# Preface {% hint style="info" %} This Student Handbook contains important information and policies for students in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS). As a requirement of continued program enrollment, students must adhere to the policies included in this Handbook, as well as the various institutional policies linked from it. The Student Handbook is subject to review and change from time to time, and policies may be revised the course of any given academic year. We therefore suggest that you check this Handbook to confirm policies and requirements in effect at any given time. This Handbook is not intended as and should not be construed to constitute a contract. Questions about the information found in this Handbook may be directed to the administrative staff of the respective GSBS program, or may be sent to . {% endhint %} ### Mission Statement The mission of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences is to train the next generation of leaders in scientific and clinical discovery, innovation, education, health policy, clinical care, and advocacy, in a diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning environment. ### Statement of Accreditation The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is chartered by Board of Regents of the State of New York and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which is recognized as an institutional accreditor under the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Additionally, all degree-granting programs of the Graduate School have been approved by the New York State Department of Education as having met specific academic quality standards. Where required, programs of the Graduate School also possess program-specific accreditations from national professional societies dedicated to their respective fields, such as The Council on Education for Public Health accreditation for our MPH Program and The Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC) for our Genetic Counseling program. #### **GSBS Statement of Committment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion** The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences seeks to redefine “excellence” by promoting a nurturing and supportive environment that allows all members of our community to thrive and to become leaders in the effort to achieve equity in science and medicine. Diversity in our community will stimulate innovation in research, strengthen our education, inspire collaboration and creativity, and address inequities in the practice of scientific research. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://ismms-gs.gitbook.io/graduate-student-handbook/preface.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.