GPSG is the university-sponsored student government for all graduate and professional students across Indiana University-Bloomington schools and departments. GPSG serves over 10,000 graduate and professional students at IU-Bloomington by providing advocacy, academic support, community building, and access to resources.
GPSG has been serving graduate students for more than 35 years. In 2015, the current name Graduate and Professional Student Government (GPSG) was adopted (from 2000–2015 it was known as GPSO). While facilitated and supported by the University Graduate School, GPSG is entirely student-run and student-driven.
Governing Documents
The GPSG Governing documents consist of the Constitution and Bylaws. These have been ratified by the GPSG Assembly. The GPSG Executive Committee is responsible for the upkeep and audit of these documents.
Constituency
GPSG is formed entirely by current IU graduate and professional students. GPSG's Executive Committee consists of 8 elected and/or appointed graduate students and two staff coordinators. GPSG's Assembly is made up of approximately 100 graduate student representatives from all IU schools and departments. GPSG Assembly meetings are always open to the public. GPSG collaborates with one faculty memberof the University Graduate School who serves as Ombudsperson.
Mission
Advocacy- The GPSG Assembly consists of approximately 100 graduate and professional student representatives who are the voices of graduate students from across all of IU’s Departments and Schools.
- Within this Assembly, there are 5 GPSG Advocacy Committees: Awards, Benefits, Diversity, Health & Wellness, and Sustainability. These committees are chaired by members of the GPSG Executive Committee and meet bimonthly, once at GPSG Assembly and once at a secondary time.
- The GPSG also coordinates graduate student representation for over 30 other campus committees, including many Bloomington Faculty Council committees. This ensures that the graduate student voice is represented among IU Faculty and Staff and facilitates collaboration.
- GPSG’s advocacy goal is two-fold: 1. Ensure a strong graduate student voice is heard on relevant issues throughout campus and the community; 2. Advocate changes within IU policy to better support the lives of graduate and professional students personally, academically, and professionally.
- Being a graduate or professional student can be difficult. As part of the University Graduate School, GPSG strives, through the various programs and services, to provide opportunities for graduate and professional students to manage their professional and personal lives effectively and efficiently during their time in Bloomington.
- Each academic year, the GPSG Awards Committee awards over $30,000 in grants to students within a variety of disciplines. GPSG is unique in the sense that graduate students award their peers financial awards – graduate students themselves are the voice in choosing which research, travel, and faculty mentor will be chosen for funding each academic year. GPSG Awards include Travel Awards, Research Awards, and the Faculty Mentor Award.
- GPSG frequently collaborates with offices like the Graduate Mentoring Center, Grad Grants Center, Scholars’ Commons, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, Social Science Research Center, and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) to highlight workshops and seminars on behalf of graduate and professional students.
- The GPSG organizes and sponsors many social, academic, and professional events to foster greater community and collaboration between graduate and professional students of diverse programs and backgrounds at IU. GPSG also believes in connecting graduate and professional students to the local culture and traditions of Bloomington and strives to create and maintain productive communication channels with other major constituents of Indiana University.
- Recognizing the need for sharing information in the graduate student community, the GPSG provides centralized access to direct graduate and professional student to relevant campus and community resources including Childcare & Family, Finances, Housing, Teaching and Research, Technology, Career Development, Health and Wellbeing, and more.