Graduate students can log on to the MyUCLA Web site and start
voting for next year’s Graduate Student Association officers
today.
The GSA election begins at noon, and students will be able to
vote 24 hours a day for a week until noon on April 22.
Director of Elections Melanie Ho urged graduate students to
participate in the election process. Students can check out
profiles of the candidates, including their statements of intent,
which are linked to the election ballots.
Ho also encouraged students to apply for appointed paid and
nonpaid positions. Those who did not make the petition deadline
should consider applying for appointed positions, she said.
“It’s a great way to get first-hand experience …
and take a look at the offices, if they end up deciding to apply
for the positions next year,” she added.
The appointed offices will be handled in mid-May by the
Appointments Board, which is composed of incoming officers and one
representative from the academic councils.
During its last meeting, GSA forum members voted to put two
referenda on this year’s election ballot.
One of the referenda called for a split of the health
professionals council into three separate councils: Nursing,
Dentistry, and Medicine. Those who proposed the referendum felt
that the interests of each professional school would be represented
more effectively after the split.
Another referendum, if passed, will reduce by half the GSA
yearly contribution to the University of California Student
Association to a minimum level, from the current $14,000 to
$7,000.
Under changes made to the GSA constitution this year, the
results of the election votes cannot be made public until the
elections board has met and approved of the candidates.
The elections board plans to convene at 6:15 p.m. after the
close of the online polls.