By Marcelle Richards
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
The three-pronged race for the Graduate Students Association
positions is about to begin. But don’t expect any grappling
along the way ““ the candidates are running unopposed for
2002-03.
GSA veterans Charles Harless and Dorothy Kim are in line to
assume their current positions as president and vice president of
internal affairs, respectively. Hanish Rathod will run for vice
president of external affairs, as current officer Alain
Dang’s term comes to an end.
The GSA elections will be conducted on MyUCLA from April
16-22.
A primary goal of all the candidates is increasing social
interaction among graduate students. As a group, graduate students
tend to lack a strong sense of campus community due to heavy
involvement in individual departments and the fact that many
commute from scattered neighborhoods outside UCLA.
Continuing Grad Bar, a monthly event complete with alcohol and
dancing, and holding other mixers like picnics and inter-department
competitions are some of the primary goals.
The access and increase in student services is also on the top
of candidates’ list.
A goal of both Harless and Kim is to make student health care
options more transparent, especially in regards to the Graduate
Students Health Insurance Plan, which is mandated unless students
have an alternative coverage plan.
Kim also wants to start a tax help service for students next
year.
To push this, and other issues such as housing and
transportation, Harless increases publicity through flyers,
mailings and events about his intended course of action.
Rathod, who will act as a liaison to the outer UCLA community if
elected, is looking to increase job market opportunities by
networking with alumni to increase offers after graduation.
As a GSA representative to the Wooden Center Board of Directors,
Rathod wants to make an addition in line with his current
affiliation: the addition of a gym to university graduate
housing.
Students will also have the final call on three referenda.
The first is to elect a vice president of academic affairs who
will be the GSA representative on the Academic Senate, a body of
faculty and student representatives that approve policies and serve
an advisory function on campus.
The position would be integrated in the 2003 elections.
An amendment to increase current GSA membership fees from $7 to
$10 per quarter is also proposed. The fee will then continue to
increase by $1 per year beginning 2003-04, bringing the membership
fee to $13 a quarter in 2005.
The increased revenue would be used for increased publicity and
activities, with a portion of the fee distributed to departmental
bodies.
The Engineering GSA drafted an amendment to create a student
interest board.
The constitution currently allows one voting delegate from seven
interest organizations.
The amendment would narrow this to two voting delegates total,
who would represent these groups under the new title of the student
interest board.