WHEREAS, Housing, transportation, and family services were identified in the 2013 Graduate and Professional Community Initiative (GPCI) as major topics important to the graduate and professional student community; and

WHEREAS, Those three topics intersect importantly when considering Hasbrouck and Maplewood graduate residences, which combined have a capacity of 732 beds, and house the vast majority of graduate and professional students living on campus, 12% of the total population; and

WHEREAS, Hasbrouck and Maplewood provide critical housing options for international students and student families; and

WHEREAS, Hasbrouck and Maplewood have each established a strong sense of community among the graduate and professional student residents; and

WHEREAS, As part of the GPCI process the GPSA worked with Campus Life and the Graduate School to hold a focus group at both Hasbrouck and Maplewood where a number of issues in housing, transportation, and family services were identified; and

WHEREAS, The availability of parking for child care providers, visiting family members, social workers, tutors, and other visitors was identified as a need at Hasbrouck and Maplewood; and

WHEREAS, Maplewood complex will close in the near future and is currently without a replacement plan; and

WHEREAS, The GPSA has developed strong partnerships and working relationships with units in the administration that address the three topics; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the GPSA calls upon the administration to recognize the interconnectedness of housing, transportation, and family services at Hasbrouck and Maplewood.

RESOLVED, That Campus Life prioritize housing allocations that give preference to international students with families and domestic students with families.

RESOLVED, That Campus Life gather input from graduate and professional students with families about how well the facilities, services, and programs provided at Hasbrouck and Maplewood currently serve students with families.

RESOLVED, That Campus Life then utilize that input to consider changes to facilities, services, and programs for the resident community.

RESOLVED, That Campus Life, Transportation Services, and the GPSA work together on considering parking costs at graduate and professional residences.

RESOLVED, That Transportation Services should, as soon as possible, provide free parking for visitors, including service providers, and make that availability known to residents.

RESOLVED, That Student and Academic Services think comprehensively about providing a solution for the imminent closing of Maplewood as a housing option for nearly 400 potential graduate or professional students.

RESOLVED, That Student and Academic Services gather input from current residents in Maplewood about the closing of the complex and how the University can assist future potential tenants who find university-run housing beneficial.

RESOLVED, That Transportation Services should work with the GPSA to advise TCAT about continuing to improve the public transit service that serves graduate and professional students living in Hasbrouck and Maplewood.

RESOLVED, That the University should appoint a qualified graduate or professional student who is a TCAT rider to fill one of the three allocated positions for Cornell on the TCAT Board of Directors.

RESOLVED, That this resolution be sent to David Skorton, President; Susan H. Murphy, Vice President for Student and Academic Services; Marty Rauker, Assistant Vice President for Student and Academic Services; Linda Majani, Graduate Residence Manager for Hasbrouck; Barnaby Knoll, Graduate Residence Manager for Maplewood; KyuJung Whang, Vice President for Facilities Services; Joe Lalley, Director of Facilities Operations; Janna Lamey, Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Life.

Respectfully Submitted,

Mitch Paine
President, GPSA

Jon DeCastro
Field Representative, Mechanical Engineering