This is one of many issues the Graduate School Organization has tackled since its creation.,”Marquette is the only Jesuit university of its size that doesn't provide any health care assistance to graduate students, according to Theresa Miller, graduate student and chair of the Graduate School Organization.
This is one of many issues the Graduate School Organization has tackled since its creation.
The GSO formed in 2004 when a group of students identified a need for an organization that could provide a united voice for graduate students on issues such as the lack of health care benefits, Miller said.
According to Miller, the GSO has four primary functions: It serves as a liaison between the graduate community and the university administration, provides an outlet for students to voice concerns, advocates for improvements within the graduate school and promotes opportunities for growth and unity across the graduate school.
Miller said the GSO worked in conjunction with Student Health Service, the graduate school and the administration to switch the health insurance provider that graduate students at Marquette typically use. Miller said the switch resulted in an annual reduction of more than $500 in health insurance costs per person, Miller said.
Miller named the increase of representation on different university committees as another success. She said graduate students now have a representative on the Academic Senate and the Board of Graduate Studies. Some committees have even contacted the GSO to request a representative, she said.
"Before us there was not graduate student representation," Miller said. "Every graduate student was on their own."
The group now has 50 to 75 members of varying involvement, and is gaining momentum this year, Miller said.
"I believe it is gaining momentum because it is addressing issues that are of great importance to graduate students," said William Wiener, vice provost for research and dean of the graduate school.
Wiener said one source for the momentum is the work on employing a new structure that would assign a contact person from each department within the graduate school to the GSO. These people would facilitate direct communication within all of the graduate departments.
Miller said the new structure would help departments connect, share ideas and, as a result, improve programs.
The GSO is currently focused on replacing leadership for next year. It is also working to obtain a student activity fee for graduate students that would include a Upass. The GSO is also continuing to make contacts within graduate school departments and continuing work on improving health care options, Miller said.
Graduate student Ruth Blahnik said she receives e-mails from the GSO, but said she doesn't know much about organization and doesn't think the organization is very well-known yet.
She said work and family keep a lot of graduate students very busy and without time to get involved in a graduate school organization.
"A majority of graduate students I know don't live on campus and aren't looking to attend activities planned on campus," Blahnik said.
Blahnik said although she does not have a need for assistance with health care issues, she knows many students do.
"A lot of graduate students don't have insurance at the time they graduate from college, and it's a pretty big deal for a lot of them," Blahnik said.
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