GPSA President Buckner Creel isn't worried about new leadership in the student group.
"I think the GPSA will have a good president next year," he said. "I think anyone will do a good job. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses."
Today is the last day to vote for the Graduate and Professional Student Association president.
Three candidates are vying for the position.
Justin Crosby, Joseph Garcia and Blair Dunn are hoping they will be next to represent graduate and professional students at UNM.
Joseph Garcia, a third-year graduate student in Latin American Studies, said he doesn't look at the race as a competition.
"I just come from a completely different culture, a completely different perspective," he said.
Garcia helped establish Peer Mentoring for Graduates of Color at UNM. The program allows older graduate students to mentor incoming graduate students.
He said this, as well as his experience working as a Peace Corps recruiter on campus, will be useful in working with administration, applying for grants and working with students.
Creel has done an excellent job leading GPSA, Garcia said, especially in reaching out to graduate students through coffee hours in the SUB, among other things. He wants to continue that work, he said.
"I want to try to open it up and create more participation. Not to create more, but enhance it," he said.
He said he is also hoping to expand scholarship programs for graduate students.
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Matthew Petrunia, GPSA election committee chairman, said in the past, students could vote in a ballot box and online. This year, students will only be able to cast their ballot online. All they need is a valid UNM Net-ID.
Crosby and Dunn did not return phone calls or e-mails Tuesday and Wednesday.
But they submitted statements on the GPSA Web site.
According to his statement, Crosby served as an ASUNM senator for one and a half years, and vice president for one year. He has been working with GPSA on the GPSA Finance and Projects Committee and the Student Fee Review Board. He also helped represent GPSA during the Budget Summit.
"Through my plethora of experience, I understand the process to transform student needs into results," he said in his statement. "I am organized, dedicated, experienced, and I enjoy serving students."
In Dunn's statement, he encourages students to exercise their right to vote.
He said things like tuition and fee increases are directly affected by GPSA.
"It (GPSA) is a voice to the administration, including the Board of Regents," he said.
Dunn is a student at the UNM School of Law and works with a professor in Earth and Planetary Sciences, which helps him better understand the needs of graduate and professional students, according to his statement.
"I can't promise to provide chocolate milk in all the drinking fountains, but I can promise that I will roll up my sleeves and use my previous student government experience to work on issues that matter to you as Graduate and Professional Students," he said in the statement.
Garcia, 35, came to UNM in 2002. Before coming to campus, he spent 14 years working as a teacher and a Peace Corps volunteer.
Besides GPSA, Garcia is also running for District 18 State Legislature slot as a Democrat.
It doesn't matter if he wins or loses the GPSA election, Garcia said.
"If anything, I'm interested in the learning process," he said. "I'm not so interested in winning, but more the process of running. And if I win, great."
Creel said though he isn't worried about the new leader, he is worried about the transition process.
"Transition has always been one of our weaknesses," he said. "The new person coming in often doesn't know who to talk with and whatever issues student government dealt with in the past. They sometimes don't know the history."
Creel said he is implementing a training period to help transition the new president.
"I'll try to transmit as much knowledge as I can," he said.
