Duke GPSC - story - Comments

Student Life Meeting!

mgd4 — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:15:46 -0400

It's time to start planning summer and fall events. Come join us for the first new committee meeting Wednesday May 14th at 5:30 at the Armadillo Grill!

season tickets?

cjf15 — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:52:03 -0400

I will be an official Duke student this upcoming July. Starting the Ophthalmic program at the Eye Center and I was wondering how I would go about getting basketball tickets for the upcoming season? If you could let me know and about how much they go for it would be appreciated.

Thanks

Chris

Vision Plan?

jmw23 — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:39:02 -0400

I don't see anything about a vision plan other than who the providers are... The pamphlets title is "Dental Plan" and only dental benefits are described, with a directory of optometry and laser correction providers at the end. Is there a single monthly fee for both dental and vision? More information please... :)

joshua.wilson@duke.edu

Voluntary dental insurance

dmk16 — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:38:21 -0400

Information and providers for the voluntary dental insurance plan as well as the included discount dental and vision plans are now available. Please see the attachment.

I value in health insurance ...

eav2 — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:28:33 -0500

I most value in a plan:

1) a Retrospective premium arrangement
2) a quality network (including mental health) within the Triangle and Nationwide.
3) Good customer service and advocacy for students who are put into an adversarial position against the insurance companies.

Reasons:

1) Over the past three years Blue Cross Blue Shield has overestimated
the projected claims for Duke students resulting in approximately
$4 million Duke students have overpaid! This is $4 million in
profit for BCBS above and beyond their customary expenses, fees,
and profit--and this amount has come out of the pockets of Duke students. A
retrospective premium arrangement would mean that Duke students "keep"
most of premiums they were overcharged--not the insurance
companies. Two insurance companies could have different initial premium
quotes, but if we have a retrospective fund arrangement with both companies
(and all other things being equal),
we would likely end up paying the same amount of premiums to either
company regardless of the initial premium cost. Duke students
would not get a direct rebate with the retrospective premium
arrangement, but the money saved would benefit future Duke students--
not the profit margins of the insurance companies.

2) What good is health insurance if it's not accepted in your present
location when you need it?

3) Dealing with health insurance issues (especially when sick or
injured) can become demoralizing without good customer care or advocacy.

Alright Duke students, what do you value most in an insurance plan?

-Eric Vance

proposed bylaws change

jar7 — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:14:22 -0500

This is a fantastic idea!!! I'd imagine that the stress of trying to finish up graduate school could easily deter a few people from running for YT...

Reword

jmw23 — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 10:35:19 -0400

I'm not necessarily agreeing or disagreeing with this proposal, but I think the proposed version needs to be reworded.

Instead of "alcohol, scholarships/honorarium, travel" use: "alcohol, scholarships, honoraria, travel."

REWORD
"Funding for food that is an integral part of a cultural or academic event may be considered as will be receptions for events academic in nature."
TO
"Funding for food may only be considered under specific circumstances: food is served as an integral part of a cultural or academic event; or food is served at the reception of an academic event."

Nominations detail

yrp — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 14:55:50 -0400

Nominations can be submitted to GPSC Attorney General Yvonne R. Ford at yvonne.ford@duke.edu until Tuesday, September 25 at 5 PM.

Law student parking

ebt7 — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 06:01:40 -0400

This isn't about registration per se, but parking eligibility in general. I notice that Law students are eligible to park in the Chemistry lot, but that this openness isn't reciprocal. Why are law students given this special treatment, while there are Chemistry and other science grad students still stuck on the waitlist? I know its close to the Law school, but every other grad and professional student walks past lots they aren't allowed in on their way to class. Now, some would say that law students are more likely to have nice expensive cars and need somewhere nearby to park, but why don't Law employees share their lot with students the way science employees do in the Circuit and Chemistry lots?

Not the lot I wanted

nsm8 — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 00:04:56 -0400

I wanted to renew by blue lot permit, but since that option wasnt given, I chose the red permit, which includes card, circuit and neighbouring lots to the engineering school. Instead they gave me the Mill Lot, which means I have to walk a lot more to get to my classes/office.. I tried to change my permit, but no avail.. Supposedly, they dont have any lots open....

worked fine for me

haw5 — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 11:14:26 -0400

I waited until Tuesday afternoon (19th) to renew my pass, and everything worked just fine. Yes, lots of pages to load, but it was pretty fast and easy.

Everyone has the chance to renew a permit they already have, right? If so, I suggest for next year, those who already have parking passes and want to park in the same place, wait a day or two to register and give the bandwidth to new students and those who are trying to change their pass on the day the window opens. So I guess I'm suggesting a more staggered registration than it was this year, since there seems to have been so many website problems...

Parking registration

ebt7 — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 17:06:23 -0400

This staggered signup system shafted GnP students in general (at least the ones competing with employees for parking), and new grad students in particular. I don't know what signup was like in the past, but it was ridiculous that new students had to "update" their information by clicking through three different pages, AND wait for the page to refresh, AND return to the main page to go on to the next info update, at 5-10 minutes per page, BEFORE even seeing what permits were available. All these info submissions could easily have been put on a single page, or better yet, collected before registration began. Instead, the new students created significant traffic with all the separate pages we had to load. It took an hour and a half, counting the two times the site crashed, before I could even see my options. This kind of snafu is so pronounced, and easily avoidable, it boggles my mind to read that this year the system has been made "as easy as possible".

On top of that, I suspect the Parking and Transportation office turned off or screened their main phone on 6/18. Calling it always resulted in the "all our employees are busy assisting other customers" message. But, when I looked up and called the phone numbers for individual employees in the office, they picked up by the second ring. Maybe some of you were able to get through on the main line, I don't know, but it seems fishy.

blue zone

kec21 — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 08:48:38 -0400

I am having the same problem with renewing my blue zone pass! Did you find a solution?

Staggered renewals

rjh16 — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 22:47:31 -0400

It looks like the GnPs were last in line to get parking this year. If the parking's going to be staggered, can we be first? Otherwise, I'd prefer the free-for-all.

No more Blue Zone?

rjh16 — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:05:38 -0400

Anyone else have a problem renewing Blue Zone? I tried calling parking, but they won't answer. Are graduate students no longer getting Blue Zone?