Purpose
The purpose of this advisory group is to act as a bridge between graduate students and the Faculty of Medicine Graduate and Postdoctoral Education (GPE) Office and to provide a platform to bring forth student voices. The group will:
- Advise the Associate Dean and GPE Office team on matters relating to the quality of student services and improvements to the quality of academic life for students in Faculty of Medicine graduate programs.
- Provide insight and understanding of the solutions to the issues perceived by students as arising in Faculty of Medicine graduate programs to enhance the student experience.
- Suggest areas of improvement from a student experience perspective.
- Act as a bridge to foster communication and collaboration amongst graduate programs at the student level.
Key function
- Meet 3-4 times per year to discuss issues directly related to graduate students, as well as to develop graduate student-focused initiatives;
- On occasion, serve as graduate student representatives on other committees within the Faculty of Medicine, and/or on scholarship adjudication committees;
- Oversee peer adjudication for Faculty of Medicine-wide trainee events (e.g. Building the Future: Faculty of Medicine Research Trainee Day & Lecture Series, Spring Research Showcase).
Membership composition
This advisory council is made up of ex officio and appointed student members from each graduate program under the Faculty of Medicine. The student members must hold a position of a representative in their respective graduate program student committee or association. In instances where there is no program-level graduate program student committee or association, a student delegate may be assigned. The call for membership will be sent during late summer or the beginning of fall.
Ex officio:
- Associate Dean, Graduate & Postdoctoral Education (Chair)
- Manager, Graduate & Postdoctoral Education
- Graduate Student Wellbeing Coordinator
- Administrative Coordinator, Graduate & Postdoctoral Education
Appointed:
- Audiology and Speech Sciences
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cell and Developmental Biology
- Experimental Medicine
- Interdisciplinary Oncology
- MD/PhD Program
- Medical Genetics
- Neuroscience
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics
- Population and Public Health Programs (at least 2)
- Rehabilitation Sciences
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences
- Surgery
- Women+ and Children’s Health Sciences
Terms and responsibilities
Advisory Group members are either representative of graduate program student association/executive committees or a student delegate. Appointed members from graduate programs typically serve for one year, with the ability to renew their position.
- The Groups members would be expected to devote the required time to the role, as outlined in the ‘Key Function’s section above.
- Members are expected to engage and contribute to discussions at the Group meetings and other relevant activities.
- Members are expected to act as representatives of the student body and to reflect the views of students.
- Members are expected to feedback to and seek views from their own networks.
Proceedings
- The Group will most likely meet once per quarter or three times a year.
- Meetings will be held virtually unless there is a need for the Group to meet face-to-face.
- Meeting agendas will be set and agreed upon and members will have the opportunity to submit items for discussion.
Contact
If you have any questions about the Faculty of Medicine Graduate Student Advisory Group, please contact us at med.gradpostdoc@ubc.ca.