The Graduate and Professional Student Association is a student-run organization for graduate students to connect and better themselves for the professional world. With over 200 members, the GPSA also helps graduate students advocate for themselves on and off campus.

“[The] GPSA is a great opportunity for all graduate students to be involved in a new level of professionalization, workshops and also building community with folks outside your program,” stated the Dean of Graduate Studies Sharon McGee.

The GPSA’s main goal is to improve the graduate student experience by involving students in internal governance of ETSU’s campus, encouraging participation in student sponsored events as well as helping graduate students make the most of their potential as students, researchers and educators.

To do this, GPSA organizes with the ETSU Student Government Association and other organizations throughout campus. With roughly 20% of the student population being graduate students, it is important for them to be represented in campus affairs as the majority of the student services, events and organizations are focused on undergraduate students.

“We have representation on key councils across campus. We have representatives on the graduate council, the academic council, with the provost and the deans offices, the university council and Kajol Dahal, the vice president of the GPSA, is on the SGA. We are essentially the voice of the graduate students on campus,” said GPSA President Mehmet Topyurek.

Photo of Mehmet Topyurek. (Elaina Gilliam/East Tennessean)

The GSPA also helps graduate students with traveling for conferences, presentations and workshops across the country. They have a fund that is available for active members that has provided 28 students with $600 for travel expenses last year. On August 25, 2023, the executive council of GPSA increased their budget to help provide $700 per student trip. These trips are very important to the organization as it helps members expand their knowledge, gain experience in giving speeches and presentations in professional settings as well as helping them network with their professional peers and expose their research.

The GPSA also organizes activities and events in the area, including community service activities and social gatherings. GSPA organizes at least two community service events a year. This past fall semester they helped with move-in day for new and returning students who are staying on campus, as well as working with the Upper East Tennessee Human Development Agency food distribution in September 2023. For their social events, they were recently hosted by White Duck Taco Shop for the Graduate Student Welcome Event, where 88 students attended. These social events include welcome events, tailgating and trivia.

These social events are important for the GPSA as it is often very easy to isolate yourself to your work while in graduate school. A major goal is to provide opportunities to students so that they can still have the opportunity to meet new people and unwind from their work.

The GSPA has several events coming up soon including an American Psychological Association (APA) workshop and several others that can be found on their website. They are also currently preparing for Graduate Student Appreciation Week which is April 1 to 5.

The GPSA underwent elections last year where several members including Topyurek, Dahal and Adetayo Folasole were elected to the roles of president, vice president and treasurer respectively. They will hold these positions until they either graduate or chose to step down.

“Our GPSA has been very active this year which is great,” McGee stated.

One of this administration’s main goals has been to reach as many students as possible. They have been doing this through social media such as Instagram where you can find them at @etsugpsa. They were also recently featured in Illuminated, a graduate student research magazine, where there was a three page feature on the organization.

To join the GPSA, you can visit their website and fill out an application form. The only requirements are that you are enrolled in graduate school with ETSU.

“They can be an online student, on campus, part-time or full time. We don’t discriminate,” said Topyurek.

The GPSA also wanted to highlight the amazing support they receive from Karin Bartoszuk, their advisor and associate dean. They stated that she and the Dean of the Graduate Studies have greatly helped their organization.

For more information on the GSPA, you can visit their website https://www.etsu.edu/gradschool/gpsa/ or contact them at gspa@etsu.edu.

 

*Correction: in a previous version of this article it was not mentioned that legislation had already been passed to increase GPSA’s funding of student trips to $700 per person.