The central administration of The University of Texas at Austin has been committed to the Graduate Student Assembly for decades now. Long before the most recent (2000) statement on graduate students by the American Association of University Professors that calls for the inclusion of the graduate student “voice in institutional governance at the program, department, college, graduate school, and university levels,” UT’s central and graduate school administration have been strong supporters of the Graduate Student Assembly and its earlier iterations.
As such, the University’s Operating Procedure No. 9-1240 explains that the “Graduate students at The University of Texas at Austin are represented principally by the Graduate Student Assembly, which is their official means of communication with the administration of the University.” In order to address and carry out these critical responsibilities, the GSA is recognized as an official organ of the University’s governance structure.
Similar to our peer legislative student organizations that hold similar status (Student Government and Senate of College Councils), the GSA receives funding from the Student Services Budget Committee. This funding permits the GSA to financially support graduate-level registered student organizations (RSOs), to create original and creative programming that enhances the graduate student life experience and furthers graduate student professional development as well as fulfill a host of many other concerns.
Finally, the GSA manages the important responsibility of selecting graduate student to serve on University-wide committees. These committees, in turn, make recommendations on any number of wide-ranging University policies and procedures. Accordingly, these committees remain one the strongest areas where the “graduate student voice” can be directly utilized for the benefit of our larger UT community.
How To Get Started
- Here is a Welcome Flyer to help you get acquainted with the structure of GSA.
- Here is Graduate Student Tips Sheet for new graduate students from us to help you navigate research and graduate school.
What We Hope to Do
- Serve as a sounding board for graduate student concerns that impact the graduate student community at The University of Texas at Austin.
- Provide a deliberative forum for graduate students to discuss these concerns on a regular and consistent basis during long semesters of the academic year.
- Establish and maintain an open and productive line of communication between University administration, all colleges and schools, and the graduate student community.
- Work with University administration, all colleges and schools, and the graduate student community to develop and implement policy that furthers graduate student interests and goals within the larger University body.