Statement from Current and Previous COGS Presidents Regarding the Board of Trustees and President Stanley
Please read the full statement here.
Please read the full statement here.
RHS has posted this handy Covid Protocols info sheet. For complete information on MSU policies and resources around the pandemic, please visit: https://msu.edu/together-we-will/
You can access the module by logging in at abilitylms.msu.edu with your MSU NetID, navigating to the My Requirements tab, and clicking on “DEI Foundations.”
Protecting the health and safety of MSU students, faculty, staff and visitors requires the cooperation of all members of the community, not only through personal compliance with the MSU Community Compact, but to encourage others to comply. We can get through this Spartans! Together We Will!
In their October 14, 2020 full council meeting, The Council of Graduate Students (COGS) passed, by unanimous vote, a statement condemning the proposed DHS F/J Visas Policy. The statement was unanimously approved by the COGS Full Council in response to the proposed rule: “Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media” (Federal Register Number 2020-20845). It will be submitted as a public comment and distributed to the MSU congressional delegation.
COGS encourages MSU graduate and professional students to submit their own public comment at https://beta.regulations.gov/document/ICEB-2019-0006-0001 by the October 25, 2020 deadline.
You can see a pdf of the full COGS statement HERE.
September 17 is National Constitution Day ! The MSUvote Campus Coalition invites you to join us for a special event. We are hosting a Viewing and Discussion Event on September 17 at 6pm. Participants will view the film 13th together and participate in a post-viewing discussion. Dr. Mieka Smart, Assistant Professor in the College of Human Medicine will serve as the discussion facilitator. To learn more about Dr. Smart, view her bio here: Dr. Mieka Smart
Netflix describes 13th as a thought provoking documentary (where) scholars, activists and politicians analyze the criminalization of African Americans and the US prison boom.”
This event is open to students and community members.
MSUvote is your on-campus, non-partisan information source for elections. We are calling on Spartans far and wide to register to vote this election season, to educate yourselves on the issues that will affect you and your communities, and participate in local, state, and federal elections.
Looking to connect with other students? Want to join a student organization? Want to start a new registered student organization? Graduate and Professional students have many opportunities to engage. Start your search here: Involve@State
July 14, 2020:
President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D. issued the following statement after learning of the federal government’s decision to rescind its July 6 Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP) directive:
“This is welcome news for all international students who come to our country to study at our colleges and universities. We appreciate the federal government’s heeding the call of the hundreds of institutions of higher education throughout our country. MSU will continue to advocate on behalf of our international students, who are an essential part of our Spartan community.”
As we approach the school year, MSU is planning to welcome more Spartans back to campus. Safety is our highest priority and we are working hard to support an engaged and connected experience for all. This website provides the latest information on planning and preparation. Success will take all of us working together.
You can learn more on the MSU Together We Will website, recently redeveloped to make it easier for you to find the information and updates you need.
The Council of Graduate Students is the authorized student government on campus representing all graduate/professional students at Michigan State University. Our mission is to promote the academic, social, and economic goals of graduate and professional students.
Chittenden Hall
466 W. Circle Dr., Room 120
East Lansing, MI. 48824
517-353-9189
office@cogs.msu.edu
Monday-Friday 9am – 5pm
Available any weekday via email or by appointment.
We are also available to meet via zoom!
EMAIL: office@cogs.msu.edu
WINTER BREAK: The COGS Office will be (physically) closed from December 19-January 6th. And closed January 9th and 10th.
You may reach us via email during that time: office@cogs.msu.edu
We couldn’t do it without you! Visit: https://cogs.msu.edu/fall-welcome-events/
Watch for new events HERE
HURRY! PRE-REGISTER BY MARCH 6TH TO RESERVE YOUR WORKSHOPS/ACTIVITIES! VISIT: COGS.MSU.EDU/GAC/
For details on all events, visit: https://inclusion.msu.edu/awards/mlk-commemorative-celebration/mlk-calendar.html
This site will be undergoing planned maintenance between 11 p.m. on Thursday, June 30 and 1 a.m. on Friday, July 1, 2022. During this time, access to this site may be disrupted.
All students are encouraged to visit www.studentelections.msu.edu to cast a ballot.
The following tax collection and major governing organizations will be conducting a tax referendum during the Spring 2022 Semester.
On March 16th, 2022, the Council of Graduate Students Full Council affirmatively voted to amend Article IV, Sections 6.3 and 6.4 of the COGS Constitution. In accordance with the COGS Constitution, changes to the Constitution must move to referendum and be voted on by the graduate and professional student body.
COGS is seeking to eliminate language from the Constitution that states COGS Officers shall not receive compensation. COGS Officer positions require many hours of unpaid labor that is important to providing academic, economic, and social support resources to graduate and professional students. COGS would like to ensure that there are ample, competitive candidates for each position, and to do so will require allowing individuals holding Officer positions to be compensated for their work. In the 2021-2021 student election, all Officer positions ran unopposed, and the President position remained vacant for a month after elections before being filled while also being unopposed. In the past year alone, 3 Officers have resigned citing lack of ability to pursue the level of commitment required for the positions.
Approval of the amendment to Section 6.3 will eliminate the stipulation that Officers of COGS shall not be provided compensation. Approval of the amendment to Section 6.4 would allow for Officers of COGS to receive compensation in a manner that shall be outlined in the COGS by-laws.
Polls will be open on Monday, April 4 at 8 a.m. and closed on Sunday, April 10 at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time).
The annual Thanksgiving Day Unity Dinner, organized by the Office of Cultural & Academic Transitions, is being held on Thursday, Nov. 25 from noon-2 p.m. This event provides a free Thanksgiving meal to all MSU students who remain on campus during the holiday. Student registration and volunteer signup can be found online at ocat.msu.edu/thanksgiving-unity-dinner-2.
Graduate & Professional Students –
You may have received an email from Dean Jeitschko or from another office on campus related to the completion on the Vaccine Verification form. We want to remind you that all students, faculty and staff need to complete the Vaccine Verification Form. This means all students – even if they have requested and/or been approved for an exception. Additionally, the form needs to be completed by students who are entirely online. For students, not completing the form will result in them being referred to the student conduct system to commence discipline. This process will commence very soon. Please help to spread this crucial information to your peers. Thank you!
New and returning graduate and professional students: Come on out to the COGS Fall Welcome Celebration on Saturday, August 28th! Following the virtual Graduate School Orientation and Resource Fair from 9am-Noon EST, close your computer, feel free to grab a friend or bring your family, and come out to celebrate new beginnings with us on campus in Benefactors Plaza (in back of Chittenden Hall). More details and updates posted here: COGS Fall Welcome Celebration.
In advance of fall break, MSU is offering free, voluntary saliva-based departure screening and testing Nov. 15-22 for on- and off-campus students, as well as faculty and staff. MSU strongly encourages students, faculty and staff who are traveling to sign up on the program registration link.
Please note this is not a diagnostic test, so you will receive a recommendation to seek clinical confirmation testing if COVID-19 is detected in your sample.
Due to limited lab capacity, testing dates may fill up, so please sign up as soon as possible.
Remember, any form of testing reflects your COVID-19 status at the time your sample was collected. That’s why it’s vital to stay vigilant and continue to practice safe behaviors, such as:
Visit: https://msu.edu/together-we-will/testing-reporting/departure-program-faq.html for more information on how to participate.
Know your rights as an MSU student – visit https://ombud.msu.edu