What is GSA?

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) is the only student government and advocacy organization representing ALL graduate & professional students at the University of Georgia. We are a democratic organization. Every department or program and every student organization is strongly encouraged to send as many representatives to the GSA meetings as possible. Representatives are required to attend our monthly meetings and forward messages to their departmental, program, or student organization listservs.

How do I join GSA?

If you are a graduate or professional student at The University of Georgia, you are already a member! GSA is an organization comprised of, working for, and run by graduate and professional students. Please check our website frequently for announcements about our meetings and events.

What does GSA do?

GSA focuses on student advocacy, interdisciplinary events, and community service. We seek to advocate graduate and professional student interests on issues as varied as student fees, professional development, employment conditions, and university life. We seek to develop a graduate community that unites students across the dividing lines of departments and schools that generally separate them. We also organize community service events each semester for all interested participants.

• Student Advocacy

  GSA monitors policies and advocates graduate interests on numerous UGA committees, including many that set or guide university policies, such as the University Council and its standing committees. The GSA President serves as an immediate spokesperson for graduate students, often writing or speaking to key administrators about graduate student concerns, responding to interviewers questions about graduate life, writing editorials and open letters to communicate a graduate perspective to the UGA community, etc. Through GSA, graduate and professional students have a direct connection to the UGA President, the UGA administration, and the Graduate School. GSA sends out weekly announcements via the GSA listserv with information on activities and events, lectures, workshops and other opportunities across campus that might be of interest to grad students. As a service to all students, GSA also sends a weekly marketplace e-mail where graduate students can place items for sale, announce rental and sublease availabilities, advertise roommate searches, look for carpools, offer professional services, etc. Both of these e-mails are forwarded by GSA representatives departmental listservs, reaching even more than people than are directly on the GSA listserv.

• Interdisciplinary Events

  GSA holds regular socials for all graduate and professional students at UGA. These gatherings are casual and fun where students can come as they are and stay as long as they like. You can find out information about these socials via the GSA listserv and the GSA homepage.

  Every spring, GSA hosts the Georgia Graduate Student Interdisciplinary Conference (GGSIC). This conference celebrates the rich diversity of interests throughout UGA by showcasing the research of many students from our own departments and disciplines as well as other universities across the state of Georgia.

• Community Service

  GSA seeks to improve our community through various events that are organized each semester. We work with Graduate and Professional Scholars (GAPS) as well as other student groups to organize participation in events such as AIDS walk Atlanta. We strongly encourage our members to become involved with community projects of their choice such as becoming a donor to the Red Cross and utilizing Volunteer UGA (on our homepage).

Where does GSA’s funding come from?

GSA is funded from your Student Activity Fee money. This money funds all GSA sponsored events, and the President receives an 18 hour graduate assistantship to run the organization. GSA also raises some of its own funding, including donations of food and door prizes for our yearly Welcome Party and seeking support for our yearly interdiscliplinary conference from UGA departments, colleges, and schools.

What can I do to get involved?

GSA draws its strength from the involvement of graduate and professional students. The more students we have involved, the greater our ability is to improve the quality of student life at UGA. First and foremost, you should join the GSA listserv to stay informed about GSA activities and services. We also encourage you to find time to attend GSA social events, consider being a representaive for your department or another student organization, or just drop us an e-mail to let us know what's on your mind.

Who are the GSA officers?

For the 2006-2007 academic year, the GSA President is Wesley Burnett (Agricultural and Applied Economics) and the Vice President is Matt Gore (Public Administration). Find out more on our Officers page.

The content and opinions expressed on this Web page do not necessarily reflect the views of nor are they endorsed by the University of Georgia or the University System of Georgia.