What is the Graduate Student Council (GSC)?

The mission of the Quinney College of Natural Resource’s Graduate Student Council is to improve communication within the graduate student body, between graduate students and undergraduates within the college, and between graduate students and the faculty and administration in the College of Natural Resources. The GSC shall facilitate graduate student education through student-led mentoring programs, meetings and seminars. Finally the GSC shall advocate and lobby on behalf of the graduate students in the College of Natural Resources to the faculty and administration of the college, and when appropriate, to the Utah State University administration.

Currently, the GSC sponsors a year-long, in-house, graduate student seminar series called Ecolunch. We also sponsor at least one yearly fundraiser for the college of natural resources medical emergency fund, as well hosting college wide social events.

If you are interested in serving on this council, have suggestions or ideas you want to raise or have concerns that need to be addressed, please contact one of the GSC representatives from your department. You are also welcome to come to one of the council meetings. QCNR GSC meetings are held once per month; time and place are announced via the QCNR-grads listserv.

What is Ecolunch?

Ecolunch serves a variety of purposes. It was created to provide a casual venue where graduate students can informally present their research to a friendly audience of their peers. This means a variety of presentations are appropriate for this forum. You may present anything ranging from summaries of unanalyzed data to formal PowerPoint presentations that you would like to practice for a professional presentation. You may use this venue to kick around research ideas or get advice about the most appropriate way to analyze or summarize your data. Ecolunch can be a casual roundtable discussion or a formal practice talk environment. Use Ecolunch to get advice from your peers, to practice your pre-project presentation or to introduce your peers to your thesis research.

Ecolunch presenters can choose either a 15 minute or 30 minute time slot with a possibility of a full hour for exit seminar practice sessions. Ecolunch was designed to help grad students support each other. Through Ecolunch the GSC hopes to promote discussion and collaboration between graduate students.

If you would like to present, please contact our Ecolunch coordinators, listed below!

NOTE: Ecolunch is now EcoFriendly!  Bring your own cup and plate with you so that we don’t have to contribute so heavily to landfill waste by using paper products.

Emergency Medical Scholarship

The Emergency Medical Scholarship (EMF) was created to assist QCNR and Ecology Center graduate students who face financial hardship due to medical debt. Most students qualify for subsidized graduate student insurance, however, the out-of-pocket maximum is $6,350 for an individual and $12,700 for a family (in-network) which can amount to a significant portion of a graduate student's annual income.

To donate to the EMF or for more information on the requirements and how to apply please visit the EMF webpage. The application review process is completely confidential and anonymous to protect the identity and privacy of applicants.

Resources for Graduate Students

Housing Forum: The QCNR hosts a housing webpage for students to post housing opportunities and in search of housing. The Biology Department also hosts a housing webpage for the same purpose.

Grad Student’s Guide to Cache Valley: The GSC keeps up-to-date this resource to help orient incoming graduate students to life in Logan. It includes information on living in Logan and services and resources offered by USU and the community.

Department Resources: Each department maintains resources for graduate students, including a handbook with information regarding graduation requirements and university resources. Click the hyperlink to access information regarding current student resources for each department: ENVS, WATS, WILD.

Graduate Student Council 2023 - 2024