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| Plant Bio. Dept. | Events | Graduate Students | Seminars | FAQ | Officers | Meeting Minutes | Photos | Links |
What is the Plant Biology GSO? GSO stands for graduate student organization. The name pretty much says it all; if you are a graduate student in Plant Biology, then you are a member of the GSO (whether you realize it or not).
What does the GSO do? First and foremost, the GSO gives grad students a voice in the Plant Biology department and the university. The department communicates directly with us on any issues concerning graduate students and invites graduate student membership to a number of important committees (for example: faculty meetings, hiring committees, etc.). It also gives us an avenue to communicate with university-wide entities (for example: the graduate employee union). It’s also a great way to get to know some of your fellow grad students.
When does the GSO meet? Meetings are generally the first Wednesday of every month at noon (though the very first meeting of the fall is a week earlier). We will always meet in the grad student lounge (room 240 in PBL).
There’s a grad student lounge? Yeah. The GSO convinced the department two years ago that we needed some common space. After a bit of cleaning, painting, and furnishing, the room is now ready for grad student use. The room is on the second floor of the Plant Bio building (room 240), and is reserved exclusively for us. See Jan McGowan in the office, and she can give you a key.
If I come to one meeting, will I have to come to more? The great thing about the GSO is that it’s completely voluntary. We appreciate any and all involvement, from the person who attends every meeting, to the person who can only make it once in awhile. We’re all busy, and some semesters are better than others. If you can fit it in to your schedule, we would really appreciate your participation. If you can’t make it to the meetings, make sure to read the meeting minutes that our GSO secretary will send out via email. If you have any comments about issues raised during the meeting, please email me anytime. The more opinions I hear from grad students, the better I can represent you.