The Graduate Student Organization Senate discussed changes to its constitution and its stance on a university-wide fee for graduate students on Wednesday.

The organization’s first order of business at the meeting in Link Hall was proposing a change to the way senate seats are allocated in GSO.

The constitution was amended at the start of the meeting so that senators are elected to GSO based on their academic plan. The constitution previously allocated seats based on degree granting units, but GSO President Patrick Neary said Syracuse University defines graduate programs in terms of academic plans.

“It doesn’t really change who’s sending senators,” Neary said. “It’s about trying to come to the best arrangement we can.”

Neary said the new terms will break down the definition of which academic plans will get a senator in GSO. He added the proposal will increase the number of senators in GSO and will more evenly distribute where they will come from.

Another benefit of the amendment is that GSO will be able to target underrepresented groups among graduate students, he said.

Sam Leitermann, a doctoral student in mathematics, said by breaking down the representation into academic plans, GSO senators will be able to better accommodate the needs of their specific academic plans.

“With the new representation, it gives people more access to resources they deserve as grad students,” Leitermann said.

The amendment was initially supposed to go into effect immediately, but it was pushed back due to concerns raised by members.

Sarah Ledford, a third-year doctoral student in earth sciences, said that a weakness of the plan was that senators might not be well acquainted with the groups they represent.

After further discussion, the amendment was voted to go into effect on Jan. 1.

The assembly also elected Ledford as the new financial secretary. Her responsibilities include processing reimbursements and helping the comptroller with fiscal duties.

Ledford said she could handle the job because of GSO’s current financial challenges.

“It’s the first time GSO has really faced scarcity and has to make tough choices, and I think I’m pretty good at making tough choices,” Ledford said.

After the election, Neary presented a resolution concerning graduate student course fees.

Currently, the School of Architecture and the School of Education require a zero-credit course for students who take more than seven years to complete their master’s degree or reach all but dissertation status as a doctoral student. This costs about $1,300.

The resolution said the GSO as a whole was opposed to the School of Architecture and the School of Education having their own fees in addition to a university-wide fee for graduate students who are no longer on track for graduation.

The resolution also showed the GSO’s support of Neary protesting the graduate student fees of the two schools as a representative of the whole group.

“The fee is designed to get students to finish or drop out,” Neary said.

He said graduate students who are in danger of incurring the fee will be notified a year in advance.

GSO’s next meeting will be Oct. 30.

Published on October 3, 2013 at 2:14 am

Contact Brett: blsamuel@syr.edu | @Brett_Samuels27