Graduate students attempting to form their own student council held a closed meeting Tuesday to discuss recruitment and formation of an official council.

The decision to bar reporters from the meeting, whose location was not announced to the public, was made after some members of the group expressed concern over having the press or other graduate students present, according to Christopher Miller.

Miller, the group's first elected member, said he personally did not have any concerns about having a reporter attending the meeting.

One of the members who did was Daniel Spangenberg, who said he thought it was "premature to have publicity" because the group has not yet been officially formed and this was the first time all of the members have met.

The other members could not be reached for comment as to what their specific concerns were.

Miller said the meeting began by acquainting the members with the group's developments and with each other.

The members of the group are Elizabeth Arnold of the philosophy department, Timothy Brunk of the religious studies department, Spangenberg and Valerie Everard of the biological sciences department, Miller of the history department and Mark Zunac of the English department.

The group grew from concerns over a lack of representation among graduate students last November to an organization of elected or appointed representatives from various academic departments. They are currently working to obtain official university recognition.

A fundamental goal of the organization, according to Miller, is for the prospective council to create a more organized way for graduate students in each academic department to contact and get to know each other.

Reflected in that goal, the group's first task is to contact other departments and involve them in the group, Miller said.

The second task is to read over a model constitution provided by Marquette Student Government, Miller said. Discussion of the document is on the agenda of the next meeting, scheduled for the beginning of February.

In order for the group to be recognized as an official organization, Brunk said the group must write a constitution and apply for recognition through the Office of Student Development.

Pam Larde, coordinator for student organizations and leadership, said it will take about a month to review the group's application due to the high volume of applications the Office of Student Development has recently received.

The constitution will include the group's official name, but neither a name nor a deadline to finish the constitution has been decided on, Miller said.

The group also has yet to decide on how to fund the organization. Miller called this issue "a wild card."

Miller said he did not believe the organization could receive funding from Marquette Student Government because graduate students do not pay the student activity fee that funds student organizations.

"Perhaps the university might be convinced to provide some sort of funding, but that remains to be seen," he said.

All of the members, except Arnold and Zunac, were present at an earlier meeting with T. Daniel Griffiths, vice provost for research and graduate programs.

"We discussed what a graduate student organization could do for Marquette University," Griffiths said of the Jan. 5 meeting.

Griffiths, the group's current advisor, said he also suggested that the students call themselves a graduate council instead of a graduate senate because that is the name used at other universities.

As for future meetings, Miller said once the organization has received official recognition, "meetings will be open, but also a reason for the meetings to occur is for graduate students to come."

Brunk said he hoped to "establish a mechanism through which graduate students can voice whatever issues may come up."

Miller agreed.

"The group should provide graduate students with a voice directly to the university," he said.

More information is available from Miller via e-mail at [email protected].