The Graduate Student Senate approved a resolution to support the recommended computer fee increase if graduate students are charged less than what undergraduates are charged.

The Computation Advisory Committee has proposed to increase the base computer fee from $51 per semester to $90 per semester over the next two years. According to the resolution passed by the senate, GSS would support the fee increase pending a university decision to charge the graduate students only 80 percent of what undergraduate students would pay.

“Graduate students typically do not use or need the public computer facilities provided by university computer fees,” states the resolution.

According to the resolution, many Big 12 Conference universities already charge graduate students only a fraction of the set computer fee.

“This resolution is saying that we feel graduate students should only have to pay 80 percent of whatever the computer fee is,” GSS President Brian Crabb said.

President-elect Brian Anderson said the increase in the base computer fee is inevitable.

“The increase is going to happen whether we like it or not,” he said. “This is a proposal to at least make it more fair.”

Other than adjustments for inflation, the proposed increase is the first computer fee increase in eight years, Anderson added.

In other news, the GSS:

* Passed a bill to establish an ad hoc committee to investigate the representation of professional students and to recommend whether GSS should be expanded to include professional students.

* Passed a funding bill to allocate $500 to the Student University Childcare Advocacy Group to improve child care options at Iowa State. According to the bill, “the present childcare resources at Iowa State University are not sufficient to meet the present need of graduate students and their dependent children.”

* Approved the GSS Allocations Committee’s recommendations for spring allocations, which totaled $3,040.

* Passed a resolution to support the Graduate Council Initiative calling for developing a Preparing Future Faculty Program, which would enhance graduate student experience in teaching.

* Tabled a bill with the Finance Committee’s GSS budget for 2000-2001. The senate will vote on the budget at the April meeting.