Student Life

Dean's Council

About Us

The Dean’s Council (DC) is the student government body for the Pritzker School of Medicine, comprised of elected student representatives, faculty, staff, and the Dean. The council meets monthly to discuss issues concerning the students, promote community building, and distribute funds from the Student Life Fee - including student org spending, class parties, and annual school-wide events.

Between meetings, the DC student representatives gather information from their cohort about current issues and successes through Vital Signs, a survey that collects continuous feedback on the Pritzker student experience. Post-meeting, minutes are sent out in a school-wide email, and can also be found in the Dean’s Council Box folder.

Students can apply to join the Dean's Council in the Fall of their first year at Pritzker. The M1 class will vote on the candidates they believe would be a good fit to represent their class. The three students with the highest number of votes will be chosen as the new M1 Dean's Council representatives, and will self-assign their roles from the three positions: Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. 

Visit the Student Organization page for an expansive list of all active Student Orgs and Initiatives. 

To start a Dean's Council student org, complete the following steps. 

  1. Check the hiatus list of student orgs that previously existed to see if you want to re-activate or start a new club - either option will require a faculty sponsor willing to support the group. 
  2. Complete and submit the student org registration form to the current Dean’s Council Secretary. 
  3. Create a short (less than 5 min) prerecorded video that will describe your organization’s mission and goals. This video will be sent out to the voting members of Dean’s Council prior to the next meeting. It typically includes:
    • Your mission statement
    • Goals for the year
    • What gap the group would be filling at Pritzker
    • A rough idea of class interest
    • Faculty advisor
    • How you plan to use Dean's Council funding
  4. Post submission, you will be invited to the Dean’s Council meeting to answer any questions before they vote on club approval. If approved, the club would be notified via email, and would be eligible for Dean’s Council funding. 

Timeline: ~ 1 month (depending on the date of the upcoming DC meeting). 

All approved Pritzker Student Orgs have access to funding through Dean's Council. 

  • Even Distribution: The total funding allocated to student organizations will be divided evenly across the three semesters of the academic year. This approach ensures a consistent availability of funds and prevents overspending in any single period.
  • Rollover Funds: Any funds not spent within a semester will automatically roll over into the next semester’s allocation. This rollover ensures that unspent money remains available for future events and initiatives.
  • Maximum Allocation: A maximum of $100 may be approved for any single event. This limit is subject to the discretion of the DC Finance Chair, who may approve lesser amounts based on the itemized request and the anticipated impact of the event.
  • Exceptions: In cases where there is significant student interest or extenuating circumstances, the DC Finance Chair may authorize additional funding beyond the $100 cap

While all recognized orgs are eligible for Dean's Council Funding, in order to utilize the funding, student org leadership must complete the Dean's Council funding request. This approval process is to ensure that the funds being spent align with the DC policies regarding student org spending. 

To request Dean's Council Funding: 

  1. See the DC Treasurer (Samantha Lee 24-25) monthly email that includes the funding request form. The email details the funding request instructions and deadlines, and are sent at the end of the month, with requests due by the first or second of the month.

To learn more about being reimbursed, please visit the Student Reimbursement Process website.

All Dean's Council Student Org Events should be posted to the public Pritzker Calendar

Dean's Council also has funding for other student-lead initiatives, including: 

  • One Time Funding - for an event / activity open to Pritzker Students, not necessarily connected to a specific student org or class. The application process for these funds is the same as the student org funding request
  • Class Funds - each class has funding for class-wide events. The application process for these funds is the same as the student org funding request
  • Pritzker Societies - Pritzker's students are divided into four societies: Coggeshall, Huggins, Lewis, and Rowley. See the Pritzker Career Advising website for more information.

 

Other Pritzker Funding Opportunities

Separate from Dean's Council Funding