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What is the GSC?

Every Stanford graduate student is a member of the GSC! To get involved, just come to weekly meetings (usually Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Nairobi conference room of the GCC). The GSC makes nearly all decisions by consensus, so anyone willing to share their opinion and spend some time helping will have their opinion considered.

Voting members of the GSC are elected each year in the ASSU Spring Election. The 15 voting members are chosen from all schools across campus in an attempt to represent the interests of all Stanford graduate and professional students.

  • At large (5)
  • Business
  • Earth Sciences
  • Education
  • Engineering (2)
  • Humanities
  • Social Sciences
  • Natural Sciences
  • Law
  • Medicine

The Spring elections are also a time when students have the opportunity to vote for or against special fees proposed by campus student groups. For information about running in the ASSU/GSC Spring Election, please visit the Elections Web Site.

GOALS OF THE GSC

The GSC has three core goals: advocacy, programming, and funding student groups. Every active member of the GSC should be involved in working in at least one of these areas.

10 REASONS TO GET EXCITED ABOUT GSC

Think the GSC is all talk? Here's 10 events and advocacy successes that should make you think again.

  1. Graduate Community Center
    The GSC convinced the University to build a Graduate Community Center in Escondido Village (opened in Fall 2004!) Tell me more!

  2. Your Stipend!
    Stipends have historically tended to increase more in years the GSC has actively advocated for stipend increases. Tell me more!

  3. Health Care Subsidy
    The GSC convinced the University to provide a 50% health care subsidy to TAs, RAs and CAs, and is currently working with the administration to find more solutions to ever-increasing health care costs. Tell me more!

  4. Housing & Go-Pass
    The GSC convinced the University to build nearly 500 new graduate housing spaces and to spend $4 million subsidizing off-campus graduate housing. For off-campus students, the GSC has successfully advocated for the Go-Pass three years running and we continue to work on a long-term solution.  Tell me more!

  5. Tax Help
    The GSC organizes tax seminars to help grad students untangle the often tricky tax issues surrounding stipends and fellowships. The GSC is also involved in national tax relief lobbying. Tell me more!

  6. Student Group Funding
    The GSC has funds more than 40 student groups. These funds sponsor such diverse events such as talks and seminars by a Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Ethopian artists and diplomats, and Latino artists and playwrights, Law and Public Health conferences, Ukranian egg painting, German Sommerfest, Canada Day celebrations, and multiple international film screenings. Tell me more!

  7. Thanksgiving Dinner, Welcome Party, Grad Formal, 4th of July BBQ, and more!
    Each year, the GSC organizes a free Thanksgiving dinner for up to 1750 graduate students spending this holiday at Stanford, a welcome party for thousands of new students, a Grad Formal for students from all the schools to dance together, and many other great events which help make Stanford a great place to be a grad student! Tell me more!

  8. Dinner With the President
    The GSC helps run quarterly dinners with the President and Provost to allow you to directly share your concerns with the administration. Tell me more!

  9. Grad Night at FLiCKS
    The GSC sponsors "Grad Night at FLiCKs" once each quarter: free movie, free donuts! Tell me more!

  10. EV Family Carnival & Easter Egg Hunt
    Each spring, the GSC co-sponsors the EV Family Carnival, an event full of fun things to do for kids of all ages. Parents will be glad to hear that the GSC has begun a concerted effort to provide better child care options to graduate student parents.  We are also helping to run an Easter Egg Hunt for families at the Provost's home. Tell me more!

More GSC Advocacy

MORE ABOUT THE GSC