GPSF pushes for talks with administration, against Student Stores privatization

While the Graduate and Professional Student Federation meeting Tuesday primarily focused on various budget resolutions, the recent UNC Student Supreme Court ruling remained one of the executive board’s priorities.

The ruling on Sunday allowed for a revote to let students determine the future of graduate student governance in the fall. But before then, members of GPSF’s executive board will meet with Winston Crisp, the vice chancellor for student affairs, and with members of student government, said Taylor Livingston, GPSF’s vice president for internal affairs.

“In those meetings, our intention is to advocate for turning what students wanted into a reality,” said Autumn McClellan, GPSF’s treasurer.

Crisp has said the meeting will take place before the end of the spring semester, Livingston said.

“We are seeking complete separation still, and we will hard-press that line in these meetings, whenever they happen,” Livingston said.

McClellan said the meetings serve as a way to reconnect with administration before the revote.

“I think the idea is that in those meetings, Vice Chancellor Crisp might use some of his authority to start making some changes, but that also could not happen at all,” McClellan said.

UNC’s administration has already recognized the drastic difference between the priorities of undergraduate and graduate and professional students, McClellan said.

Students seem to think there are two separate student governments, she said, which helps support the division of the governments.

“I am excited that we have yet another opportunity to prove to all students and administrators that the best option for all students is for students to govern their own demographic,” McClellan said.

The other important issue of the meeting came in the form of a resolution proposing that GPSF take a formal stance condemning the privatization of Student Stores.

To persuade members, GPSF Outreach Coordinator Mejs Hasan, who is a columnist for The Daily Tar Heel, said privatization would damage employee morale and elevate prices.

“We need to make ourselves vocal and make sure that the administration knows how we feel,” Hasan said.

Hasan encouraged members to sign letters addressed to Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Matt Fajack and other administrators expressing dissatisfaction with the idea of privatization, and she suggested GPSF members “Pit-sit” in protest.

“Maybe a corporation could run Student Stores for a little cheaper, but in the end we’re going to have so many drawbacks,” Hasan said. “In a university that we call ‘the University of the people,’ is this really what we want?”

The resolution passed during the meeting.

“You have this whole branch of student government that is entirely opposed to this, which says a lot to administration,” Marissa Cann, GPSF’s chief of staff, said. “They have a lot of respect for us, and they understand that we’re very serious.”

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