Student Forum is the executive board level of the GSD's elected student government. The Student Forum works to improve student life at the GSD and serves as a link between the student body and the school administration.

Members of Student Forum meet regularly with Student Services and with the Dean, as well as the Class Representatives for each program and year. The members of Student Forum, along with the elected Class Representatives, also participate in the Student Academic Affairs Committee. Through the roles of the different Chair offices within Student Forum, the student government maintains regular communications with major offices at the GSD such as Alumni Relations, Building Services, Career Services, the office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, the Frances Loeb Library, etc. Members of Student Forum also serve on other ad-hoc administrative and student committees. Student Forum holds weekly internal meetings, and meetings open to the entire student body are scheduled at least once every semester, as well as an open meeting with the Dean.

Student Forum manages budgets for various activities, events, and projects, as well as the funding for GSD student groups. Funding for Student Forum and student groups is drawn from the Student Activity Fee. Student Services staff work with Student Forum on budgeting and approve allocations.

Student Forum officers are elected by the GSD student body each spring. They serve for a full academic year, taking over from the outgoing leadership each May, and serving for the following fall and spring semesters. Student Forum elected chairs also have the option to appoint officers and committees to help them carry out their work.

In addition to Student Forum, GSD students are represented by Class Representatives from each graduation-year cohort of each academic program stream. In the MDes program, an additional role for one or more MDes Liaisons helps ensure communication between MDes areas. The GSD also sends three elected representatives, plus one member of Student Forum, to the university-wide Harvard Graduate Council.

Student Forum, Academic Year 2020-2021:

President:
Mena Wasti Ahmed

Academic Chair:
Stephanie Lloyd

Diversity and Inclusion Chair:
Aeshna Prasad

Student Groups Chair:
Nupur Gurjar

Professional Development Chair:
Chloe Soltis

Social Events Chair:
Angela Moreno-Long

Resources Chair:
Kevin Liu

Download a PDF of the Student Forum Leadership

Read the Student Forum Bylaws

To contact Student Forum, email studentforum@gsd.harvard.edu

Student Forum Elections

Students interested in serving on Student Forum should note the below important dates in the elections process. Note that in addition to declaring candidacy, each candidate will also be asked to submit a brief statement that will be circulated to the student body. This statement should be a paragraph or two and serve both to introduce the candidate, and express the candidate's reason for running and vision for how they will act in the role they seek to fill.

The next Student Forum election will take place in April 2021. Projected timeline:

First week of April:
Info session for potential candidates
Deadline to declare candidacy

Second week of April:
Deadline to submit brief statement of candidacy
Candidate Forum
Elections open
Elections close, results announced (end of week)

Third week of April:
Class Representative and MDes Liaison elections for returning students
Harvard Graduate Council representative elections
(Incoming student Class Representative elections are generally held in September, after Orientation)

All election dates are subject to change, and will be confirmed and announced in the spring.