MSU-DCL College of Law students might soon receive both a voice and a vote in the Council of Graduate Students, if Provost Lou Anna Simon's proposed reorganization blueprint is approved.
As part of Simon's proposal, which includes plans to further align programs between the university, the law school would act as any other college in the university, but would maintain financial independence. If approved, these changes would grant representation and voting rights for MSU-DCL students on MSU's graduate student government.
Benefits graduate students receive from the council include access to legal services, funding for graduate organizations and grants.
MSU-DCL students were excluded from these benefits because the COGS constitution and bylaws were written to only include graduate students in their representation. By this definition, the council could not do anything, COGS President Carl Newman said.
"We couldn't tax them and we really had no authority to represent them, either," Newman said. "Now that they will be considered MSU graduate students, they will have a voting seat on COGS."
Students at MSU-DCL have been working to achieve full representation with the council since the law college first held classes on campus in fall 1996, said Connell Alsup, MSU-DCL's assistant dean for Student Affairs.
In 1999, MSU-DCL was allowed a liaison into the council, but no vote. Since then, MSU-DCL students have not been active in participation with COGS, said Kate McNeill, president of MSU-DCL's Student Bar Association.
"We didn't have a voting right, so it made it hard to have much of an impact on the university," McNeill said. "It's going to take some time for this relationship to unfold."
Gaining representation will be a large victory for MSU-DCL students, McNeill said.
"This can only further our relationship with other programs," she said.
But some law students remain skeptical about the benefits COGS representation might bring to MSU-DCL.
Jeff Lamb said he doubts gaining the vote with the council will make a difference.
"I'm not sure of the practical benefit," Lamb said. "Our student life is still controlled within the school, we have our own student organization."
While MSU-DCL student Summer Schriner says the representation could be a positive thing, she still questions the impact that could be made to the college.
"I wonder if it will affect us very much at all," Schriner said. "It doesn't seem like we've had very many issues so far where we've needed representation, but it's nice to know COGS is there if we need them."
