Elections

The ballot is now closed

On February 27th and 28th, 2013 the graduate students will be voting to elect their representatives for the Graduate Student Advisory Council (GSAC). We would like to warmly encourage each and every one of you to submit your name for the council ballot. All graduate students are automatically members or the GSAC and you have the power to elect the board of representatives that will speak on your behalf.

WHO CAN RUN IN THE ELECTION?

All graduate students who are enrolled in the Spring 2013 semester may submit their names for the Graduate Student Advisory Council ballot.

HOW TO BECOME GRADUATE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE?

Running for a seat on the council is a relatively simple process. There are no filing fees or paperwork, just two simple and short online forms:

1. STATEMENT OF INTENT

2. BALLOT ENTRY.

HOW LONG WILL THE BALLOT REMAIN OPEN?

The ballot will close on February 21, 2013 at 11:59pm

Central Standard Time and the election will be held online on February 27th and 28th, 2013.

CAN I RUN FOR THE GSAC PRESIDENT?

Yes, but not just yet ;-)  Once elected, council members select their executive officers in an internal vote.

WHAT ARE GSAC’s RESPONSIBILITIES?

Graduate Student Body Representatives strive to enhance condition of graduate student life through the work of the council itself, its commissions dedicated to specific issues of concern, and through the representation of graduate students to the university administration.

HOW IS WORK WITHIN GSAC STRUCTURED?

GSAC works through monthly meetings of the entire council and through the work of GSAC’s commissions that focus on specific issues of importance to graduate students.

Plenary Sessions: Current council meets each months for 2 hour plenary session.

Commission Meetings: Some commissions work only through email, some meet in person, some use skype, but most use a combination of all of the above. How commissions structure their work and how often they meet  is entirely up to them. The only thing that matters are the outcomes that they produce.

Goal of the GSAC is to serve graduate student body in a pragmatic way, we will minimize legislation and bureaucracy and maximize representation of graduate student interests, and on-the-ground work to improve life of other graduate students (e.g. our social/networking events, workshops, etc.). All things we do aim at fostering graduate student well-being and intellectual development.

If you choose to run and get elected you will work with your peers who most likely face similar time constraints to yours. Graduate students are inherently busy and we do take this into consideration!

WHAT IS GSAC?

The Graduate Student Advisory Council (GSAC) is a group of graduate students elected by their peers to be a voice in support of the graduate student body and to advise the Dean of the Graduate School on issues of importance to the graduate student population. The Executive Board of GSAC provides a forum for grievances, and serves as an external representative body of the Texas Tech University Graduate School. Each Executive Board member is a graduate student elected for a one-year term, but who may be re-elected for multiple and/or consecutive terms.

WHAT IS THE GOAL OF GSAC?

Graduate Student Advisory Council currently focuses on serving the following three functions:

  1. Advocacy and Representation:

    One of the main roles of the GSAC is to help provide representation of graduate student interests to university administration. Graduate student representatives will work with the Dean of the Graduate School on resolving issues affecting graduate students. GSAC representatives on university-wide committees will be able to alert other campus entities to areas of concern to graduate students. We gather data concerning issues important to graduate students, produce surveys and compile results into formal reports that are distributed to university higher administration.

  2. Improving Quality of Graduate Student Life:

    As in case of most democratic institutions, the major responsibility of the representatives is to serve their constituency. Consequently, major area of focus for graduate student body representatives is broadly defined improvement of graduate student well-being. This should include work on specific issues graduate student are facing such as daycare but also more general work such as mutual support for graduate students (or as we call it “caring for each other”). Direct work on issues of concern complements the advocacy efforts discussed above. Efforts will be coordinated with various campus entities including the Wellness Center.

  3. Programming:

    Growth in numbers of graduate students needs to be paralleled with growth in programming of events for graduate students. Social networking events, family-friendly events, as well as professional and intellectual events will be developed by GSAC through its Social / Event Programming Commission. Efforts will be coordinated with such campus entities as the Graduate School, Tech Activities Board, Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center, as well as the Urban Design Center.

The Graduate Student Advisory Council (GSAC) is a council of graduate students dedicated to enhancing graduate student well-being through active advisement of and by the Dean of the Graduate School and university administration. The mission of the GSAC is to enhance the condition of graduate student life through the work of the council itself, its commissions dedicated to specific issues of concern, and through collaboration with the graduate student body and the Student Government Association. The GSAC works through regular meetings of the general council and through work of its commissions focusing on specific issues of importance to graduate students.