Graduate Employee Organization

It’s time to cast your vote for new representatives on the GEO Organizing Committee next year!

Though the official election day is Thursday, April 30, for the first time, the GEO is offering early voting in order to better accommodate our members’ schedules. Starting on Monday, April 27, GEO Members may cast their vote to elect four new members to the committee. All votes must be cast in person, due to FERPA limitations.

We have five candidates to fill four vacant seats on the committee, so every vote counts!

Check out the voting info below to make sure you’re ready to vote next week.

When can I vote?

Where can I vote?

Union Office located at Quinn 02-081(A/B/C). We’re at the end of the catwalk past the library. The GEO is located in the second cubicle.

Who can vote?

All dues-paying members are encouraged to vote. Once you get to the GEO Office, we will look you up to make sure we have a record of your membership. However, because of FERPA, we don’t always have complete records, so you may be asked to show a recent paystub showing GEO dues on it (you can find your paystubs on HR direct) or you can fill out a new dues deduction form.

How does voting work?

All votes are anonymous. After we verify your membership, you will be given a ballot with the names of the five candidates. You will also be given a reference list of the candidates with their statements so that you can review what the candidates said. In order to vote, you just need to mark up to four choices for the four open seats. Ballots that have more than four selections marked will be discarded. Then just fold your ballot and drop it in the ballot box.

When will I know who won?

The new committee members will be announced at the GEO May Day Party on Friday, May 1. The party will [officially] go from 6:30-8:30pm at Savin Bar and Kitchen. The announcement will likely take place between 7-7:15pm.

Wait, so who are the candidates?

Candidates for the GEO Organizing Committee are: April Parsons, Emily Schkeryantz, Andjela H. Kaur, Chris Whynacht, and Lisa Hanson. Read their candidate statements here.

Below are the candidates for next year’s organizing committee and their statements, listed in the order their nominations were received. Continue reading “Candidates for the 2015-2016 GEO Organizing Committee”

The Graduate Employee Organization (GEO) is holding annual elections to fill FOUR seats on the GEO Organizing Committee.

The GEO Organizing Committee is comprised of Graduate Assistants at UMass Boston. We work collaboratively to advocate for Graduate Employee rights on campus and enrichment opportunities for our members. Though one of the main functions of this position will be assisting in outreach to members and allies on campus in order to increase membership engagement, the duties are varied and are not strictly limited to outreach. Projects the Organizing Committee undertook this year include:

• Writing for and editing the Graduate Advocate, our biannual publication.
• Administering Scholarly Support Funds for students seeking funding to present at conferences.
• Planning and hosting semester parties for members and allies.
• Recruiting for and facilitating the Assembly of Stewards monthly meetings.
• Developing communications content for the website, social media, and e-newsletters.
• Collaborating with the University to address labor concerns which affect graduate employees.
• Mediating member grievances.

This position will require a commitment of 4.5 hours per week starting in the fall 2015 semester. Every member of the Organizing Committee is responsible for holding weekly office hours and attending weekly meetings of the Organizing Committee.

All GEO members are eligible for this position: both PhD and Master’s degree candidates. Candidates for this position must have at least one Graduate Assistantship on campus currently and be a full, dues-paying member of the GEO in good standing. Graduate employees who hold less than a full assistanship are eligible for ¼ assistantship upon election to the organizing committee. The ¼ assistantship includes a commensurate stipend, tuition remission, fee waiver, and healthcare reimbursement. Current graduate employees who currently hold full-time assistantships are encouraged to nominate themselves and, upon election, are eligible for hourly pay in lieu of an assistanship.

To apply, please complete the nomination form. Nominations will be accepted until midnight on Wednesday, April 15, 2015, followed by a two-week campaign period. The election will be held on Thursday, April 30, 2015 from 9am to 7pm and the winners will be announced on May 1, 2015 at the GEO May Day Party.

For more information about the GEO, please visit our website and for updates on what we’re doing, follow us on Facebook or Twitter . For questions regarding this position or the election process, please address questions to Joy Winkler.