Graduate Student Association (GSA)

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) is the governing body representing many graduate students at the University at Buffalo.

The GSA is one of seven student governments at UB, alongside the Undergraduate Student Association (SA), Medical Student Polity (MSP), American Student Dental Association (ASDA), School of Pharmacy Student Association (SPSA), Student Bar Association (SBA), and Graduate Management Association (GMA). It serves approximately 10,000+ graduate and professional students across UB's School of Architecture and Planning, College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School of Education, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (excluding MD students), School of Public Health and Health Professions, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Nursing, School of Dental Medicine (excluding DDS students), School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (excluding PharmD students), and School of Social Work.

Like the undergraduate Student Association, the Graduate Student Association is a student-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization led by elected graduate student officers, and it manages the mandatory graduate student activity fee to fund graduate student clubs and conferences. GSA advocates for graduate student interests, provides academic and professional development support, and coordinates social events for the graduate community at UB.

Organization and Leadership

UB's Graduate Student Association has an Executive Board (which typically includes a President, Vice President, and Treasurer) who are elected by graduate students, who oversee the programs and budget. GSA has a Board of Directors built around departmental representation, such that each academic department or graduate degree program at UB can form a Departmental Graduate Student Association (often referred to as a GSA club) which elects or appoints a representative to the general GSA Board of Directors. The GSA Board of Directors, comprising representatives from all graduate departments, meets regularly to vote on funding decisions, policy changes, and resolutions on issues affecting graduate students, such as affordable housing.

Clubs under the Graduate Student Association

Short Name	Full Name	Type	Description
AASGSA	Africana & American Studies GSA	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Africana and American Studies.
AGSA	Anthropology Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Anthropology.
ArchGSA	Architecture Graduate Students Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Architecture.
Art GSA	Art Department GSA	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Art.
GSA Audiology	Student Academy of Audiology	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Audiology.
Biochemistry GSA	Biochemistry Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Biochemistry.
Bio GSA	UB Biological Sciences Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Biological Sciences.
Biostatistics GSA	Biostatistics Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Biostatistics.
RPCCCGSA	Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
CBE-GSA	Chemical and Biological Engineering Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering.
UBGCC	Graduate Chemistry Club	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Chemistry.
CSEE-GSA	Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering.
CGSA [1]	Classics Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Classics.
CGSA [2]	Communication Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Communication.
CHHB GSA	Community Health and Health Behaviors GSA	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Community Health and Health Behavior.
CSEGSA	Computer Science and Engineering Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.
CSEPGSA	Counseling, School, and Education Psychology GSA	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology.
ELP-GSA	Educational Leadership and Policy Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy.
EGSA	English GSA	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of English.
EVS GSA	Department of Environment and Sustainability Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Environment and Sustainability.
EEH GSA	Epidemiology and Environmental Health Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health.
ENS GSA	Exercise and Nutrition Sciences GSA	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences.
GGSA [1]	Geography Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Geography.
GGSA [2]	Graduate Geology Club	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Earth Sciences.
GGSGSA	Global Gender Studies Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Global Gender and Sexuality Studies.
GHA	Graduate History Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of History.
ISGSA	Information Science Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Information Science.
LAI GSA	Learning and Instruction GSA	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Learning and Instruction.
GLA	Graduate Linguistics Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Linguistics.
MDI GSA	Materials Design and Innovation GSA	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Materials Design and Innovation.
Mathematics GSA	Mathematics Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Mathematics.
MAE-GSA	Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering GSA	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
DMS GSA	Department of Media Study Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Media Study.
Microbiology & Immunology GSA	Microbiology & Immunology Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Microbiology and Immunology.
Music GSA	Music Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Music.
NGSA	Neuroscience Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Neuroscience.
GNO	Graduate Nurse Organization	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the School of Nursing.
Oral Biology GSA	Oral Biology Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Oral Biology.
P-GSA	Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
PMY GSA	Pharmacology and Toxicology GSA	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology.
PGSA [1]	Physics Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Physics.
Political Science GSA	Political Science Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Political Science.
PGSA [2]	Psychology Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Psychology.
RLL GSA	Romance Languages and Literatures GSA	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures.
SSWGSA	School of Social Work Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the School of Social Work.
SGSA	Sociology Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Sociology and Criminology.
CDS GSA	Communicative Disorders & Sciences (Speech) GSA	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences.
THD GSA	Theatre and Dance Graduate Organization	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Theatre and Dance.
GPSA	Graduate Planning Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Urban and Regional Planning.
BME GSA	Biomedical Engineering Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
EEGSA	Electrical Engineering Graduate Student Association	Departmental GSA	Departmental GSA for the Department of Electrical Engineering.
GBSA	Graduate Bangladeshi Student Association	International Club	Community organization for Bangladeshi students.
GISA	Graduate Indian Student Association	International Club	Community organization for Indian students.
IGSA	Iranian Graduate Student Association	International Club	Community organization for Iranian students.
LatAm-GSA	Latin American Graduate Student Association	International Club	Community organization for Latin American students.
NGSA	Nigerian Graduate Student Association	International Club	Community organization for Nigerian students.
CogSci GSA	Cognitive Science Graduate Student Association	Academic Club	Organization for students across schools and departments who are interested in cognitive science.
GPG	Graduate Poetics Group	Academic Club	Organization for students interested in poetry.
GSC	Graduate Students of Color	Affinity Group	Organization to build community and provide support for graduate students of color.
UBQ	LGBTQ+ Grad Club	Affinity Group	Organization to build community and provide support for LGBTQ+ graduate students.

Funding and Programs

The Graduate Student Association's activities are funded by the mandatory Graduate Student Activity Fee, for which each graduate student pays per semester. These fees are collected and allocated to GSA under university and SUNY guidelines, granting the GSA an annual budget to support graduate student life. Approximately 14% of this fee goes to club budgets, 15% to conference funding, 9% to savings, 12% to operational expenses, 19% to office staff, 5% to E-Board Stipends, 5% to programming, and the rest to other expenses.