Student groups registered with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences may only consist of members who are GSAS students or postdocs.

Members

Officers are responsible for maintaining a complete, up-to-date roster of members on the Yale Connect portal for their student organization.

Membership Criteria:

Any student organization that receives university resources must be equally open to all GSAS students and Postdocs.

Student organization membership ordinarily continues for the duration of a student’s time at Yale. Organizations may choose to have shorter durations (membership per semester or year, for example); this must be made clear to all prospective and current members.

Membership may not be restricted based on personal characteristics, beliefs, or behaviors outside the organization’s core functions. This is true even for organizations which focus on a specific issue or identity. Membership may, however, be restricted to students who support the core goals of the student organization. For example, “Yale Women for Forest Preservation” must be open to people of all gender identities willing to work for the involvement of women in protecting forests.

Student organizations that require specific skills may restrict their membership through a structured audition process open to all GSAS students and Postdocs. The standards used to select members must be related to the needs of the organization, and public announcements about auditions or competitions should be made to ensure that interested students are informed about the opportunities to be considered for membership in the organization. The information must be outlined clearly in the organization’s constitution and must include a timeline of the process. The criteria must be skills based and operate in accordance with Yale’s non-discrimination policy.