Funding

The DSC currently provides the following types of funding, supported in whole or in part by student activity fees:

Chartered Organization Allocations

Each active Chartered Organization is eligible for an allocation of $300 each semester. In order to be considered as active, an organization must have a current signature roster and activities report on file; contact the Co-Chair for Student Affairs for more information.

Cultural Affairs Grants

Cultural Affairs Grants are intended to support cultural events organized by Graduate Center students. The event must be open—though not restricted to—all Graduate Center students. The grants may fund a wide range of projects, including student-organized conferences, lectures, or publications.

Professional Development Grants

Professional Development Grants are intended to support professional development and research activities organized by Graduate Center students. It is open to all Graduate Center students. The grants may fund a wide range of projects, including student-organized conferences, publications, and workshops on aspects of professional development.

Program Allocations

Each semester, the DSC allocates funds to programs with representation during that semester. Program Representatives (after consulting with their constituencies) can spend these monies on anything that benefits students in their program. For example, program allocations can be spent on food and beverages for a party, to buy a microwave, a journal subscription, hold a mini-conference, etc. Only Program Representatives can authorize program allocation expenditures; faculty and administrators do not have access to these funds.

Travel & Research Grants

Student travel and research funds are provided by the DSC and the administration, which make available limited stipends for:

  • registration and/or travel expenses for presentations at professional conferences
  • research-related travel costs and travel costs for attending professional conferences
  • costs for research materials and dissertation-related expenses such as typing and duplicating (personal computers and printers are not included).

These stipends are administered by the Office of Student Affairs.

Regulations on the Use of Student Activity Fees

The Bylaws of the Board of Trustees §16.2 restricts the use of student activity funds to:

  • Extracurricular educational programs
  • Cultural and social activities
  • Recreational and athletic programs
  • Student government
  • Publications and other media
  • Assistance to registered student organizations
  • Community service programs
  • Enhancement of the college and university environment
  • Transportation, administration and insurance related to the implementation of these activities
  • Student services to supplement or add to those provided by the university
  • Stipends to student leaders

No DSC program or affiliate may use DSC funding for purposes other than these.

Managing Funding from Non-DSC or Multiple Sources

Grant applicants, Chartered Organization leaders, and Program Representatives may wish to solicit non-DSC funding for events and other projects. There are two ways such funding may be managed:

  1. For donations coming from outside the Graduate Center, the contributor may write a check payable to 'CUNY GSUC DSC' for deposit with the Co-Chair for Business. The organizer should request (in advance) that the Steering Committee (provisionally) allocate discretionary funds in amounts equal to any deposited contributions toward the grant, Chartered Organization, or program.
  2. For donations coming from within the Graduate Center, organizers are advised to present the contributor with receipts equal to the proposed contribution, for reimbursement to the payee. The GC Finance Office will not issue checks to any program, center, or organization without supporting documentation, so it is not possible to simply transfer funds from the contributor's account to the DSC. Receipts cannot be used more than once and cannot be split across separate check requests, so organizers should plan purchases carefully. As a convenience, organizers may want to purchase gift cards and present receipts from the cards to the contributor(s) for reimbursement.