Learn more about how international students can get involved with GSG.
Story by: Leah Haynesworth
Getting involved in a university’s extracurricular activities can be intimidating for any new student. The Graduate Student Government (GSG) wants to make it easy for all students to get involved by providing great opportunities for international students to attend social events, develop their leadership skills, and connect with international and domestic students alike.
Besides the elected GSG positions for the Senate and Executive Board, all graduate and professional students have the opportunity to serve on committees within the GSG. “Committees serve as focus groups for graduate students, help with creating special interest programming, and provide recommendations for advocacy initiatives,” said GSG vice president Joanie Evans.
Evans serves as Committee Chair of the International Student Concerns (ISC) Committee, which meets biweekly to discuss topics related to international student life, including safety, sense of community and belonging at USC, and American culture. This academic year, the ISC seeks to provide a safe space for international students to raise concerns; identify common issues for international students at USC; and forge relationships and understanding between international and domestic students.
The GSG offers several social events throughout the academic year for all graduate and professional students, including cocktail hours and movie nights. These events “help introduce students to everything that L.A. has to offer. They also offer a platform to meet students from other disciplines,” said Ayesha Bhatia, the GSG Director of the Health Sciences Campus. “My advice to incoming graduate students would be to get involved…to nurture your interests outside of academics, meet new people and maximize your USC experience,” she added.
The GSG represents the over 22,000 graduate and professional students who attend USC. GSG advocates for student interests, provides a voice for the student community, and informs the USC graduate community of its rights, resources, and opportunities.
To learn more about GSG, please check out its website or Facebook page. Contact Joanie Evans for more information about the ISC Committee.
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Leah Haynesworth, Communications Editor, is a first year student in the Master of Public Administration program and is from Montclair, New Jersey.