Thank you for your interest in GPSG!
The GPSG represents all graduate and professional students (GAPS) on campus. The Executive Board works with the President on policy and advocacy issues. These officers are intimately involved in advocacy efforts that include finance (stipends, tuition), health (mental health resources, COVID-19 policies), university resources and educational policies (libraries, classrooms, teaching, degree status), peer support programming and logistics (GAPS orientation, mandatory trainings, transportation, accessibility), and community (DEI, mentorship programs, professional development).
Each of these positions receives a stipend for a year-long appointment (April 2022-April 2023). You will collaborate with thoughtful, committed teammates, represent GAPS in the rooms where decisions get made, elevate talent from the student body, and build or maintain programs and resources that materially impact students. The ability to prioritize is essential, as we need to pursue short-term goals while also advancing multi-year projects. If you are motivated not just by service, but by the legacy of your service, GPSG is for you.
Apply for these positions here. Questions? Write to me: tnollert@unc.edu.
Director of Environmental Affairs
Duties:
- advise the Executive Board on issues affecting graduate and professional students and oversee initiatives and advocacy efforts in the areas of sustainability and environmental consciousness.
My vision for this position:
- work on getting hold of the rules governing sales of things in the endowment; coordinate with UNC Legal Services to parse the rules about what can or cannot be sold from the endowment (note that any language that is adversarial to the university may force them to drop the project, so this must be managed diplomatically)
- secure GPSG the right to appoint a member to the University’s sustainability council
- collaborate with USG on UNC-CH sustainability plans
- plan and organize a climate action day
- lead and recruit members for the climate crisis committee within GPSG
- focus on reducing waste and energy use in on-campus labs; partner with students from lab sciences to develop productive, cooperative partnerships on this issue
- develop a timetable and action plan for phasing out the Cogen Plant, identify key stakeholders, and develop a coalition that figures out what these people would need in order to agree to that plan
- sit on relevant committees on an as-needed basis
Director of Digital Media
Duties:
- assist the Vice President for Communications with the communication and public relations activities for GPSG, including maintaining social media platforms and publishing the bi-monthly GPSG Newsletter.
My vision for this position:
- send GPSG newsletter
- work with senators to boost GPSG initiatives and events
- explore partnerships and collaborations with staff and local publications to broadcast our events, initiatives, and messages
- work with the VP of Communications to develop a realistic expansion plan for GPSG’s web presence and usefulness, with tangible metrics
- work with the Director of Assessment and VP Comms to manage the communication side of the new mentorship and orientation programs described in the platform
- sit on relevant committees on an as-needed basis
Solicitor General
Codified Responsibilities:
- appointed to the R&J committee (4.004-1)
- serve as GPSG’s primary legal counsel (particularly relevant for projects relating to the university budget and the endowment)
- serve as GPSG’s chief parliamentarian
- be familiar with the GPSG Code and arbitrate any uncertainty surrounding matters of procedure
- attend any meetings deemed necessary by the President