Vice President for Student Affairs Thomas Hill told the Graduate Student Senate that graduate students on restricted budgets can find financial planning assistance in the student affairs office. “We try to help support the educational effort of the institution by providing student support services,” Hill said. Although services offered by the Student Affairs Office are used most by undergraduate students, Hill emphasized that all the services in his department also cater to graduate students. These services include counseling, financial aid, the registrar’s office and the admissions office. “You’re paying for them – take advantage of them,” Hill said at the GSS meeting Monday. The graduate student senators and Hill narrowed down three main items to be worked on between the GSS and his office. The three items include career services for graduate students, financial planning for graduate students and assistance for new teaching assistants to help them work with undergraduates. “We have to have some conversations [about these issues],” Hill said. GSS President Brian Anderson was concerned about the financial planning because he said graduate students are on a “shoestring budget.” After Hill spoke, three bills were put up for a vote before the senate. The annual bill stating the GSS goals for the academic year was passed unanimously. Sponsored by GSS Vice President Richard Walsh and Mark Freitag, communications chair, the bill outlined several goals. These include promoting the use of teaching manuals and the Center for Teaching Excellence and establishing resources for graduate students with children. GSS also unanimously approved a bill to allocate $100 for the Story County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Anderson sponsored a bill to create the position of GSS chairperson of university relations committee. The bill was passed unanimously, but no one was elected to the position due to a lack of nominations. The chairperson will receive $400 compensation, and the position is open to all graduate students. The chairperson will work with the ISU Foundation to establish fund-raising activities to benefit graduate students.