Graduate Student Association
The Graduate Student Association (GSA) is recognized by both the UC systemwide and local campus administrations as the voice of the Santa Cruz graduate student community. The GSA serves the collective interests of the graduate students by promoting cooperation among the students of the various departments at UCSC; by representing their concerns to the UCSC faculty, administration, and staff; and by providing services to the graduate student body which are more effectively addressed as a group. In addition, the GSA holds social events during the academic year and makes available small travel grants for graduate students attending conferences at which they present a paper, or traveling for thesis-related research. Questions about the Graduate Dean's Research Travel Grant program can be addressed to gss-group@ucsc.edu.
The GSA Council consists of one voting member from each graduate department or program. The representatives are elected by the graduate students in some departments, and are volunteers in others. The representatives represent the views of their departments to the council and advise the Executive Council on campus issues. The Executive Council recommends graduate students for appointments to university committees and speaks to the administration on graduate student issues. Each year the council elects a president, an external and an internal vice president, a secretary, and a treasurer.
The GSA is a member of the University of California Student Association (UCSA). The UCSA is a coalition of students and student governments that provides a collective voice for all students through advocacy and direct action. Each government sends one voting member to serve on the UCSA Board of Directors, which then serves as the student voice to the UC Office of the President and the UC Regents. Graduate students may attend GSA Council meetings, either as the official departmental representative or as an interested party. For more information on open positions and GSA meeting times, please visit the GSA website or email us at gsainfo@ucsc.edu.