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Support Services

Student Consumer Information

Student consumer information on cost of attendance, refund policy, description of academic programs, and other matters relating to enrolled or prospective students may be obtained from the Registrar and from The Graduate Center’s website. Please refer to the current Student Handbook | CUNY Graduate Center for specific information regarding consumer complaints and redress of grievances.

Housing/Residence Life

The assistant director of admissions assists in coordinating matters pertaining to residence life, including helping students locate affordable housing within the New York City area. The office maintains listings of available rooms within households, apartments for rent or sublet, and spaces for students in shared lodgings, and can suggest techniques for finding an apartment.

The Graduate Center’s Graduate Center Apartments offer 12 spacious apartments for faculty and 64 for graduate students, thus offering one of Manhattan’s most sought-after resources—bright, comfortable, airy, and affordable housing. The eight-story building, located in the East Harlem neighborhood, on 118th Street between Lexington and Third avenues, shares the plaza of CUNY’s new East Harlem Campus with the University’s School of Social Work. With easy access to bus, subway, and train travel, the residence hall offers ready transit to The Graduate Center. One-year renewable licenses (leases) are offered to students on a first-come, first-served basis. For further information: gchousing@gc.cuny.edu or http://housing.gc.cuny.edu.

Wellness Center

The Wellness Center provides students with student health education and student counseling services.

Student Counseling Services

Student Counseling Services (SCS) Student Counseling Services | CUNY Graduate Center offers short-term individual counseling (generally 3 to 12 sessions), group counseling, couples counseling, academic consultation, referrals, and a variety of workshops relevant to graduate student life. When you request services Make an Appointment | CUNY Graduate Center, a mental health professional will schedule a meeting with you to collaboratively determine what service(s) are best for you. The SCS is staffed by licensed psychologists, social workers, and psychology fellows. Sessions are individually designed to help each student progress towards personal and professional development. All services are confidential and free to matriculated Graduate Center students.

 Student Health Services

Student Health Services (SHS) Student Health Services | CUNY Graduate Center provides health and wellness information and education including presentations, workshops and health screening events. There is also a yearly comprehensive Wellness Festival which is scheduled during the Spring semester. Note: The health service is for health information and education only. If you are seeking clinical care, please seek an outside provider. If you are experiencing a health emergency, notify Security at x7777 and/or call 911.

 The Wellness Center is located in GC suite 6422 and online at Wellness Center | CUNY Graduate Center. We are open M-F. Please see our website for the most up-to-date information about the days/hours we are open on-site: Wellness Center | CUNY Graduate Center. You can reach us via phone 212-817-7020, or email: wellness@gc.cuny.edu and we will return your message as soon as possible.

Career Planning and Professional Development

The Office of Career Planning and Professional Development (CP&PD) at The Graduate Center supports master’s and doctoral students in pursuing their career goals across academic and nonacademic fields. The office provides individualized career advising, workshops, and online resources covering guidance on CVs, résumés, interview preparation, job search strategies and career exploration, among other topics. In collaboration with alumni and employers across sectors, CP&PD connects students and alumni with professional development resources and job opportunities via Handshake, career fairs, and information sessions. Contact: careerplan@gc.cuny.edu.

The Teaching and Learning Center

The CUNY Graduate Center’s Teaching and Learning Center (GCTLC) was established in 2015 to connect existing, and create additional, opportunities for GC students to evolve as educators. Its work includes preparing new college teachers for their entry into the classroom, guiding developing teachers as they refine their practices, and helping experienced teachers think through how to best apply what they’ve learned through their teaching in the next stages of their careers, whether those careers be inside or outside of the classroom. The GCTLC offers workshops and other programming for new and experienced Graduate Center students and CUNY faculty, and collaborates with partners and programs across The Graduate Center and CUNY on special projects meant to empower CUNY’s faculty and students to get the most out of their time teaching and learning together.

The GCTLC is located in the 3300 suite on the third floor of The Graduate Center, and maintains an active web presence through its site on the CUNY Academic Commons: cuny.is/teaching.

Writing Center

In order to create and communicate academic knowledge, scholars in every discipline must cultivate advanced skills and habits not only with respect to their research, but also with respect to their writing. The Writing Center assists current and past graduate students in the cultivation of these writerly skills and habits through individual consultations, workshops, and other programming. As one of the few writing centers in the country that specifically serves the needs of graduate students, we also make it our mission to ask and answer the question of what services a graduate writing center could and should offer. ​

The Writing Center is located in the 3300 suite on the third floor of The Graduate Center, and maintains an active web presence through its site on the CUNY Academic Commons: https://gcwritingcenter.commons.gc.cuny.edu.

