GSC Talks About Grants, Child Care

About 60 Harvard graduate students attended the introductory meeting of the Graduate Student Council (GSC) in Dudley House last night.

The council discussed issues such as a child care program for students, conference and research grants, funding for graduate student groups and the GSC's survey of University's athletic facilities.

GSC President Adam P. Fagen said that he was encouraged by the wide representation of the almost 50 graduate school departments at the meeting.

"It's really wonderful to have people from almost evey department within GSAS," he said.

Fagen said he was excited about the increased representation in the council over the past years.

"Because we have so many people represented, we'll really be able to communicate well with the students throughout GSAS," he said.

The council discussed the upcoming deadline for fall research and conference grants. The grants make up the council's greatest expenditure in its $53,000 annual operating budget.

The council also discussed plans to include Harvard graduate students in the "MBTA Semester Pass Program" which offers students an 11 percent discount on normal transportation costs.

Fagen said that, while other area colleges have been members of the program in the past, Harvard graduate students will have access to MBTA discount benefits for the first time this year.

The council also discussed the results of their recent athletics survey in which almost two-thirds of the graduate students requested that weight room and pool facilities open earlier in the mornings.

Fagen said the survey will be delivered to the Harvard Athletics Department soon.