Graduate Student Association (GSA)
The Graduate Student Association (GSA) is the governing body representing graduate students at the University at Buffalo. It serves approximately 10,000+ graduate and professional students across UB's various departments and schools. 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.[1] 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.[2] 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.[3]
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.[4]