GPSF hears about five-year plan for the graduate school at Tuesday meeting

The Graduate and Professional Student Federation met Tuesday for the first time since its split from the undergraduate student government to talk about the new five-year plan for the Graduate School.

GPSF President Dylan Russell briefed the representatives on Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Winston Crisp’s decision to split the GPSF and Student Congress.

“Starting with the next upcoming election, there will be two separate student governments, each with legitimate electoral bodies,” Russell said. “There will also be a joint body where undergraduates and graduates will work together to solve issues that concern us both.”

Dean of the Graduate School Steven Matson attended the meeting to discuss the wording of the graduate school’s five-year plan, asking members for their opinions.

“This will be a strategic plan which guides the way we think about the business we do every day,” he said.

Matson said the Graduate School asks graduating students to complete an in-depth exit survey, which provides them with information they then use when creating the next five-year plan.

“I like what you’re getting at with the strategies, but I think there’s a lot of merit in speaking to students who are currently in graduate school instead of surveying those who have already graduated,” said Catie Alves, GPSF representative for Ecology.

Matson’s plan highlighted increasing support for established graduate programs, but several GPSF members expressed concern that this would favor the health sciences and neglect programs in the humanities.

The plan also laid out objectives which focused on promoting more interdisciplinary collaboration. GPSF Secretary Madelyn Percy said she wanted to gauge faculty opinion on the matter.

“Without faculty buy-in, there is very little chance we’ll see more integration in our graduate programs,” Percy said.

Russell closed the meeting with his report on the GPSF’s separation from undergraduate student government.

“It’s exciting to say that you all were an important part of changing the way our organization works,” he said.

Russell’s announcement was met with applause from members.

He said the split has been made official, but the details of the joint committee proposed in the GPSF’s “Two for Two” plan hasn’t been created yet.

“The idea of having leadership from both bodies meet doesn’t exist yet, but now we will have that moving forward,” he said.

university@dailytarheel.com