GSC co-chairs block, reopen access to mailing list

Wednesday’s Graduate Student Council meeting was dominated by legislative proposals, discussion about who may join the GSC mailing list, election updates and funding requests.

Council Parliamentarian Robert Hennessy, a graduate student in electrical engineering, proposed modifications to regulate the special fees process. The modifications would require legislative bodies to notify student groups at least 72 hours before their budget review and assure representatives from both bodies at the hearings.

In order to simplify funding for joint undergraduate-graduate events and groups, Hennessy proposed an amendment that would require the Senate to fund events with 70 percent or more undergraduate representation, and the GSC to fund events with 70 percent or more graduate representation. Any other attendance ratios would be negotiated between the two legislative bodies.

The legislative changes will be submitted to a vote when the GSC meets again next quarter.

Discussion about the privacy of the GSC mailing list arose after a former council member sent messages to the list last week. Council members debated whether or not the list should be regulated.

“The policy used to be that anyone could join,” said Adam Beberg, a doctoral candidate in computer science. “If we discuss business in any way on this list, then it needs to be on public record anyway since we’re a nonprofit.”

Earlier in the week, council co-chairs Nanna Nothoff, a graduate student in psychology, and Eric Osborne, a law student, denied a request from The Daily to add several of its reporters to the council’s list, over which meeting minutes and agendas are sent. The co-chairs on Monday first said they would add reporters who were graduate students, then said they needed to seek the entire council’s approval before adding any reporters — reasoning that Beberg, a former GSC parliamentarian, called out of order.

The co-chairs on Wednesday agreed to add Daily reporters, and on Thursday also reinstated people they had removed earlier in the week.

At the meeting Wednesday, the council formed a working group to determine the ultimate purpose of the list.

Elections Commissioner Quinn Slack ’11 discussed voter turnout strategies with GSC members. Plans on the horizon include providing incentives for graduate students to vote and handing out stickers.

Additionally, current GSC Earth Sciences representative Mary van der Hoven was confirmed as assistant elections commissioner for graduate students. She replaces Ashwin Mudaliar ’09 M.S. ’10, who resigned last Monday.

The council is set to hold a transition retreat for new and old GSC members after April’s election, with about $2,000 from discretionary funds allocated to on- or off-campus activities.

The council also approved $2,200 for the Asian American Graduate Student Association, $3,500 for the Graduate Family Carnival and $500 for tax workshop sessions.