PGSG debates Purdue Indianapolis representation, approves pay structure changes

Purdue Graduate Student Senators debated a bill that will extend graduate student government representation to students at Purdue West Lafayette’s campus in Indianapolis. The bill recognizes the existence of separate Purdue Indianapolis graduate programs and aims to assign senate seats accordingly.

“What we want to do here is make sure there is representation and make sure that no member of Purdue in Indianapolis feels left out of graduate student government,” said PGSG President Somosita Mitra. “We are no longer just representing the West Lafayette campus.”

The bill tasks the PGSG Executive ad-hoc committee on Purdue Indianapolis involvement to research methods of attendance and representation within the PIN graduate student departments using input from students.

Name changes

A bill was passed to change all references to the position of “Vice President for Operations” to “Chief of Staff”.

A bill was passed to change all references to the position of “President Pro Tempore” in PGSG bylaws to “Senate Chair”.

A bill was passed to change all references to the position of “Dean of the Graduate School” to “the Vice Provost for Student Life”.

Member incentives

A bill was passed to amend the PGSG financial code of operations to change allocations to PGSG officers, teams and senate leadership from annual to tri-annual pay. The payment structure approves allocations at the end of the summer semester, fall semester and spring semester.

The position of president, at a current rate of $19,000 annually will be updated to $5,250 tri-annually.

The position of treasurer, at a current rate of $2,000 annually will be updated to $2,500 tri-annually.

The position of chief of staff, at a current rate of $2,000 annually will be updated to $2,500 tri-annually.

Elections

Victor Gutierrez-Schultz, a senator of biochemistry was elected as Senate Chair. Somosmita Mitra was renominated and elected as President of the Graduate Student Government.

Shuangting Li was renominated and elected as Treasurer.

Candidates answered questions and received statements of support from graduate senators in a process that lasted an hour and a half, despite running uncontested.