Jim Ciszewski decided three weeks ago that he was up to a challenge - he wanted to become president of the Council of Graduate Students.
Last week, members of the graduate student government officially gave him the task. Ciszewski, a chemistry doctoral student, ran unopposed for the spot.
“Hopefully, I can get more people involved and that would be enough for me,” Ciszewski said. “I’m not doing it because I want to be famous, or rich or anything.”
The president-elect said he thinks once MSU graduate organizations that don’t normally take part in COGS become involved, the pieces to improving graduate life will fall into place. He will begin his duties officially this summer.
“I’d like to get the graduate student organizations more involved in COGS,” he said. “I’d like to get the Detroit College of Law students more involved and more groups like that.”
He said he will try to keep members focused on the student group while they are working to earn their degree.
Ciszewski said Sam Howerton, current COGS president, gave him advice before he officially ran for the job. Howerton held the position for two years.
“He said to be open to the different viewpoints of the various graduate students and to keep your mouth shut as much as you can,” Ciszewski said.
“I spoke to him as kind of a day-in-the-life as being the president - the number of meetings, the meetings that are most important,” Howerton said.
Howerton said he expects issues such as health care to be high on the new president’s agenda.
“It will be up to Jim to start talking to the Board of Trustees about the upcoming health care, and the number of grad students who will be admitted for next year,” he said.
Howerton said it was a difficult to decide against running again for the position.
“I had been wrestling with it for at least three or four months,” he said. “One week I wanted to press on for another year, the next week not. After some consultations with my adviser, I came to the decision it was in my best interest not to take on too much responsibility.”
Howerton said another challenge for the new administration that people must adapt to is the creation of the Graduate Employees Union last May. He said the line between the graduate union and COGS still isn’t clear and it has created more challenges.
“I think the administration is committed to COGS, but it’s still kind of trying to figure out where we fit in the grand scheme of the university,” Howerton said.
Karen Klomparens, dean of the graduate school, disagreed with the idea that the group hasn’t found its niche.
“I think the lines are pretty distinct myself,” she said. “The union is present for wages, compensation and working conditions for teaching assistants, everything outside of that is COGS’ responsibility in representing graduate students.”
She said Ciszewski and new members of the board, who take over next month, will have to make a quick adjustment.
“There are always policy issues or curriculum issues where COGS and graduate student input is very important,” she said. “They’re going to have to learn about it and get involved.”
