Council approves budget recommendations The

By Karsten Burgstahler

The Graduate Student Professional Council voted in favor of all budget allocation recommendations Tuesday night.

Service projects and several health classes’ possible transition to life science classes also made the council’s agenda.

GPSC heard recommendations from the Fee Allocation Board, a council sub-committee composed of existing GPSC members, on where to distribute money.

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“We, like most, are money-crunched, so there are going to be a lot of good events that aren’t funded by us,” said Peter Lucas, vice president of GPSC administrative affairs. “We feel that GPSC money should go toward research and education opportunities for graduate students. That’s the mission statement we’re working with.”

Lucas said prior meetings would often involve rehashing issues the Fee Allocation Board already talked about during closed session. The new council is more willing to trust the board’s findings, he said.

The first item the board proposed was the invitation of Kathryn Conrad, a guest speaker from the University of Kansas who would deliver an Irish literature lecture. The board recommended allotting $1,325 for her visit.

GPSC voted next on a proposition to bring Andrew Jenks, star of MTV’s “World of Jenks,” to the university as a guest speaker. The board recommended GPSC deny funding.

“We did not feel that this fit within the philosophy that we should be funding,” Lucas said.

The next council vote came to fund the Barristers’ Ball, an annual semi-formal dance held by the Student Bar Association. The Fee Allocation Board recommended designating $3,400 for it.

A graduate student philosophy conference was also approved, and the council allocated $800 for it.

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Lucas also presented a university Core Curriculum Advisement Committee report. The required number of core curriculum course hours causes several campus programs to go over the 120-hour graduation requirement. He said the committee may suggest the university drop health course requirements as a result.

Lucas said three health courses could be bumped to three-credit-hour courses in the Life Sciences program. One course, Health Education 205, is one that could be bumped. However, he said the graduate health program could be in danger if plans fall through. Several assistantships would have to be cut if the class does not make the transition, Lucas said.

“I was told it could be the end of the doctoral program in health education,” he said.

Lucas said he did not expect any transitional issues.

“Everyone wants to see this (transition) happen,” he said.

Blaine Tisdale, president of GPSC, also reported the council’s constitutional review committee findings, which included confusing language and strict constitutional guidelines. He said the GPSC would vote on constitution changes within the next month.

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