Student Advisory Committee
The Institute for Politics and Strategy understands the necessity of, and value in, permanently incorporating the voices of our students into department decision making. In that vein, IPS has created a Student Advisory Committee (IPS SAC), a body that allows for greater impact than the previous Student Activities Committee. We want the revitalized IPS SAC to voice students’ recommendations and concerns to IPS leadership. We want your voice at the table as we issue lecture invitations. We want your perspective on the priorities that shape the department.
The IPS SAC will lead to regular communication among students, faculty, and staff about the department and how it can help students achieve their goals. We are committed to a fully open agenda.
The IPS SAC is comprised of undergraduate and graduate students with a declared major or minor in the Institute for Politics and Strategy, and works in collaboration with IPS staff and faculty advisors. The committee meets on a regular basis, and subcommittees may meet more frequently as needed. IPS SAC is a student-driven initiative with a direct feedback loop to IPS leadership.
The primary functions of the IPS SAC include:
- Providing feedback and insight on academic issues
- Shaping the direction of the department to best suit students’ needs
- Promoting a sense of community within IPS
- Organizing IPS student-centered events and programs
- Disseminating information regarding relevant topics and events in IPS
Subcommittees include, but are not limited to:
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Academic Freedom and Integrity
- Mentorship
We invite you to join the IPS SAC today. Email SAC President Leo Sweeney for details.
Consider becoming involved in the SAC mentorship program!
The IPS SAC Mentorship Subcommittee was formed to create a peer-to-peer mentorship program within the Institute for Politics and Strategy. The IPS Mentorship Program launched at the beginning of the Spring 2021 semester and seeks to establish bonds and relationships between students within IPS to ensure freshmen, sophomores, and transfer students are well equipped with the tools, resources, and guidance in order to become well adjusted and successful at CMU. We also wish to create a more integrated and inclusive community within the department. In this program, freshmen, sophomores, and transfer students have the option to be paired with an upper-class student with similar interests and relevant experience, to serve as someone who can give advice and be a connection within IPS. Overall, we wish for the program to create a relaxed, casual relationship between mentors and mentees that allows for plenty of flexibility so each pair can achieve what they wish to get from the program.
If you are interested in taking part in the IPS Mentorship Program, please get in touch with Cat at ccockrel@andrew.cmu.edu.
