ASG Establishes Graduate Student Congress

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A new legislative body has been established within the Associated Student Government at the University of Arkansas.

Chancellor G. David Gearhart has signed Associated Student Government legislation to formally establish the Graduate Student Congress, which will represent and advocate for graduate students at the university.

Todd Shields, dean of the Graduate School and International Education, said the Graduate Student Congress will allow graduate students to have more oversight in university-wide decisions and will greatly improve graduate student communication among students from different programs and colleges.

“We are very excited about the GSC and the opportunities it will give graduate students to be more involved," said Shields. "Graduate students are critical to teaching and research, and organizations like the GSC will help move the university toward becoming a Top 50 public research university.”

In spring 2013, the ASG Senate passed a bill to establish the Graduate Student Congress, which was then approved by student body referendum. The wording of the legislation then needed to be agreed upon by the Division of Student Affairs, graduate student representatives, and the ASG Senate. The final legislation passed the ASG Senate Tuesday, Jan. 14, paving the way for Gearhart’s signature.

Melissa Harwood-Rom, dean of students, said “We applaud our students, both graduate and undergraduate, for their leadership during this process. The GSC will facilitate unity and representation for the graduate student body at the University of Arkansas while focusing on their particular professional and personal needs."

The Graduate Student Congress will begin meeting in fall 2014. It will serve as the liaison between the U of A’s nearly 4,000 graduate students, which now constitute nearly 16 percent of the overall enrollment at the state’s largest public university, and other campus entities that work with graduate students. Graduate students will be able to voice their ideas about improving graduate-student education and well-being to their GSC representatives, who will be elected later this spring. 

Sanket Desai, ASG senator, caucus chair for the Graduate School and a doctoral candidate in the history department, has been working with other graduate students to help transition to the new ASG legislative body where graduate students will have their own representative body.

“The GSC offers graduate students increased involvement in shared governance on campus, giving them a stronger voice for their needs and concerns,” Desai said. “Additionally, it will allow graduate students to formally interact with graduate organizations at other universities, including the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students.”

Thirty-five graduate students will serve in the Graduate Student Congress, with seats based on a student’s program’s college affiliation and the graduate student population of that college.  Interdisciplinary programs will be grouped in the Graduate School.

“Overall, the Associated Student Government is to represent the Arkansas student. We are excited that graduate students will now have an appropriate place within our organization so that their ideas, their issues, and their energy can be utilized in full force at the University of Arkansas.” said ASG President Bo Renner.

Elections for the Graduate Student Congress will occur March 10-13, the same time as ASG executive officer and Senate elections are happening on vote.uark.edu. Once the representatives are elected this spring, voting will be held to elect a speaker, vice speaker, treasurer, and secretary from within the group. This group will then begin establishing formal processes, outline standing rules, and layout the body’s goals and objectives.

Any questions should be referred to Desai at shdesai@uark.edu or Rudy Trejo, ASG adviser, at rgtrejo@uark.edu.