Welcome to Stony Brook!  Now that most of us are settled into the semester, I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself to those of you who may not know me, and more importantly, may not know what I can do for you.  Those of you who attended the orientation for new graduate students or encountered problems early in the semester have heard from me already.  For the rest, I want to be sure that you know the essentials of what the Graduate Student does, and how to contact me in the event you need to do so. 

WHAT THE ADVOCATE DOES:

Like the Ombuds Office, the GSA exists to help you resolve problems you encounter during your time at Stony Brook.  In many situations, you might only need more information or some help finding and contacting the appropriate people within the University. Since navigating this bureaucracy can be overwhelming at times-especially for graduate students, who already have more than enough pressures on them-this office was created to ensure that graduate student’s needs are specifically addressed. 

WHEN YOU SHOULD CONTACT ME:

Anytime you have a serious problem or concern that you don’t know how to handle.  It is always best to start close to home, talking first to your advisor, graduate secretary or support staff, graduate program director, or department chair.  In most cases, they will be in the best position to resolve your problems quickly and efficiently, especially since they should be more familiar with the specific procedures of your department or program.  When this is not possible or if you are unsure of how to proceed, you should not hesitate to contact me.  Anything we discuss will be confidential unless you tell me otherwise. 

Typical kinds of problems in the past have included: conflicts with faculty advisors, health insurance problems, housing problems (on and off-campus), cases of discrimination, questions of academic standing, and problems with funding or other work-related issues.  Note that the latter, with the exception of matters affecting Research Assistants, are always the jurisdiction of the Graduate Student Employees Union (GSEU), and not matters in which I can get involved.  If you are not certain about this, feel free to check with me. 

WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU:

• Explain university policies and procedures
• Advise you of the best courses of action and help in pursuing them
• Refer you to the person best able to address your concern and arrange a meeting with you
• If necessary, intercede on your behalf or mediate for you if appropriate
• Recommend specific changes to the university so that problem areas can be corrected for the future

WHERE TO FIND ME:

The Graduate School
Computer Science Building 2401 (up the stairs at the main entrance and to the right)
Hours:
M & W 12:50 to 4:50
T 11:00 to 2:00
TH 8:30 to 12:30
F 12:00 to 5:00

Phone 631.632.1947
Email: susana.huidobro@stonybrook.edu 

Email is generally the best and quickest way to reach me, but you are welcome to drop by my office in the Graduate School.  I spend a lot of time in meetings, so it is safest to set up an appointment in advance if possible, but this is not essential.  

I hope that you won’t encounter any serious problems during the course of your studies at Stony Brook, but if you do, please don’t hesitate to contact me.


Sincerely, 

Susana Huidobro, GSA 2007-08