GPSC elections begin, 12 positions have no candidates

Mail-in ballots were sent out to all graduate and professional students April 7 and are due back Friday.

GPSC elects representatives from the 17 constituent units within the graduate and professional colleges.

The election results will be announced April 21, said Kathleen Fernicola, GPSC elections officer.

The ballots will be counted by current officers, excluding Fernicola, as she is running for a representative position in the College of Agriculture.

There are 27 representative positions available in 10 colleges, but only 14 positions have candidates running for the positions. Of the 14, only two seats are contested.

In the Karl Eller Graduate School of Management, Bhupesh Arora, Erik Carlson and David Bowersox are running for one position.

In the College of Fine Arts, Emily E. Yewell and Rick Emrich are running for one position.

Each unit receives voting seats according to the population of the college. For every 400 students, the unit receives one voting seat.

Though some of the seats are uncontested, candidates must receive at least one vote to gain the position and validate the election, Fernicola said.

Next year's president and administrative vice president will be selected from the elected representatives, Fernicola said.

In colleges with contested seats, unsuccessful candidates will become alternates and may be able to take office as a director or committee head.

The 12 positions without candidates are:

• Two seats for the School of Health Related Professions and Biological Sciences

• Two seats for the College of Medicine

• One seat for the College of Nursing

• One seat for the College of Business and Public Administration

• One seat for the Department of Optical Sciences

• One seat for the College of Pharmacy

• Two seats for the Faculty of Science

• Two seats for non-degree seeking students

GPSC approved its constitution in March after completing its split from the Associated Students in February.

At that time, GPSC also voted to restructure its executive offices, creating separate vice-presidential seats and eliminating the offices of secretary, elections and communications officers.

Elections and communications officer positions were recreated, with four other positions, under the umbrella of directors.

The four other directors' offices are events, clubs, Webmaster and Student Showcase.

Directors positions are appointed by GPSC after an interview, and are not limited to representatives.

Students who wish to find out about the directors positions may view the descriptions at the GPSC World Wide Web site and in advertisements placed in the Arizona Daily Wildcat and Lo Que Pasa, Fernicola said.

"We encourage everyone to apply because they are good positions and are good r­sum­ builders," Fernicola said.

Special elections will be held in the fall to find students to fill any remaining positions, she said.

Students who wish to run for a representative position must submit a candidate statement and be interviewed by the GPSC. GPSC votes on the approval of all candidates.

The five committee heads are not chosen until after executive and director offices are decided, usually in the summer and fall, Fernicola said.

The committees include student life, academic affairs, employment concerns, council administration, and outreach.

Graduate and Professional Student Council candidates

College Candidates

College of Agriculture (two seats)

Jonathan Hartman

Kathleen Fernicola

College of Architecture (one seat)

Sabrina Phillips

College of Education (two seats)

Teri Martinez

Cheryl Winsten Bartlett

College of Engineering and Mines (two seats)

Ali Mehrabian

Hau Nguyen

College of Fine Arts (one seat)

Emily E. Yewell

Rick Emrich

College of Humanities (one seat)

Tully Thibeau

Karl Eller Graduate Schoolof Management (one seat)

Bhupesh Arora

Erik Carlson

David Bowersox

College of Law (two seats)

Laurin N. Eskridge

Albert Zimmerman

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

(three seats)

Lisa Rashotte