Committees Open to All Students

Composition

• The  Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee is composed of the Vice President of Equity and Inclusion and any number of volunteer members that are graduate and professional students. 
• The Vice President of Equity and Inclusion  chairs and oversees the functioning of this committee. 
• A Student Activities Office advisor  serves as an ex-officio non-voting member. 
• Other recommended members and collaborators may include: GPSS Representative to the Faculty Council on Race, Equity, and Justice, the Faculty Council on Gender, Equity, and Justice, and the Diversity Council, Graduate Student Equity and Excellence (GSEE), the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity (OMAD), the Q Center, the D Center, the Women’s Center, the Office of Student Veteran Life, the ASUW Joint Commissions, the Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center (ECC), and the Foundation for International Understanding Through Students (FIUTS). 

Mission

The GPSS  Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee is a community undertaking strategic actions to eradicate the historical inequities inherent in institutionalized academic structures and settings. We recognize the inequities existing along all lines of difference resulting from systems of oppression that perpetuate disempowerment. Rather than celebrating neutral “diversity,” “tolerance,” or “multiculturalism,” the committee instead acknowledges the lived experiences of various groups of underrepresented and minoritized graduate and professional students on campus by combating injustices and empowering students through university resources.

Functions

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee broadly functions as GPSS’s accountability branch by incorporating diversity into GPSS goals and activities. Diversity includes but is not limited to all ages, castes, financial classes, documented/undocumented statuses, ethnicities, genders, nationalities, religions, sexes, sexualities and any other imagined lines of difference that divides us. To that end, the Committee serves to: 

• Undertake strategic actions to eradicate the historical inequities inherent in institutionalized academic structures and settings; 

• Establish criteria for and award grants from the GPSS Diversity Funds; 

• Annually conduct GPSS Composition Surveys; 

• Plan, host, and promote campus-wide events and programming on diversity issues; 

• Collaborate with students, faculty, administration, staff, and others on diversity programming, events, and activities; 

• Facilitate communication between the GPSS and graduate and professional students working on diversity issues within their department, college, or school; 

Hear grievances concerning inequities existing along lines of difference and refer grievances or complaints to the Judicial Committee for investigation when applicable under Article VI, Section B, Clause 2, Subsection a. 

To be added to the GPSS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee email list, please email the Vice President of Equity and Inclusion at gpssvpei@uw.edu.  

Composition

• The Legislative Advisory Board (LAB) shall be composed of the Vice President of External Affairs, the Policy Director, and any number of volunteer members that are graduate and professional students.
• The Vice President of External Affairs or their Policy Director shall chair and oversee the functioning of this Committee.

Functions

• Assists the Vice President of External Affairs in developing a legislative agenda for Winter Quarter’s legislative session
• Advise and assist the Vice President of External Affairs on issues related to the GPSS’s lobbying efforts and in particular Graduate Student on Day on the Hill (Huskies on the Hill)
• Assist with lobbying during the interim Spring, Summer, and Fall quarters

Meetings

Winter Quarter:
Wednesdays 1:00PM to 2:00PM in HUB 314.

Questions, comments, and concerns can be directed to the Vice President of External Affairs at gpssvpex@uw.edu.

GPSS Legislative Agenda

2026-2027 GPSS Legislative Agenda Coming Soon!

Legislative Advisory Board (LAB) Members

Composition

• The Travel Grants Committee (TGC) shall be composed of the Vice President of Finance and four to six at-large Senators or graduate and professional students appointed by the Treasurer.
• The Treasurer shall chair and oversee the functioning of this committee.

Functions

The TGC works to allocate funding in a manner that supports the personal and professional development of graduate and professional students through participation in academic and professional conferences and competitions. To that end, the TGC serves to:

• Assist the Treasurer in communicating policies and procedures governing the Travel Grants process
• Utilize the Travel Grants Rubric in allocating travel grant funds. In fall quarter, the committee will use the Rubric agreed upon by the previous year’s committee. The current committee can decide to amend the rubric after the Fall Cycle has closed, and have these changes take effect for the Early Winter Cycle Travel Grants applicants shall be judged based on the criteria delineated in the Rubric
  • The recipients are selected by a simple majority vote of the committee.
  • It is recommended that each application be graded by three committee members since some members tend to be low or high scorers.
  • If a TGC member has applied for a travel grant, the individual cannot participate in the application review for that specific application cycle.
• Assist the Treasurer in advertising the availability of Travel Grants to the GPSS Senators and other graduate and professional students
• Review and recommend an annual Travel Grants budget to the Finance and Budget Committee for the following fiscal year.

Meetings

• The TGC shall be formed no later than November 1 each fiscal year. At the time of its formation, it will assume responsibility for the allocation of the GPSS Travel Grants. In the event that the previous Travel Grants Committee is no longer in session, the Executive Committee shall temporarily assume the responsibility in the interim.
• It is recommended that the TGC plans to meet nine times during the academic year (Fall through Spring).
  • Four times during Fall quarter
  • Twice during Winter quarter
  • Three times during Spring quarter
• During the summer the committee shall meet twice, once in early July and once in early August to evaluate Summer Cycle applicants. If the Treasurer is unable to convene the TGC during the summer, the Executive Committee shall assume the responsibility and evaluation of Summer Cycle applications will occur during Executive Committee meetings.
• A quorum of the committee shall be a simple majority of its members plus the Treasurer.

To inquire about committee openings, contact the Vice President of Finance at gpssvpfb@uw.edu

Travel Grants Committee Members