The Council of Graduate Students is looking to give MSU College of Law students more of a voice in school policy.

Associate Dean for Student Affairs at MSU College of Law Connell Alsup said COGS would help law school students become better represented.

"Law school students are subjected to the decisions made by committees and by judicial proceedings," Alsup said. "COGS has representatives on those committees. Law students have had a voice, but no vote. Now, they could have a vote."

With less than a week to decide to join, the Student Bar Association held a meeting with COGS officers Tuesday to learn more about the organization, then presented that information to the student body Thursday.

"It was helpful to get a better understanding of what COGS has to offer, but I don't know how much of that got through to other members," SBA senator Kristin Beals said. "We realized we have a week to decide if we want to join, and we didn't have all the information. Now we have the information, and we have five days to educate the student body."

Law college students will vote whether or not to join online Monday to Thursday. The majority of students must vote for the school to carry out their decision.

Although financially independent from MSU, the law school's policies will mirror the university, said COGS president Carl Newman.

"As members of COGS, law students would be eligible to serve on university committees and benefit from the use of COGS services," Newman said. "By working with COGS to influence MSU policies, law students will influence the policies of their college."

An argument against joining COGS was that some benefits COGS offers do not apply to law students.

"COGS offers copy machine services, loan programs and thesis and dissertation programs," Alsup said. "Our students don't have to write a thesis or a dissertation.

"The question students are asking right now is if they will use all the benefits. They are not saying whether they are good or bad."

Newman said COGS will work with SBA to determine other MSU College of Law-specific services COGS can offer instead.

"The mission of COGS is to assist graduate students academically, economically and socially," Newman said. "It seems kind of silly to me for the mission of COGS to represent the aims of MSU graduate students, except the law students."

Members are automatically charged a $7.25 fee for the fall and spring semesters. If individual students do not wish to stay in COGS, they can receive a refund in the first 10 school days.

"COGS was established by the (MSU) Board of Trustees 30 years ago and has always been financially solvent," Newman told the SBA at the Tuesday meeting. "We do not need the law school money to stay afloat."

COGS Parliamentarian Kimberly Yake said inclusion of the law school would be an advantage for both organizations.

"There's no motive for wanting them to join us," Yake said. "Financially, it is not a gain or loss to us because we will fund their activities. It will be a benefit to both of us.

"We want the law school students to have a voice in the things that happen on campus, and we will try to help them as best we can."