The Office of Graduate Studies is developing a Graduate Student Council—a student representative body to improve communication among students, the graduate administrative staff, and graduate program facilitators. We envision the Council providing feedback concerning student satisfaction and advice concerning future graduate education policies and practices so that university-wide improvements may be implemented. We view the Council as an advisory board, rather than a legislative body. Graduate Studies would facilitate the Council and direct the meetings.

We envision representation from a broad range of graduate programs including at least four students from each of the five colleges, preferably from different programs. Each college would be represented by two senior graduate students with at least one year of graduate school experience and two more junior students that would move into the more senior role in a subsequent year. The Council would meet quarterly, the second Wednesday in the months of September, November, January, and March, during the lunch hour. Graduate Studies would provide lunch for council members. Beyond involvement in the bimonthly meetings, we anticipate demands on council members’ time as slight. Council members will be encouraged to maintain an ongoing dialogue with other students in their discipline and college.  We plan to officially kickoff this initiative in September 2010.

Students are currently being nominated by program leaders, but if you are interested in representing your program, please let us know and if there is an opening or need for your area, we will contact you.