Executive vice president Charles Putman outlined some administrative goals for improving the quality of graduate student life at a meeting of the Graduate and Professional Student Council Monday night.
Putman addressed such issues as health care, housing, recreation, transportation and dining at the meeting.
"Do [graduate students] have access to solving the issues they face?" Putman asked. "We've got to be sure we don't leave you [graduate students] out of the thinking process."
Putman said graduate students will likely receive future health coverage under a managed care system. Students expressed concerns that the current system is too costly for graduate students with spouses.
"There's a penalty for being married with no kids," said Tracey duLaney, a graduate student in the center for biochemical engineering, noting that a family health-care package costs the same regardless of how many children are covered. Some graduate students advocated a managed system in which cost is based directly on the number of people covered.
Putman called on GPSC members to become more vocal about their own housing desires, such as the desire to live on Central Campus, which had originally been created for graduate students. About 200 graduate students currently occupy Central Campus apartments, but the majority these spaces are filled by undergraduates.
"It's hard to project how many graduate and professional students would like [Central Campus] housing," Putman said. "We need help getting the numbers."
The administration is also probing the possibility of converting Hanes House on North Campus into graduate student singles with kitchenettes. The Hanes housing would have rates comparable to those of Central apartments and could be available as soon as next year, he said.
Putman also encouraged graduate students to become more involved in undergraduates' residential experiences.
"You're not that far out of the saddle, you remember how it was," he said. "We've been in error not to reach out for your opinion."
GPSC members expressed major concerns about transportation and campus parking.
"Parking and basketball tickets are probably two of the most difficult issues for graduate students," Putman said.
Putman also said he is a strong advocate of "alternative transportation," such as walking and bicycling, that have proved effective at other schools, such as Stanford, where the weather is favorable.
"There are just far too many cars on this campus," he said.
But many GPSC members cautioned that satellite parking may result in other problems.
"If you're thinking about perimeter parking, don't forget about people who don't work 9 to 5," duLaney told Putman.
IN OTHER BUSINESS: GPSC may sponsor a series of tailgate parties during next year's football season, said graduate student Michael Eng.
A GPSC-sponsored tailgate party held on Saturday before the Duke-UNC game was attended by about 75 graduate and professional students.
"Those who came were thrilled that the Graduate School had something to offer them," Eng said.
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