If you’re interested in Graduate Student life, expanding your service portfolio, or representing your department, please contact the GSS membership officer, Laura Miller, or your departmental Senator for more information.

Graduate Student Committees

Executive
Committee


  • President - Laura Miller (lauraatc@udel.edu)
  • Vice-President - George Szczepanski (gszcz@udel.edu)
  • Membership Officer - Hudaa Neetoo (hudaa@udel.edu)
  • Secretary - Maria Bellumori (mariab@udel.edu)
  • Description:
    The Executive Committee consists of the four elected GSS officers. Together, they are responsible for the general operation of the Senate, including setting meeting dates and running general meetings, administering the GSS Constitution, meeting regularly with the Office of Graduate Studies and representing the Senate to the University. Although each officer has well-defined individual duties, officers frequently consult the other members of the Executive Committee in carrying out his or her responsibilities.

Organization
Committee

  • Chairperson - Laura Miller (lauraatc@udel.edu)
  • Description:
    The Organization Committee, one of the standing committees of the GSS, responsible for all matters concerning the internal structure and procedures of the Senate. The main function of this committee is to maintain the GSS Constitution and address any potential needs for revision and amendment. All proposed amendments brought to the GSS must first be reviewed by the Organization Committee before they can be voted on by the Senate. The committee is made up of all members of the Executive Committee along with general members of the Senate.

Communications
Committee

  • Chairperson - Timothy Miller (millerti@udel.edu)
  • Description:
    The main project of the Communications Committee is the weekly email, What’s Happening, which is a compilation of low-cost and free events in and around the Newark area that might interest graduate students in particular. All are welcome to sign up for the for email and to date, more than 500 students, faculty, staff and residents have done so. Other tasks and current projects include updating the GSS Website, keeping GSS aware and active in new communication tools such as Facebook, and creating ways to gather and assess the graduate community through tools like personalized online survey systems.

Diversity
Committee

  • Chairperson -  TBD
  • Description:

Events
Committee

  • Chairperson - Jen Owlett (owlett@udel.edu)
  • Description:
    The events committee is responsible for planning, organizing, and running the major GSS events including the fall Graduate Student Day, and last spring's Green Energy Colloquium. This committee also ran a food and toy drive for the holiday season.

Campus Issues
Committee

  • Co-Chairperson - TBD
  • Description:
    This committee mainly deals with issues involving graduate student life that are not already dealt with amongst the other Senate committees. The committee’s purpose is to organize and focus the efforts amongst the University Community to most effectively approach campus issues. Some of the current campus issues include:
    • Graduate Student Fees and Participation in Student Organizations
    • The policy which disburses student loan after the drop/add period
    • The short supply of available graduate student housing
    • The absence of baby changing station in appropriate university buildings

Health Care
Committee

  • Chairperson - Daniel Orozco (dorozco@udel.edu) 
  • Description:
    It is the mission of the University of Delaware Graduate Student Senate Health Care Committee to assist graduate students in improving the understanding of their rights, benefits, and responsibilities associated with the health insurance plans offered through the University. Students may approach either their department/program senator, or directly contact the Committee to address concerns/questions regarding health insurance. After reviewing and prioritizing concerns, the Committee will present the issue(s) to the Senate and discuss possible action. The Committee will draw upon all necessary resources to resolve these issues, including working closely with the Office of Graduate Studies and Student Health Services if the Committee or Senate is unable to achieve a resolution on its own. Updates will be available in the GSS monthly minutes and will be reported to graduate students via their Senator. If a department is without a Senator, students will be updated via a member of the Committee.

Social
Committee

  • Chairperson - Kirsten Hirneisen (khirneis@udel.edu)  
  • Description:
    Graduate school is different for everyone depending on their age, major, degree, full or part time student status, lifestyle, family situation, and country/state of origin just to name a few reasons. Because of this, it is important to have a sense of community among UD graduate students in a way that is wholly inclusive and engenders an atmosphere of belonging. The goal of the social committee is to provide UD graduate students with a sense of community, and to create an atmosphere where networking and socializing among all graduate students from across campus is possible. We aim to provide graduate student happy hour events at local establishments, as well as schedule alternative social events that can bring the graduate student body together. Currently the social committee is working on a bowling event during the Winter Session as well as the next happy hour event in February.

Sustainability
Committee

  • Co-Chairperson - TBD
  • Description:
    This committee is dedicated to improving recycling at the University. We've partnered with Students for the Environment to actively assess the recycling situation in each University building. The committee's research will inform President Harker's Sustainability Task Force as we work together to find sustainable solutions for the University of Delaware.