Monday, February 25, 2008

SPA Meeting Notes

Due to the absence of the majority of the SPA membership at the 12:30 meeting today, I'm taking to the internet to bring the meeting to everyone. There are some minor issues we needed to discuss, but will have to be brought up next meeting. This meeting that was to be held today had on the agenda to allow the opening of slates for SPA Exec board next year. That of course did not occur, thus delayed now until the next meeting.

Anywho the main points for the meeting:
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PRESIDENT REPORT:

2008 NATIONAL APA CONFERENCE
Have 5 definates paid to go to the conference
Have 6 interested to go (non 1st years)
Have 4 interested to go (1st years)

Need to discuss lodging with those going for sure.
Possible reimbursement (see treasurer report)

2008 FAPA CONFERENCE
10-13 September 2008
Need to work out hotel logistics (postponed to next meeting)

FACULTY MEETING REPORT
Working on setting up Bartley memorial - SPA working on plaque on door (issues with fire code - working alternate plaque location). Some issues FAPA dealing with family approval about some fundraiser in Bartley's name.
Admission caps on new admits
DCP Research Day - April 4th (possible excused from classes on Friday to attend event)
Specializing knowledge sectors (Housing and Community Development, Info Tech for Planning, Int'l Planning, Transportation & Growth Management, and Urban Design)
Web page committee- dealing with delays with consultants on updating website
SPA report - discussed recent events, and proposed orientation picnic

PLANNING DAY (SUBSET OF FACULTY MEETING REPORT)
April 18th (all day)
Florida Growth and Hometown Democracy theme
Speakers from both sides
Roger Caves - keynote
Working on fundraising (SPA submitted request for ACCENT support)
Department banquet in evening (proposed $10 fee for students to go (traditional fee in years past)).
Project gallery of student work
Excuse URP classes on Friday and have students go (discussed at faculty meeting).

SPA ELECTIONS
Late March, Early April
Presentation of Exec Board at Dept. Banquet

SERVICE PROJECT
Working wtih Earl Starnes for service project at Cedar Key.
Beach project / picnic in late March / Early April

SG ELECTIONS
Please remember to vote in the Student Government elections scheduled for tomorrow and Wednesday. This might change, as there is a lawsuit pending against the university pertaining to the elections. For those of you interested in what the parties stand for, I would like to direct your attention to the following links:

http://www.gogatorparty.com/?page_id=5
Gator Party platform

http://www.orangeandblueparty.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
Orange and Blue Party platform

Ensure to vote, for Graduate Students have a say as well, and it is especially important to respect your tuition and fees you pay. Just remember that SPA did not have a budget this year (though we will next year), and this correlates back to SG.

Voting for all Graduate Students (except Law Students which is at Levin Law School) happens 2nd floor of Turlington. Bring your Gator 1 ID Card.
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VICE PRESIDENT REPORT

Next SPA Meeting March 24th 3 PM (Location TBD)
Next SPA Exec Board Meeting March 2nd or March 23 5:30 PM (Exec Board please review and respond)
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TREASURER REPORT

As of Friday, February 22, 2008, the SPA External Account with Student Government has a balance of $949.67. I made a deposit of $500.00 on Friday, which is last year’s funding from the San Felasco section of the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association. We have approximately $132.00, which represents profits from t-shirt sales. As of the last ACC meeting, we conducted one last review of the 2008/09 budget, and it will be submitted shortly to the Board of College Councils (BOCC) for final review and funding. I will be attending the BOCC Executive Board Meeting on February 28 to request funding for students traveling to the National APA Conference in Las Vegas.
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ACC REPORT

Met to discuss recycling initiative
Guest speaker on a project initiative for Graduate students (see blog for more details)
Preliminary budget presented (no major changes from SPA submittal in December)
SPA getting funding for assisting in Career Fair (THANKS EVERYONE WHO HELPED)
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GSC REPORT

No travel grants for rest of semester
No Report
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SECRETARY REPORT

No Report
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SOCIAL CHAIR

Department Banquet - Superlatives / Top Ten List (Need to decide format as a group)
Fall Welcome Picnic - move orientation to Lake Wauberg / Dept. Icebreaker
March Social - TBD
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FAPA REPRESENTATIVE

No Report
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WEBMASTER

Pending website revisions
No Report

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Urban Planning Project from ACC Guest Speaker

Hi- this is Dirk, from the ACC meeting. I would really appreciate any support your group could offer to my project. I am in need of some leadership on the construction, planning, and design team. I currently have some help from USGBC, NAWIC, and engineering students, some of whom are grad. students. But they are always telling me that we need urban design people, and other types of architecture, engineering, etc. students.... it is a really ambitious project.

