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Student Life
Brief History of Student Life Advocacy
The concept of a Graduate Community Center (GCC) -- a building dedicated exclusively for the graduate student community -- has existed since the late 1990's. Surveys taken during this time and in the early 2000's further supported the need for a GCC to improve graduate student life.
In the early 2000's a group of GSC members led by former GSC Chair and GSPB Chair Kaleb Michaud worked with Chris Griffith from the Graduate Life Office to develop program guidelines for a future GCC. At the time, the project was not funded, but a plan was put in place for a building if funding were to become available. Concerted lobbying efforts by GSC Chair Grace Chang, Deputy Chair Lisa Marin, the ASSU Executive, and grad student representatives from the Student Activity Space Committee headed by VPSA Gene Awakuni persuaded the University to make the project a priority. In April of 2003, alumnus John Arrillaga offered a substantial donation for the project, and the GSC began planning for the construction phase.
Recent Advocacy Efforts
In the summer of 2003, GSC members participated in Project Steering Committee meetings for the GCC. A major priority for the GSC was to build a functional pub space in the GCC. After some debate, the GSC agreed in September 2003 that the building should have a commercial kitchen to allow maximum flexibility in food service and choice of vendors to operate the pub. The GSC also felt that a dining operation with a commercial kitchen was more likely to be profitable. However, the administration believed that a commercial kitchen would cost too much and complicate the process of procuring a permit. At President Hennessy's urging, the GSC agreed to a non-commercial food service area that would meet the programming goals of the pub. However, the kitchen area was constructed with the infrastructure to allow for later installation of commercial equipment.
In the fall of 2003, during the lengthy permitting process, the GSC continued to discuss changes in the layout of the GCC interior. Ultimately, almost all of the changes suggested by the GSC were included in the final building design. For example, the location of the bar in the pub, the positioning of interior walls on the first floor, and the decision to locate the GSC office on the first floor office were all determined with GSC input. A kitchenette on the second floor was included to alleviate GSC concerns that students need a space in which they could prepare their own food.
On January 26, 2004, a groundbreaking ceremony was held. Through the winter of 2004, the GSC continued to provide input for the building interior. By now the GSC was well integrated into the process, and GSC members were consulted for any major building component. GSC members attended both the main Steering Committee meetings to provide input for the overall project, as well as smaller, more technical meetings to address specific building components. The GSC requested two wide doors to provide access between the pub and the first floor activity space. It also provided suggestions for the number and location of telecommunications outlets throughout the building. Importantly, the GSC stood firm on the need for a wood floor in the first floor activity space to support activities such as aerobics and dancing. The GSC also advocated for diverse types of lighting (i.e. not just fluorescent strip lighting) and furniture to enhance the atmosphere of the building interior spaces. On March 11, 2004, GSC members celebrated with a topping out ceremony where people signed the last steel beam before it was bolted into the structure.
GSC Members Who Worked on This Issue in 2003-2004
Key Issues the GSC Plans to Address in 2004-2005
The coming year will be an enormous one for the GCC! The GSC will be working hard to continue to ensure that funding and construction decisions meet the GSC's programming goals and allow for flexibility in the future. Also, a number of decisions remain to be made regarding interior decoration, hours of operation, and which vendor will operate the pub. Perhaps most importantly, the GCC will need to be actively promoted. Most graduate students do not know the purpose of this building, or even that it's under construction! The GSC will work with the administration to maximize the potential of this building to become a hub for the grad student community. That means lots of GSC-sponsored parties and happy hours to attract a crowd to the new building. Students need to know the GCC exists, and that it's a cool place to hang out!
Key Stanford Administrators on This Issue
- Graduate Life Office Director and Associate Dean: Chris Griffith (griffith)
- Vice Provost for Student Affairs: Gene Awakuni (gawakuni)
- Project Manager #1: Susan Rozakis (rozakis)
- Project Manager #2: Mark Bonino (mbonino)
Key Committees Related to This Issue
- GCC Oversight Committee (headed by Gene Awakuni)
Additional Information
- Stanford Department of Capital Planning: GCC
- "Coming soon: Graduate community center", Stanford Report, Feb. 4, 2004
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