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NewsvineThe newly elected members of the Graduate Student Council (GSC) say they have a host of issues affecting the entire campus to address in the coming term, including the opening of the Graduate Community Center next fall and the implementation of a CalTrain commuter plan.
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The turnover was lower than in most years. Three incumbent representatives — Alice Lincoln, Moriah Thomason and Chia-da Ha — were elected to another term.
Steve Allison, the current chair of the GSC, said he believes some of the candidates who did not win a seat will continue to stay active in the organization as non-voting members who can hold positions on committees and even hold certain officer positions.
“There are many non-elected members who are dedicated to the GSC and they will serve regardless of the election outcome,” Allison said. “Grad students stay with the GSC because the issues we address are important, and we make strong progress.”
The Graduate Community Center that is currently under construction is seen by members as one of the victory’s in GSC advocacy.
“In the coming year I would like to continue to support work on the GCC and also to plan a fantastic party for when it opens next fall,” Thomason said.
New members said that academic issues will also be a focus of concern. Unlike the ASSU Undergraduate Senate, the GSC membership is divided into districts based on the different schools of study, including several members who serve the graduate student population at large. Marcus Folch, who will be serving his first term on the GSC as the School of Humanities and Sciences district member, said that the current University practice of not providing teaching positions to doctoral students in the sixth year or later is overly taxing to those in humanities fields.
“It is virtually impossible for anyone to complete a Ph.D. in the humanities in five years, particularly if we are also to publish and go onto the job market during the same time period — or if one’s field of study requires the acquisition of several ancient or non Indo-European languages,” Folch said.
Folch said he is also concerned about the low number of undergraduates majoring in the humanities.
“In general, I would like to see Stanford do more to promote undergraduate education in fields that are not career-oriented and to provide real incentives for the research faculty to offer courses which would interest undergraduates,” he said.
Thomason, an at-large winner in the spring election, said that in addition to academic issues, she would like to see the GSC work on creating CalTrain commuter passes, improving graduate student housing and providing tax relief.
Allison agreed that cost of living was a big issue among graduate students.
“The biggest challenge for the GSC is convincing the University that it needs to invest more in grad student life and services,” he said. “The GSC has to argue to the administration that grad students must be a priority if Stanford is to remain a top research institution.”
New members say they hope to build on the successful track record of GSC lobbying strategies.
“The GSC has made huge strides for grad students in several areas and I want to contribute to continuing that tradition next year,” said Donna Winston, who is next year’s School of Education district member.
Allison said he is pleased with the credentials of the organization’s new members.
“I am extremely optimistic about the future of the GSC given this year’s incoming membership,” he said. “We drew a phenomenal pool of candidates, and I expect that they will greatly enhance graduate student life at Stanford.”