SCampus Student Guidebook

Student Activities

Student Governance

The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) and the Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) are recognized by the university administration as the official voices of the student body. These groups are representative student-elected bodies offering campus programs, a forum to deal with campus issues and an opportunity for students to become involved in the university community.

Undergraduate Student Government

Advisor: Enrique Trujillo
Administrative Assistant: Jakita Morgan
(213) 740-5620
Student Union 106
usg.usc.edu

The Undergraduate Student Government serves the undergraduate students at USC through advocacy, programming and funding. Recent projects include the re-evaluation and improvement of meal plans, guaranteeing student seating for football games and working toward extending hours for USC’s most utilized facilities.

Legislative Branch

The legislative branch consists of 12 elected senators who represent three constituencies: greek, commuter and residential. The legislative body approves programming fee allocations and advocates on behalf of the student body.

Executive Branch

The executive branch of the Undergraduate Student Government is responsible for advocacy-related work and programming, the election and recruitment of individuals for the senate, public relations, and the allocation of funds to student organizations.

Judicial Council

Made up of seven associate justices and one chief justice, this council serves as the judicial body of the Undergraduate Student Government. The council has the jurisdiction to rule on all USG constitutional and bylaw petitions.

Program Board

(213) 740-5656
Student Union B-7
www-scf.usc.edu/~prgbrd

The Program Board is responsible for student-produced campus-wide programming. It consists of committees, which are responsible for entertainment, social and intellectual programming, and assemblies, which serve as umbrella organizations to member organizations and enhance thought and diversity within the campus community.

Campus-wide Events Committees

Concerts, performing arts, special events, speakers and Trojan Pride.

Assemblies

Academic Culture Assembly; Asian Pacific American Student Assembly; Black Student Assembly; International Students’ Assembly; Latina/o Student Assembly; Women’s Student Assembly; Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Assembly; and the Political Student Assembly.

Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS)

Administrative Assistant: Cynthia Brass
(213) 740-5649
Hazel and Stanley Hall, First Floor
www.usc.edu/gpss

The GPSS mission is to enhance the USC graduate and professional student experience by serving as the “FACE” of the student community. To accomplish this, GPSS is responsible for the following:

• Funding: GPSS manages graduate and professional student resources efficiently.
• Advocacy: GPSS provides a voice for the graduate and professional student community.
• Community: The organization builds a graduate and professional community through interdisciplinary exchanges.
• Education: GPSS informs graduate and professional students about their rights, resources and opportunities.

Elected officers, senators (department and school representatives) and special interest committees tackle issues specific to graduate and professional students and provide venues for interaction beyond the academic realm. An executive board of 11 officers is elected every spring by the GPSS senators. The board oversees the daily operations of GPSS and works closely with the Senate to promote graduate and professional student interests within the USC administration and academic departments.

GPSS senators are elected by their peers in their particular academic department or school and meet monthly to address issues and concerns of the graduate and professional student population. GPSS works closely with university officials to enhance graduate and professional student life.

The Senate’s committees are made up of student volunteers and committee chairs are elected within the committees. They provide GPSS with special interest programming as well as the research and recommendations behind various advocacy initiatives. Students participate in GPSS and university committees, meet with administration and faculty to discuss issues of joint importance and call upon the expertise of the professionals who serve the students in the administration. By establishing and maintaining these close ties, GPSS is better able to meet the needs of graduate and professional students.

University Residential Student Community (URSC)

(213) 740-6467
Student Union 200
www.ursctrojans.org

Elected representatives of residential student government serve as a voice for residential students in the university’s decision-making process. They also provide campus-wide programming to enhance the residential living environment. URSC is particularly adept at addressing concerns that affect students who live in university housing.

Building Governments

A representative student government exists in all the residential communities. These are affiliated with URSC and advised by Residential Education staff.

Greek Council

Office of Fraternity and Sorority Leadership Development
www.usc.edu/student-affairs/greeklife
(213) 740-2080
Student Union 200

USC has six student-run greek councils, each serving as a coordinating and oversight body for their respective constituents. The councils are made up of representatives from each of the constituent chapters and new officers are elected yearly.

The six councils include the Asian Greek Council, Interfraternity Council, Multicultural Greek Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, Independent Greek Council and the Panhellenic Council.

Each of these councils works to ensure the strength and growth of the chapters they represent. Additionally, the councils plan and implement programs and events designed to enhance the experience of all students, especially those who participate in fraternity and sorority life.

For more information, contact the Office for Fraternity and Sorority Leadership Development at www.usc.edu/student-affairs/greeklife or (213) 740-2080.

Recreation Club Council

USC Recreational Sports
(213) 740-5127
(213) 740-9739 (FAX)
Lyon University Center
www.usc.edu/recsports

The Recreation Club Council (RCC) is a collective organization of more than 54 club teams recognized by Recreational Sports and the Office of Campus Activities. The RCC is dedicated to serving the athletic needs of students, faculty and staff by offering sporting opportunities typically not available through existing academic, recreational, intramural and/or varsity programming.

The mission of the RCC is to allow the university community an opportunity to pursue sporting passions they brought to USC and to discover new ones. The primary focus is to provide stability, guidance, leadership and continuity to all new and returning clubs. In doing so, the RCC builds shared experiences and relationships with other members who have a similar excitement for sport.

The RCC is the governing body of all club sport teams and recreational clubs. Each club designates a club leader to represent the club at monthly RCC meetings. Some of the club sports include: badminton, climbing, cricket, ballroom dance, equestrian, fencing, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, volleyball, table tennis, polo, racquetball, rowing, ski and snowboard, women’s fast pitch softball, surfing and tennis.

Club sports maintain membership during the fall and spring semesters only. Membership fees and application periods vary from club to club. Most club teams compete in the spring semester with the fall semester dedicated to strength training and conditioning. Many clubs maintain a portion of the membership for basic instruction and recreation (not competition) throughout the year. Fencing, chess, dance, golf, archery, badminton, tennis and racquetball are just a few of the clubs that welcome new members throughout the season.

A list of sport club teams is available online at www.usc.edu/recsports. For additional information, contact Brendan Gail (bgail@usc.edu), or call (213) 740-5551.

University Committees

These committees are established to address issues that affect the entire university. The student governments recommend student representatives to these committees, which include academic policies and procedures, budget advisory, international education, student affairs, undergraduate curriculum, university convocations, graduate and professional studies and several others.

Besides providing channels to express and advocate student concerns, the student governance bodies provide an excellent opportunity for students to develop leadership skills and gain valuable experience.