The Texas A&M Graduate Student Council (GSC) said at its meeting Tuesday that it would support Wednesday’s diversity march.
The Rally and March for Diversity is being held by the Faculty Committed to an Inclusive Campus (FCIC) to promote diversity on campus.
The Student Government Association (SGA) withdrew its support for the rally based on opposition to the FCIC’s stance on methods of obtaining diversity.
Josh Peschel, GSC president and a graduate student in biological and agricultural engineering, said the GSC is respectful of the SGA’s decision, but desires to maintain support for the spirit of diversity that is being encouraged by the march.
“By passing the resolution, the GSC has officially voiced its support for the spirit of the march as a body,” Peschel said.
Matt Wilkins, a legislative affairs chair and a graduate student in aerospace engineering, said GSC was formed to better represent A&M’s graduate students in student affairs, so diversity is an important issue.
“The diversity in this body is very pronounced with people from different countries, different parts of the country and with lots of different perspectives,” he said.
The diversity march will be held Wednesday from 2 to 5 p.m. at Rudder Fountain Plaza. James Anderson, vice president for diversity, will speak at 3 p.m., and the march will begin at 3:15 p.m.
“It is important for students to understand and support the idea of diversification and to get faculty and students to understand the importance of diversity,” said Eberhard Laepple, GSC vice president and a doctoral students in architecture. “People have biases because they aren’t informed, and information helps people make good decisions.”
Topics of discussion at the GSC meeting also included the lack of opportunities for graduate students to get involved in extracurricular activities and receive scholarships and awards.
The meeting ended with the appointment of a subcommittee to look into possibilities for awards and scholarships for graduate students.