We are going to renovate a property between 13th Street and Main, in the vicinity of University, in order to create the facility I described to you at the ACC meeting: an environmentally sustainable boarding house where UF students will provide educational mentoring to 5-10 previously homeless residents. It's a great learning opportunity, and resume booster, for everyone involved- especially at this stage, where volunteers and interns will actually be able to say that they helped to create it.

As far as specific needs from the students, I'm not sure, because I don't know a lot about what you guys do. But we do have a meeting on March 5 in Rinker with the Construction, Planning, and Design team. We are also going to look at our prospective properties on March 1 to do a preliminary renovation evaluation and cost analysis. I'd love to have your students involved in both or either.

Hope to hear from you soon. Good luck at your meeting on Monday, and let me know what comes of it. I'm attaching the Team Objectives chart, which describes briefly some of the objectives of our Planning team. Cheers,


Dirk Sampselle
President, Citizens for Social Justice
Liaison from the Alachua County Commission to the University of Florida
Intern, Gainesville/Alachua Office on Homelessness

UF '08, Political Science

"We must be the change we wish to see in the world." -Mahatma Gandhi

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Team Objectives

Educational Curriculum Development

  • Work with Dr. Repetto to adapt Dare to Dream for the homeless population
    • Work with Dr. Dorene Ross as a consultant on reading list and curriculum development
  • Work through the ECC, Assistant Dean Vernetson, and Dean/Dr. Ann Ho-Becks in New Student Programs to implement the Center for Citizen Learning as a component option of First Year Florida.
  • Create a dedicated number of volunteer positions for this facility
    • Work with Dr. Bernard Oliver (Alliance) to recruit potential volunteers
  • Work with Nursing, SIFE, and Fine Arts to create comprehensive learning options
    • Look at Santa Fe’s GED tutoring program, and consider either outsourcing GED tutoring or using that program as a “best practices model”

Medical Affairs

  • Develop Intake procedures
  • Create partnerships with established Medical facilities
  • Develop consultancy relationships with counselors and physicians
  • Consult area and national programs for best practice models
  • Recruit students for the health educational component of the program

Construction, Planning, and Design

  • Create Schematic Plan based on Green and Econ. sustainability principles
  • Consult area Real Estate agents about property donations and/or foreclosures
    • Brainstorm/review restoration possibilities for older buildings
    • What is needed if we buy a building that needs significant remodeling?
  • Keep all building planning in accordance with “boarding house” zoning restrictions
  • If we build, who will build? If we buy, who will remodel?
  • Brainstorm feasible conceptual layouts for the facility:
    • Tutoring and teaching areas
    • Central kitchen?
    • Separation between males and females

Property Management

  • Locate feasible properties
  • Determine zoning law restrictions

Financial Planning

  • Create financial plan and business proposal by March 31
  • Review financial requirements for each viable grant

Legal Affairs

  • Oversee development of 501(c)3 tax status
  • Write Bylaws
  • Oversee Articles of Incorporation
  • Create Resident Intake Contract
  • Advise the President and Program Coordinator on zoning laws and legal issues that face the organization, such as those related to fundraising, University laws, city ordinances, construction codes, etc.

