Graduate and Professional Student Council discussed updates on the student healthcare initiative, the 20-hour work cap and the addition of a new science institute and major at its Tuesday meeting.

President Matt Ryg said the latest proposal request for student healthcare was posted on the university’s website Friday. He said the university is entertaining bids for Affordable Care Act-compliant health insurance plans.

“When the student insurance task force reviews those proposals [from insurance companies] they’ll make recommendations to the Board of Trustees and decide on the best deal,” Ryg said.

Insurance companies have until Oct. 21 to send proposals to the university with their bids.

Liaison Brandon Woudenberg said there was a chance the price of insurance would not increase for students at first, but could in the future.

“The university has a reserve of money that can only be used for health insurance purposes,” he said. “So for the resolution it’s possible for us to use the money from the old program and initially subsidize the cost.”

Amanda Barnard, vice president for graduate school affairs, said the university is asking insurance companies to submit three different proposals: one to insure the student body, another that is beneficial to graduate and international students and an additional plan that will remove the mandate for student healthcare and make coverage voluntary.

The 20-hour work cap for student employees was also discussed.

Sarah Curtis, a graduate student from Carbondale studying English, said the cap adversely affects students with families, especially single parents.

“As a graduate assistant, I’m not allowed to work another job,” she said. “If I can’t pay my bills with that income, I have to quit school, because I can’t afford the tuition.”

The council decided to create a proposal for interim Provost Susan Ford to discuss the cap.

Apart from deliberating on changes to the university, the council agreed to allocate funds to two Registered Student Organizations. The Buckminster Fuller Future Organization received $1,000 and the Student Bar Association was granted $2,150.

Barnard said a new fermentation science institute was approved at SIU, which will offer a bachelor’s degree in science with a concentration in fermentation, a program that is available at few universities.

Muriel Berry can be reached at [email protected]