slinky, that sounds a lot like my department. it drives me mad too, that PhD students are treated primarily as "students" and only perhaps, secondarily, as contributors and members of the department.
there is usually not much you can do. but do try to resist being "downgraded". i once was surprised when a friend from back home visited and after some talking she noted "oh, you have really started identifying as a "student" again, had you noticed that?" and i realised that although initially i had found this absurd, i had got so used to it that i started identifying with it.