Click here for the 2008 Election Guide

The four officers of GPSS are elected by the Senate in May. Any graduate or professional student is eligible to run; the only requirement is that they attend three GPSS Senate or committee meetings before the election. The officers work 19.5 hours a week for a full year starting in June and earn a wage equivalent to the salary of a TA or RA. To file for candidacy, fill out the online application form and upload a resume and statement of objectives at least ten days prior to the election. All candidates will give a short speech before the Senate on election day. An elections packet, further detailing officer duties and elections procedures, will be posted online in the spring.

Each degree-granting department is eligible to have two senators and determines its own method for selecting senators. While many departments do hold annual elections, some departments appoint senators or seek volunteers. Of those that hold elections, some do it in the spring of the prior year, while others do it in the fall. Contact your department graduate program advisor to find out what the process is in your department. Under-represented graduate and professional minority groups may petition to elect one Senator to represent that group. Please contact the GPSS Secretary for more information on the petition process.

Four Executive Senators sit on the Executive Committee, which meets bimonthly to advise the Officers. To be considered for the Executive Committee, please apply online before the second Senate meeting of the year. The GPSS Officers will review all applications and put forth before the Senate four nominations. Further nominations may be made from the Senate floor at this time. The Senate then votes on four Executive Senators.

Judicial Senators serve on the Judicial Committee, which meets on an as-needed basis to investigate violations of the GPSS Constitution and Bylaws. The five Judicial Senators are elected by a simple majority of the Senate during the first official GPSS meeting of the year. Nominations, including self-nominations, are accepted from the floor at that meeting.

Other than those mentioned above, committees are filled through an application process through GPSS. You can scroll through a list of open committees and apply online to serve on one.