Taking aim at overcrowding and other parking snafus across campus, Graduate and Professional Student Council members took a draft parking survey at last night's meeting.
The survey, which will be available online to all graduate and professional students in coming weeks, asks respondees to rank their satisfaction on a scale from 1 to 5 with regards to permit costs, spot availability, alternative transportation options, communications and several other areas.
"We're taking a more metrics-driven approach," said Lee Graham, second-year business student who created the survey with second-year business student Brian O'Dwyer. "We want to see satisfaction go up overall, which is something we can monitor with the survey."
GPSC members also discussed issues in faculty mentoring.
Several students pointed out a need both for formalizing the process--one clinical psychology student said the appointment of mentors immediately upon enrollment in the doctoral program has led to a very low attrition rate--and for finding balance between a micromanaging mentor and an apathetic one.
IN OTHER BUSINESS, GPSC members approved the appointment of second-year law student Matt Block, cell biology research assistant Rachel Lovingood and statistics student Eric Vance to a new in-house judicial subcommittee. The group will discuss changes and clarifications to the board's charter and bylaws.
Katie Regan, GPSC attorney general, said the subcommittee will focus on the board's recent decision to create committees democratically through member interest rather than executive order and the ability of proxy representatives to vote in place of absent members.
Meanwhile, GPSC has continued its work on improving social programming by planning a bar night or dance party with medical school students; a group watching of the men's basketball team away game at Michigan State, likely at the Devil's Den; and a group screening of the upcoming film, The Matrix Revolutions, in November.
GPSC members also briefly discussed finding more comprehensive and more affordable health insurance, offering community service activities and creating a larger presence at student functions with a GPSC banner or trinket.
A happy hour at Satisfaction's was to follow the meeting.
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