Hi everyone:

First of all, I would like to especially thank every member of the CEGSS during the 2003-2004 year. The success of our activities was greatly due to your participation and our team work. Thank you!!!

Since a new year is starting very soon, a new council will be formed. Anybody who is interested in being part of the new council is more than welcome. So, please go to our website for the list of positions on the council and send an email to let us know in what position you would be interested by Thursday. Our website: www.oocities.org/mcegss/.

In addition, for those who are interested or want more information, we will meet in the lounge (room 577) on Thursday August 26 at 12h30 pm.

Have a nice end of summer and hope to see you next Thursday.

Sincerely yours,           Nelly Yvette Peyron           President of the CEGSS           Period 2003-2004

     The points discussed were:

1. Implementation of a New Progress Report for Graduate Studies
   1. To be completed by February 20, 2004.
   2. Consisting of three parts:
      1. Objectives – signed by student /supervisor /graduate studies delegate (Prof. Shrivastava)
      2. Progress Record – signed by student only (feel free to raise any issues!)
      3. Progress Report Form – signed by student /supervisor /graduate studies delegate.
   3. Posted in the graduate lounge (MD 577) and available on the web in PDF format here
2. Overview of Graduate Student Timelines
   1. Survey of graduate students registered for the last 5 years
   2. Statistics available by mid-June
   3. Overview of the time required to complete a master and a PhD in the department.
3. Problems and Priorities Survey
   1. For the Faculty of Engineering, Planning Committee
   2. Not related to research (TA, exam, communication, etc)
   3. Posted in the graduate lounge and sent by email.
   4. Due date for feedback: Feb. 4, 2004.
4. English Proficiency Requirements
   1. Raising the minimum TOEFL score requirement from 550 to 580 for M.Eng. students.
   2. Imposing the TOEFL test requirement to all students who cannot justify their proficiency in English, including permanent residents.
   3. Possibility of writing/pronunciation course within the Faculty.
5. New Course-Only Master’s program
   1. Starting Fall 2004
   2. Proposed program change only for M.Eng. in Environmental Engineering
   3. Possibility to extend the program to other fields.
6. Lounge
   1. Need a person to purchase cleaning supplies and accept responsibility of checking kitchen (etc)
   2. EVERYONE shares this space and must contribute.
7. Information Session for U3’s about Graduate Studies
   1. February 18, 2004 from 12:30-1:30pm in MD room 497 (lunch and drink provided)
   2. Need graduate students to present their research in each discipline (5min, very basic, couple of slides):
      1. Geotechnical
      2. Hydraulics
      3. Structural
      4. Environmental
      5. Transportation
      6. Hydrology
      7. Student Life!!
   3. If interested, send an email at mcegss@yahoo.ca!
8. CEGSS Conference April 1, 2004
   1. 2 rooms are reserved (MD388 and MD497)
      1. Open to students in civil engineering from other Montreal universities: Concordia, Poly, ETS.
      2. Departmental funding for printing, lunch, coffee, etc.
   2. Schedule:
      1. Call for abstracts by Friday February 6th, 2004
      2. Deadline for abstracts Friday March 5th, 2004
   3. Delegation of Duties: (we need people to volunteer)
      1. Head for each room
      2. Contact person to other University – Masum (Concordia), Rola (Poly.), Felix (ETS)
      3. Prepare posters/pamphlets
      4. Organize schedule for conference day
      5. Review abstracts
      6. Organize lunch, food, coffee brake
9. Social Activities for the semesters
   1. Skating?
   2. Beer?
   3. Carnival?
   4. Beer?
   5. Any other ideas!?

Sincerely yours,           Nelly Yvette Peyron           President of the CEGSS           Period 2003-2004

     The CEGSS (Civil Engineering Gradudate Student Society) represents you in four important forums:

1. Departmental meeting: Two times a year, we meet with the Civil Engineering Department to discuss the departmental concerns and also the graduate program.
2. Student staff meeting: Four times a year, we meet with the Civil Engineering Department jointly with represntatives of each undergraduate class.
3. PGSS (Post Graduate Student Society) meeting: Once a month, we meet with representatives of the other graduate faculties and departments of McGill.
4. Faculty meeting: Four times a year we meet with the Faculty of Engineering with graduate student representatives from the other engineering departments.

     More particularly, our fall meeting with the Civil Engineering Department will be held on Friday, October 17, 2003. If you have any complaints, suggestions for improvements or other concerns that need to be discussed with the faculty, please send us an email or come by room 391 to discuss them before Tuesday afternoon, October 14, at 5:00 pm.

     At present, we plan to discuss the following items:

1. The implementation of a new one credit course (CIVE 662 Masters Presentation Course) within the Master Thesis program. It is important to get as much feedback from you before the vote during the meeting. The official description of the course is as follows:

   "This oral presentation is aimed at providing masters students with an opportunity to present their research to academic staff and peers, to discuss their work in a scholarly atmosphere and to receive feedback before preparing their final thesis or project submission. It will give the students experience in making a formal oral presentation.

   This would become a program requirement, with one credit attached to it as part of the thesis component of the credit requirements. The assessment will be of the PASS/FAIL type, and will be made by a Departmental ad hoc committee of three academic staff, including the research supervisor or one of the research co-supervisors in case of co-supervision.

   It will also allow students to gain knowledge in areas outside of their individual research topic and to draw links between the various specialties of civil engineering."

2. The possibility of a coursework only masters.

3. The time required to complete a master and a PhD, including the system of oversight of graduate student progress.

4. The recent changes in submission dates for theses.

5. The availabilty of different computer software.

6. The publicity for seminars, thesis defenses, meetings of the Quebec Order of Engineers, etc.

7. The cleanliness of the graduate computer lab (availability of cleaning supplies and responsabilities).

8. The heating and airconditioning (or lack thereof) in graduate student offices.

9. Suggestions for courses that should be offered (like a research course to get people started out right in their research, and a seminar on how to plan and teach a course for those planning to be Profs).

Sincerely yours,           Nelly Yvette Peyron           President of the CEGSS           Period 2003-2004

         On behalf of the Civil Engineering Graduate Student Society (CEGSS) execs, welcome! Or is it bienvenue or ahlan wou sahlan, or hola, or huan yin or ohio or ciao? Any graduate student registered in the Civil Engineering department can consider himself a proud member of the CEGSS.

         The CEGSS has no official mandate. It thrives at making sure students do their work in the best working conditions and that they have fun while doing it, especially if some of them will spend four or more years here. Some of the events we organize are ski trips, barbecues, dinners and many more. We welcome any ideas you might have, so please do not hesitate to share them with us. If you have just joined the department, or are thinking of doing so, I would strongly encourage you to get in touch with any of us for information on student life here in the department or just to say hi.

         Last year’s goal was to restructure the society and I am proud to say that, thanks to our very committed execs, a supportive department and active students, this goal has been successfully reached. Next year’s goal will be to further unite the different research units (Structural, Geotechnical, Hydraulic and Environmental). Look out for the opening of a civil grad lounge somewhere around the 5th floor of the McDonald building. The CEGSS has also been disconnected from the rest of the university’s graduate student societies, but thanks to our reps, we will hopefully reappear on everyone’s maps. We are always looking for students that are willing to help out and carry the society into the 21st century, so if you want to help out, you know where to find us!

         Take care, you all, and stay on the look-out for upcoming events!