Graduate Student Senate

News and Information

UMass Amherst Sexual Harassment Policy Survey:

The administration is updating the campus’ Sexual Harassment policy and seeking graduate students feedback on the draft.  In order to facilitate the feedback process, GSS administrated a survey to collect feedback and would appreciate if you please read the draft and provide feedback on this very important policy by October 12th. A draft of the policy update was sent to all graduate students and you can access the anonymous survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScIHIe0XCvBbPrWbzCkcnrfZb3ETaZTYSmXcD7gYTVhWCafWw/viewform?usp=sf_link.

If you have any questions please reach out to GSS Racial and Gender Equity and Access Coordinator Mariam Rashid at gssaccess@grad.umass.edu and GSS Treasurer Bianki Torres at gss-treas@grad.umass.edu.

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Search Committee Member Needed:

The Student Affairs and Campus Life is in the process of putting together a search committee for the Executive Director for Wellbeing, Access, and Prevention, and campus policy requires that search committees include one graduate student.

The timing of the search  will span  from Early November through  March of 2019.  The most busy time for committee members will be phone interviews and SKYPE/Video interviews  from November 26th through December 13th.    

If you are interested in sitting on this search committee to bring graduate students' perspectives to the table please email gss-pres@grad.umass.edu by October 8th,  5PM and include your motivation.

Here is the description of the position: 

"Reporting to the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life (SACL) and serving as a member of SACL’s leadership team, the Executive Director for Wellbeing, Access and Prevention, under general direction and informed by priorities supporting student success, leads and provides strategic direction for a cluster of programs and services supporting the psychological and physical wellness of UMass Amherst students. Functional areas of responsibility include administrative oversight of the Center for Counseling and Psychological Health (CCPH), Center for Health Promotion (CHP), Campus Recreation, and Disability Services. Several key focus areas provide an administrative framework for the work performed by this position; including, resource alignment, program assessment, data-informed decision-making, and strategic planning. Success in this role will be based in large part on the Executive Director’s ability to build excellent, collaborative intra-/inter- departmental teams; establish and sustain positive working relationships with departments across Student Affairs and Campus Life, University Health Services, Human Resources, and other related stakeholders; implement programs and services that respond nimbly to identified needs and trends; ensure compliance with applicable laws, policies, guidelines and related requirements; ensure the implementation and performance of effective administrative and financial management systems; allocate and align resources to their best and most effective use; and, demonstrate the impacts of wellness programs on campus Student Success goals."

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GSS 2018-2019 Agenda Survey

This is your opportunity to shape our senate meeting agenda! Please tell us what your highest concerns, challenges, and priorities are as a graduate student: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfxmAB9z1OIaztNFCPOK5KrI1p-512Oy92GWZ42m4eLu6fvHw/viewform?usp=sf_link.

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GSS 2018-19 Officers Elected

Canan Cevik, President
Beyza Alpaydin, Vice President
Bianki Torres, Treasurer
For a complete breakdown of voting results please click here.

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On March 12, 2018 GSS sent a letter addressed to Massachusetts Legislators regarding crucial support for the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA): read it here.

This letter was sent to the members off the House Committee on Ways and Means (Chair: Jeffrey Sanchez), the members of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means (Chair: Karen Spilka), Representative Solomon Goldstein-Rose, and Senator Stanley Rosenburg. Without support from the Commonwealth, the PVTA is facing funding gaps and a budget shortfall that will cause service cuts and fare increases.

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Important Dates

Fall Semester 2018

• Add/Drop Deadlines: UMass Amherst Academic Calendar

• Last day to drop with "DR" (graduate)- October 30th