The Smith Administration | Graduate and Professional Student Government

Message from the GPSG President:

Hi, I’m Jaden Smith, and it is an honor to serve as your President of the Graduate and Professional Student Government.

Graduate and professional students are essential to what makes Carolina work. We are researchers, educators, clinicians, scholars, artists, advocates, and future leaders spread across schools and programs that can sometimes feel worlds apart. My goal this year is simple: to make sure GPSG meets you where you are and that, regardless of your program, you know there is a student government working for you.

Our administration is guided by three commitments: Advocate. Connect. Empower. We are advocating for greater student stability, from housing and basic needs to funding, transportation, and academic support. We are connecting students across schools, with University leadership, and to the resources and opportunities Carolina has to offer. And we are empowering graduate and professional students to have a meaningful voice in the decisions that shape their education and experience.

Whether you spend your days in a classroom, clinic, lab, library, studio, or somewhere beyond campus, GPSG is here to represent you. But more importantly, GPSG belongs just as much to you as it does to me or any of our elected and appointed officers. If there is something you want to see changed, an idea you want to bring to life, or an issue you believe deserves our attention, please reach out to us. We want to hear from you, work alongside you, and help turn your ideas into action. I look forward to showing up, listening, and building a stronger graduate and professional student experience together.

The Blueprint: Five Pillars of the Smith Administration

The Blueprint is the foundation of the Smith Administration’s vision for graduate and professional student government. Rather than treating the platform as a fixed list of promises, the Blueprint is designed as a living framework that can grow alongside the needs and ideas of Carolina’s graduate and professional students. It is organized around five pillars that guide our advocacy, programming, and partnerships throughout the year:

Academic Support — Strengthening the academic, research, and professional environment for graduate and professional students while expanding access to opportunities and resources across Carolina.
Student Stability — Addressing the financial, housing, transportation, basic needs, and structural barriers that can prevent students from focusing fully on their academic and professional goals.
Community & Tradition — Breaking down silos between schools and programs, building stronger connections across campus, and creating traditions that strengthen a shared graduate and professional student identity.
Service & Mentorship — Creating opportunities for students to serve Carolina and the broader community, mentor one another, and develop as leaders beyond their individual programs.
Collaborative Input — Keeping the Blueprint student-driven by giving graduate and professional students a direct pathway to submit concerns, ideas, and proposals that can become part of the administration’s work.

At its core, The Blueprint is meant to be built with you, not simply for you. These five pillars provide the structure, but graduate and professional students help determine what we build within them.

Let your voice be heard!

GPSG works best when graduate and professional students help shape what we do. Whether you have a concern that needs attention, an idea that could improve the student experience, or an initiative you believe GPSG should pursue, we want to hear from you.

Through the Collaborative Input pillar of the Blueprint, students are encouraged to bring forward ideas, concerns, and proposals that can help guide the work of the Smith Administration. You can schedule a one-on-one meeting with the GPSG President, explore opportunities to get involved with GPSG, submit an idea or concern, or reach out directly at GPSG_Pres@unc.edu.