Jeffrey Ash

This document details the Immersive Media Design Major at the University of Maryland, jointly offered by the Computer Science and Art departments. It outlines the program's unique cross-campus approach, two distinct academic tracks (Computing-Creative Coders and Art-Emerging Creatives), and comprehensive learning outcomes. The major prepares students with technical and artistic skills for diverse fields involving virtual and augmented reality, interactive installations, and other forms of digital media, fostering proficiency in creation, problem-solving, and adaptability to emerging technologies.

The key discussion topics included concerns regarding the US House Tax bill (HR 1) and its potential to count graduate tuition remission as taxable income, prompting inquiries about how the University of Maryland (UMD) plans to assist graduate students with the financial burden. Follow-up items from the Spring 2017 meeting addressed the collection of Graduate Assistant (GA) offer letters and the adequacy of the Gallup Survey for GAs. Further discussions focused on the adoption and specificity of the Teaching Assistant (TA) and Research Assistant (RA) Statements of Mutual Expectation (SME) forms. The committee also sought updates on exploring non-stipend based financial support, such as fellowships, housing vouchers, or metro cards, and reviewed potential improvements to policy regarding the grievance procedure, workers' compensation, earned sick leave, and Intellectual Property Policy.

Key discussion topics for the Graduate Assistant Advisory Committee meeting include the cost and feasibility for graduate students to retain intellectual property rights from their publications, the need for university support for international student visa status retention, exploration of university-supported on-campus childcare options for Graduate Assistants (GAs), and concerns regarding GA stipends, including comparability with peer institutions in the Big Ten Conference and ensuring a living wage across all departments. Further discussions focused on timely notification of teaching assignments for Teaching Assistants (TAs), where some receive less than two days' notice, and the ineffectual nature of existing mechanisms for RAs/TAs to address issues with faculty or advisors.

The meeting agenda focused on several recurring and follow-up issues concerning graduate employees. Key discussion points included ensuring departments clearly communicate tuition remission differences on offer letters and auditing these letters for policy compliance. The committee addressed the need for collaborative, comprehensive data gathering regarding graduate employee conditions, as previous data efforts were perceived as secretive. Significant attention was given to clarifying Statements of Mutual Expectation (SMEs) to all supervisors and implementing auditing procedures to ensure proper policy adherence. Core issues covered included making graduate salary increases a legislative lobbying priority, addressing the lag between COLA adjustments and inflation, and examining non-stipend support efforts. Furthermore, discussions covered the status of a proposed study on graduate employee hours worked, ensuring departments comply with policies regarding outside employment, and the status and accessibility of grievance procedure changes.

This strategic plan, titled 'Fearlessly Forward', outlines the University of Maryland's direction in pursuit of excellence and impact for the public good. It is built upon four main commitments: reimagining learning, addressing humanity’s grand challenges, investing in people and communities, and partnering to advance the public good. The plan's vision is to improve lives by reimagining teaching and learning, accelerating solutions to grand challenges through creativity and discovery, and fostering a diverse and inclusive community.