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Senators

All about the senator roles.

Department Senators

Department Senators are student-elected representatives for their respective departments and organize events that cater to individual department needs.

Responsibilities

  • Be the point of contact for the students of their respective departments regarding nonacademic concerns
  • Attend mandatory weekly Council meetings documented by the Executive VP (with a combined maximum of 3 excused or unexcused absences each semester)
  • Be available to volunteer for or attend VGSA-wide or “signature” events
  • Vote on proposals that are raised during Council meetings
  • Assist with VGSA-wide activities, and share promotional flyers with their respective departments
  • Forward all official VGSA e-mails to the departments’ graduate-student advisors, so that the advisors can forward these e-mails to all students in their programs
  • Maintain contact with department-specific organizations, i.e., “sub-umbrella organizations” per GSG definition
  • Maintain contact with the departments’ graduate-student advisors
  • Hold at least 1 department-specific event during each semester of service
  • Hold 1 Academic/Career event and 1 event in collaboration with DEIA per year

Eligibility

  • Must be an enrolled graduate student of the department.
  • Must contest in the election held at the beginning of the semester and win majority votes.

Duration

1 academic year (if elected in fall), 1 semester (if elected in spring)

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Senators

DEIA Senators are selected by the VGSA Executive Board and aim to espouse multicultural competency through Viterbi-wide events that educate students and celebrate our diverse community. DEIA Senators are student leaders who are committed to helping address social issues on campus, want to promote greater inclusivity within our Viterbi community, and are vocal advocates against racism and discrimination.

Responsibilities

  • Attend mandatory weekly Council meetings documented by the Executive VP (with a combined maximum of 3 excused or unexcused absences each semester)
  • Work alongside the VP of Outreach to create social programming/initiatives that promote a more inclusive, safer, and/or supportive environment for all Viterbi students
  • Work alongside other DEIA Senators to establish semester and yearlong goals for the DEIA team to address as a group
  • Work alongside Department Senators to host DEIA-related events for each department
  • Be available to volunteer for or attend VGSA-wide or “signature” events a It is required to volunteer in at least one VGSA-wide signature event
  • Vote on proposals that are raised during Council meetings
  • Assist with VGSA-wide activities
  • DEIA Senators have the opportunity to nominate 1 representative to attend VASE and Deans meetings upon request, to foster better communication
    • The representative will rotate at the DEIA senators’ discretion
  • DEIA Senators are welcome to recommend potential new DEI Senators that will be considered for appointment by the EBoard to the VGSA council when transitioning from Fall to Spring
  • Maintain contact with DEIA-related sub-umbrella groups and VGSA Ambassadors
    • Host at least one event per semester in collaboration with a VGSA Ambassador represented student organization
    • Such as SHPE, NSBE, WiSE, QuEST, CGSA, AIS, etc.

Eligibility

  • Must be an enrolled graduate student from any department in Viterbi.
  • Must participate in an interview with the Executive Board of VGSA

Duration

1 academic year (if elected in fall), 1 semester (if elected in spring)