Our UW Seattle Campus is basically a “small city” of over 46,000 students, 5,000 faculty, and tens of thousands of staff, all running programs and services.
All 16,000 of us graduate and professional students have expertise and lived experiences with potential to make lasting impacts on the UW community. GPSS manages appointments to UW-wide service opportunities for the academic year (Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters). Many of the UW’s colleges, schools, and programs have specific councils, committees, and boards, too.
Apply
The application form will take about ten minutes to complete. You will need to upload a copy of your latest resume/CV.
Application Form (login required): https://forms.office.com/r/Ai7k8DYBXE
There are too many opportunities to list in this email, but here are some priorities:
- Grad School Council (1 opening) – help approve new graduate degree programs and review existing programs across all three UW campuses
- Student Technology Fee (3 openings) – help allocate $9+ million to campus-wide technology resources for students – members receive $1,000 per quarter – meets weekly on Mondays from 3:30 – 5:30, with a longer end of quarter voting meeting
- Services and Activities Fee (4 openings) – help allocate our $22 million budget to 18 different Student Life units on campus – members receive $750 per quarter – meets weekly on Fridays from 1:00 – 3:00, with a longer end of year voting meeting in Spring
- Campus Sustainability Fund (2 openings) help steer sustainability efforts on the Seattle Campus – members receive $440 per quarter – meeting times adjust to committee availability
- Library Fine Appeals (1 opening)– help students free up financial holds from the library – this committee is asynchronous
- U-PASS Advisory Board (3 openings) – help set the fee rate and shape the scope and coverage for our U-PASS services – meeting times adjust to committee availability
- Faculty Councils (12 different openings) – the dozen Faculty Councils shape many aspects of UW policy. These councils are recommended for students who wish to pursue a career in research or teaching at a large research university (i.e. you wish to become a faculty member one day)
Review
Our review procedure is about “matching” students to the right opportunity. Some opportunities will have more applicants than others. Some committees require more institutional knowledge, while others might require interdisciplinary analytical skills. We review applications holistically, balancing professional development opportunities with student’s skills and interests.
For students who opt in, we will contact you about opportunities for various interest groups that haven’t yet formed. UW working groups will form about academic policies, safety, wellness, and professional ethics.
Questions about applying can be directed to Maddie Valdez (she/her), GPSS University Affairs staff, at gpssua@uw.edu.
Questions about opportunities can be directed to A.J. Balatico (he/him), GPSS President, at gpsspres@uw.edu.
A Note from A.J.
Even in a busy PhD program, there are a myriad of opportunities that directly impact student life here at UW. I joined the Student Technology Fee (STF) Committee in Fall 2019; that service was separate from being a GPSS Senator for my program, Learning Sciences and Human Development, in our College of Education. It was the “before times” and some of the big projects we entertained included granting students across all three campuses access to LinkedIn Learning and technology expansions for various departments and registered student organizations.
The pandemic disrupted how we distributed funds to different projects. In Fall 2020, I worked with Student Regent Kristina Pogosian to initiate the stoppage of the collection of the fee. In Spring 2021, I was elected as the GPSS Vice President of Finance. Once again we used data to suggest the cancellation of the fee, saving each student $114 the following academic year.
Beyond that initial experience which shaped my career trajectory here, students here make valuable recommendations through:
- Faculty, Staff, and Admin Searches,
- college/school DEI boards, and
- local student governments (for example, the Student Bar Association and Medical Student Association).
There are many ways to get involved! We need your voice and presence in all levels of decision-making at the UW.