The Graduate Students Association (GSA) is the elected representative government for UCSB graduate students. We work to: (1) ensure that graduate student concerns are addressed in campus and off-campus policy decisions, (2) provide graduate students with information concerning decisions that are relevant to student life and (3) provide social activities for UCSB graduate students.
We articulate graduate student concerns to the campus administration and to campuswide committees which deal with topics ranging from parking to long- range academic planning. We publish a yearly document detailing graduate student issues and concerns for the campus community. This “GSA Agenda” guides the yearly efforts of the GSA and helps to inform the campus about graduate student concerns.
Many graduate students are involved in helping achieve these goals. All graduate and professional departments are invited to elect one or more representatives to the GSA, depending on the size of the program enrollment (generally it is one representative for every fifty students enrolled in your department). The executive officers and the departmental representatives make up the GSA General Council, which meets monthly to provide updates on relevant changes in campus and UC policy, discuss important issues before graduate students and to formulate the official position of the GSA on particular issues. Currently the General Council meetings are held during the first week of each month.
We welcome anyone who is interested in becoming involved. Involvement in the GSA provides a greater understanding of how the university operates; a chance to affect policy and thereby improve the lives of graduate students; and a way to meet people outside your department. There are many ways that you can become involved:
- Serve as your department’s representative.
- Serve on one of the many campus committees that need graduate student representatives.
- Come to the General Council meetings and observe what’s going on (we always have free dinner for everyone).
The GSA lounge will be open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. throughout the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters to students who want a place to relax, study, or hang out. Graduate student groups can also reserve the lounge for meetings and events.
We also distribute a monthly newsletter to keep graduate students apprised about current issues. In sum, the General Council works to strengthen the graduate student presence on campus. Keep an eye out at the beginning of each month for the “GSA News”, a newsletter that will contain details concerning General Council meetings, and other GSA plans for the year. If you would like to submit an article for the newsletter or announce an event, please send an email to vpcommunications@gsa.ucsb.edu. We will try to accommodate everyone, but we can not guarantee space.
If you would like more information about the GSA, e-mail us at gsa@gsa.ucsb.edu, or call us at 805-893-3824.