Advocacy Committee

Current Chair 2020-2021: Brianna Jackson (brianna.jackson@yale.edu)

Mission

The Advocacy Committee works to resolve issues facing the graduate and professional student population by serving as a liaison between the student population and the administration, faculty, and various officers at Yale. The Student Advocate serves as the Chair of the Advocacy Committee.

Current issues

The issues currently being addressed by the Advocacy Committee include, but are not limited to, security, transit, healthcare, dental insurance, student housing, and graduate student inclusion. Please visit the following pages for more details on the following advocacy issues:

  • Transit

    Improving Yale Transit

    Fighting to get UPASS for Graduate and Professional Students [Ongoing]

  • Dental and Eye Plans

    Negotiating quality Dental and Eye Care Programs

    More info about our efforts here.

  • Mental Health

    Advocating for Graduate Access to Mental Health Programs

    More about the Mental Health and Counseling Advisory Committee here

  • Title IX and Sexual Misconduct

    Creation of the Graduate and Professional Student Title IX Committee

    More about our efforts to advance causes concomitant with Title IX here

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT AN ISSUE TO THE ADVOCACY COMMITTEE

Recent Accomplishments

  • Worked with administrators to create a central reservation system for lactation rooms.
  • Successful advocacy with GSA for the creation of the University-Wide Advocacy Committee on Graduate and Professional Student Housing.
  • Worked with Yale Transit to create a shuttle line to Trader Joes on weekends.
  • Successful advocacy for the creation of the Graduate and Professional Student Title IX Committee.
  • Creation and administration of the Senate Dental and Vision Plan.
  • Participation in the Yale Health Plan's Student Coverage Task Force with a particular focus on mental health issues.
  • Collaboration with Yale Transit to adjust bus routes based on student needs. Specifically, members of the advocacy committee have worked to reduce transit time to East Rock and to re-direct bus routes around construction sites with the least disruption to students.
  • Successfully campaigned for increased security in East Rock and along the York Street corridor (around the Crown Street area) resulting in increased lighting and a security booth being placed at the latter site.

Reports

    There are no documents.