The Graduate Student Council (GSC) met Wednesday night to discuss its budget for next year, approve several funding requests and briefly explore strategies for convincing the graduate student body to vote for a fee increase next year.

The GSC approved funding for the Asian American Graduate Students Association, the Black Graduate Students Association and Belgica.

The GSC discussed several aspects of its budget for next year, which was presented as similar to the one in place for this year with a few modifications. Among the proposed changes was possible compensation for the co-chairs of the diversity advocacy committee. The GSC also focused on how to convince the graduate student body to bother voting on an expected request for a higher graduate student fee. Various ideas were proposed to accomplish this, including handing out cookies and eliminating alcohol funding.

The GSC also received an update on the recent Graduate Formal event — the event successfully made over $30,000 after Eventbrite fees, with about 1,200 people in attendance.

The GSC was also informed that a joint committee was possibly being set up to work on the issues of sexual assault in conjunction with the Undergraduate Senate.

Contact Caleb Smith at caleb17 ‘at’ stanford.edu.