Affordability issues, administrator-graduate-student communication and academic expectations across graduate programs were some of the primary concerns shared by attendees at the annual Ivy+ Summit, which brings together graduate student representatives from every Ivy League school and other elite universities.
At their November general body meeting, Brown’s Graduate Student Council discussed takeaways from the Ivy+ Summit, fears about federal immigration enforcement and Title IX.
According to Brown’s debrief slides from the Ivy+ Summit, Brown was the only institution at the conference that provides consistent funding for all Ph.D. students. In addition, their student stipend is among the higher ones.
Affordable housing came up as another cross-institutional challenge. According to the meeting slides, almost all institutions are seeing a pricing out of graduate students at housing options close to campus, necessitating they live farther away. Brown has some housing options closer to campus like River House Apartments.
Alumni relations programs and graduate-specific spaces were factors that varied a considerable amount across universities. The meeting slides pointed out the strength of Harvard’s alumni network, noting that Harvard’s graduate student building was funded by alums.
Other universities, like Columbia, directly fund graduate-only spaces, while the graduate representatives at the University of Chicago are currently in conversation with administration to develop a similar project.
But according to GSC President Kevin LoGiudice ScM’21 GS, Brown’s GSC has one of the most productive relationships with administrators. Brown’s GSC has regular full-body meetings and frequent interaction with the administration, he said.
Students at the conference also discussed general campus concerns surrounding immigration policy and recent federal attacks on higher education.
“Students across all institutions are fearful due to the heightened immigration policies… as well as increased media presence on campus and overall scrutiny,” said Tvisha Shah GS, the GSC chair of international advocacy.
The White House did not immediately respond to The Herald’s request for comment.
Participating universities also shared experiences with their respective Title IX offices in the wake of the Jane Doe lawsuit at Cornell.
LoGiudice also shared updates from the GSC’s meeting with the Brown Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — in October.
Noa Saviano is a senior staff writer covering Graduate Schools and Students. She is a sophomore from New York City and plans on concentrating in Comparative Literature and Cognitive Science.
