The GSC has the power to recognize official graduate student groups at Brown — see the Recognized Student Groups page for a current list. Student groups help to bring graduate students out of labs, offices, and carrels. Official recognition enables a group to use the Brown University name, reserve rooms, and secure eye-catching promotional billboards on campus. They can also apply for an office, a bank account, and a listserve, all through the Brown Student Activities Office. The SAO also maintains a useful reference regarding student group issues — Important Things to Know as a Graduate Student Group — that you may find useful to read.

If you are interested in starting a new student group, you should have at least 10 members, of whom a majority are graduate students, faculty, or staff at Brown. We ask that at least one of the officers be a graduate student. The first step is to fill out the student group recognition form. Second is to fill it out and gather ID numbers from members of your group. Finally, send it to the VP Admin at GSC_VPAdmin@brown.edu. The final step is to come to one of the GSC meetings and give a brief presentation. We will ask you about the purpose of your group and your planned activities, and then we will vote on your recognition. Just make sure that you do not duplicate an already existing group.

You will need to renew your recognition once a year. Just fill out the same form with your updated contact information and send it in before the December meeting.

If the membership of your group is a majority undergraduate, you should apply for recognition through the Undergraduate Council of Students.