Thank you for your interest in running for a GSG position! The pages below provide general election dates, the candidate eligibility requirements, and in-depth description of the responsibilities for each of the positions up for election. More information is available in the GSG constitution and bylaws.

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Election and Event Dates

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Important Election Dates:

• Applications / nominations are due Sunday, April 23rd at 12pm.  

• The Election will take place Thursday, April 27 to Thursday, May 4th.

• Results will be announced and posted approximately a week prior to the Friday, May 12th GSG Assembly.

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Here's the link to nominate yourself: https://forms.gle/6NmRZkTvpRKSWpLf6 

 

Stop by our breakfast and Grad Pub to learn more about GSG directly from those currently involved! Find out more about GSG positions you’re interested in running for, and ask about what GSG has done in the past year!

 

• GSG Breakfast

• Monday, 4/17, 10AM, Stamp Student Union

• In-person in the Graduate Student Lounge

• GSG Grad Pub

• Friday, 4/21, 6-8PM, Baltimore Room, Stamp Student Union

• Food served and cash-bar

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Candidate Eligibility Requirements

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1. Only currently enrolled graduate students may run for office in the GSG.

2. Graduate students must not be expecting to graduate prior to the end of their term, as defined by the elections committee or bylaws.

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Representatives

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Representatives are elected from active graduate programs/departments for 1-year terms. These individuals represent their programs (where they get their degree, not their GA unit) as voting members of GSG. The minimum commitment as a representative is relatively small – one 2-hour General Assembly and one 1-hour committee meeting per month (generally all virtual or hybrid).

 

The duties and responsibilities of Program Representatives shall be to (among others listed in the GSG Constitution and Bylaws):

 

1. Representatives should serve on at least one standing or ad hoc committee of the Assembly.

2. Representatives should be aware of issues on the agenda prior to Assembly meetings and are expected to engage in communication with their departments on such issues. Representatives are encouraged to caucus with members of their department prior to Assembly meetings.

3. Representatives should attend, participate in discussion, and vote at regularly scheduled Assembly and committee meetings. In cases where absence from an Assembly meeting cannot be avoided, Representatives are encouraged to designate proxies.

4. Representatives should engage in bi-directional communication with constituents, both informing them of ongoing GSG business and soliciting concerns and ideas.

5. In summary, representatives are required to do at minimum the following:

1. Attend all monthly assemblies as voting members, if unable to attend must identify and send a proxy

2. Participate actively on one or more GSG standing committees

3. Be engaged in GSG social media and spread resources out to constituents

4. Bring constituent ideas and concerns to the larger body of GSG

 

Important Note: Programs are allocated 1 representative per (floor of) 100 students, so 100 students yields one representative and 101 students yields two representatives. The spreadsheet linked here has the Spring 2022 enrollment numbers we will be using to determine these allocations. We distinguish individual programs by the departmental 4-letter code that units are assigned. In some cases this means Masters and Ph.D. students have the same representative, in other cases it does not. Check your program in the linked spreadsheet.

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President

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This is a full, 20-hour per week, Graduate Assistant Position to be awarded on a 12-month basis. The terms of the assistantship shall begin July 1 and run concurrently with the terms of office and the fiscal year. All graduate students are eligible to vote in the Presidential election.

 

The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the organization. The duties and responsibilities of the President shall be to (among others listed in the GSG Constitution and Bylaws):

 

1. Appoint any non-elected executive officials with notice to the Assembly.

2. Recommend graduate students for appointments to, or removals from, University-wide councils, committees, and boards through processes outlined in the Bylaws.

3. Sign or veto, within ten University working days, all legislation passed by the Assembly. If legislation is neither signed nor vetoed within this period, it shall be deemed approved.

4. Sit on all councils, committees, boards and task forces where the GSG President is specifically required to be the representative.

5. Investigate relevant cross-campus policies and programs, which pertain to graduate student life, welfare, inclusion, and those related to academic and professional development of graduate students.

6. Proactively work with the Office of Student Affairs, the Graduate School, Office of the Provost, and the Office of the President to gather information and provide feedback on academic and student life policies that impact graduate students.

7. Ensure GSG remains active at the system, state and national levels to keep GSG informed and involved in graduate student advocacy efforts, and to maintain knowledge of key resources.

 

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Vice President for Legislative Affairs (VPLA)

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This is a half graduate, 10-hour, assistantship to be awarded on a 9.5 month basis. The term of this assistantship shall begin in Pay Period 4 and run through the last day of Pay Period 25, as defined by the University’s Human Resources Department. This position is elected by the GSG Assembly (the current 2022-2023 Program Representatives) not by the graduate student body, unlike the other positions.

 

The duties and responsibilities of the Vice President for Legislative Affairs and Speaker of the Assembly shall be to (among others listed in the GSG Constitution and Bylaws):

 

1. Prepare, in consultation with the Executive Committee, a schedule of Assembly meetings for each legislative session, to be called the GSG Assembly Meeting Calendar.

2. Act as primary contact for all matters related to graduate assistantships and employment, government relations at the local, state and federal levels.

3. Act as GSG’s liaison with the Graduate Assistant Advisory Council.

4. Act as President, if for any reason the office becomes vacant, or when requested to serve in the President’s absence.

5. Serve as a member of the Elections Committee.

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Vice President for Financial Affairs (VPFA)

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This is a half, 10-hour, graduate assistantship to be awarded on a twelve month basis. The term of the assistantship shall begin July 1 and run concurrently with the terms of office and the fiscal year. This position is elected by the GSG Assembly (the current 2022-2023 Program Representatives) not by the graduate student body, unlike the other positions.

 

The duties and responsibilities of the Vice President for Financial Affairs and Student Fee Matters shall be to (among others listed in the GSG Constitution and Bylaws):

 

1. Oversee the financial affairs of the GSG in accordance with the Financial Policies and Procedures specified in the Bylaws.

2. Serve as the chair, with voting privileges, of the Budget and Finance Committee (BFC).

3. Act as the primary liaison for the GSG for the Committee for Review of Student Fees (CRSF) Process. This includes collaboration with the Student Government Association (SGA), Residence Hall Association (RHA), and the Graduate School.

1. Appoint program representatives to all Student Fee Advisory Committees.

2. Within the first two months in office, meet and confer with each fee unit. Compile fee proposals and share with notice to the Assembly for feedback. Such notice shall be provided electronically unless time allows for in person delivery at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Assembly. Feedback should be recorded in a format delineated by the fee unit for clarity in the CRSF process.

3. Record and create a synthesized report of fee proposals to be disseminated to the Assembly for input prior to the main CRSF meeting.

1. Maintain regular contact with registered graduate student organizations regarding GSG business, funding opportunities, and possibilities for partnership, as directed by the Executive Committee.

2. Order the disbursement of the funds of GSG as authorized by the Bylaws or the Assembly.

                                

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And that's about it! If you have any questions email us at gsg-office@umd.edu.