The Graduate Student Open Alliance

image credit: pokpok313

The Graduate Open Alliance: Informational Meeting Friday at 5:30

Dear Fellow Graduate Students,

I am excited to announce that graduate students of the College of Charleston will be hosting an informational meeting about a new organization on campus designed for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Questioning (GLBTQ) Graduate Students, as well as Straight students who support them: The Graduate Open Alliance.

Many of you may be aware of the Gay-Straight Alliance that exists for our undergraduates. Our organization differs from theirs in several ways. Being designed primarily for graduate students, we plan to discuss issues particularly pertinent to the grad student population on campus. Topics will include equality in the workplace, GLBTQ healthcare and legal issues, balancing work, school, and relationships,  and fostering a supportive climate for GLBTQ Grad Students and their allies on campus. Because of this, attending Open Alliance meetings will be helpful not only if you’re GLBTQ or a straight ally, it will also be helpful to you if you’re interested in learning about issues of diversity and inclusion in general. Of course, we will also seek to create social networking events that cater to the professional and personal needs of grad students. To put it simply, we will endeavor to foster an open environment on campus that fully reflects the wonderfully diverse spectrum of our graduate student population.

In order to create an agenda for the organization, we’d like to hear your ideas about what kind of topics you’d like us to discuss, and what kind of social events you’d find beneficial. So, we’re hosting a meeting for everyone to learn more about the organization and to generate some ideas for possible future involvement.  The meeting will be on Friday, March 26 in Stern Center Room 409 from 5:30-6:30 PM.

We’d love to have you attend and share your input. If you have any questions, or if you can’t make the meeting but would still like to be involved, please contact Adam Johnson at johnsonap@cofc.edu.

I look forward to seeing you all there.

Best Wishes,
Adam Johnson
Candidate – M.A. in English