Graduate Student Life

1. Graduate Student Life

2. In this presentation…
• Graduate Student Organization (GSO)
• Graduate Employee Unions for TAs, RAs, and GAs
• Graduate Student Advocate
• Ombuds Office
• Other Student Life

3. The
Graduate
Student
Organization
(GSO):
The Graduate Student Organization:
• GSO Senate
• Graduate Student Clubs
• Resource Access Project (RAP)
• Distinguished Travel Award
• Graduate Student Emergency Loan Fund
• Social Events
• Other Student Funding Opportunities

4. Graduate Student Organization:
• A governing body of graduate students.
• Made up of representatives from every department.
• Consists of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Student run
senate.
• GSO runs on a $45 student activity fee.
• Pays for social events, visiting speakers, department based events, and travel
grants.
• Has an emergency loan fund, legal clinics, a tax clinic.
• Link to the request form for funding can be found here.

5. Graduate Student Organization: Senate
Senators are elected
from each
department.
Monthly meetings
discussing general
graduate school
concerns and
initiatives.
All graduate students
are invited to attend
meetings and bring
up any concerns or
ideas about the
GSO.

6. Graduate Student Organization: Clubs
GSO gives annual
funding to clubs.
Want to create a
club? Have
enough students
who show interest
in it? New clubs
can be registered
at the SAC to
receive funding!

7. Graduate Student Organization:
Resource Access Project
GSO’s largest
program.
Rewards up to
$500/year to pay for
conference fees
and travel costs.
Non-competitive.
First come, first
served.
You can apply once
per year for every
year you present at
a conference.
Can be found under
“Funding” > “Forms
and Instructions” on
the GSO website.

8. Graduate Student Organization:
Distinguished Travel Award
Competitive award.
Awards up to $1,500
per student to
present their work at
a distinguished
conference.
Can be applied to
every 6 months:
July-December &
January-June.
Application is
evaluated by a
committee of faculty
and GSO officers.
NOT limited to major
research. Art
displays at galleries
and other exhibitions
are also eligible.
Can also be found
under “Funding” >
“Forms and
Instructions” under
GSO website.

9. Graduate Student Organization:
Emergency Fund (G-Self)
Provides a short term
bridge loan to students
who experience a
sudden need of financial
support due to an
emergency.
G-Self loan: Interest free,
up to $2,000.
Apply for the loan under
“Funding” > “Forms and
Instructions” on the GSO
website.

10. Graduate Student Organization:
GSO office: SAC
2nd Floor, 227.

11. Are you passionate about being involved
in the GSO?
Run for a senate position
Contact officers
Find out about events
Get involved!

12. Graduate
Employee
Unions:
GEU consist of:
• Department Mobilizer
• RA Union
• Union Membership

13. Graduate Employee Unions
Under CWA
1104
Represents all
Graduate Assistants
and Teaching
Assistants across NY
State (NYS).
They defend,
expand, and
maintain rights of
employees (pay
rights, salary level
benefits, and
protection).
Negotiate
employee
contracts with
NYS.
These
contracts
determine
pay right,
raises,
benefits.
2% dues
deduction on
every pay
check.
Funds the
Graduate
Student
Employee
Union
(GSEU).
Elected body
All leadership
and
representatives
are elected by
members.
Contracts are
voted on by
members.

14. Graduate Employee Unions: Department
Mobilizer
One representative
from each
department.
Attends GSEU
meetings and brings
issues and concerns
of GAs and TAs to
GSEUs attention.

15. Graduate Employee Unions: RA Union
Made up of division
coordinators who
represent each
research division.
Attends meetings and
brings up
issues/concerns.
Represents Research
Assistants on campus.
• Made history in 2010 by
becoming the first and only
union for research
assistants in the country!
Negotiates contract
with SUNY Research
Foundation.
RA Union Operates
with 2% deduction
from paycheck.
Operated by CWA
Local 1104.

16. Graduate Employee
Unions: Union
Membership for TAs
and GAs
• It is important to sign your union
card!
• This allows you to be an active
member and contribute to union
decisions.
• Can be obtained from department
mobilizer, your division coordinator, or
Union Representatives Andrew
Dobbyn
at andrew.dobbyn@stonybrook.edu
and/or Caroline Propersi-Grossman at
caroline.propersi@stonybrook.edu

17. Graduate
Student
Advocate:
• A new advocate is chosen every year.
• Helps resolve problems you encounter
throughout your study.
• Can provide information about who you may
need to get in contact with, location of offices,
etc.
• Provides guidance for solving issues on
campus.
• Helps you find answers to questions your
advisor or program director could not answer.
• Office located in The Graduate School within
(Old) Computer Science, 2nd level, room 2401.
• Find out more about the Graduate Student
Advocate here.

18. Ombuds
Office
• Safe space that provides an opportunity for
members of the University to put their concerns
out on the table openly and clearly with complete
privacy.
• Confidential resource – no one will know that
you have visited the ombudsman unless they fear
that harm may come to either you or anyone else.
• Independent, informal, & impartial: They will
hear and respectfully consider your concerns and
feelings but you can be assured that you will
receive an impartial opinion to help you make
good, grounded, and balanced decisions for
yourself and whatever it is you are trying to
address productively.
• Functions outside of all University
administration and management functions on
the campus.

19. Ombuds Office cont.
• Acts as an alternative resource for anyone in the university community
who wants to pursue concerns or conflicts they may be having at work
or in their academic career.
• Can help give you perspective and understanding about procedures
before pursuing an issue.
• In cases of pursuing formal processes of the University such as an
academic judiciary hearing.
• Can assist with potentially sensitive problems.
• Such as how to properly approach someone, for instance an
advisor, faculty member, or other professional colleague about an
issue.
• Does not take the place of a formal judicial process and you cannot
trade an academic judiciary hearing for an Ombud’s hearing.

20. Reasons to Contact the Ombuds Office:
Policy and procedural issues
Interpersonal conflict with peer, advisor, or colleague
Intellectual property or authorship concerns
Supervisory concern
Disciplinary matters
Discrimination
Harassment
Safety concerns
Evaluation concerns
Other workplace or academic related concerns

21. Ombuds Office
• Officers will meet with you personally or talk with you over the phone.
• No detailed communication is conducted over email because of the need for
confidentiality.
• Serves all members of the university including administrators, faculty, staff, and
both undergraduate and graduate students in all programs.
• https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/ombuds/contact.php
West Campus Location: Psychology B Building Room 137 (directly
behind Psychology A, across Humanities)
East Campus Location: Health Science Center
Confidential telephone: (631) 632-9200
Ombudsman: Donna Buehler
Donna.buehler@stonybrook.edu

22. Other Student Life
• Campus Dining Services
• Commuter Student Services
• Faculty Student Association
• Arts & Culture
• Athletics
• Event Calendar
• Recreation
• Staller Center for the Arts
• Bike Share
• Maps
• Child Care Services
• SB Alerts
• Transportation and parking
• Bookstore

23. 23
!
You have successfully completed New Student
Orientation. Feel free to continue to use these slides
as reference throughout your study.
Welcome to Stony Brook University!