Graduate Student Senate’s final meeting of the semester concluded with addressing summer funding and maternity leave.
The discussion was kicked off with presentations from previous 2010-12 student trustee Danielle Parker and current Student Senate President Zach George.
Parker argued that it wasn’t necessary for student trustees to have the right to vote.
“I built a relationship with the board members. Through that relationship, I was able to voice my opinion and I never felt like my voice wasn’t heard,” Parker said.
However, George countered that not every group of board members would be as open-minded to listening to the voice of student trustees, adding that Student Senate is working on a letter-writing campaign urging the state to grant student trustees voting rights.
The resolution passed with the majority in favor of student trustee voting rights.
OU graduate student Julia Tromblay, who is studying to become a medical speech pathologist at Grover Center’s Hearing, Speech and Language Clinic, presented to seek funds and donations to replace some of the more worn out clinic toys.
The toys at the clinic are worn down and, in some cases, broken, while the books have tears in the binding or pages, Tromblay said.
Molly Yanity, vice president for administration and finance, hopes GSS can help promote a toy drive, and in turn match part of the donations to give the clinic.
The individual GSS officer reports were jumpstarted by President Tynita White, who confirmed that the university does not have a policy on maternity leave for graduate students at OU — a conversation that began at its Oct. 22 meeting.
“There is a pilot policy that will go into effect in January for benefit-eligible faculty members, but nothing for graduate students,” White said.
White proposed forming a committee during spring semester to draft a potential policy for graduate students.
For the past few months, GSS has also debated whether or not there would be funding for graduate students to study over the summer, giving them the ability to take summer classes.
However, Yanity reported that Scott Titsworth, interim dean of the Scripps College of Communication, confirmed there would be summer funding.
An email was also sent to other colleges’ associate deans, and it looks as if the colleges will proceed, as usual, to grant summer funding for graduate students.
GSS is also looking for a new commissioner for Graduate Life to replace graduating Tatiana Puscasu.
jb351009@ohiou.edu
