Graduate students ask for mre money
Due to an unexpected increase in travel fund requests by graduate students, the Graduate Student Senate is requesting additional money from the Associated Students of Utah State University’s Capital and Support Fund.
Erica Thomas, Graduate Student senator for ASUSU, said in Tuesday night’s ASUSU Executive Council meeting every year graduate students are allotted $39,000 for traveling to conferences or meetings on a first-come, first-serve basis.
This year there has been a dramatic increase in student requests, Thomas said. In February, on average, there are 12 students who request travel funds, but in February 2002 there have been 22 requests and 39 requests overall since Jan. 31.
She said currently there is only enough money left for one and one-half graduate students.
“We’ve never had to think about this issue because we’ve always had money left over at the end of the year,” Thomas said.
Craig Woll, a graduate student studying instructional technology in the doctorate program, said the reason more money needs to be requested is because “students go to conferences representing Utah State University and their research project. It is a great opportunity for the university to get some added exposure and it is an opportunity for graduate students to find jobs and be recognized for their work.”
Thomas said the Graduate Student Senate is requesting $5,000 from the ASUSU Capital and Support Fund to be able to send 16 students to a conference to present their graduate projects.
Since the Graduate Student Senate was recently awarded an extra $15,000 this year from the Capital and Support Fund, “I felt if we asked for any more money people would be skeptical,” Thomas said.
Next year’s budget will cover all travel fund requests for after July 31, Thomas said.
“[The $5,000] won’t be able to help all the students until then, but it will help,” Thomas said.
The request will be further discussed in next week’s Executive Council meeting on March 12.