The SBSA Mission Statement
It is the belief of SBSA that each student is valuable and capable of realizing a self-defined vision of success, which is facilitated by a cohesive community.
Therefore, the mission of SBSA is to create an inclusive community that promotes student belonging, wellness, and happiness. SBSA is committed to supporting students throughout their graduate careers by facilitating mentorship, student-led programming, and advocacy in conjunction with Stanford leadership.
Who we represent
Our constituency includes all graduate students in Biosciences and Biosciences-related programs. SBSA also has members in departments such as physics, chemistry, and engineering. All Biosciences students are automatically members of SBSA, and graduate students in other departments are welcome to join!
What we do
Monthly Meetings
SBSA organizes monthly general meetings where we discuss graduate student issues, connect with students in other programs, and eat free food.
Program Proposals
Through our quarterly proposal system, students propose events and programming that improve graduate life in the Biosciences to be funded by SBSA.
Social Events
To promote community building, SBSA organizes monthly happy hours, spring and fall barbeques, holiday parties, and other events year-round.
SBSA organizes the first year camping trip (POWR) in September, which is a great opportunity for first years to meet their peers in other Biosciences home programs.
Home Program Representatives
Each home program is represented in SBSA by their Home Program Representative, who aids communication and votes on our quarterly student proposals.
Mentorship
First Year Mentorship Program: First years are paired with upper year graduate students, and SBSA organizes lunches/meet-ups to facilitate the transition to grad school.
Fellowship Mentoring: Incoming students applying to fellowships such as NSF or NDSEG can get feedback and advice from previous fellowship recipients.
Advocacy
SBSA advocates for Biosciences graduate students in Biosciences Office of Graduate Education (OGE), the Biosciences Committee on Graduate Admissions and Policy (CGAP), the School of Medicine Faculty Senate, and the Stanford Graduate Student Council (GSC).