arnold@umcp-cs.UUCP (12/22/83)
There has been very little discussion on the graduate student groups around the US I know that Rutgers and other univeristies have them. Since lee@rochester ask for information about the ones around the nation there has been no responce. I for one posponed sending out any information until I saw some one else posted some information. It has been a long time about 2 months with no information being sent. besides their is talk about removing unused news groups so here goes. Report on the University of Maryland - Graduate Student Association The University of Maryland has a Graduate Student Association. Our main purpose is to improve life for graduate students at U of Md. We have a representative body made up of reps. from each degree granting program ( MS and PhD is same department is the same program). With over 7000 graduate students it was decided that 1 rep. from programs with less than 50 students, 2 reps from programs between 50 and 150 and 3 reps. from programs over 150 people ( part-time count as 1/2 and full time counts as 1). We have a limited budget. By our constitution we can not tax the graduate students like many undergraduate student associations do to get funds. We instead ask the Division of U of Md. to donate money to us. We have asked for and received $75 from each of the 5 divisions. Our Structure is an Executive Committee made up of the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasure, 1 rep from each division (5) and the chair of each committee (5). They meet every other week to set agenda for the Reps. Meeting and decide general plans for the GSA. The committees are: Social, Graduate Assistant, Athletic, Library, and Shuttle bus. Any graduate student can be a member of any committee. The main work gets done in the committees and motions are brought before the reps (Sounds like the US congress). The Social Committee is trying the bring graduate students together through social events. So far this year we have had three parties (gathering), they where some what successful. Lossing a total of $60, and having over 400 people attend. We hope next semester to have some more gatherings with lots of advertising. The Graduate Assistant Committee is looking into Tax Status of stipends, Graduate On campus housing, Work load & responsibility, and foreign Student requirements. Not much work has been done but it is hopeful. The Athletic committee is a temporary committee set up to correct the problem that that Athletic department was taxing graduate students without getting any benefits. The U of Md. is a division I-A school any the Main Varsity Sports ( men's basketball & football) require tickets to the games. Graduate Student for the money that they paid were not receiving their share of the free tickets that undergraduates where receiving. That has been changed but since very few graduate students see the Main sports games we would like the fee abolished all together. This will probable that a long time. This committee will probability be attached to another committee. The Library committee is set up to improve the condition at the Graduate Libraries around Campus. The Main graduate library is is very bad shape, lack of key books in social sciences and humanities, poor stacks, and not enough hours. They are making headway. The Shuttle Bus committee is working on Off-Campus night runs. The U of Md. is a commuter college and the shuttle buses only run from 7:30am to 5:30pm. We all know that graduate students are found of working till late at night. The idea is to extend the runs until 9:30pm with one bus done all the night runs one after each other. Problems that we have are lack of Money for gatherings and lack of student supports. Most graduate student are interested in getting their degree as fast as possible and know very little about what goes outside their department. Lack of student support seem to be general through out this campus is general. We are trying to make a difference but it is slow and painful. We hope to be known better and better over the years but this being are second year in real operation I think we have come a long way and have a long way to go. If any one is interested in any of the committees or how what else we are doing, ask away. --- arnold miller vice-chair U of Md. GSA. Lets have some other responses. -- --- Arnold Miller, U of Maryland, College Park MD Usenet: ...!seismo!umcp-cs!arnold Arpanet: arnold%umcp-cs@CSNet-Relay