Among other things, the resolution proposes a 75 cent increase in student fees for child-care services.
"The best thing, I think, would be to first send out this message," said GPSF President Mikisha Brown. She added that obtaining additional student fees would be a long process, probably including a referendum vote in February's campus elections.
Marc David, a member of the Chancellor's Childcare Advisory Committee, said the campaign for accessible, affordable child care for graduate students has been going on for years.
"Child care is not a new preoccupation for GPSF," David said. He said former GPSF president Lee Conner worked on the issue during 1999 and 2000, but it has taken a back seat since then.
Brown said one of the main problems is that the limited number of child-care facilities on campus are too expensive for graduate students to afford. "Victory Village exists, but not a lot of graduate and professional students utilize it because of the cost," she said.
The additional money from student fees could help subsidize these costs, which range up to $1,000 per month for infant care, Brown said.
David said the lack of child-care options on campus is an example of the University's lack of respect for graduate students.
"As employees, we think that it is a matter of equity and justice that we are fairly compensated," David said.
The main problem for graduate students is that they have classes and jobs in addition to their family lives, while many employees only have their jobs, Brown said. "(The lack of on-campus child care is) affecting our recruitment and retention of graduate students and preventing those graduate students who do have children from progressing in an expedient way," she said.
