By Zach Thomas
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Positive recognition is often rare among student government organizations, but ASUA's Graduate and Professional Student Council was recently named one of three finalists for the "Graduate/Professional Student Organization of the Year" award by the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students.
Nominated for its extensive role in fighting to preserve federal aid to graduate students, GPSC has contributed both organizationally and financially to the NAGPS cause over the past two years.
"I think its a recognition of the progress GPSC has made on graduate student issues, said Mitzi Forbes, former GPSC president and Mountain Region coordinator of the NAGPS. "It shows that the council is a force on the national scene."
Since its inception four years ago, GPSC has been involved in the national organization and has hosted previous national conferences and board meetings. The UA delegation to NAGPS was also instrumental in forwarding and lobbying for a resolution on student health care reform.
"Without the support of the University of Arizona, GPSC/NAGPS' role in preserving student aid would have been greatly diminished," said Kevin Boyer, NAGPS Executive Director.
The Organization of the Year award is given to a graduate/professional student organization that has contributed on a national scale to improving the quality of life for the nation's 2.4 million graduate and professional students.
Other finalists for this year's award are the GPSC at Southern Illinois University/Carbondale and the Graduate Student Association at Florida International University.
The award will officially be presented at the NAGPS National Conference in Miami Beach, FL on Oct. 27. Both Forbes and current GPSC president Melanie Ayers will attend.