The Doctoral Council is pleased to accept nominations for student representatives to serve on the council for the 2024–26 term. Please review the information below regarding the selection criteria and nomination process.
The deadline to submit a nomination is April 2, 2024.
Nomination criteria and eligibility for student nominations
To be considered for the role of graduate student representative to the Doctoral Council, a student must:
- Be a full-time PhD student in residence for the entirety of the term, in good academic standing
- Be able to make the necessary time commitment for the Doctoral Council
- Have knowledge of PhD education at Washington University and broader trends nationally
- Be able to present a variety of opinions, have sound judgment, and maintain confidentiality.
- Attend Doctoral Council meetings throughout the term appointment (approximately two hours every month during the academic year)
- Participate in the periodic review of PhD programs at Washington University in St. Louis
- Maintain close communication with the graduate and professional student constituencies within the Washington University community
- Maintain confidentiality with regard to Doctoral Council proceedings
A packet including the three documents below is required for full consideration to serve on the Doctoral Council.
1: CV or resume
2: Short Essay (500 words total) that addresses the following:
- Reflecting upon your life and educational experiences, including your time at WashU, and given your career aspirations, why would you be a good student representative for the Doctoral Council?
- If there was one aspect of doctoral education at Washington University you could change, what would it be, and how would you change it?
3: Faculty or Administrator Recommendation Letter:
- Include the name and email address of a faculty recommender.
- We will be reaching out to this individual to ask for their support for you for you in this role. Please notify the recommender to expect this request.
Nomination Procedure
There are two nomination pathways that individuals can explore when seeking the opportunity to serve on the Doctoral Council.
- Guidelines for Self-Nominations – A packet including the nominee’s CV, a short 500-word essay, and a faculty recommendation letter is required for full consideration to serve on the Doctoral Council.
- Guidelines for Department/Peer Nominations – Each academic department or student groups may nominate two PhD students to serve on the Doctoral Council. Following a preliminary conversation with the student, the following actions should be engaged by the nominator.
- Please send an email confirmation to vpge@wustl.edu identifying the student being nominated and outlining the nominee’s interest in the committee. Please be sure to copy the student and include their full name in the email to move forward with the process.
- Once received, an additional follow up email will be sent to the student nominee requesting their nomination materials.
It is the nominee’s responsibility to ensure that all parts of the nomination are submitted by the deadline. Student nominees can expect to receive a decision prior to the end of the Spring 2024 semester.
Nomination Portal
Nominations can be submitted via the email to vpge@wustl.edu. For questions, please email vpge@wustl.edu.