The English Student Association (ESA) is a student-run organization that seeks to improve living and working conditions of students enrolled in the CUNY Graduate Center’s English PhD Program by representing their interests. Representation includes expressing the concerns of the students to the faculty and administration as well as relaying information back to the students.

The primary tasks of the ESA are to provide a forum for student concerns, sponsor a network of student mentors, oversee course evaluations, and run the student election process. In addition, the ESA runs an annual conference with faculty participation, open to ESA members as well as students from other institutions.

ESA Co-chairs
Facilitate discussion among members; act as liaisons between the student body and the Executive Officer; organize ESA meetings; serve on the Executive Committee ex officio.

• Brooke Thomas
• Cullin Arn
• Lisa Koyuki Smith

Admissions and Financial Aid
Joint program-ESA committee. Read applications and work with faculty to make recommendations for offers of admission.

• Vallerie Matos
• Yagiz Ay
• Dasharah Green
• Mariana Trujillo Marquez
• DeVaughn Harris
• Meha Gupta
• Cassie Ball
• Juan Basualdo

Alumni and Fundraising
ESA-only committee. Maintain alumni contact info; organize career panels, readings, and other social and scholarly events; create a yearly alumni newsletter with department updates and alumni publications.

• [open]

Conference
ESA-only committee. Organize and run ESA conference; distribute a CFP; screen submissions; advertise conference; direct participants and volunteers on the day of the event. Title: “End Times: Approaches to the Apocalypse”

• Rebecca Teich
• Benjamin Krusling
• Cassie Ball
• Mariana Trujillo Marquez
• Meagan Negron

Course Assessment
ESA-only committee. Oversee the dissemination, collection, and transcription of course evaluations.

• Nicole Walker

Curriculum
Joint program-ESA committee. Regularly review the program’s requirements and make recommendations.

• Cassie Ball

Diversity
Joint program-ESA committee. Attend to matters of diversity within the Program. As of May 2017, Diversity officers are drawn from members of program committees to better be able to represent diversity concerns across all areas of program governance.

• Ju Ly Ban
• Meagan Negron

Elections
ESA-only committee. Conduct the election of student committee members and ESA Co-chairs; Responsible for including any valid proposed amendments to the ESA by-laws on the ballot.

• Onur Ayaz
• Jahyeon Kwon

Executive
Joint program-ESA committee. This committee is the chief governing body of the English Program. It meets about once a month, including Open Meetings at the end of each semester.

• Sharifa Hampton

Faculty Membership
Joint program-ESA committee. Consider changes in the doctoral faculty membership; publicize searches for new members; make recommendations to the Executive Committee.

• [open]

Friday Forum Committee
Joint program-ESA committee. Evaluate the Friday Forum Proposals each semester.

• Nicodemus Nicoludis

Placement
Joint program-ESA committee. Work with the Placement Officer and other faculty members to coordinate job placement efforts.

• Sharifa Hampton
• Jahyeon Kwon
• Sam O’Hana

Recruitment
Joint program-ESA committee. Recruit potential new students before and during the Open House for admitted students; coordinate the Mentor/Mentee program; coordinate with the Website Committee on materials for the Prospective Students.

• Rani Srinivasan

Representative Outreach
ESA-only committee. Help disseminate information to ESA members about the events of the program and to leverage their constituent student’s concerns in meetings.

• [open]

Website and Editorial
ESA-only committee. Maintain the ESA site; update, expand, and organize the website as needed.

• Tuka Al-Sahlani

DSC Program Representatives (Non-ESA)

• [TBD]

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