Anna Kocharov

REP AGENDA 2011

The chances are: you all know me. I co-run the EUI Hiking Club (got funding for it for the first time ever, expanded membership tenfold), organize guided visits to discover Florence (wholly new initiative: many thanks to over 200 of you who join!) and speak my mind without hesitation – be it a professor, an EU Commissioner, or god himself – some mortals believe to belong here, too ;)

Here's my agenda for 2011:

1. MONEY: now that mission funds for law researchers were reduced and are low indeed, there should be no cap (or a higher cap) on the release of funds for individual missions (plane tickets and hotels don’t get cheaper simply because EUI has lower budget).

    Done.

2. JOBS: EUI is not just about writing a PhD – it is about finding a good job when done. Researchers need more structured support in career development, in particular by engaging the alumni association and creating an alumni network available to all researchers for career development purposes.

    Currently, the alumni association is developing a formula to allow researchers liaising with their members for the purposes of career development. The PR Unit is developing a database of EUI alumni: once it's in place, we need to ensure access to this database of researchers for career development purposes.

3. FOOD: more choice at the bar and mensa:
- One glass of wine / fresh fruit juice in alternative to dessert for lunch: the Mensa Committee accepted  the suggestion of healthier desserts / fresh fruit juices with lunch; Dennis Patterson protested against allowing the researchers half-a-glas of wine with lunch.
- Tea in alternative to soft drinks: suggested
- More healthy foods, e.g. soups, fruit and veggies: suggested
- Vigilance against a drop in food quality: Kathinka Espagna ensures that there is no food recycling in the Mensa; indeed, such recycling is prohibited by EUI's contract tender with Villa Viviani.

    Mensa survey has been conducted and its results presented to the Mensa Committee. Full report on the work of the Mensa Committee in 2011 is forthcoming in December.

    Negotiated and drafted the new regulation of the Mensa Committee that obliges the administration to consult the Reps before announcing and awarding tenders.

4. HOUSING: introduce a database of EUI landlords, searchable by name and address, to complement the EUI housing database; the database should include factual feedback from EUI members, whether positive or negative.

    Suggested; EUI housing service ensures that landlords and housing quality are being closely monitored; alternative solution would be for researchers to share housing feedback on the Collab.

5. SAFETY: open the garden passage from Badia to the bus stop, to avoid via dei Roccettini

    Not possible due to contractual arrangements: the owner of the property only allows passage for those whose offices are in that villa. This issue was also taken up by the Reps in 2010 with the same result.

6. PRINTING:
- White paper should be broadly available: the porters in Schifanoia have it
- Color printing should be available: available in Schifanoia
- Double-sided printing should count as one page, not two: this, together with quota reset, is a major issue with the logistics; we need to find an alternative solution for printing quotas such as trading unused quotas beteen researchers.

    In Addition, liaised extensively to solve technical issues with printers and scanners and quota reset. Actively discussed with the Computing Service and EUI administration the lacking security arrangements in EUI web services, email and network; I was ensured that these issues are being tackled and we need to be more patient.

7. EUI BANK: investigate fees on inter-EU money transfers and the possibility to get no-fee deals with other banks.

    Done: studied and issued a list of bank alternatives in Florence; it looks like the institute does not want to make parallel agreemetns for private accounts with other banks; it is unclear whether this is prohibited by the tender contract or not.

8. Introduce an open space (either web page or a shared drive) where researchers can share their documents (it is currently not possible to upload documents on the EUI forum, nor introduce new categories there). Re-introduce a category of “housing ads from EUI members” on the EUI forum (similar to last year’s public folders)

    Done for law researchers via Collab (which, however, requires basic understanding of how the Colab works - organized a special info session about the Collab).

9. SLAVE RIGHTS: research assistants should know each other, network, and be represented at the department and EUI levels; they should be involved in the decisions that directly affect their work (e.g. web upload system, contracts).

    Currently, we do not even know who research assistants are; an internet platform for research assistants is in place, but given the fluidity in research assistant appointments it could make more sense to dedicate a Collab page to this; ideas from current research assistants welcome.

    One major issue for research assistants at the law department, the CMS file upload system, is being resolved though establising a separate post for a researcher under the 150-hour rule; this post is dedicated to file upload and paper editing, thus lowering work load of research assistants.

10. NO STRESS: departmental decisions that have a direct impact on researchers (e.g. compulsory seminars, cut in funding) should be communicated to researchers well in advance, so that each researcher can take appropriate steps to adjust (e.g. apply for additional funding, make housing arrangements).

    Law Researchers Collab allows the Reps post all current and upcoming issues, decisions, changes on the pages accessible to each law researcher. This information is already being posted without notifications, and it is the responsibility of every researcher to log in and get informed.

11. PROMOTE INITIATIVE: make it easier for researchers to initiate new activities: funding, administrative matters, information flow, etc. Write and place on EUI web a “How To” guide to organizing and funding working groups, workshops, and 4B activities.

    Supporting the initiative of my law-Rep colleagues, created collab platform for all law researchers. The tool allows researchers to share and accumulate knowledge and information, organise working groups, share documents and open discussions. the "how to" guides can be written by law researchers themselves as part of this tool. Basic initial information was already placed on collab by law Reps.

Additional issues tackled in 2011 (not on the agenda):

12. QUESTURA: helped a number of non-EU national researchers obtain Italian residence permits.

13. ADMISSIONS: together with the Law Reps, secured more balanced prodecure for LLM-PhD transfer, abolished leave to apply for transfer, introduced external references for the transferees.

14. INFO from the REPS: in 2011, Law Reps began issuing newsletter to all law researchers twice a year (next issue forthcoming in December 2011).

15. TRANSPARENCY of the administration and INDEPENDENCE of the Reps: promoted the discussion of whether the administration can exercise control over the communication and activities of the Reps (it obviously cannot); promoted transparency on major issues such as the Counseling Service (something that, in my opinion, should have been communicated by the administration).

Key Questions for the Upcoming Elections:

How well do you think you know the candidates?

How well do the candidates know the EUI?

Is your vote secret?

Should the Reps be able to prevent another Rep from exercising the duties of his/her office?

Would you give your vote for free beer in bar Fiasco?

How much beer?