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Daniel Kimmel, the internal vice president of the Graduate Student Organization, introduced a resolution to amend the organization’s constitution to increase the number of at-large senators during the GSO Senate meeting Wednesday.

Resolution 22.07 would increase the number of at-large senators from six to 10. The resolution would be effective next semester upon a three-fourths vote at the upcoming 2022 election special meeting.

Kimmel said graduate students at Syracuse University have shown they are eager for more opportunities to represent the group.

“We just simply say we can’t have you voting because we have no seats for you,” said Yousr Dhaouadi, GSO’s president. “We’ve never had to reject people before. If students are interested in showing up and voting, why not.”

Over 100 students have applied for pre-dissertation funding, and 88 have applied for dissertation funding. Between 80 and 90 students in total are expected to receive summer funding. Applicants will be informed of their funding status in April.

To celebrate the upcoming 150th anniversary of Resilience, a Navajo treaty, the GSO will be holding an open house event in conjunction with the Skä•noñh Center, also known as the Great Law and Peace Center, on April 16. Free buses to the center will be available and “special guests” will be present.

Funding was approved for an end-of-year banquet and graduation celebration on May 12. The hooding ceremony for higher education graduates will be followed by an awards ceremony and small celebration. The event will be held at a professor’s house in order to cut costs.

Additionally, the GSO approved $800 of funding for catering and other needs for the annual research colloquium on April 1. The senate invited Daniel Berry from the University of Minnesota to give a speech about embracing dynamic complexity in children’s development.

The travel grant committee proposed changes to the application for travel grants. Recording Secretary Linzy Andre proposed changing the name because, due to COVID-19, some people are conferencing from home or not traveling, making travel an inaccurate name. After some deliberation, the new name will be The GSO Professional, Academic and Creative Work Grant. Additional changes include edits to the rubric and reorganization of the application.

“As a committee we found ourselves asking ourselves a question of what are some ways to make the GSO travel grant more accessible and equitable?” Andre said. “Ideally it is to fix it, so we’ve done quite a bit of fixing.”

Pandemic committee member Vito Iaia presented on behalf of the committee, the goal of which is to advocate for the graduate student body to limit their risk of exposure to COVID-19. An expert from Northwell Health will come to present this semester.

Additionally, the committee has created a survey to see how different departments are working together or separately on COVID-19 policies. Iaia encouraged the GSO to share the survey with students and professors.

“We hope to potentially use this as information to advocate for graduate students and potential future policies,” Iaia said.

A resolution to reclassify the GSO Student Life, Academic Resources and Affairs, and Families Standing Committees as ad-hoc committees was passed.

Resolution 22.05, a proposal to merge GSO Outreach and Civic Engagement Committees to allow for better communication for public engagement type projects was passed.

GSO University Senator Benjamin Tetteh proposed an additional resolution to ensure GSO sponsored events do not conflict with GSO meetings. The discussion was tabled for the GSO’s next meeting, which will take place on April 20.

Published on March 24, 2022 at 12:03 am

Contact Katie: ksmcclel@syr.edu | @katie_mcclellan