Dossier Services (Letters of Recommendation)

Student portfolios can be placed online in an Interfolio account. The student works directly with Interfolio to establish a portfolio that can include letters of recommendation, curriculum vitae, writing samples, dissertation abstracts, teaching certifications, student evaluations, and more. The Interfolio system accepts and stores almost any type of information.  For more information, visit https://careerplan.commons.gc.cuny.edu/blog/interfolio or https://www.interfolio.com. The Office of Student Affairs no longer sends out dossier materials by mail.

Student Disability Services

The 504/ADA Compliance Coordinator for persons with disabilities is Matthew G. Schoengood, Vice President for Student Affairs, Room 7301; Telephone: 1.212.817.7400. The Vice President for Student Affairs also serves as the chair of the 504/ADA Committee for Persons with Disabilities.

It is the policy of The Graduate Center to provide auxiliary aids and services and to make appropriate academic accommodations needed by students with disabilities. The provision of student disability services is a function of the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs (the Student Affairs office). The Graduate Center provides readers/library assistants, sign-language interpreters, note takers, scribes, assistive technology, and other auxiliary services as needed. A few examples of possible academic accommodations are extended or divided time for taking an examination, as might be required for a student who has a learning disability or for whom physical stamina is reduced; use of a computer or other auxiliary aid during an examination; and recording of classes. Assistive technology available at The Graduate Center is described below. Students who wish to request accommodations or have questions about Graduate Center facilities, auxiliary aids and services, or any Graduate Center academic matters should consult with Elise M. Perram, Director of Student Affairs; or the Vice President for Student Affairs. Discussions and information regarding a student’s disability will be kept confidential unless a student requests otherwise. Documentation appropriate to the requested accommodations must be provided to the Student Affairs office. This documentation must come from a qualified professional and provide information on diagnosis/specific disability conditions, functional limitations in the higher education setting, and recommended accommodations. The purpose of this documentation is to enable us to determine, together with the student seeking accommodations, the most appropriate accommodations for the student. Students are encouraged to contact the Office of Student Affairs to discuss present and future needs to facilitate effective planning.

Adaptive equipment and computer software are available at The Graduate Center. Computer users have access to screen-character enlargement, text-to-speech, and optical-character recognition scan-and-read software, a closed-circuit television, and voice-recognition software. For students with hearing impairments, The Graduate Center has available a personal FM listening system (for use on an individual basis for classes and meetings). The auditoriums are equipped with infrared equipment to assist those with hearing impairments. Contact Elise Perram in the Office of Student Affairs to request accommodation and for additional information about facilities and services available to students with disabilities.

The Mina Rees Library can provide students with disabilities with such services as staff assistance in catalog searches and location of books and journals.

Students with disabilities should register with the Office of Security and Public Safety (Room 9117; Telephone: 1.212.817.7761) so that provision may be made for their safety should an emergency arise.

Users of TDD (Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf) within New York State should call the Telecommunications Service at 711 or at 1.800.662.1220. Users of TDD outside New York State should call their local telecommunications service.

Services for Students Who Are Veterans

Eligible veterans who wish to obtain benefits and information on other matters of concern to veterans may consult the Office of the Registrar. A useful CUNY website for veterans may be found at www.cuny.edu/veterans. Also see “Special Provisions for Students in the Military” under “Tuition and Fees” in this bulletin.

Office of International Students

The Office of International Students provides advice and assistance to international students, particularly with regard to issues relating to F-1 and J-1 student immigration status. Each semester the office conducts an orientation session for new international students. New international students should contact the office as soon as possible after their arrival so that their immigration documents and status can be reviewed and verified.

Because it is the student’s responsibility to comply with all existing government regulations, students are urged to familiarize themselves with the regulations and procedures that apply to their specific immigration status. Students should keep copies of all documents relating to their immigration status and bring their original passport, I-94, I-20, or DS-2019 and I-901 SEVIS Fee Receipt when consulting the Office of International Students about an immigration matter.

International students should consult this office for requirements to maintain active immigration status and for information on the following: (1) obtaining Form I-20 or Form DS-2019; (2) travel outside the United States and reentry; (3) extension of stay; (4) school transfer; (5) practical training; (6) change of degree or program of study; (7) employment regulations; and (8) passport and visa information.

More detailed information can be found at The Graduate Center website under International Students and periodic updates published by the Office of International Students.

Office of Educational Opportunity and Diversity

The Office of Educational Opportunity and Diversity (EOD) has been established to support efforts to increase the representation of historically underrepresented students in The Graduate Center’s doctoral programs. The office initiates and supports grant efforts to enhance recruitment, retention, and academic progress of historically underrepresented students. This includes managing such Graduate Center–based programs as the Provost Enhancement Fellowships and CUNY Pipeline Fellowships. The Executive Officer of the Office of Educational Opportunity and Diversity works closely with the Executive Officers of the doctoral programs and reports to the Provost.