Who we are

Our three senators serve as liaisons between the Columbia University Senate and GSAS graduate students. They represent the three divisions of GSAS departments: humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. In addition to attending monthly Senate meetings, they also provide updates and take questions at the monthly ASGC plenary meetings. Senators typically serve 2-year terms, and elections are held for the upcoming academic year’s senators in April.

The Columbia University Senate is a university-wide policy–making body representing faculty, researchers, students, administration, administrative staff, librarians, and alumni. The Senate makes policy on a range of issues that affect the entire university, including those pertaining to general faculty and student affairs as well as those matters falling under the jurisdiction of Senate committees.  More information here (external link).

GSAS Humanities Student Senator Seat

Mike Ford (Music Department)

My key focus during my senate term will be on labor relations. The increasing action of the union will very likely lead to strikes in the coming academic year. In response to the straining relationships among faculty and students, I am committed to advocating for open and actionable discussion within the senate. I will represent the graduate student body on the general consensus on union matters and create spaces in which listening is encouraged and progress is made. Furthermore, I plan to destabilize the stigma surrounding leaving academia by providing both faculty and students with the appropriate career resources. Considering the dismal state of the academic job market and its adverse effects on graduate students’ physical and mental health, I will promote awareness of alt-ac and non-ac job options, alleviating some of the job-market pressure that we all feel. My leadership experience and skills from GSAC and prior student representation would undoubtedly serve me well in my position as senator.

GSAS Pure Sciences Student Senator Seat

Andrew Hsu (Chemistry Department)

My name is Andrew Hsu, and I am a Chemistry PhD student running to be your GSAS Pure Sciences Senator for this upcoming school year. Over the past two years, I am proud to have been your graduate student council representative and vice president during a time of transition (from GSAC to ASGC) as well as to have been one of the organizers and funders of FestiFall. If I am elected to the University Senate, I will continue to strive for greater representation and unity for graduate and professional students. This includes working with the various student councils that make up our constituency (ASGC, GSO, PhD Council, etc.), the GSAS and University administration, and the Graduate Workers Union. Columbia has a lot of bureaucratic red tape, and I believe I now have the institutional knowledge to be able to effectively serve as your Senator. I will work hard to serve as an advocate for all graduate students at Columbia. Let us continue to strengthen and unify Columbia together!

GSAS Social Sciences Student Senator Seat

Sally Xing (History Department)

My name is Sally Chengji Xing and I am an Americanist in the history department (bio link here). I have previously worked as student of color coordinator at History Department and served as historian for SoCA group at GSAS. I wish to work to give more representation to student of color groups as well as international students at Columbia. As a GSAS Senator, I will work to benefit the interests of these underrepresented groups and communicate them with resources available at GSAS. I am particularly concerned with the university housing arrangements for students of color, the rights of international students to have parental leave, and last but not least, career resources available for underrepresented groups to find positions in the competitive academic job market. I wish, through continuous efforts, to make Columbia community a supportive learning environment for people from every corner of the world, and eliminate discrimination and barrier of all sorts.

Department Representatives are the active members in the Arts and Sciences Graduate Council and represent all students from their department/program. They are the bulk of our meeting attendees and possess voting rights for proposals such as changes to the constitution, approving new student groups, and determining certain policy and event decisions. They are determined at our first plenary meeting  in September.

To remain in good standing with the Council – and thereby remain eligible for our funding and Travel Grants – departments must have an active departmental representative. To be active, a representative must be registered with ASGC and attend monthly meetings (or appoint a proxy in case of absence). Up to one meeting may be missed within an academic year for a department to still be considered in good standing. Department Representatives are required to join an Operating Committee and volunteer for at least one ASGC event per year.

List of Department Representatives