Students at University of Texas are represented by four organizations: The Student Government, one of the College Councils, the Senate of College Councils, and the Graduate Student Assembly.
The Student Government (SG) serves as the official student voice to the UT administration, the Board of Regents, and the Texas Legislature. The SG mission is to earnestly represent the interests of students and increase student decision-making power, to improve campus life through the creation and continuation of viable and effective student services, to preserve and protect the traditions and legends of the University, and to support students and student organizations in their academic and community endeavors. Students directly elect members to the assembly each spring in a campus wide election.
The College Councils are official, university-sponsored student organizations that work to improve student life in its college. College Councils put on programs each year that affect the academic environment, student-faculty interaction, outside community, and much more at UT. College Councils select representatives to the Senate of College Councils and the Graduate Student Assembly. Members of each College Council are selected according to the constitution and bylaws of that council.
The Senate of College Councils represents the students of UT colleges and schools in academic affairs. Towards this end, it serves as a forum for communication between the various student councils of the Colleges and Schools of UT and it represent the collective opinion of the councils to UT, primarily on academic issues and secondarily on other issues of importance to the University. Members of the senate are selected by College Councils.
The Graduate Student Assembly (GSA) is the principal body for the representation of the interests of graduate students throughout the University. The GSA consists of three major categories of representatives:
- The first category consists of members (and and the sub-category of alternates) representing graduate students in academic programs and departments of UT. Members are elected by officially sponsored program, department, college, or school student councils representing all their graduate students equally.
- The second category consists of officers who carry on the day-to-day activities of the organization on behalf of UT graduate students. These officers represent the interests of GSA and graduate students as a whole. The GSA Executive Committee (consisting of the President and Vice-President) are elected by the graduate students in a yearly election. The remaining officers are appointed by the GSA Executive Committee and confirmed by the GSA Representatives.
- The third category consists of graduate student representatives to the committees that govern the university who are appointed by the GSA Executive Committee. These members represent the GSA and graduate students as a whole, rather than their own personal views. These representatives are automatically members of GSA.
The GSA meets bi-weekly to discuss items of interest to graduate students. Members represent the students from the program from which they are elected rather than their own personal views. General Assembly meetings are open to the public and open forum is provided for non-members to express their concerns, introduce items of relevance to graduate students and make announcements that are of general concern to the Assembly and its constituents.
The GSA reports administratively to the Dean of Students, and is considered an official element of the UT structure. Administrative expenses of the GSA are funded through an allocation from the Student Services Fee paid by students each semester.
More detailed information on the GSA organization is provided in the Constitution and Bylaws.
