Prepared by:
Brian M. Forster: GPSA At Large Rep., Student Advocacy Committee Chair 2008–2009
Briony Horgan: GPSA Physical Science Rep., Student Advocacy Committee Member 2008–2009

Part I. Purpose
The Graduate & Professional Student Assembly (GPSA) Student Advocacy Committee works to act on issues of finances, stipend levels, mental health and physical health, child care and the general well being of all graduate and professional students. The Student Advocacy Committee works in consultation with other relevant student and Cornell assembly committees and other interested parties.

Part II. History
The Student Advocacy Committee was established in June 2008 to replace the GPSA Pay & Benefits committee. As stated in the GPSA Charter, “The Student Advocacy Committee [is] charged with investigating the needs and desires of graduate and professional students regarding issues and concerns relating to their finances, mental and physical health, and general well being. These issues shall include but are not limited to stipend levels, health insurance coverage, child care, mental health. The Student Advocacy Committee will work in consultation with other relevant committees and interested parties.”

Part III. Members
Any graduate student is eligible to apply to become a member of the GPSA Student Advocacy Committee. Applicants will be reviewed & staffed by the GPSA Operations & Staffing committee. In addition, any graduate student who serves on the following university committees whose focus follows the Student Advocacy Committee will be appointed as ex-officio members. These committees shall include, but are not limited to:
- Board on University Health Care Services
- Joint Assembly Financial Aid Review
- University Assembly Transportation Advisory
- Family Services
- President’s Council for Alcohol & Other Drugs
- Child Care Subcommittee
- President’s Council on Mental Health & Welfare.

Ex-officio appointments to the Student Advocacy Committee will be made with consent from the currently sitting GPSA Operations & Staffing committee. Once the committee is staffed, the Student Advocacy Committee chair is charged with contacting all appropriate administrative offices and is expected to maintain regular contact throughout the year.

Part IV. Committee Meetings
The Student Advocacy Committee will meet once per month during the months of September, October, November, December, February, March, and April. The Student Advocacy Committee will schedule additional meetings as necessary. All committee members are expected to attend these meetings unless informed otherwise. After the committee chair approves the minutes for each meeting, the minutes will be sent to the GPSA Vice President of Operations, who may then distribute the minutes to all members of the GPSA. All meeting agendas and minutes will be posted to the GPSA Student Advocacy Committee Website, where they will be made available to the Cornell community. Depending on issues at hand, representatives from administrative offices may be invited to come.

Part V. Town Hall Meetings
In order to be more fully aware of the current issues being faced by the graduate and professional student community, the Student Advocacy Committee will hold a town-hall meeting at least once per year, or more often, as deemed necessary by the committee. It will be advertised to the graduate and professional student community via the GPSA representatives, the GPSA-INFO, and the Graduate School Announcements email. These meetings will be set-up with the assistance of the GPSA Events Committee. The Student Advocacy Committee will be responsible for the food and beverages at these meetings. Funding for this event will come solely from the Student Advocacy committee budget. The meetings will have 2 goals:

(1) To provide a brief overview of current and past advocacy activities of the GPSA and the Student Advocacy Committee
(2) To gather information and anecdotes on current problems facing the graduate student community

Prior to the meeting, the GPSA Student Advocacy committee will survey the graduate and professional student population as to what issues should be presented. Following these meetings, the Student Advocacy Committee will meet with the GPSA Executive Board, Deans of the graduate school and any other administrative office, as appropriate to present the results.