The Doctoral Students' Council is the sole policy-making body representing students in doctoral and master's programs at the Graduate Center.

The Doctoral Students Council is located in the Robert E. Gilleece Student Center on the fifth floor. The main office is Room 5495; telephone: 212.817.7888 or 212.817.7845; email: dsc@cunydsc.org.

The Doctoral Students' Council and its officers are charged with representing student interests before the administration and external bodies.

In addition to informal and ongoing communications, the DSC officers meet with members of Graduate Center administration to report activities and exchange information.

Students may have issues presented by their DSC representatives or the DSC Executive Committee before the Doctoral Students' Council, or can personally address the Council by requesting to be put on the DSC agenda for an upcoming meeting. This may, in turn, result in discussion or actions taken within the DSC or between the DSC and the administration.

The DSC members also act as advocates for graduate student interests at the Board of Trustees, University Student Senate, University Faculty Senate, New York State Assembly, the Mayor's Office, and with Graduate Center administration.

Mission Statement

The mission of the DSC is to foster a sense of community among graduate students; reflect and encourage the expression of their diversity; develop reciprocal channels of communication among graduate students, undergraduates, faculty, staff, and the administration of the Graduate Center; generate a space of discussion on Graduate Center issues; project the students' voice in Graduate Center affairs; and provide students with valuable resources for advancing their professional careers and enjoying their personal time. The DSC is especially proud of and shares CUNY's historic mission of providing access to higher education to low-income communities and communities of color in New York City and the nation.

Representation

Each program has representatives to the Council who are elected on a proportional basis according to the number of students enrolled in the program. In addition, At-Large Representatives are elected from the student body as a whole.

A listing of DSC Program Representatives and At-Large Representatives is available. The DSC election for representatives is held in April. Nominees are solicited from and voted for within each discipline in February. The newly elected council elects Executive Officers and At-Large Steering Officers members at the May meeting. (No more than three officers shall be from the same program.) For more information on elections, click here.

All officers, representatives, and committee members serve from July 1 to June 30 of the academic year.