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Child Care Assistance Voucher Applications Out Now
Written by Tiffany Yee (GSS Vice President)   

Spring 2010 Child Care Assistance Voucher applications are now out.  Along with our application is a brand new distribution policy.  With the new distribution policy no graduate student parent with children under 12 will be turned away, and the processing of applications will be drastically more efficent.

 Applications are due February 15th and the Child Care Committee will meet on February 22nd and 23rd to make disbursement decisions. 

Last Updated ( Monday, 01 February 2010 )
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Winter Office Hours
Written by Tiffany Yee (GSS Vice President)   

Graduate Student Senate office hours will be operating on a reduced schedule for the remainder of winter break.

Monday to Thursday, 10AM-3PM

We will resume normal office hours  January 18th.

 

Last Updated ( Thursday, 07 January 2010 )
 
Gym Fee Update
Written by Yinda (Voice Editor)   
Doors to Rec Center Will Stay Shuttered to Grads

Admins Refuse to Lower the Fees

 By Samantha Lyon 

 

The Graduate Student Senate (GSS), Grad Employee Organization (GEO) and several graduate students have been working hard to lower the gym fees, which were raised from $40/semester to $125/semester in just one year. But it seems that the UMass administration is attempting to balance their budget at the expense of student health, and by skyrocketing student debt.

 

Representatives from GSS and GEO and other graduate students met with the administration (Athletic Director John McCutcheon, Vice Chancellor for Admin and Finance Joyce Hatch and Campus Rec Director Zulma Garcia) on Oct. 8 with a proposal for a $50 bundled package with access to both the old and new facilities. (Details available on umassgss.org)

 

We provided them with results of the email survey we sent out, which you can see below. They said we were being very reasonable in representing graduate students, and agreed to discuss our proposal.

 
500 responses                         Graduate Student Survey
 1. Have you ever purchased the UMass gym membership prior to this semester (at the rate of $40/semester)? 
Yes, every semester or almost every semester I've been here 42%
Yes, at least once. 27%
No 31%
Not applicable. This is my first semester as a grad student at UMass.             0%
  
2. Have you, or do you intend to, purchase the UMass gym membership this semester (at the higher price)? 
Yes7%
No93%

 

Data from GSS proposal to administrators on Oct. 8, 2009               http://umassgss.org/images/grad gym fee proposal.pdf

 

On Oct. 27, John McCutcheon and Joyce Hatch responded: “Thank you for meeting with us a few weeks ago, and for sharing your concerns regarding the fee increase. We recognize this comes at a difficult time for many students and we have discussed this with all senior administrators…. Simply put, the $40 fee that had been charged to graduate students is no longer sustainable with the cost increases and in the current budget climate. Therefore, it is necessary to charge the $125 a semester fee to graduate students…”

 

Their concerns about the budget may be valid, but we clearly showed them that tripling the price is actually going to lose them money.

 

The data below shows that the huge increase actually lowers their revenues due to lack of participation. In fall 2008, 552 graduate students joined the gym, resulting in $21,900 in revenues. This fall, only 46 lonely graduate students have joined, which even at the new price results in only $4,800 in revenues.

 

 Declining Gym Memberships
Fall 2007-Summer 2008Fall # of Memberships Fall Total $
Faculty/Staff287$     11,400.00
Graduate Students/Continuing Education Students453$     17,980.00
Fall 2008-Summer 2009  
Faculty/Staff268$     10,670.00
Graduate Students/Continuing Education Students552$    21,900.00
Fall 2009-Summer 2010  
Faculty/Staff41$       5,225.00

Graduate Students/Continuing Education Students

46$       4,791.82

 

Data from the Office of Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance

http://umassgss.org/images/campusrecreationgssreport.xls

 

The fee increase was expected to bring in $170,000 of revenue this year from graduate/continuing education students, but they have a long way to go with graduate students priced out of the new recreation center.

 

The only argument the administration has in support of raising the gym fees, namely the intention to increase revenue from graduate students, faculty and staff, seems to be completely refuted by the data.

 

McCutcheon and Hatch’s 10/27 response notes that the budget for recreation programs has risen by $2.2 million. Chancellor Holub’s recent email to the campus explains that buildings are one-time expenses: “Capital budgets involve major equipment and capital projects, such as the construction of a building or the renovation of a building. These projects are funded with one-time budgets. This means that they are funded by specific allocations that are given once and are not given again the following year.”

(http://www.umass.edu/chancellor/budget_msg_102209.html).

 

I’m not sure how anyone thought that an enormous building with no solar panels or attention to green design in this day and age wouldn’t cost $2.2 million each year thereafter to operate.

 

GEO has organized a weekly workout class on the ramp outside Whitmore, every Thursday at noon, to show how UMass grad students are left to work out in the cold. Search ‘UMass grad students left in the cold’ on YouTube to see the first event, and get involved by joining us in growing numbers every week until they lower the gym fee.

 

Consider joining the Facebook group for more information – search ‘Umass gym fee.’ There, you can find more information on the progress that is being made and on the ways YOU can contribute to our joint effort. GSS and the GEO are making progress on the gym fee issue but a wider graduate student involvement will resonate much stronger to the administration.

 

Response from Vice Chancellor Hatch and Athletic Director John McCutcheon:

http://umassgss.org/images//gradrecfee0001.pdf

 

Comparable Institution Gym Fees:
Rutgers University$25 per calendar year, $15/six months
University of Connecticut$25 per semester
Penn. State University$57 per semester
University of MaineApprox. $60 per semester

 

Data from GSS proposal to administrators on Oct. 8, 2009

http://umassgss.org/images/grad gym fee proposal.pdf 

Last Updated ( Monday, 07 December 2009 )
 
Sidney Smith Toy Fund Applications
Written by Tiffany Yee (GSS Vice President)   

This was forwarded to us by the Amherst Family Center, an organization we support.

 On Tuesday,December 1, between the hours of 9:00 am-1:00 pm and on Wednesday, December 2, between the hours of 9:00 am - Noon, the Amherst Family Center is accepting applications (to be filled out in person) from low-income campus families who would like to receive a voucher to purchase holiday presents for their children through the Sidney Smith Toy Fund. The fund is available for children between the ages of 1 year (infants are not eligible) to 14 years old. Families must have a postal address in a Hampshire County town in order to apply. 

The Amherst Family Center is located on 121 N. Pleasant Street in downtown Amherst in the lower level of the Unitarian Meetinghouse (entrance at the rear).  There is a bus stop right outside the door. 

If you have questions you may call the Center at 413-256-1145. 

Last Updated ( Friday, 27 November 2009 )
 
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