Applications for GSS will only be accepted online for the available positions.
Candidates wishing to apply for an executive or college senator position on Ohio University’s Graduate Student Senate can do so until Friday at 5 p.m.
Mitchell Smith, the GSS Board of Elections chair, said applications are being accepted online only.
“As graduate students, we are an extremely unique population, and I hope that the elected individuals represent this diverse population in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, age, academic background and experience,” said Maggie Clark, vice president of Legislative Affairs, in an email.
Once submitted, applications go to Smith, who then forwards them to the Division of Student Affairs, where the application’s qualifications are checked.
Candidates will be able to campaign starting Friday at 5 p.m.
Since there are fewer graduate students than undergraduates, application numbers are typically low compared to Student Senate, Smith said.
“As of right now, I want to say that there (is) only one applicant per position,” he said. “So it would be kind of pointless to have a debate, but ... I’ll see about maybe arranging a debate if there are two candidates.”
Smith said GSS President Carl Edward Smith III has done a “great” job this academic year in working to try and fix some of the problems facing graduate students.
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“I think that regardless of who wins, they need to approach it with the same mentality that we actually can accomplish something that’s not just an exercise in futility,” Smith said. “The administration is responsive to graduate students that take it seriously.”
The election ballot will be available online from 7 a.m. April 14 to 7 a.m. April 16.
Elected officials will be announced April 16 at 7 p.m. in Baker University Center.
Candidates who apply must be a full- or part-time undergraduate or graduate student in good academic standing at the Athens campus for the spring and will meet the same requirements as a graduate student in the fall, according to the election website.
“It’s important to take (the elections) seriously ... because it does have an impact,” Smith said.
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