About GPSA Committees

Committees are the backbone of GPSA. Committees are made up exclusively of students and include ten Executive Committees, a Legislative Committee, the Student Fee Review Board, and over a dozen University Committees. Each committee addresses specific issues related to student life at UNM and works to represent graduate & professional student and issues to UNM and the community. 

The GPSA Standing Committees manage the operations of GPSA. In addition, the GPSA President can create ad-hoc committees to accomplish specific tasks as needed. Ad-hoc committees dissolve at the end of the President’s term. Furthermore, representatives from GPSA sit on more than two dozen University Boards and Committees, bringing graduate & professional student concerns to the attention of the greater university community.

Committee chairs are appointed by the GPSA President but must be confirmed by the GPSA Council at the beginning of Fall semester. Joining a committee is a great way to get involved in GPSA, and we are always looking for qualified people to serve on committees.

If you have an idea for a committee or would like to hold a position, please feel free to contact us at gpsa@unm.edu.

Executive Standing Committees

Elections:

The Elections committee organizes the GPSA General Election to elect the GPSA President and approve any ballot items passed by Council, the President, or Student Body. The committee promotes the General Election, accepts applications for those running for GPSA President & Council Chair, and helps plan and host debates. The Elections committee may also hold special elections as necessary or work with recognized departmental student associations (RDSAs) to plan their elections.

More information on this year's General Election can be found here.

Duties

  • Plan and execute GPSA General Election (April)
  • Plan and execute GPSA Special Elections (As Needed)

 

Finance:

The Finance Committee organizes the annual GPSA budget and works with the GPSA President, Chief of Staff, and officers to keep a balanced budget. The committee supervises the allocation of GPSA funds to departmental and non-departmental graduate and professional student organizations.The chair and two committee members are selected by the GPSA President. The vice-chair and two committee members are selected by the GPSA Council Chair.

Annual Budget

Appropriation Requests

Pro-rated Benefits (PB) Funds

Duties

  • Receive and organize Budget and Appropriation Requests
  • Make Recommendations to Council 
  • Hold Budget workshops (Spring)
  • Manage GPSA Budget
  • Work with SGAO for budget allocations

 

Grants:

The Grants Committee organizes and executes the annual GPSA Grant Cycles (Summer, Fall and Spring). Grants supported through GPSA are the Student Research Grant (SRG, up to $500, all cycles), Professional Development Grant (PDG, up to $500, all cycles), and the New Mexico Research Grant (NMRG, up to $3,000 for general priority and up to $5,000 for high priority, offered only during Fall cycle). Furthermore, the GPSA offers the Graduate Scholarship Fund (GSF, up to $1000, all cycles). For additional information regarding individual grants and information regarding open grants, please click here.

Duties

  • Administer the annual GPSA grant cycles during the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters
  • Receive and process grant applications 
  • Organize training programs for grant applicants
  • Recruit and train grant readers
  • Score and notify grant recipients 
  • Work with SGAO for grant allocations

 

Lobby:

The Lobby Committee works with the GPSA President and officers to determine legislative priorities for GPSA on behalf of graduate and professional students at the University of New Mexico. The committee regularly meets with NM legislators and the UNM Governmental Affairs office, as well as the Alumni Association to determine UNM's priorities and coordinate GPSA's lobbying efforts. Currently the Lobby committee is preparing legislation and finding legislative sponsors.

Duties

  • Work with UNM Governmental Affairs
  • Work with the GPSA President to identify and plan for GPSA Priorities 
  • Attend the New Mexico legislative session (Spring)
  • Submit legislation on behalf of GPSA to the New Mexico Legislature

 

Programs:

Implements programs that serve and facilitate interaction between graduate & professional students at the University of New Mexico and provides service to the University and local community, collaborating with the programming of other student organizations as appropriate. For suggestions on events please contact the Programs Committee Chair. Update on GPSA Events can be found on our home page.

Duties

  • Plan graduate and Professional events
  • Enable close working relationship with UNM Community

 

Student Support & Advocacy:

To enhance and empower the lives of graduate students by providing support and access to information about resources available and contact information for appropriate community and University programs.  To enhance and support both the University of New Mexico and the graduate students we serve by advocating for resources to fund projects or ideas that will directly benefit the student, their program, the University, and the greater community. Student Support & Advocacy advocates for graduate & professional students and identifies campus and community resources for students, maintaining a list of graduate student organizations, services provided, and how each can be reached.

Duties

  • Create a Graduate Student Resource Guide
  • Help students with navigating UNM
  • Help identify alternative sources of funding for students across campus

 

Executive Ad Hoc Committees

Public Relations:

The public relations chair and committee is to promote equity, inclusion, and improvement through effective communication strategies and skills, internally and externally, in an effort to help GPSA actualize its goals of providing awareness of educational services, programs and events, grants and scholarships, and advocacy for professional and graduate students at UNM.

    Duties:

  • Create and disseminate promotional materials in print and online, including on social media
  • Implement strategies for cooperation between GPSA and current or potential partnerships
  • Create and/or update training videos or scripts for GPSA personnel
  • Running all social media for various events for GPSA’s Executive Branch
  • Creating visual marketing campaigns
  • Updating and renovating the GPSA Website
  • Serving as an advisor to the president on external matters
  • Working with the Programs and Student Support & Advocacy chairs on events
  • Running social media campaigns and spearheading the GPSA social media platforms
  • Assists with all other public relations and marketing efforts

Policy & Compliance:

The policy and compliance chair and committee is to promote equity, inclusion, and improvement through effective compliance of policy and procedure dictated to the organization by GPSA's Governing Documents. The chair and committee ensures that all branches of GPSA are acting in accordance of stipulations for professional and graduate students at UNM.

    Duties:

  • Issuing advisory opinions concerning the law, legislation, or any other act of GPSA when requested
  • Providing a current copy of the GPSA Governing Documents at the request of any individual or group
  • Assisting the President in the execution of their duties
  • Serving as an advisor to all branches of GPSA
  • Providing advice and counsel concerning all acts of GPSA when requested to do so
  • Providing counsel for the government in all suits against them
  • Updating and distributing the Constitution for the purpose of engrossing any Constitutional Amendments as passed by GPSA Council and approved by the UNM Board of Regents
  • Codifying of the Bylaws in consultation with the President and the Council Chair

Chief Health Advisor:

The role of Chief Health Advisor is to is to serve as a student representative from North Campus in the Health Sciences. They will be required to promote GPSA on North Campus and increase overall awareness of the organization with an emphasis on health related duties. Concurrently they will serve as a liaison between the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) and the Health Sciences Student Council (HSSC). 

    Duties:

  • Advise GPSA on North Campus with a focus on Health Sciences and the professional students in those degree programs
  • Help to activate the constituency within the Health Sciences
  • Increase awareness of GPSA and its mission/goals on North Campus and its students
  • Co-host office hours on North Campus with GPSA
  • Serve as liaison between GPSA and HSSC
  • Maintain relationships with NMDOH

Strategic Support Chair:

The role of the strategic support chair is to serve as an aid to the president and chief of staff in drafting and implementing strategic efforts for GPSA in pursuit of the mission and values of the organization.

    Duties:

  • Develop a 5-year plan for the organization in order to help guide future administrations in achieving long-term goals.
  • Assist in modernizing and improving the functionality and overall structure of the organization.
  • Contribute to legislative efforts and proposals of the executive branch of GPSA.