The first Graduate and Professional Student Government general assembly meeting of the year addressed new goals for the year and discussed how to better integrate graduate students into IU’s culture.
Adam Reneker, GPSG president and a third-year law and business student, began the meeting Friday with a brief overview of GPSG’s structure and purpose for the new representatives in attendance.
“One of the reasons that this is important is that, as graduate students, we have a unique position on campus,” Reneker said. “We find ourselves at an interesting position, and we have an opportunity to make sure our needs are also being heard and to make sure we’re able to maneuver through awkward situations and make changes on campus.”
After a brief mock proposal of a motion to the floor, Reneker gave an overview of the four GPSG advocacy committees — Student Health and Wellness, Diversity, Benefits, and Sustainability.
Reneker then introduced Vice Provost of Student Affairs Lori Reesor, who is starting her first year in IU’s administration.
Reesor described one of her main goals as making graduate and professionals feel part of the IU community when many opportunities are tailored to undergraduates and cited the new First Thursdays cultural festival as a way to get immersed in a culture that may overwhelm younger students.
“What are the gaps?” Reesor asked. “What can we do better to help you feel a part of Indiana University? How can we help you feel welcomed, supported and engaged by this institution?”
The theme of connection was central to the meeting.
Reneker described this year’s central goal for GPSG as helping graduate students connect with campus culture by helping diversify committees and adding input from the general graduate student community.
Students were also encouraged to find their place in the general IU community outside of their specific department or course of study.
“We want to make sure the grad students are thriving and not just barely getting by in graduate school,” Reneker said. “We want to make sure that you’re still able to have lives in the process.”
Reneker then introduced ambassadors, a position new to GPSG divided into four sections: teaching graduate students, researching graduate students, international graduate students and parenting graduate students.
Ambassadors would be paired with outside faculty members to help them develop policy to benefit members of the graduate communities.
To round out the meetings, officers in each of the four advocacy committees introduced themselves and laid out their major goals for the year.
The purpose was to introduce the committees to new students, who are expected to join at least one advocacy committee as part of department representative duties.
After the introduction of major solo GPSG figures such as the treasurer, parliamentarian, communications coordinator and community development coordinator, students broke from the group to learn more about the committees.
