“You know grad students only make up one-third of this University’s population,” Russell said. “So to ask that we have a two-thirds threshold for something that mainly benefits graduate and professional students, I think that’s a lot to ask.”
The “Two for Two” referendum, which had GPSF split from student government, failed by 41 votes or less than one percent. The referendum received a nearly 66 percent yes vote.
The “Better Together” referendum, which kept the two governments together but made some reforms, also failed, receiving just over a quarter of the vote.
Cole Simons, speaker of Student Congress, said as a result of the election, student government leaders would be talking about election results with Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Winston Crisp.
“I think it puts us in a spot where you’re going to see us at the table talking about the future of student government,” Simons said.
Russell said GPSF is in the process of figuring out their next steps.
“What the University has to decide is are they going to make us go through the drama of another election again, are they going to go through the drama of an entire 37 percent of its population feeling marginalized,” Russell said. “Or are they going to finally give graduate and professional students a voice.”
Katie Stember, a member of the Future of GPSF committee, said GPSF has two options — the administration could intervene or there could be a revote.