Student Organizations
Barbara Jordan National Forum on Public Policy
The mission of the Barbara Jordan National Forum on Public Policy is to engage scholars, practitioners and community leaders in an intellectual dialogue about vital issues in public policy, while promoting the importance of public service and community engagement and commemorating the legacy of Professor Barbara Jordan. The Barbara Jordan National Forum was created by students of the LBJ School of Public Affairs in 1997 in honor of Professor Jordan.
Contact: Nadia Bobb, Desiree Ledet
Website: http://www.barbarajordannationalforum.org
Brown Bag Speaker Series
The Brown Bag Lecture Series is organized by the Brown Bag Committee of the Graduate Public Affairs Council with input from faculty, students, and staff at the LBJ School. It is a highly respected and well-attended program that brings academics and professionals from the governmental and non-profit sector to speak to the LBJ community about their experiences in these fields. This provides an opportunity for LBJ students, faculty, and staff to learn about policy related areas from a practitioner's viewpoint.
Contact: Caitlin Morris
Conservative Caucus
The Conservative Caucus is a group of conservative students, staff, and faculty interested in discussing conservative ideology, participating in local conservative events, and ensuring that LBJ students are presented with well-rounded arguments and policy options from all types of political perspectives.
Contact: LyAnna Johnson
Graduate Public Affairs Council
The purpose of the Graduate Public Affairs Council (GPAC) is to serve the students of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs community. In order to achieve this purpose, GPAC shall facilitate student initiatives; foster discussion and decision-making; and represent, and engage in advocacy on behalf of, students and their concerns.
In addition to representing the LBJ student community to LBJ School administration, the larger UT Community and other outside groups and organizations, GPAC also sponsors a range of activities including:
- A variety of academic and social events ranging from Presidential Debate Watching parties to social activities such as the LBJ Alumni picnic;
- The Brown Bag Speaker Series, which brings practitioners and academic experts to the LBJ School;
- Alumni telephone and video conferences to connect current students with LBJ alumni working in diverse professional environments world-wide;
- Intramural sport events and field days with other schools and UT departments;
- And much more!
Contact: Ellen Satterwhite
Website: http://www.lbjlivewire.com/gpac/
Great Society Fund
The mission of the Great Society Fund is to support LBJ student and alumni social entrepreneurship through granting seed money to selected non-profit organizations whose work strives to promote lasting improvements to our neighborhoods, nations, and world. Our student group works alongside the GSF Board of Directors on fundraising, alumni relations, and grant application and selection. In addition, we work to generate discussion and educational opportunities about social entrepreneurship at the LBJ School.
Contact: M. Kate Holody
Great Tailgate Society
The Great Tailgate Society is a group of students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends that meets up before home football games outside of the LBJ School for a few hours of socializing over food and drink; for away games the group meets at a local bar to watch the game. A small membership fee pays for the refreshments and tshirts provided to members.
Contact: Chris Smith
Harvey Milk Society
The Harvey Milk Society is the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender (GLBT) and straight allies organization of the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Our mission is to provide support, education, and advocacy to and for the GLBT community within the LBJ School, at the University of Texas, and within the greater community at large. The club organizes social, education, and political events.
Contact: Brandon Jass
LBJ Journal of Public Affairs
The LBJ Journal of Public Affairs is the oldest student-run public affairs journal in the nation. It is governed by an editorial board of LBJ students and published twice a year.
The LBJ Journal's mission is to publish professional quality work that promotes discourse on contemporary policy issues. The LBJ Journal publishes papers written by the extended LBJ School community as well as other public affairs students and practitioners in order to provide a forum of interaction between the LBJ School and the wider policy community.
The LBJ Journal Online is the LBJ Journal's home on the Web. In addition, its mission is to further the public affairs debate by publishing online-specific content on a bi-weekly basis throughout the academic year.
Contact: Todd Graham Smith
Website: http://www.lbjjournal.com/
Policy Coalition on Culture (PCOC)
PCOC advocates for the arts in public affairs and cultivates the next generation of cultural policy leaders by providing students opportunities of advocacy, professional networking, and liaising between the arts and policy makers. Our activities include:
- Creating an arts event series that brings together LBJ students and alumni, policy professionals, arts advocates, and artists.
- Hosting an annual Creative Conversation in conjunction with Americans For the Arts during National Arts and Humanities Month
- Holding an annual Fundraiser and Special Event at the Austin Museum of Art
- Inviting Brown Bag speakers to the LBJ School to lecture and field questions about issues relating to cultural policy
- Sponsoring a student led Arts Advocacy Day at the Texas State Capitol to educate and inform Legislators about the importance of the arts.
- Hosted the NEA@40 Student Summit bringing graduate students across the country to the LBJ campus during the celebration of the 40 th anniversary of Lyndon B. Johnson signing the legislation for the National Endowment for the Arts.
Contact: Olivia Starr, Lauren Wells
Website: http://www.pcocarts.org/
Policy, Opportunity, Women, Education, and Resources (POWER)
POWER supports a network of informed and active students around domestic and international policy issues that have particular significance to women. Our mission is to strengthen the LBJ community of politically engaged feminists by spending time together to discuss ideas and take action on important issues.
Events Include:
- Women & Wine evenings,
- Brown Bag lunch with Sarah Wheat, Executive Director, NARAL ProchoiceTexas
- Take Back the Night
Contacts: Emily Vasile
Progressive Collective (ProCo)
The Progressive Collective is a coalition of diverse LBJ students inspired by and devoted to the ideals of social justice, equality and individual liberty. ProCo has hosted numerous events designed to inform, inspire and challenge both members and guests on a variety of social, economic and international issues. Progressive Collective maintains a very active listserv that allows ProCo members to discuss and debate issues, and share events of interest to progressive-minded students.
Contacts: Caroline O'Connor, Laura Martin
Public Affairs Alliance for Communities of Color (PAACC)
PAACC strives to promote awareness and understanding of issues affecting communities of color by initiating dialogue, programs, and networking opportunities within the LBJ School community. Past and future PAACC events include:
- Hosting speakers and discussions on topics such as immigration, Darfur, and Katrina,
- GRE workshops for prospective students,
- Prospective student social events,
- Valentine's Day Bake Sale- "Sweets for your Sweet,"
- Support for the annual Barbara Jordan National Forum on Public Policy.
Contact: Edmund Gordon , Angela Mora or Jenaya McGowen
Social, Health, and Economic Policymakers (SHEP)
SHEP is a forum for the LBJ community to exchange information related to social, health, and economic policy. On our listserv, we share relevant news articles, policy memos and research, conference and event announcements, internship and job postings, class listings, and other items of interest. We also host events such as faculty presentations, discussions, and happy hours, and we collaborate with LBJ centers such as the Center for Health and Social Policy (CHASP) to co-host events. In all we do, we strive to serve as a valuable and friendly community for all LBJ students, faculty, staff, and alumni interested in social, health, and/or economic policy.
Contact: Melissa King
Website: https://utlists.utexas.edu/sympa/info/shep
Sustainability Workgroup
The LBJ Sustainability Working group is a collection of LBJ students devoted to the implementation of environmental sustainable practices at UT and beyond. The group has initiated various sustainability campaigns at the LBJ School, and will expand to several campus wide initiatives in 2007- 2008. Another major project in 2007-2008 will be to promote green building standards into the upcoming renovation of the LBJ School.
Contact: Agnes Sekowski
