Announcements for the upcoming semester, involving events and meetings
On Tuesday, Sep. 8, at 5:15 p.m., the Graduate Student Government (GSG) had their first meeting of the semester in ChemSci room 102.
The meeting began with GSG President Sam Jensen welcoming Dr. Debra Charlesworth as the new Advisor for GSG. Dr. Charlesworth has been at Tech since 1999.
The next order of business was addressing the Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) and Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) stipend rate increases. Although rates increased by up to five percent last year, it was only a one-time measure. According to Jensen, “the insurance rose a lot a few years ago, causing a five percent rise in stipends to offset the cost of the insurance,” but this was only a temporary solution. This year, stipend rates are set to increase by either three or two percent. It is unclear since GSG President Jensen was told it will be a minimum three percent rise, but Michigan Tech’s website on Minimum Stipend Rates says two percent. If a GTA or GRA gets less than a three percent raise in their stipend, they are suggested to talk to their advisor.
Plans to revise GSG’s bylaws were also discussed, with Jensen stating that the “bylaws need to reflect the way GSG functions,” citing flaws with how they are currently written. The E-board has conducted extensive reviews on the bylaws, and are in the process of organizing a meeting to officially implement the necessary changes.
For upcoming events, there is a social event coming up on Sep. 18, from 4 to 6 p.m., where there will be food and beverages provided. This event will be taking place at the Graduate Student Commons, which is right across from the Library; if rain occurs, the event will be moved to the MUB Commons.
The Reverse Career Fair will be held on Monday, Sep. 28. This event will be hosted by GSG, USG, and Career Services. There will be a Google Form for students to enter their major, then be assigned to a recruiter who will give them a five-minute mock interview and another five minutes for feedback. There are expected to be two sessions, morning and evening. Students will be put in either session based on recruiter availability.
GSG President Jensen also met up with the Student Success Council, who are planning a meeting to address accessibility concerns stemming from Houghton’s harsh winter conditions.
GSG E-board is working with Transportation Services to mitigate parking costs so it doesn’t increase in future years, and to create the option of a payment plan, which would take a small regular payment out of each stipend instead of individuals paying a lump sum for parking.
Another project the GSG E-board has been working on has been reviewing MTU’s insurance assistance program to ensure affordable, comprehensive coverage for graduate students. Changing the available plan could involve a zero premium cost in the future, but it could affect coverage as well. The E-board is mainly considering United Healthcare as a provider, but is examining other options as well.
If you are interested in learning more about GSG, upcoming events, or would like to get in contact, their website is gsg.mtu.edu.
