The resolution to support a university-wide preferred name and pronoun policy passed at Graduate Student Senate’s meeting Nov. 3.
The resolution to support a university-wide preferred name and pronoun policy passed at Graduate Student Senate’s meeting Nov. 3.
Students often want their preferred name used over their legal name, said Elliot Long, LGBT affairs commissioner.
“Change certain things like class roster and … (student) ID Cards,” Long said.
This policy applies to transgender and international students.
A resolution to discontinue grad fest until 2015 was tabled until the next meeting on Nov. 17 after a motion was passed to amend the resolution to include “funding” in the wording of the policy. This resolution was also tabled at the previous GSS meeting on Oct. 20.
Less than 1 percent of the graduate student body — 22 students — showed up to the last grad fest, said Carl Edward Smith III, GSS’s president.
Suzanne Dietzel, director of the Ohio University Women’s Center, presented on the graduate assistant parental leave policy that is being proposed.
This was first brought to our attention in 2010, Dietzel said.
“Students, especially graduate students, could not conclude their studies when they were having children,” Dietzel said. “In 2012, the Women’s Center conducted an informal survey … it became clear to us that there was not a policy.”
The results showed that there was a need for a policy, she said.
This past May, the policy was presented to graduate council and they were receptive, Dietzel said.
Mothers will have up eight weeks leave, while fathers or partners will have up to three weeks leave, Dietzel said.
“Students will receive a full level of stipend support,” Dietzel said. “Every student who applies for a policy will receive one academic semester extension.”
The leave will begin following the birth of the children, Dietzel said.
Funding will be discussed with graduate council in the future later on, Dietzel said.
Dietzel is hoping this will be put in place in the 2015-16 academic year.
A discussion was held on the standards for cultural awareness at community events. At the Oct. 25 Halloween block party, a man dressed up wearing Middle Eastern clothing with a suicide vest on.
A dialogue on what is offensive and what is not persisted throughout the GSS body.
The student who was wearing the outfit does not necessarily go to OU, said John Strohl, vice president for communication.
We do not want to offend any fellow bobcats, said Hashim Pashtun, vice president for administration and finance.
As the discussion continued about how to police the costumes, concerns about infringement on freedom of speech and freedom of expression arose.
In other business, Governmental Affairs Commissioner Chelsea Foster said she met with Vice President for Student Affairs Ryan Lombardi.
They discussed facilitating a program where students would be educated before living off-campus, including how to sign a lease and be a good citizen, Foster said. She believes it would be helpful for graduate students and international students.
The city council liaison took part in Monday’s city council meeting, Foster said.
The position was created through a resolution that was passed during GSS’s meeting on Oct. 6.
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