Student Groups old

The GIC was initiated by and for students in 1984. Founded in response to the United Minorities Council’s 1978 petition, the GIC provides support to the United Minorities Council (UMC) and to its many constituent student groups.   In addition to UMC, Natives at Penn and the Race Dialogue Project are among the GIC’s most active student groups.

The United Minorities Council

The United Minorities Council (UMC) is a 35 year-old undergraduate student coalition of Penn’s cultural and ethnic student groups. With 25 active constituent groups, the UMC’s voice now represents close to 50% of the entire undergraduate student body. The UMC strives to provide a forum of advocacy, reflection, and action on issues of concern to students of color at Penn. The UMC also hosts two major university-wide events during the academic year: Unity Week in the fall and Celebration of Cultures in the spring.  

The Race Dialogue Project

The Race Dialogue Project (RDP) is a grassroots community of students whose goal is to explore the impact of race in society. The mission of RDP is to create campus awareness regarding the ways in which individual experiences related to race fit into the context of a greater socio-political and economic framework. RDP does this through various discussions and collaborative events throughout the school year.

Natives at Penn

Natives at Penn (NAP), originally founded in 1994, is a student organization representing Native students on Penn’s campus. NAP undergraduates and graduate students meet with University faculty and staff to increase awareness of contemporary Indigenous issues, attend interschool events such as the All-Ivy Native Conference, work with the Office of Admissions to sponsor recruitment efforts and host Penn’s Annual Powwow every year.

Fellows for Building Intercultural Communities

The Fellows for Building Intercultural Communities (FBIC) is a student-run organization that was born out of a partnership between the Netter Center for Community Partnerships and the Greenfield Intercultural Center. This program seeks to develop a network of underclassmen Penn students who become leaders on campus who can use intercultural dialogue as a means to bridge communities both on campus and with the West Philadelphia community. Upperclassmen act as facilitators who design and implement curriculum regarding facets of identity for underclassmen fellows. As a result, the underclassmen fellows go to a full-day retreat, mid-semester retreat, and biweekly sessions. The experience culminates in a capstone project that the underclassmen implement using the skills they’ve learned throughout the semester.

Check One?

Check One is Penn’s multicultural group that encourages the celebration and investigation of mixed heritage.

Penn for Immigrant Rights

Penn for Immigrant Rights (PIR) is a social and political advocacy group located on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus. We are dedicated to opening up the dialogue about undocumented immigrants and immigration in general on campus while educating the university and greater Philadelphia community on issues facing many people in the United States.

Assembly of International Students

The Assembly of International Students (AIS) is a student group at the University of Pennsylvania that is run and represented by students of global backgrounds, whether international or not. We organize activities including but not limited to the International Student Orientation (ISO), mentorship programs, parties and social events, conferences and alumni networking events, and the Student Ambassador Program. We are also active on campus to promote policy changes within Penn’s campus.

Penn First

Penn First is a community and support network for students who identify as first-generation college students and/or come from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. Together, we seek to strengthen our family as an integral part of the greater Penn community, and destigmatize and empower our individual and collective identities through open community discussions as well as campus-wide engagement.

Quest Scholars at Penn

Quest Scholars at Penn is a campus chapter of QuestBridge Scholars Network (QSN), a national community for individuals who were both selected as National College Match Finalists and attend QuestBridge college partners. This group brings QuestBridge Scholars at Penn together to foster a stronger community and personal relationship, advocate for their needs, and provide all support necessary to allow QuestBridge Scholars thrive.

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS POLICIES AND FINANCIAL PROCEDURES

  • OSA Guide to Financial Procedures explains how to spend student government money once it is allocated to your organization.
  • The PennBook contains important university policies relating to extracurricular activities
  • Concur – The University system for reporting expenses for reimbursement.
  • To pay individuals not affiliated with Penn for speaking or other services, please contact Vanessa Iyua at email viyua@upenn.edu for more information and required paperwork (Performance Contract, C12 Contractor Form and W-9 Form).
  • For additional information about University Policies, please visit or contact the Office of Student Affairs.