Graduate Student Senate held its last meeting of the year over Zoom to discuss the graduate student alternative grading system and induct the new executive board.
The new grading system for graduate classes was approved, allowing for students to choose between the traditional A-F grading system or a satisfactory and not satisfactory system.
The new system would reduce any impact on graduate students’ GPAs that could result from remote learning, GSS President Dareen Tadros said. The list of courses that will be exempt from the new system will be published by April 17 on the registrar's website.
The registrar will have a page through the student center and will be the same for both undergraduates and graduates. Then, students will pick which classes they want to follow each of the grading systems, Joseph Shields, dean of the graduate college, said.
The current executive board also made its final statements and came up with a way to get more representatives for the next school year.
GSS has awards that are given at the end of every year. Due to the interruptions from COVID-19 this year, there will be one week for nominations to be sent in instead of the regular two-week time span.
“The main thing that I want to point out is that instead of the normal two weeks that are specified, we’re going to suspend that and give it one week. That way, we can announce the winners of the awards and work with the executives on dispersing the information,” Kaelyn Ferris, department representative for physics and astronomy and the resolution sponsor, said.
The resolution was approved by unanimous consent.
A resolution to further move GSS elections was also approved by unanimous consent.
The resolution ensures the new GSS election results will be announced by either the first GSS meeting of the new academic year or the second week of Fall Semester. GSS is currently having a difficult time getting people to pay attention to elections because COVID-19 is making people focus on their remote school work and other responsibilities.
The rules and procedures say senator elections must be held in order for there to be senators in GSS before the second week of the fall semester, Michael Senteney, GSS treasurer and sponsor of the resolution, said.
“We thought it would be better not to vote at this time, as students now are not focused to participate in the election and to vote, which would impact having a democratic election,” Tadros, the second sponsor of the resolution, said.
All senator positions are available for next year. The first senator elections will take place, then unfilled spots will be opened up for people as needed, Shields said.
At the end of the meeting, the new executive board inductions took place. Ferris took an oath of induction to be the GSS president for the next school year. Amal Shimir was inducted to be the GSS vice president followed by Amid Vashedi, who was inducted to be the treasurer for the next school year.
