The Graduate Employees and Students Association (GESO) is a democratically-run and membership-based organization that advocates for graduate students and graduate teachers at Yale.
How does GESO work?
The way the organization works is pretty straightforward.
Every week, hundreds of graduate students get together, one-on-one or in groups, over coffee or outside their lab, and talk about the issues that are affecting them and how best collectively to work together to solve them.
Every member has an organizer, another graduate student who is responsible for bringing information to that member, and bringing issues raised by the member back to the other organizers in the department. Any GESO member can become an organizer and everyone is encouraged to become one.
Every department has an "OC" (organizing committee) of graduate students and teachers that meets once a week to decide the issues and strategies to pursue in their department. These OC's are the heart-and-soul of GESO's leadership structure.
At least once a semester, the entire membership of GESO meets on campus to vote on the organization budget, elect officers, discuss issues, and decide upon GESO's strategies. Click here to meet the current elected officers.
To learn more about the detailed structure of GESO, consult the Membership Handbook.
The purpose of being a member of GESO is to have more say, not less, over your work at the university. The membership decides all major issues addressed and actions taken by the organization. For example, the membership voted in 1998 to release a petition -- signed by a majority of graduate students -- which asked for a negotiated contract governing teaching and health care. That summer, the Graduate School announced free health care for all PhD students.
Because this is a democratic organization, the membership always has final say over the direction of GESO, and over any potentially controversial issues. All things considered, GESO is more transparent and more democratic than (dare we say it?) Yale University is or ever will be.
How can I stay informed with GESO throughout the semester?
First and foremost, talk talk talk to your organizer! But don't just do that . . . you can also check this web site regularly, read the GESO Voice, come to actions, visit your departmental OC, and attend each semester's membership meeting.
There is a geso email list that is open to all GESO members and GESO alums. It sends out about 5 emails per week: press stories of interest to GESO, announcements of upcoming events, or news from other graduate teacher unions. Send an email if you want to be subscribed to geso-list. Be sure to include your own email address!
GESO publishes The GESO Voice, which is delivered to your on-campus mailbox and offers updates on our local activities as well as national news of particular interest to graduate students. You can help out in the production of the Voice by contacting David Sanders.
For More Information, consult:
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You may contact us by email |
This page was last updated on: April 4, 2000 |
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Graduate Employees and Students Organization |
http://www.geso.org |
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