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Nominations Ballot Coming to You!
By Paul McBreen
All students registered through the Graduate Center will soon see a form entitled “Doctoral Students Council Nominations Ballot” in the mail (cf. the miniature version printed nearby). Students will find a cover sheet explaining the ballot and directions appear on the ballot itself. All students should nominate representatives to the Doctoral Students Council (DSC), even and especially if your program is not located at the Graduate Center (Baruch or Hunter for example). Feel free to nominate yourself as your program’s DSC representative.
The students of each academic program receive their share of the student activity fee through the DSC. Too often programs—most often those located away from the Graduate Center—leave these funds unused. Last semester, for instance, the three Engineering programs at City College missed out on at least $150 each. Future engineers, elect a rep, and throw a party! We’ll help you do it.
A program must have an elected representative in order to receive its funds, which may then be spent as the students see fit (a student party, department supplies such as software or printing paper, etc.). Representatives are not horribly overburdened by involvement in the DSC. Most representatives would likely agree that the experience is enriching in many ways: meeting other students and administrators, learning about the governance at the Graduate Center, and playing a role in making policy are just a few benefits of involvement in the DSC.
Students in programs based outside the Graduate Center have typically been under-represented in the DSC and we want to change that for next year. We are hoping to have a complete slate of representatives covering every program. We want to spend every single dollar budgeted for the student programs, and this can only be done if the students seek out those funds. Are you in Business at Baruch? Chemistry at Queens? Elect a representative and reap the benefits!
You can nominate yourself to be a DSC rep for your program or someone you know to be an “at-large” rep. The latter are DSC members who represent the entire GC community. Also, the Media Board is becoming active for next year; if you are interested in matters concerning the publication in your hands, its website, and other possible media outlets for students, this is your board. The Academic Appeals and Disciplinary committees tend to be less active but certainly need students willing to serve in these capacities.
Besides the committees listed on this ballot, one may also be active in a number of committees of the Graduate Council (this is not the DSC, by the way). The Graduate Council, which is chaired by President Horowitz, desperately needs active student representatives. This is excellent experience for us as professors and administrators of the future. Furthermore, a student may choose to be involved in his or her own program’s various committees. Contact your program’s Executive Officer for further information.
The DSC will be also be following up on the Student Involvement Questionnaires, which were included in this semester’s registration packets. Visit the DSC website for this form http://dsc.gc.cuny.edu and for all other information regarding your student governing council.