GSC unhappy with resolution

The Graduate Student Council expressed irritation with the SGA's passed resolution to add two graduate senate seats on Tuesday.

"The Graduate Student Council congratulates the SGA on finally taking notice to the importance of graduate students at Arkansas State University," GSC president LaDesta McCann said.

"While on the surface it appears that it is a good thing that graduate students be given an increase from approximately five percent of the SGA positions to approximately 10 percent despite the fact that graduate students comprise approximately 25 percent of the student body, it in no way validates the false claim that they represent the needs of graduate students."

Since the spring of 2011, the two organizations have been at odds. The GSC moved into its own office in the Library last year, establishing its independence as an organization to solely serve students of the Graduate School.

The GSC proposed at the time for 75 percent of the student activity fee paid by graduate students to be

given to the council. Instead, they were offered 14 percent of the SGA Action Fund for travel, conference and research expenses.

McCann's statement on the SGA resolution to add two more graduate seats alluded to the funding issue.

"If the SGA had really wanted to help graduate students succeed they would not have been one of only two constituency groups on campus to reject the GSC proposal which would have allowed equitable representation on all SGOC committees and would have made it easier for the GSC to perform its mission of funding graduate students," McCann said.

The GSC's argument is that if the two organizations were able to separate, they could better serve their constituents.

"We would rather they stop resisting GSC efforts for equity among both graduate and undergraduate students which would allow both organizations to "play to our strengths" and make ASU a better place for all students," said Tom Henry, GSC Vice President.