University of Virginia Library

Petitions Due April 28

GSAS Elections May 5,6

Upon the recommendation of the
Graduate School Council, Student Council
Tuesday night approved the holding of
the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
elections on May 5 and 6.

The Graduate School Council in it s
meeting last Thursday approved a plan
under which the elections would be
administered by an election committee
appointed by the Council.

According to John Atkinson, chairman
of this committee, the Graduate
School must elect its executive officers -
President, Vice-President and Chairman of the
Graduate School Council, and Secretary-Treasurer
- as well as two Student Council
Representatives and one Judiciary Committee
Representative.

Any graduate student wishing to run for any
of the available offices must submit a petition
bearing 25 signatures to the Student Government
Office no later than April 28.

Petitions will be available in all departmental
offices beginning today.

The election itself will see the institution of
several new procedures, including the placing of
ballot boxes in each department as well as in
other selected places in order to facilitate the
voting.

Graduate Council members will serve as
local or departmental precinct workers in the
election.

The new procedures, including the holding
of all Graduate Arts and Sciences elections on
the same day, are being instituted, according to
Mr. Atkinson, in order to encourage wider
participation by graduate students and to help
eradicate at the same time the uncertainties
that have plagued recent graduate elections.

In other action at its last meeting the
Graduate Council heard an informal talk by the
Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and
Sciences, W. Dexter Whitehead.

Dean Whitehead, in his speech and in the
discussion which followed, pointed out some of
the problems of administration of such an
amorphous body as the Graduate School.

He suggested that possible areas in which the
Graduate Council might contribute to University
life were in the recruiting of graduate
students and in helping acclimate newcomers to
life at the University.

The Council also took action to request
financial aid from Student Council to fund its
own operation, and established a social
committee to relieve its officers of such
responsibility.