What is the OISE Graduate Student Association?

The OISE Graduate Student Association (commonly referred to as 'The OISE GSA' or 'GSA') recently became active after being dormant in 2019. In March, OISE students voted to reactivate the OISE GSA, and executive elections were held in April. The GSA represents and advocates for graduate students' interests at OISE, and aims to promote communication between graduate students and OISE's administration. They also advocate for students' concerns—ranging from funding, academic, or equity issues.

Justin Patrick, President of the GSA, says the organization is essential for student advocacy because it "represents the collective will of OISE students" and "without a collective voice [of the GSA], it is very difficult for students to get their concerns heard or see tangible action taken." The GSA is a collective infrastructure that helps advance the needs of students, where people can work together to create change.

The GSA executive team consists of four roles: the President, Vice President - Academic, Vice President - Finance, and the Vice President - Internal, each with different responsibilities.

President:

The President acts as the spokesperson of the GSA to OISE administration and other governing bodies within the greater OISE and the University of Toronto community, as well as the University of Toronto Graduate Student Union.

VP Academic:

The VP Academic's responsibilities involve advocating for the academic interests of GSA members, including graduate funding. The VP Academic reviews, processes, and approves all conference funding requests by GSA members. Furthermore, the VP Academic supports the execution of an annual student research conference.

VP Finance:

The VP Finance is responsible for the GSA's financial, human, and physical resources. They carry out all day-to-day financial transactions, make payments, and maintain financial records. They are also in charge of preparing and managing the group's operating budget.

VP Internal:

The VP Internal keeps and distributes all records of GSA policies, procedures and minutes of meetings of the GSA. The VP Internal coordinates interactions between Departmental Student Associations and the GSA, while supporting student organizations' activities. Furthermore, the VP Internal represents the GSA regarding equity matters.

There are many ways students can get involved with the GSA. All OISE students are encouraged to vote in the annual GSA elections, where four new executive members are chosen, as well as attend the Annual General Meeting that typically takes place in January. In addition to these opportunities, there are several others for students to get involved:

Open positions:

The GSA is currently accepting applications for several positions where the expected time commitment is three hours per week. The open roles include Communications Coordinator, Event Coordinator, Grant & Funding Coordinator, and more. Anyone interested can send a CV and brief cover letter to oise.gsa@gmail.com. Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis. 

GSA Committees:

Students can also join one of the GSA committees, such as the Equity Committee, Elections Committee, and the Muriel Fung Award Committee. GSA President, Patrick, encourages students to drop by the office to chat with the executive team, ask questions, share concerns, or grab a snack.

Departmental Associations:

Several departmental student associations (DSAs) and program student associations (PSAs) are also part of the greater OISE GSA. There are four DSAs—one for each faculty. These are the Leadership, Higher, and Adult Education DSA, the Curriculum, Learning, & Teaching Student Association (CTLSA), the Social Justice Education DSA, and the Applied Psychology & Human Development DSA. There is also an International Students Association, and a Master of Teaching Association— a Program Student Association that falls under the CTLSA.

There are so many ways to get involved with the GSA. You can participate informally through events and socials, or formally, through volunteering or term positions. Student government is an excellent way to meet new people, develop or improve professional skills, and have fun while attending OISE. 

To stay up to date on what the OISE GSA is up to, you can follow them on Instagram @oisestudents.