Graduate and undergraduate students study in the same libraries, go to class in the same buildings and often can be found in the same bars and coffee shops after class.
Despite this, the academic and personal needs of the two types of student are not so similar. Graduate students are typically in higher level courses, working as teaching assistants and are generally older than the average undergraduate students.
The difference is clear, but when it comes to representation in student government both kinds of students are required to work together under the same umbrella. This would still be problematic if representation was equal, but in the current system, graduate students are underrepreseted in Student Congress and in student government. Of the current 34 seats in student congress, only eight are graduate, giving undergraduate students well over a supermajority. This is in spite of the fact that more than a third of UNC students are graduate or professional students.
This creates a system where student fees paid by graduate students and goals of the Graduate and Professional Student Federation are ultimately under the control of undergraduates.
For this reason, Chancellor Carol Folt and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Winston Crisp should allow GPSF to become an independent organization in order to better handle its own affairs.
In a recent interview, former GPSF secretary Adam Engel spoke of increasing hostility from the largely undergraduate Student Congress. He also mentioned an increased amount of Congress meddling in GPSF plans.
GPSF attempted to fix these issues within the current system last year by spearheading an attempt to amend the student government constitution through a referendum. Unfortunately, the referendum failed because too few students voted.
There was an attempt at internal reform that failed. Now reorganization is called for.
While Student Congress should act with greater diplomacy, it is too much to expect undergraduates to understand the needs of graduate students. Student Congress’ behavior is a side effect of the current system.
