case for how the grad students work 
life and overall wellbeing at Princeton are severely hampered by the 
lack of childcare, despite the fact that the spouse (at least on paper) 
works less than 50%. If you have questions please contact me: 
sigloch@princeton.edu, extension 8-1504

Best wishes,

Karin Sigloch
(Chair of the GSG's Health and Life Committee)