GSC Building Policies

The GSC Governance Board is responsible for enacting policy governing the usage of the GSC. The GSCGB always welcomes input from the graduate student community. Currently, the GSCGB has proposed the following policies:

  • The building, specifically the upper floor, is for the primary use of registered graduate students and graduate alumni. Undergraduates may have access to the upper floor if accompanying a registered graduate student or if attending a graduate student organized event (e.g. TA office hours).
  • The study rooms on the upper floor are primarily for quiet activity. They may be reserved according to the following guidelines:
    • Campus organizations consisting only of graduate students may reserve these rooms up to 4 hours per week, for any date during open hours in the current academic year.
    • Individual graduate students may reserve rooms for academic purposes (e.g. TA office hours, academic meetings, practice talks, study sessions) up to 2 hours per week for the current quarter, starting the first day of each quarter.
    • Individual graduate students may reserve the rooms for non-academic purposes up to 2 hours per week, up to a month in advance. Non-academic reservations will be considered only after the first full week of the quarter. This is to ensure that academic reservations receive priority. The purpose of the reservation must primarily target graduate students.
    • All other campus affiliates may reserve space on a case by case basis, if the event is primarily targeting graduate students. All such reservations must be made 2 weeks in advance. A usage fee may be charged.
  • Room reservations must be made a minimum of one week in advance.
  • Rooms which are not occupied by the reserving party will be held for no more than 15 minutes after beginning of reservation time.
  • If the rooms are available, then it may be used without a reservation on a drop in, first-come, first-served basis.
  • Rooms may only be reserved for staffed hours, except for special events.
  • The Fireside Lounge may only be reserved with the approval of the facilities manager.
  • Reserved rooms must be left as found. The individuals reserving a room and/or their sponsoring organizations may be charged for damage or significant cleaning.
  • Reservation requests can be made online or with GSC staff in person.
  • After-hours is available to all registered graduate students using a unique PIN number. To gain 24 hour access you can use the online form or fill out a form in person at the GSC. Note that propping the doors open in the evening is not permitted and could result in losing 24 hour access.
  • The Commons maintains a library of DVDs, an overhead (transparency) projector, a digital LCD projector, a laptop, a TV, Nintendo Wii and various computer-related peripherals. Further details on checkout policies for these equipment are detailed below.

Checkout Policies for GSC Equipment

The GSC has a digital LCD projector and Macbook laptop available for student checkout and a Nintendo Wii for use at the commons. The policies for use and checkout of equipment is listed below:

  • The LCD Projector will be stored in the GSC Facilities Managers office.
  • The projector may be checked out for 4 hour blocks of time at the front desk; you must fill out the form and leave a UCSC graduate student ID (the ID must have the current term’s sticker or your name must be on the current grad roster at the desk).
  • You may extend your 4-hour block if nobody else has requested the projector.
  • The projector may NOT be taken outside of the Grad Commons.
  • The projector must be returned to the grad commons by closing time (5 p.m. on most days—check at the front desk each time to make sure).
  • Projector users must adhere to UCSC Computer Guidelines.

Usage Policies for Computers and Printers

The graduate student commons has an Apple iMac and Windows PC for use by all graduate students, both computers have access to a black and white laser printer. The policies governing the use of this equipment is outline below:

Abide by campus usage policies found at https://policy.ucsc.edu/policies/index.html.

Specific GSC Computer Policy

  • There is a 10 minute computer time limit if there are others waiting for the computer.

Specific GSC Printer Policy

  • All students have access to the Pharos Copier machine for copying, printing or scanning documents.
  • Log In: User name, which is the letters before the @ in your UCSC email address.
  • Password: Last 4 digits of your student ID.
  • Costs $0.08/black & white and $0.24/color per page. Charges will be billed to your Student Business Services (SBS) account.
  • If a FOAPAL is associated with your user ID then the cost is $0.06/b/w and $0.18/color and will be billed to your associated FOAPAL.
  • Scanning is free and will be sent directly to your email address.

Abuse of any of these GSC policies will result in loss of usage.