Student Leadership
Every student at CSW has enormous power to shape his or her own educational experience—and that of others. From day one, we empower our students to step up and get involved. Students work side-by-side with administrators to help shape school policy, review school curriculum and interview faculty candidates, and serve as members of the Board of Trustees.
Advisory Board
The Advisory Board, also known as A-Board, makes formal recommendations to the Head of School about school policy. Working with the dean of students, the board reviews and revises the Student Handbook each spring and brings forth proposed changes for full-school discussion at Town Meeting. The board consists of nine elected student members—the head of A-Board, plus two representatives from each class—plus four faculty members. Meetings are open to all.
Town Meeting Moderator
Modeled after the traditional New England-style of democratic self-governance, Town Meeting acts as a central forum for debate and a place for the school community to vote on important issues. The Town Meeting Moderator, a student elected by the entire student body to serve in this role, presides over each meeting and all community members are eligible to speak to and vote on individual warrants at hand.
Judicial Board
The Judicial Board, also known as J-Board, is composed of students and faculty and strives to give fair, impartial hearings to students involved in major violation of school policies. A total of four student representatives (one from each class), plus four alternates, are elected to serve on J-Board, alongside four faculty members.
The Board of Trustees
CSW is proud to be one of two independent schools in the nation to have students serve on its Board of Trustees with full voting privileges. One boarding and one day student are elected by the student body to serve one-year terms as full voting members, representing student views to the board.
Student Curriculum Committee
The Student Curriculum Committee meets regularly with the academic dean to discuss various aspects of academic life, such as new courses, the daily schedule and the needs of different departments. The group also interviews prospective teachers. Two representatives from each class are elected each year to serve on the committee.
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Action (IDEA) Committee
Sustainability Committee
The Sustainability Committee is comprised of students and adults in the CSW community working together to create and support a systematic and ongoing sustainability culture on campus, developing clear plans for making CSW a more sustainable community. Each class elects representatives to serve on the committee, and two students from each dorm are elected as Sustainability Stewards, supporting sustainable practices in the residential community. Meetings are open to all.
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Action (IDEA) Committee
The IDEA Committee is a group of students, staff and faculty whose purpose is to work together to make CSW an open and safe community that encourages all voices to be heard in a respectful manner, promoting the enrichment of our school culture through discussions, events and wide-ranging curricula. As a committee, the group seeks to foster a campus that provides a sense of inclusiveness that reflects the broad range of ages, races, genders, ethnicities, cultures, nationalities, religions, sexual orientations, social and economic classes, and physical and learning differences in our community. There are two representatives from each class and meetings are open to all.
Sustainability Committee
The Sustainability Committee is comprised of students and adults in the CSW community working together to create and support a systematic and ongoing sustainability culture on campus, developing clear plans for making CSW a more sustainable community. Each class elects representatives to serve on the committee, and two students from each dorm are elected as Sustainability Stewards, supporting sustainable practices in the residential community. Meetings are open to all.
Assemblies
Assemblies provide regular gatherings of the school community for announcements, election speeches, performances and special events. Together with the deans and the head of school, Student Assembly Coordinators lead and moderate the assemblies. Elected by the entire school community, assembly coordinators are a liaison through which community members give feedback and ideas regarding the gatherings.
Class Meeting Coordinators
The purpose of class meeting is to create a setting where students can engage in grade-specific and developmentally appropriate discussions. The class meeting coordinator is a student elected position with two members from each class. Through Mod 3, the role of ninth grade class meeting coordinator will be taken by class advisors. During Mod 4 class meetings, ninth grade class meeting coordinators would be elected. The class meeting coordinstor are in charge of organizing the agenda of class meetings, and working to facilitate and moderate the discussion of these topics in conjunction with class advisors and the Student Life Office.
Community Service Committee
Chaired by the Director of Social Justice and Multicultural Programming, the group includes students, faculty, staff and administrators. The group plans ongoing community service activities, special assemblies, and any community service days or fairs that may be held. Each grade will elect two members. Meetings are open to all.
Class Meeting Coordinators
The purpose of class meeting is to create a setting where students can engage in grade-specific and developmentally appropriate discussions. The class meeting coordinator is a student elected position with two members from each class. Through Mod 3, the role of ninth grade class meeting coordinator will be taken by class advisors. During Mod 4 class meetings, ninth grade class meeting coordinators would be elected. The class meeting coordinstor are in charge of organizing the agenda of class meetings, and working to facilitate and moderate the discussion of these topics in conjunction with class advisors and the Student Life Office.
Community Service Committee
Chaired by the Director of Social Justice and Multicultural Programming, the group includes students, faculty, staff and administrators. The group plans ongoing community service activities, special assemblies, and any community service days or fairs that may be held. Each grade will elect two members. Meetings are open to all.
"CSW genuinely trusts that we can — and will — use our voices to contribute to important school initiatives."
"CSW's decision to invite students to serve as voting members on the Board of Trustees speaks to the confidence that CSW has in what teachers and extracurriculars have taught us as students. I am sure most schools would agree that student voices are important, but CSW genuinely trusts that we can — and will — use our voices to contribute to important school initiatives and create tangible change. For me, having the chance to work with four generations of CSW alumni/ae and friends has been incredible."
— Harmony, Troy, NY
Boarding Student Representative to the Board of Trustees
CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.