Graduate Student Senate will vote on four past resolutions at its meeting Tuesday, including two to amend the Rules and Procedures and two that would allow the body to use GSS money.
At its previous meeting in March, GSS voted to table those four resolutions until the next meeting. If passed, one of the resolutions would change the number of unexcused absences a GSS member can have during the year.
Currently, voting members are allowed two unexcused absences per semester, or four total for the year. The body, however, will have met 13 times during the 2016-17 academic year, and some members think the number of absences allowed should be reduced.
If passed, the resolution would decrease the number of unexcused absences allowed to two per academic year. The change would take effect April 19, according to the resolution.
"As the rules stand now, you can miss about half of the meetings in a year and still be in good standing," GSS President Ian Armstrong said in an email. "That doesn't really make sense because attendance is key to ensuring that we have a quorum and are able to conduct business."
Angie Chapman, vice president for legislative affairs, said since the body requires a certain number of people to be present to vote on resolutions, it is important that the members are at meetings.
"It is important to have good attendance at meetings because of the value that each member brings to the body," Chapman said in an email.
The general body will also vote to amend the Rules and Procedures to make GSS president responsible for recording the attendance of the vice president for legislative affairs, who is in charge of keeping a record of attendance at general body meetings.
"(The resolution) really is just housekeeping; It adds a bit of language to designate who holds the VPLA to attendance requirements," Armstrong said in an email. "It makes the most sense for that to be the President."
Additionally, GSS will vote to spend money on "materials that help promote the brand of GSS," such as a retractable poster, a table runner with the GSS logo and two fitted tablecloths. If both resolutions pass, the body would spend $133 on those items.
"Having official tablecloths and promotional materials at tabling events would give us a much more professional appearance," Armstrong said in an email. "I think it's a very valuable use of money and will have a significant return on investment."
After the GSS meeting on Tuesday, election results for next academic year’s GSS body will be announced at about 8:30 p.m. in the Bobcat Student Lounge on the first floor of Baker Center. All but three races are unopposed.
"I'm happy to see candidates at each executive position, as well as many of the college senator positions," Armstrong said in an email. "GSS has struggled in the last few years with filling positions, and the increase in participation really is breathing life into the organization."
