The Computer and Information Sciences Graduate Student Association (CIS-GSA) is an organization of graduate students in the Computer and Information Sciences Department at the University of Delaware. This association’s goal is to promote cohesiveness and communication among CIS graduate students and to promote productive interaction between graduate students and faculty. And we like to have fun, too.

Since its inception in 1983, the CIS-GSA has provided graduate students with a voice in departmental decisions and a means of initiating change. The faculty liaison officer of the CIS-GSA represents the students in faculty meetings and acts as the communication link between the faculty and the students. The CIS-GSA is responsible for passing student concerns on to the faculty and for communicating important issues and decisions. Important departmental issues, as represented by the CIS-GSA, are discussed at the faculty meetings and can and do influence decisions at many different levels, including hiring. For instance, students are (collectively) given the opportunity to interview faculty candidates when they visit campus. All students are encouraged to participate in this process by attending CIS-GSA meetings and faculty interviews, and expressing concerns and ideas to the CIS-GSA officers and faculty.

The duties of the CIS-GSA include:

• Revision of the Graduate Student Welcome Package for new students
• Student representation at faculty meetings
• Organization of social activities partly subsidized by the department

See also our charter.