The Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) met Monday evening in the South Ballroom for its final session of the year. To close out the year, GPSS voted on allocation bills and nominations to the senate for the 2016 to 2017 year as well as listening to multiple speakers throughout the night.

A resolution standing in support of permitting graduate students to display academic hoods as a part of their regalia was tabled at 54 percent in order to gather more information from other institutions.

Senator George Weston nominated Humair Nadeem, a graduate student from mechanical engineering, to the senate for next year. GPSS confirmed Nadeem’s nominated at 98 percent.

The Geology Graduate Student Organization is planning a fall field trip to Devil’s Lake State Park in Baraboo, Wisconsin and has requested a special allocation from GPSS in order to take its members on the trip. GPSS voted at 88 percent to pass the special allocation.

Board of Regents member Rachael Johnson was invited to attend April’s meeting and discuss her role on the Board as well as her role in the voting process of the international student tuition increase, which took place in December. Because many graduate students are international students, GPSS had discussed sending a resolution of disapproval for the increase back in October and November, however the resolution was never drafted.

Johnson said she had only heard from two separate sources before she voted on the tuition increase, therefore did not think her constituents were that bothered by it.

GPSS brought up to Johnson that they were never reached for input of the increase, and that in order for Johnson to serve the 3.2 million Iowans under her constituency, she should have communicated better.

GPSS President-elect Vivek Lawana said there were problems from both sides when handling the increase.

“I think we are more upset with how the situation was handled than the actual increase of tuition,” Lawana said.

GPSS President Zack Zenko asked that Johnson be more communicative with the senate and with the university relations legislative chair, and she agreed to being open to more comments and discussion.

GPSS may be able to look forward to additions and changes to the graduate students’ rights and responsibilities after a long year of supporting the resolution. The rights and responsibilities draft is still being discussed by the Graduate Council.

The senate has also been able to accomplish a solution to their representation issue this year. GPSS has also been able to promote a tax break for graduate students who choose to stay in Iowa after graduation throughout its 2016-2017 legislative session.