Welcome to the GSAC Website
The Graduate Student Advisory Council (GSAC) is a student government organization at Columbia University. Our membership consists of student-elected departmental representatives from the 61 PhD and 26 MA programs of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
GSAC has two critical roles. First, we facilitate communication between graduate students and administrators. We believe that graduate student concerns -- housing, campus and study space, computer services, health care, stipends -- are interconnected. Taken as a whole, these issues affect our standard of living and our academic lives, influencing our ability to fulfill teaching and research duties.
Second, we sponsor social, cultural, and academic events, as well as workshops to improve the quality of life for graduate students. Our events offer students from different departments the chance to socialize and learn from each other. The frequency and variety of events we sponsor point to our strength as an organization: we create a network of resources for graduate students within the university.
New Advertising and Newsletters
The weekly GSAC newsletter will be sent to all GSAS students every Monday. We invite any recognized group to include advertisements about group events in the newsletter. Email all info to GSAC@columbia.edu by Friday afternoon.
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences has been publishing since July 2011 109Low, an online newsletter for current graduate students, faculty, and staff. We ask that you forward to us notices of upcoming events, conferences, deadlines, calls for papers and proposals, interesting news items, etc., that you may wish to either advertise or announce to the general graduate university community. Please include any links to a website that may provide the fullest information on the event.
In addition, GSAS has inaugurated an online magazine for alumni titled Superscript, which you may see here . If you think of any specific student or departmental development that may provide material to be featured in the pages of this magazine please let us know about that as well.
You may send any such notices to: gsaseditor@columbia.edu
New Finance Committee Seeking Members
The GSAC is now accepting applications for the Finance Committee, with positions effective Jan 17, 2012 (first GSAC plenary meeting for 2012). The GSAC is searching for 6 individuals to serve with the Budget & Financial Chair. Applications (PDF) from candidates will contain a statement detailing their department and expected year of graduation, top priorities for their Finance Committee placement, relevant experiences (if any), and resume/CV.
Finance Committee Priorities and Responsibilities:
Nominations are due Jan. 23 at 11:59PM. Please direct questions to ac3236@columbia.edu, Subject: Finance Committee Opening.
Arts4Grads
Arts & Entertainment is thrilled to annouce the launch of the new arts website: Arts4Grads.com. The interactive site aims to connect Columbia Graduate Students through the Arts. Check it out and stay updated on events and activities.
GSAC steering committee is now announcing the 2011-2012 Faculty Mentoring Award.
Please see the Faculty Mentoring Award page for more info.
Graduate Student Center Report
GSAC and the University Senate wrote a document to propose an interim Graduate Student Center. Download the GSC report here.
The Committee on Campus Planning and Physical Development of the University Senate investigated a proposed interim Graduate Student Center within the boundaries of its mandate. The Committee found that an interim Graduate Student Center would be aligned with and would measurably advance Columbia University s institutional mission to expand an interdisciplinary approach to teaching, research, and scholarship. Faculty who are strongly identified with graduate education broadly and enthusiastically endorsed such a center, noting that it would promote and cultivate the sense of academic community that is a critical component of a comprehensive graduate education. The conspicuous lack of such a center at Columbia, as compared with our peers, places the University at a competitive disadvantage.
On September 24 the University Senate passed a resolution of the "Sense of the Senate" that supports the recommendation for a graduate student center. Download the resolution here.
In January, Dean Alonso announced an ehancement package which included funding for an interim graduate student center. Click here for the Spectator article.
News & Sponsored Events
See our calendar for the date and time of our next meeting, and to check the dates on our next social or arts & entertainment event.
Spring 2012 General Meetings
Our meetings are held in Lerner hall at 7pm and are open to all GSAS students. More info such as minutes from past meetings and future meeting agendas can be found here
