Colorado Interuniversity Graduate Student & Postdoctoral Fellow Professional Development Consortium Title
The Colorado Interuniversity Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Professional Development Consortium aka GradCO coordinates virtually delivered professional development events for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at accredited universities across Colorado. GradCO events are open to all graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at all Colorado institutions at no cost to the participant.
GradCO’s short-term priorities include co-creating a professional community and the semesterly coordination of virtual cross-institution professional development opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Long-term priorities may include multi-year coordinated efforts to create cross-institution networks of support for students and fellows. Members of the GradCO committee ensure that objectives are being adequately addressed and the project remains viable. In practice, these responsibilities are carried out by coordinated efforts of members and officers.
GradCO members provide insight on strategies to support the consortium’s professional development short-term and long-term priorities. GradCO membership consists of representatives from Colorado universities who are charged with providing professional development support at their respective institutions for graduate students and/or postdoctoral fellows. There are two classes of members—voting and nonvoting:
1. Partner institution members serve as officers, who contribute professional development opportunities from their institutions, and who vote on initiatives of bylaws, organization initiatives, or finance.
2. Affiliate institution members serve as “members at large,” who contribute valuable insight to initiatives and service on sub-committees. These members do not vote on initiatives of bylaws, organization initiatives, or finance.
Members may or may not be affiliated with the Colorado chapter of the Council of Graduate Schools. Members may or may not contribute professional development offerings to the GradCO schedule. The voices of all members are valued and respected. GradCO is a working consortium of volunteer members. Currently, GradCO does not collect fees from members or member institutions.
Officers
1. Chair: The person (or persons if duties are shared by co-Chairs) whose primary responsibility it is to ensure the consortium meets regularly during the semesters and to ensure the GradCO schedule is compiled and distributed each semester. The Chair reserves the meeting space (Zoom) for committee meetings, runs committee meetings, solicits agenda items from members, and sends out agendas prior to meeting (recommended 24 hours in advance). The Chair follows “Robert’s Rules” for votes. The Chair will serve as GradCO’s institutional lead and will oversee the Workgroup for each academic year’s GradCO schedule. Outgoing chairs shall provide feedback and necessary guidance to successors.
2. Vice-Chair: The person (or persons if duties are shared by co-Vice-Chairs) whose primary responsibility it is to support the Chair as needed with GradCO scheduling and to run meetings in the Chair’s absence. Outgoing Vice-Chairs shall provide feedback and necessary guidance to successors.
3. Secretary: The person (or persons if duties are shared by co-Secretaries) whose primary responsibility is to record meeting minutes and to disseminate those minutes to the rest of the committee (recommended within one week of the meeting). Outgoing Secretaries shall provide feedback and necessary guidance to successors
4. Treasurer: The person whose primary responsibility it is to manage any consortium funds or to coordinate with member representatives about GradCO funds in operation at their respective institutions. Outgoing Treasurers shall provide feedback and necessary guidance to successors
Voting Members
Partner Members
One representative from each institution that contributes professional development events or offerings in the current academic year to the GradCO series or events programming. Partner members bring forward conversation and initiatives to GradCO that support interinstitutional interests and graduate student and postdoctoral fellow professional development needs. Partner institutions are mandated to advertise GradCO to their graduate students and promote the mission and vision of GradCO. A lapse in contribution greater than two years will change membership status to affiliate.
Non-Voting Members
Affiliate Members
Representatives from institutions who do not contribute offerings to the GradCO series or events. Affiliate members bring forward vital conversation and initiatives to GradCO that support interinstitutional interests and graduate student professional development needs.
Change from Non-Voting Member to Voting Member Status
Affiliate institutions may become Voting Members by annually contributing virtual event(s) to the professional development series or other GradCO programs as outlined in the definition of Partner Members.
WORKGROUPS & COMMITTEES
To serve GradCO short-term and long-term initiatives, workgroups and committees may be formed by Partner and Affiliate Members to move designated projects forward. Workgroups are staffed by members who wish to lead specific projects. The Chair can coordinate the formation of workgroups and committees with input from members.
Workgroups may include such projects
- SCHEDULING: AY scheduling for fall and spring semesters (led by Chair)
- OER/CDHE project for funding and the production of open educational resource materials
- Cohort development: Academic, Industry, Policy
Scheduling Committee
The Scheduling Committee is comprised of 2-3 members who are responsible for making any necessary final decisions about a semester’s GradCO offerings and arrangement. This committee will navigate and work with members who have competing time or content interests (e.g., two institutions submit similar content or submit events for the same week).
MEETINGS
GradCO Members typically meet once a month. The recurring day/time will be set on yearly basis. Meeting will be held virtually on Zoom.
The GradCO monthly meeting agenda is created by the Chair with input from GradCO members gathered at prior meetings or email.
VOTING
Unless otherwise announced, all voting shall take place during official meetings, shall be recorded by the Secretary, and shall be publicly announced via email. Measure will pass with a 2/3 vote of members present. No measure shall go forward for a vote if fewer than 3 members are present. Under special circumstances votes may be conducted between meetings via email.
CHARTER REVIEW and AMENDMENTS
GradCO Members will review this charter, and its administration, no less than once every 3 years. Amendments to the charter may be proposed at any time but must be submitted to the GradCO Chair in writing at least one month prior to a vote.
GradCO Charter ratified on May 10, 2023 by the following Members
Adams State University: Jacek Jonca-Jasinski
CSU-Fort Collins: Kristina Quynn, GradCO lead
CU-Anschutz: Bruce Mandt
CU-Boulder: Hailey Herman
University of Denver: Keith Miller
Metro State University: Inge Wefes
Colorado School of Mines: Roelof Snieder, Seth Vuletich
Regis University: Doug Hart
UCCS: Alisha (Castellanoz) Meyer
Charter Review Date: May 10, 2023
CURRENT LIST OF GradCO Members (Spring 2024)
Adams State: Jacek Jonca-Jasinski, Carissa Watts
CSU-Fort Collins: Kristina Quynn, GradCO Chair
CU-Anschutz: Bruce Mandt, GradCO Co-Chair
CU-Boulder: Hailey Herman, GradCO Secretary
CU-Denver: Michael Kocet
DU: Keith Miller
Metro State U: Inge Wefes
Mines: Roelof Snieder, Seth Vuletich, GradCO Treasurer
Regis: Doug Hart
Western Colo U: Marlo Frazier
UNC: Jeri Lyons, Cindy Wesley