The Student Voice, November 2008 | Teachers College Columbia University

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The Student Voice, November 2008

Time to Get With the Program Being a Student Senate Program Ambassador won't cut into your schedule
A vast majority of TC students have at least one thing in common—graduate school keeps us busy. However you are dividing your schedule between classes and work—particularly if, like more than a few people around here, you’re doing both full time—you probably have come to a new appreciation of the word “exhausted.”

Yet if you’re civically-minded (and who at Teachers College isn’t?), you might wish you could also get involved in improving your academic program. Now the Student Senate has an opportunity for you to do so that requires only a minimal amount of your time.

Each departmental Student Advisory Group now includes program ambassadors who work closely with their respective Student Senate department representative on improving academic advising, faculty mentorship of students, peer-to-peer mentorship and more.

It is our goal to have at least one doctoral student and one master’s student per program serve on each departmental Student Advisory Group. That’s important because—although our department representatives are excellent and have great working relationships with the department chairs—the Student Senate reps would like to hear directly from students themselves. The reps will then share concerns and issues with the Student Senate, which, in turn, will bring them before the administration for action.

There are other benefits to being a program ambassador. Suppose you have an idea but aren’t sure you have time to follow through on it, or if it’s something better left to a Senate committee to implement. You can vet it with the Senate, and we’ll figure out the best way to make it happen.

The first Student Senate meeting of each month will be preceded by a monthly Student Forum, where you can raise issues and concerns with your department representatives. The Forums for the fall semester are scheduled for Friday, November 7 and Friday, December 5, both from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. While program ambassadors are strongly encouraged to be present, all students are welcome to come and voice their concerns.

The full list of Student Senate department representatives can be found on the Student Senate Web site (www.tc.edu/senate). Any student who has an idea, a complaint, or just a curiosity about life at TC should attend the monthly Forums.

Sure, we’re all busy—but didn’t we come to TC to make our voices heard?

 For more information on the Student Senate, visit www.tc.edu/senate.

Published Monday, Nov. 10, 2008
Ricco Wright Student's Voice

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