Graduate Student Senate discusses upcoming elections, student health insurance

Ohio University Graduate Student Senate (GSS) discussed its upcoming executive elections for the 2021-2022 academic year Tuesday night. 

The GSS general body verified endorsements of candidates running for the positions of president, vice president and treasurer. Although not all endorsements were confirmed during the meeting, candidates are allowed to begin their campaigns.

President Kaelyn Ferris is running for re-election, while Remington Burwell, current GSS LGBT affairs commissioner, is running for vice president. Ferris and Burwell are both running unopposed. 

GSS members Joseph Eliken Kofi Ziorklui, Charlotte Yang and Nicholas Whitticar are all running for the position of treasurer. 

Executive election committee chair Nikol Katherine Lopez Llantuy announced the election committee will host a short debate during the GSS meeting on March 16. 

“There’s not going to be back and forth. It’s more of an introduction on your positions to a wider body,” Election Committee Member Brett Fredericksen said of the debate.

The graduate student body will be able to cast their ballots for president, vice president and treasurer from March 17 to March 24. 

Ferris reminded GSS members that the request for proposal process, regarding changes in student health insurance payment periods, will begin soon. Ferris emphasized the importance of student feedback on health insurance.

“I’m going to try and help facilitate student feedback on what are the priorities on the type of coverage students have,” Ferris said. “We need perspectives that are sort of outside of, given the fact that we don’t have a lot of direct control — at least at the moment — on the amount that we pay.”

The Student Health Advisory Committee announced the decision to change student insurance plan billing periods from every six months to every semester at the Feb. 16 meeting, according to a previous report by The New Political.

Vice President Amal Shimir also announced that GSS is in negotiations with the National Association of Graduate and Professional Students (NAGPS) regarding vouchers for at least two GSS members to attend the conference for free. 

In other business, GSS appointed two new senators to the general body. Alex Fischback will be representing the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine and Neda Norooziasi will be representing the Russ College of Engineering and Technology.