Membership and Governance in the Graduate Student Association
The Graduate Student Association (GSA) is the representative body for all graduate students at Penn State. The governing body of GSA consists of three branches: the assembly, the executive board, and the judiciary. The assembly consists of delegates from each graduate program.
The executive board is comprised of the president, vice president, treasurer, executive secretary, secretary, representatives to the Faculty Senate and Graduate Council, director of public relations, and Judiciary Committee chair. The Judiciary Committee consists of a chair and five members appointed by the president and approved by the assembly.
GSA members elect graduate students to serve on a number of University governing bodies and committees, including: the University Faculty Senate (one), the University Park Allocation Committee (six), and Graduate Council (five). Graduate students who are elected to Graduate Council serve on a variety of Council Committees, including the Committee on Graduate Research, Committee on Graduate Student and Faculty Issues, and Committee on Programs and Courses. In addition, the President of GSA and the Executive Board have regular informal meetings with the Dean of the Graduate School and the Vice President of Student Affairs. Graduate students have an excellent opportunity to interact with the administration of the University through service on these committees.