Marketing & PR

  • Market the upcoming discussion forum
  • Work with fundraising team on marketing their projects
  • Network Business Partnerships for resident workers

Website Development

  • Create a website for Citizens for Social Justice

Fundraising

  • Fundraise:
    • T-Shirts- Political Quotes + SSJ logo, bank loan->proceeds go to CCL
    • Business Match Program, link with possible graduation certificate promo
    • Drop Boxes in local businesses
    • Concert Fundraiser
    • Discussion Forum w/Donation Request
    • Date Auction
    • Partner with Greeks for a Dance Marathon
    • Club party- cover charges are donations
    • Walk/run for charity
    • Good Will Gators
    • Ben & Jerry’s
    • Door2Door
    • Churches

Grant Writing

  • Source Federal and Charitable Trust grants
    • Green/Sustainable, Historical Preservation, Community Development, Education

Homeless Community Relations

  • Recruit homeless residents


International Research Experience in Africa

IRES 2008: International Research Experience in Africa

University of Florida's Rinker School of Building Construction (http://www.bcn.ufl.edu) is pleased to invite applications into its National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored International Research Experience in Africa. The program will support 5 students to undertake 10 weeks of high quality research in sustainable construction within the African context. Students will be selected based on a competitive application process. Interested students should prepare an application package adhering to the guidelines provided below by March 7th 2008. Successful applicants will be notified by March 14th 2008.

Research Focus

The theme of this program is "A Global Perspective on Engineering Sustainable Building Systems." Students will research sustainable systems based on knowledge gained about the local context through research collaboration with a host institution and then collectively design, engineer, and construct an 80m2 building unit that demonstrates use of these approaches. The students will focus on different building elements which will be integrated in the demonstration unit. The key elements identified for the research are: water supply (reclaiming and recycling), thermal comfort as it relates to passive heating and cooling, and materials for the building envelope. In addition, the students will also investigate the broader issues around engineering sustainable building systems and the requirements for support from social and economic networks.

Financial Support

The program will cover the expenses associated with the International Research Experience. This includes round trip airfare to Africa, accommodation, ground transportation in the host country, and supplies. Students will also receive a $2000 stipend.

Requirements and Conditions

  • Eligibility is limited to students who are currently enrolled in a full-time degree program in the US and will be graduating no earlier than Fall 2008.
  • Students are prohibited from receiving both credit and salary for any single research activity. This does not, however, preclude students from using their research findings to receive credit in the following academic year.
  • Students are expected to participate in all organized program activities throughout the summer including a pre-departure orientation in April 2008, provide a final report on their project and also publish their findings as a journal paper. Each student will also be expected to present the results of their research to selected audiences upon their return to the US.

Application Process

Students should prepare a package which includes the following information:

· Applicant information (name, major, expected graduation date, institution, e-mail);

· Brief (500 word max.) statement of your research topic and long term professional plans;

· Resume or summary of relevant experience;

· Contact details for two faculty members willing to provide references;

· Copy of your transcript.

Applications should be submitted by email with "IRES 2008" in the subject line to obonyo@ufl.edu or rries@ufl.edu on or before 5.00pm on March 7th 2008. Applications received after this date will not be considered.




--
Todd H. Leedy, Ph.D.
Associate Director and Lecturer
Center for African Studies
University of Florida

tel. 352.392.2183
fax 352.392.2435

P.O. Box 115560
427 Grinter Hall
Gainesville, FL 32611-5560

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Transportation Security Planning Lecture Series

“Transportation Security Planning:

The 3-D Challenge”

The challenges of integrating security into a system that relies on open access.

Special Guest Lecture by

Sterling Keys

Assistant Special Agent in Charge

Systems Operation Control Division/Domestic Planning

Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service

Transportation Security Administration

Tuesday, February 26, 3 PM

Room 439, Architecture Building

(Advanced CPTED Class)

Pizza and Drinks will be served

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Florida's Brain Drain

Hey folks,

So I think I am allowed to post on here without permission...if not, my bad. I am working on a little project with a PBS station in Central Florida on why Florida's talent leaves the state after graduating. What I need from you is to answer 3 questions and email (ipatten@ufl.edu) them to me at your earliest convenience.

1. upon graduation where would you like to locate?
2. why do you want to locate there?
3. if you plan to leave the state of Florida what is the greatest motivation behind your move?

If you have questions let me know.
- Iris