Campus organization: GSO

There are dozens of student organizations that you can be a part of as a graduate student, and you’re already a member of the biggest one: the Graduate Student Organization. As I serve on one of the committees under GSO, this is an article introducing GSO , what it does and how you can contribute if interested.

You may already be familiar with GSO because we all receive frequent emails about events, advocacy opportunities/openings, important announcements, Senate meetings and more.

In brief, GSO consists of representatives from degree-granting programs and elected officials who work for the sake of graduate students. GSO represents the population in the University Senate, the biggest decision-making body on campus. There are several ways you can engage with GSO.

First, you are technically a member of the organization and are invited to attend Senate meetings. However, you may want to sign up as a senator officially to represent your program. You can check whether your program is listed here. If you can’t see your program, you can add yours and start contributing as a senator.

GSO also has several sub committees that work for different missions. The committees include the Diversity Committee (which I’m a part of); Employment Issues Committee; Civic Engagement Committee; Student Life Committee; Academic Resources and Affairs Committee; and Outreach Committee. You can join any of these committees any time by contacting the GSO staff. I would encourage you to join if you would like to speak up, address some of the issues you see in our community and any other changes you want to see on campus. It may be almost halfway through the semester, but it’s never too late to make a small change.

Finally, even if you are not a senator or a committee member, you can still make your voice heard at Senate meetings. The GSO Senate Meeting occurs every two weeks on Wednesday at 5.30 p.m. You may join the meeting virtually and speak your mind freely. Check the meeting details here.

As of now, Yousr Dhaouadi is the president of the GSO, Daniel J. Kimmel is the vice president and Brittnee Alexis Johnson serves as the external vice president. If you have any questions about anything regarding the GSO, you can contact them or email at gsopresident@syr.edu and gsoexternalvp@syr.edu. Also, their website has information and contains previous resolutions passed if you would like to explore.

Check out the GSO website>>

During my time at GSO Diversity Committee, I was able to organize a panel discussion with my colleague on the topic of healthy rRelationships in February with a partnership from Barnes Center counselors. It was a great experience especially addressing something you care about.

I’d be happy to answer any questions if you are interested in the Diversity Committee, just reach out to the GSO email.