As SU backs Graduate School Advisory Council, SGA calls for GSO support
The new Graduate School Advisory Council aims to ensure student perspectives influence the graduate experience. At the Feb. 10 SGA meeting, the university moved to allocate the graduate student activity fee through the GSAC. Charlie Hynes | Staff Photographer
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Since Syracuse University deregistered its Graduate Student Organization last summer, members of student government and administration have sought alternative ways to represent graduate students.
While SU’s Student Government Association introduced a resolution Feb. 10 that “emphasizes support” for graduate students to receive university support, the university has moved to allocating the graduate student activity fee through its new Graduate School Advisory Council.
SU established the council late last semester to bring together graduate student representatives from each school, Graduate School Dean Peter Vanable wrote in a statement to The Daily Orange. The council is intended to maintain a liaison between students and Vanable. This ensures that student perspectives can still influence the “graduate experience,” according to SU’s website.
Representatives for GSAC are selected through a nomination and review process, with the inaugural members chosen late last fall, Vanable wrote in a statement to The D.O.
The council identifies priorities for the student activity fee, provides feedback to graduate school programs and raises awareness of issues affecting graduate students. The council held its first meeting in January and helps allocate the graduate student activity fee.
“Its role is consultative, but its influence is significant—including providing input on academic policies, community-building initiatives, and ways to enhance the overall graduate student experience, including professional and career development support,” Vanable wrote in the statement.
In the December University Senate meeting, the Student Life Committee presented a resolution that would allow GSO to have a “supervised process of mediation.” Vanable said in the meeting that GSO leadership was previously advised against independence, and that the graduate school has been “very thoughtful” with administering the student activity fee since the summer. In January, Provost Lois Agnew said SU would pursue a “new start” in graduate student support, beginning a new process to consult with students across the university.
SGA’s resolution followed the December mediation process resolution passed in USen. SGA Speaker Pro-Tempore Max Lachut, who presented the resolution at the Feb. 10 meeting, said the “biggest issue” with GSAC is how much money is in the hands of the university rather than graduate students themselves.
For over 50 years, the Graduate Student Organization has served as the recognized representative body for graduate students at Syracuse University, playing a critical role in shared governance alongside SGA and the Student Bar Association.
The resolution reaffirms the Assembly’s commitment to democratic student representation and the principles of shared governance within the university community.
“We haven’t really been given a timeline. This was essentially just some additional pressure on the university, because we do support our graduate student counterparts and their right to shared governance,” Lachut said. “Right now, they have no means by which they’re able to do that. And that’s essentially why this all transpired.”
GSO President Roger Rosena said GSAC was introduced in an email in the fall, yet it still remains unclear who is part of the advisory council or what its status is.
Ethan Jackson, GSO director of external affairs, said he applied to the council but never received any communication regarding a rejection or acceptance. The council minimizes graduate students’ ability to help their classmates through rules that limit their chances to gain expertise, Allison Hellman, GSO comptroller, said.
“There are term limits,” Hellman said. “But it’s not like the GSO where someone could really fully understand the needs of graduate students.”
SGA sent their resolution to Agnew last week to be reviewed for next steps.
