Ohio University will move forward this year with plans for new international student health care, an on-campus farmer’s market and anonymous HIV testing due in part to Graduate Student Senate efforts over the summer.
Dean of Students Ryan Lombardi informed Tracy Kelly, now entering her third year as Graduate Student Senate president, over the summer that there will be a health and insurance waiver process for international graduate students’ insurance and that he had formed a committee to put together a proposal.
International students currently are required to use the OU health insurance plan.
Kelly said the new plan for international students’ health care is to give them the option of turning down university health care.
This summer, Kelly also followed one of the sustainability platform goals of the PROUD party, on which she ran last spring, by helping plan a small farmer’s market on campus from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23 in parking lot 82 between the Wolfe Street Apartments and the Clippinger Labs.
“I’m really excited we can give an opportunity for students to experience a real farmer’s market,” Kelly said.
Local vendors such as Silver Bridge Coffee Company, Herbal Sage Tea Company and O’Chocolate have expressed interest in attending, Kelly said.
“It’s basically done being planned and students are going to see it this fall,” she said.
Following the path of the past two years, Kelly said she plans to try and increase funding for senate.
“Funding is always important, and I want to use the momentum from the spring,” she said.
All but one senator is returning this year and the majority of members in this year’s Graduate Student Senate are experienced.
“We are well equipped to represent graduate students and have shown to work very well together as a team,” Kelly said.
Graduate Student Senate also plans to begin publicizing itself more.
“We plan to do more presentations, have an ongoing awareness campaign and plan for another contested election,” Kelly said.
GSS will also help with coordinating a week of events in October focused toward transgendered awareness, organized by Mickey Hart, director of OU’s LGBT Center.
The week will be filled with discussions and panels on how to increase awareness among faculty members or people planning on going into education, Kelly said.
“Looks like it will be a really positive event and we’re excited to work with LGBT for the event,” Kelly said.
Following Spring Quarter’s talks with Lombardi, Kelly said there should be a new dental package available this fall through Athens Dental Depot for both graduate and undergraduate services. Senate is currently working on an enrollment form for the package.
“It will be more affordable to everyone,” Kelly said.
GSS also has worked with Tonya Burdette, manager at Holzer Clinic, to get free and anonymous HIV testing at Campus Care’s lab starting this fall.
The complaint with current confidential testing at Ohio is that records of the testing appear on the students’ or parents’ health insurance.
Since it is a free exam, students will be identified by the last four digits of their PID number and will not be required to give their names.
The Dean of Students Office will put forward the money to keep the testing free.
All that is left is working on a script for when students come in so everyone receives the best possible information, Kelly said.
“We’re looking forward to having a really active year,” she said.
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