The Government of the Student Body will voice the “student opinion” regarding spoken English proficiency of teaching assistants and decide how to prepare Parks Library for future budget cuts Wednesday night.

GSB Vice President Joe Darr said the university will listen to the senate’s concerns.

“We have a lot more pull there than on other issues,” he said. “At the university level we definitely have a voice on what happens.”

“In English, Please” is a bill sponsored by eight senators that has run into opposition. If it passes, GSB will recommend a higher standard of spoken English communication proficiency for graduate teaching assistants.

Tony Luken, speaker of the senate and co-author of the bill, said he recognizes concerns that it “sounds like we’re being inconsiderate, but we pay a lot of money to come here.”

“We would like to have professors that not just know English but can communicate with us,” he said.

Ai-hua Zhou, who represents statistics students for Graduate Student Senate, agreed.

“I think it is necessary to improve spoken proficiency of TAs, especially for international students,” she said.

Zhou is not a teaching assistant, but many of her constituents are.

Luken said the senate recognizes the effort and importance of teaching assistants and is also eager to support efforts to improve spoken English proficiency. “It takes a lot of hard work and we want to be able to approve the communication,” he said.

Darr said he thinks members of Graduate Student Senate will attend the meeting.

Olivia Madison, dean of library services, will speak to the senate before it considers three bills relating to the future of Parks Library. Upgrading the library’s printers and the improvement of library study rooms will be considered in addition to a “far-sighted” plan to help the library cope with budget cuts.

Debate will likely center on which of four plans will be endorsed by the senate, said Luken, co-author of “Library Journal Cancellation Policy.”

“We’re proposing a 9 percent across-the-board cut of journal funding,” Luken said. “[Library administrators] are foreseeing problems in the next couple years, and we want to be ready for that.”

The senate will meet in the Gallery of the Memorial Union at 7 p.m.

WEB FEATURE

Programs:

* Dean of Library Services, Olivia Madison will speak about Parks Library

* Randy Larabee, FPM, regarding campus electricity

General Orders:

* Electrical Service Around the Campanile, a bill to allocate $29,250 for the reconfiguration of electrical servece around the Campanile, by Kline and Luken.

* Enhancing the Library, Part 1, a bill to allocate $15,740 for seven new printers at Parks Library, byt Leege and others.

* Enhancing the Library, Part 2, a bill to allocate $30,059.58 for study room renovation in Parks Library, by Leege and others.

* Library Journal Cancellation Policy, a bill that would endorse a nine percent across the board cut to Parks Library journal funding as required, in preparation for future budget cuts, by Pieris and Luken.

* 2003-2004 ASSET Funding Priorities, a bill which establishes funding priorities for the Analysis of the Social Services Evaluation Team, by Luken and others.

* Finance Priorities and Criteria, a bill which would revise finance priorities and criteria necessary for student organizations, by Luken and others.

* In English Please, a bill that would endorse a higher spoken English proficiency requirement for graduate teaching assistants, by Heil and others.

New Business:

* Ride ’em, Baby – Winter Equipment for the Triathlon Club, a bill that would allocate $1,650 to the Triathlon Club, by Shrek and others.

* Wet Socks in Lecture are not Fun, a bill that would allocate $20,468 for the improvement of campus sidewalks to prevent flooding, by Edgar and Leege.

* Election Bylaws Reform, a bill that would update current GSB Bylaws, chapters 14 and 15 with new ones. Chapter 14 details the Election Commission, and 15 focuses on Election Procedures and Policies, by Luken and Alliger.

* Promoting Excellence Through Diversity, a bill that would allocate $5,250 to the delegation of the Multicultural Leadership Summit, by Hayes and Taylor.