GSC discusses housing plans 10/5/2000

           The Graduate Student Council met yesterday in the Bechtel International Center to discuss graduate student housing. The council members also outlined their priorities for the year.

            Political Science Doctoral student Mary Lee Kimber, the council’s unofficial housing issues representative, discussed the recent developments in new housing. She said the current administration is putting “a lot more commitment here, more than I've seen in the past."

                She characterized the administration as confident of adding housing for 319 graduate students in Escondido Village by Fall 2002.

                The University also anticipates adding another 240 beds as well as a Graduate Community Center by Fall 2003, she said.

                According to Kimber, the University’s cumulative goal is to add 1,000 new net beds in Escondido Village by 2005,

                Any new graduate housing after that will be built elsewhere, as Escondido Village will be too crowded to absorb further housing units.

                Some council members raised concerns about construction noise for the next few years, but Kimber said that adjusting construction hours around the schedules of students would ultimately mean long delays, which are infeasible because of the current housing crunch.

                Kimber said that “since the beginning of September [the University has] been much more cooperative” in discussing the issue of graduate student housing.

                The council also discussed the EuroMed Party, which will be held at the Stanford Coffee House on Oct. 14. The party, which is co-sponsored by the council, will feature European and Mediterranean music.

                Council chairman Paul Hartke, a doctoral student in Electrical Engineering, said another priority for the council this year will be “health care, in terms of prescription drug costs at Cowell, especially with the changes in Cardinal Care.” 

                In addition, with graduate students staying at Stanford longer and growing older, child care will be an important issue, he said.

            Physics Doctoral student Kaleb Michaud, Las year’s council chair, agreed that housing, along with the future of the General Use Permit, would be paramount on the council's list of concerns and issues to discuss.

            “Until the final General Use Permit and community plan in set in stone, we'll be focusing on that since that will guide Stanford on how much housing they'll be building,” he said.

            Hartke said that he was pleased that another childcare facility will be built in Escondido Village, and that he was happy that progress was being made on most of the major issues confronting the body.

            The council meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Bechtel International Center.