In 1965, the Graduate Student Senate was established to work with administration and faculty in making policy recommendations on issues such as student housing, parking, and cultural matters. In 1972, a Graduate Student Senate Task Force was organized to explore ways of strengthening the Senate as an accountable and influential body and increasing its involvement in initiating, funding, and running student-related services. In 1977, a stronger Graduate Student constitution was passed. In 1978, the Graduate Student Senate (GSS) lent its support to UMass graduate student employee unionization and collective bargaining. Since its inception, the GSS has maintained involvement with campus governance by securing graduate representation on search committees and other campus-wide committees and by offering informational seminars.

University Library Record 45 consists of meeting minutes (1964-1989), constitutions (1965, 1977), Report of the Joint Commission on Campus Governance (1971), committee materials, organizing materials for unionization and collective bargaining of graduate student employees (1973-1980), membership cards and lists (1970's), newsletters (1969-1970's), Graduate Student Senate newsletters (The Graduate Voice [1983-1990] and The Voice), news clippings, announcements, and other subject material. Additional records can be found in the GSG office.

At the beginning of the 2024 fall semester, the officers officially announced the change in name from the Graduate Student Senate (GSS) to the Graduate Student Government (GSG). This has allowed for changes in the structure of the governance for the graduate student body. With the official change to become the GSG, the governance structure has been updated to include three branches. These three branches are the executive, legislative, and judicial branches which are designed to work together to foster success for all graduate students at UMass Amherst.