The Graduate Student Senate discussed nominations at its meeting Monday for next year’s GSS and advocated a bill to name an endowed chair after George Washington Carver.

In addition, Government of the Student Body president-elect Bryan Burkhardt, sophomore in engineering, spoke at the meeting.

Burkhardt won the GSB presidential election last week, in what was the largest voter turnout for GSB elections in more than 20 years.

Burkhardt thanked GSS members who went to the polls last week, adding that the votes were “very much appreciated.”

He also discussed the future relationship of GSS and GSB and how they could work together successfully in the upcoming year.

“I am very excited to work with the Graduate Student Senate,” he said.

Burkhardt told graduate students, who swayed the last GSB Constitution election, that GSB would begin rewriting the bylaws soon. He encourages graduate students who have questions or suggestions to contact him.

“It’s a lot of work,” GSB President Rob Wiese said, but added that the time spent would be worthwhile.

The only GSS senator nominated at the meeting for next year’s GSS president was Wiese, graduate student in professional studies in education. Wiese accepted the nomination.

Other possible nominations for GSS president and senate positions will be addressed at next month’s meeting, and voting will take place during the GSS’s April meeting.

A bill to make George Washington Carver, renowned scientist and ISU alumnus, an endowed chair for the university, was also discussed.

The bill, Senate Resolution 98-04, titled “Building support for the multiculturalism and education,” was sponsored by GSS President Juana Nolasco, GSS Vice President Mike Poray, Wiese, Anne McSorley, professional studies in education, James Hill, agronomy, and Jason Lee, agronomy.

It stated that since “Iowa State has been known as an institution of firsts,” GSS, “the pro-active voice of students at [ISU],” supports the campaign for an endowed chair named after Carver.

The bill also stated that GSS will support the establishment and the attempt to gain financial support of the George Washington Carver endowed chair in the future.

Poray noted that African American endowed chairs traditionally have encountered a lack of support.

“There are less than 20 African American endowed chairs out of 5,000,” he said.

An endowed chair is a “grant” that would persuade a prestigious professor to come and teach at ISU for a period of time.

The bill also states that copies of the bill will go to various university officials, including President Martin Jischke and local media.

Poray said he knew the university had been approached about the possibility of creating an endowed chair in Carver’s name, but he was unsure of the official reaction.

Poray also clarified that the bill does not necessarily pledge any financial support, but that it states the GSS is behind the creation of the chair.

The bill passed unanimously with a vote of 44 -0.

Other bills addressed:

• A bill to help fund the student chapter of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners’ round table discussion with $500 passed unanimously with a vote of 42-0.

• A bill to increase the GSS legislative affairs executive scholarship passed with a vote of 37-4. The bill was sponsored by Julienne Hill, physics and legislative affairs, and Kari Azevedo, statistics and finance committee.

The bill increased the scholarship of the legislative affairs position to one-fourth tuition costs instead of one-eighth, in light of the position’s increasing responsibilities.

• A resolution about GSS’s position on the new GSB Constitution was acknowledged, but was considered null because the newly revised GSB Constitution passed in last week’s GSB elections.

The bill was written at last month’s meeting and was sponsored by Mike Reed, physics, Poray, Nolasco and Azevedo.

In other news:

• The Graduate Student Spring Social is on today at St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church, 2210 Lincoln Way.

It will be held from 5 to 8 p.m., and will include free Pizza Pit pizza and pop. All graduate and professional students, as well as their families, are welcome.

• Allocation packets are due on March 6

• The next GSS meeting will take place March 30 in the Campanile Room.