The Graduate Student Senate has chosen a new leader for next year.

Senators chose Brian Anderson, graduate student in chemical engineering, as president-elect at its Monday meeting.

Anderson said he wants to make sure graduate students’ concerns are considered next year.

“I just want to make sure that if anyone does have an issue they want addressed, it does get addressed, which means that people need to contact either me or their senate representative and let them know they have a problem with something,” he said.

GSS is also in need of more senators for next year, said Rebecca Mack, graduate student in forestry.

She said there are 96 seats, but only 14 senators have been verified for next year.

Anderson said he doesn’t think some people are aware of GSS policies.

“I think people don’t know that they have to do it,” he said. “Even if you’re just staying on as a senator from last year, you still have to fill out a form.”

He said some departments also don’t have a graduate student organization, so it is up to department officials to find out whether they have a senator to represent them or not.

“If people are concerned about it, they should ask an administrator in the department and find out if they currently have one,” he said.

Anderson said senate verification forms are due within two weeks and are available at http://grad.admin.iastate.edu/gss.

The need for university child care was also discussed at the meeting. Jerry Neppel, student representative to the University Child Care Committee, said the current waiting list for the child care centers at Pammel Court and at Veterinary Medicine has 510 children.

“If you want to get into university child care, you need to apply today for your baby being born in 2001,” said Neppel, graduate in agronomy.

He said the committee is working on a potential child care center on the west side of campus. The committee is also planning to replace the Pammel Court facility.

Melinda Green, president of a new campus organization called Student University Childcare Advocacy Group, said the administration needs to make child care more of a priority. She said she had problems finding infant child care both at the university and in the community.

“It’s not just ISU; it’s all of Ames,” said Green, graduate in psychology.

GSS also passed a recommendation for funding priorities of student fees allocations. Because of the tuition increase, 4.3 percent of the current student fee of $134.82 can be allocated.

GSS recommended funding priorities in the following order: student government, recreation service, Memorial Union operation but not renovation, CyRide and intercollegiate athletics.

The recommendation will go to a committee made up of both students and administrators, who will then give a recommendation to the administration.