The Graduate and Professional Students Association, or GPSA, discussed Registered Student Organization budgets, prospects of a Student Media fee and Housing and Dining concerns at its meeting Monday night.

Regarding funding for RSOs, President Shane Reynolds said GPSA will accept applications twice a year and will fund any organization that is more than half graduate and professional students. There are a number of requirements on the application, Reynolds said, and the discussion was if GPSA should increase the allotment of money, which is $30,000 a year, or change funding distribution policies.

Senators did not vote on a proposed change and will discuss the matter further at their next meeting.

One of the topics brought up during open floor discussions was a Student Media fee for professional and graduate students. Attendees spoke out and had conflicting responses concerning the fee, which would help fund The Daily Evergreen. One attendee said fees like this should not be put on students’ backs, but another argued an important outlet for student voices is something worth keeping.

Leigh Gaskin, a Student Media Board member, said The Daily Evergreen tried several ways to cut down its budget, but it still was not enough to fund the publication. She said they tried to reduce employees’ pay, modify wages and cut out travel.

Representatives from Housing and Dining Services spoke at the meeting as well. Terry Boston, associate vice president of Operations and Finance; Bob Tattershall, director of Housing and Conference Services; and Gary Coyle, director of Dining Services, opened the floor for concerns from the graduate and professional students.

Sen. Sayonsom Chanda, who represents the College of Engineering and Architecture, asked if there were any plans in the future to expand the number of houses to accommodate for graduate students. Chanda said the university will need more graduate students doing more research to meet WSU President Kirk Schulz’s “Drive to 25.”

A lack of housing facilities for an increasing population, he said, could impact Schulz’s top-25 goal.

“It is very important for the housing to align its vision with the larger vision of the university and expand housing accommodations,” Chanda said.

Boston said the university’s financial situation meant it was not in a position to expand housing.

GPSA also planned to re-write the budget for the 2018-19 academic year, as well as the bylaws, which will be updated and released to the senators in the coming weeks.