School of Graduate Studies and Research seeks $50K in special allocations

The School of Graduate Studies and Research office lobbied for $50,000 in special allocations at the weekly Student Senate meeting, Monday.

The funds would be allocated toward preparatory classes for students seeking admission to graduate programs.

Julian Coakley, a graduate public administration student from Nassau, Fla., spoke on behalf of the School of Graduate Studies and Research.

Coakley said preparatory classes are extremely expensive and difficult for students to pay for out of pocket.

“This opportunity would be extremely advantageous for students who may not have the monetary resources to afford these classes,” Coakley said. “Princeton Review classes geared toward the GRE, MCAT, and LSAT would be available to eligible students who are interested in going to some form of graduate school.”

The initiative has been in place since last year.

Derek Keaton, a student senator and political science student from Chicago , defended the idea because he was a former participant of the program.

“I can attest to the fact that this idea that the graduate studies office has implemented is both effective and helpful for students,” Keaton said. “After I completed the LSAT course, my score improved a lot and now I feel a lot more confident about taking the exam.”

The FAMU Gospel Choir and Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences  were among other organizations seeking financial support.

Darian Burrell-Clay, student senate president, said all members of the 44th Student Senate were committed to ensuring everyone’s proposals are heard fairly.

“As members of the Student Government Association, we are all a reflection of the student body,” Burrell-Clay said. “With that in mind, it is our intention to be fair and impartial when hearing the following budget proposals.”

The Senate will vote on this week’s budget allocations next week. Allocation bills are voted on weekly, but the annual budget will be voted on in April.