GPSA President 2022-23
Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) at Arizona State University
Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA)
In my role as the first international-student GPSA president, I challenge ASU to be transparent, sustainable, and inclusive. One of the challenges will be to fairly incorporate online student representation into our student government, our advocacy, and our events.
In GPSA, we work towards graduate and professional student success for on-campus and online students by advocating for goals such as support towards housing opportunities and cost, funding for professional development pre-graduation and during the first semester post-graduation, health insurance benefits, and biking and walking safety at and around ASU.
Our advocacy agenda, which was prepared over the summer months, follows guiding principles including student-centered, awareness, cultural intelligence, JEDI, and collaborative & coalitional. Main policy points cover access to basic needs, health & wellbeing, social transformation, international student experience, digital student immersion, and sustainability.
Council of Presidents (COP)
In cooperation with the four undergraduate student government (USG) presidents from the four ASU campuses, we advocate for all students of ASU and form the Council of Presidents (COP) at ASU. It is my responsibility to advocate for graduate and professional students, both on-campus and online students, and bring in a specific perspective since I'm also an international student myself.
COP works on issues related to diversity, mobility, transparency, opportunity, and sustainability and has identified their Priorities for this academic year 2022/23: COP Priorities.
Our priorities cover pan-universal initiatives on sustainability, traditions & engagement, academic experiences, student health & wellness, and university resources for all ASU students. Some of those priorities are short-term goals while others will need future COP leadership to continue our ignited efforts.
Student Government Experience
I have been the School of Sustainability Assembly Member within GPSA from April 2019 to April 2021, engaged in the Wellness, Internal Affairs (now STaR), and Assembly Operations committees.
Since June 2021 I'm the Director of Travel and manage all five travel grants from GPSA, their applications, the reviewers, and the blind review process.
In November 2021, I have been part of the Graduate Student Advocacy Conference from GPSA to advocate for our fellow graduate and professional students at the state and federal level.
What meaningful change can you accomplish with your position?
We have to look at the amazing changes that the current and prior GPSA presidents and assemblies could enact. Starting at "the publication of Grad College Completion Fellowship data'' followed by "the emergence of the COVID-19 emergency funds" and ending with "the increase in funding for the Childcare Subsidy Program at ASU" to name only a few. Additionally, within the Council of Presidents, ASASU priorities were detailed to guide the year and measure success.
It is in my interest to strive for similar impactful changes, challenging ASU to be transparent, sustainable, and inclusive, as well as to continue advocacy efforts of the current GPSA leadership led by President Mayberry. I plan to ensure graduate and professional student success by advocating for goals such as support towards housing opportunities and cost (continued), livable stipends for RAs and TAs (continued), funding for professional development pre-graduation and during the first semester post-graduation, health insurance benefits (continued), and biking and walking safety at and around ASU.
