What Does COGS Do?

COGS was created by the 45th Senate in the 1993-1994 academic year to represent the interests of all graduate and professional students in issues pertaining to grad life, services, & academics. COGS works to ensure greatest participation by grad students in governance of and policy development for FSU.

In this capacity, we provide an offi cial voice through which the opinions of grad students may be expressed. Usually expressed by COGS via Resolutions voted on by Assembly in our bi-monthly meetings. Finally, each year SGA provides COGS with a budget; it is a portion of Activities & Service (A&S) fees paid by all grad students (30% of A&S fees). Our responsibility to manage COGS funds and to allocate as we see fi t to best benefi t grad students across campus.

The COGS Advisor assists the Congress with better understanding SGA Statues, COGS Code, university policy, and best practices for outreach, collaboration, and advocacy. The COGS Advisor is also a great resource for learning about resources on campus and how to know about organizational programming process. The advisor is also a great person to ask questions about what you are working on in committees! An excellent practice is to Cc the advisor anytime you are reaching out to someone out of the Congress when conducting COGS business. They can support you with your goals!

Seats in the Congress of Graduate Students for colleges are determined by the enrollment of each college (one seat per every two-hundred ninety nine (299 students) or advocacy seats.

1 Applied Studies 6 Arts & Sciences 3 Business 3 Communication & Information 1 Criminology 4 Education 1 Engineering 1 Film School: Motion Picture Arts 2 Fine Arts: Visual, Performing, etc 1 Human Sciences 3 College of Law 2 College of Medicine 2 Music 1 Nursing 3 Social Sciences 2 Social Work 1 Panama City Campus Representative 1 Special/Undecided 1 International Student Advocate 1 Disabilities Advocate 1 Graduate Housing Advocate 1 Minority Student Advocate 1 Veterans Advocate 1 LGBTQ+ Student Advocate 1 Member at Large

COGS has fi ve committees, four that meet throughout the congress, and one that only meets during the budget process. Each committee is designed to tackle specifi c concerns/interests related to the graduate student community. All COGS representatives must belong to one of the four committees that meets throughout the year.

Student Advocacy Committee Focuses on the following areas: • Graduate Student pay and funding • Childcare • Relations with the Graduate Assistants Union • Diversity on Campus • Healthcare

Student Affairs Committee Focuses on the following: • Academics& Honor Policy • Parking & Transportation • Housing and Dining • Library • Health & Wellness • Social & Community Planning Internal Affairs Committee • COGS Monthly Newsletter • Updates to the Website • Membership & Outreach • Oversight of expenditures • Train new COGS members • Maintain attendance records

Budget Committee

Allocated COGS budget to organizations & Funding boards

C-SAC Meets to hear Allocation’s Request less than $1000 for the academic year.