Graduate Student Advisory Council

The Graduate Student Advisory Council (GSAC) represents graduate students and serves as the student advisory group to the Dean and Director of the College of Graduate Studies (CoGS). GSAC’s function is to encourage involvement with the University and the advancement of graduate and professional studies. GSAC also serves as a conduit for information between CoGS, the CoGS Director, and graduate students, as well as assisting the Dean in advocating and supporting graduate education on campus.

Meetings are normally held monthly and will address one key issue for in-depth discussion, as identified by GSAC members.

Quorum is 10.

GSAC members may at times wish to form Working Groups which would then report back to GSAC.

Meeting minutes will be circulated to committee members within five business days of the meeting, to be shared with their graduate program colleagues.

upcoming meetings:

  • February 4, 2026
  • March 4, 2026
  • April 1, 2026
  • May 6, 2026

The purpose of the Graduate Student Advisory Council is to:

  • Provide advice and feedback to the Dean, the Associate Dean, and the Director of the College of Graduate Studies on key issues for graduate students at UBC Okanagan;
  • Provide information on policies, procedures, workshops, other events and funding from the CoGS office and from Graduate Council;
  • Enable a forum for in-depth discussion on important issues, as identified by GSAC members and their graduate program colleagues;
  • Advocate for change, and to provide leadership, on key issues such as, but not limited to, student services and funding;
  • Provide a forum where GSAC members can also discuss issues and strategize with Graduate Student Senators
  • Help fill graduate student representative vacancies on relevant committees, as needed
  • Dean, College of Graduate Studies (Chair) (ex officio)
  • Associate Dean(s), College of Graduate Studies (Vice Chair) (ex officio)
  • Director, College of Graduate Studies (ex officio)
  • Graduate Student Senators (non-voting)
  • Representative, Health and Wellness (non-voting)
  • Graduate student representatives from the following communities (1 each):
    • Indigenous students
    • International students
    • Black students
    • LGBTQ* students
    • Disabled students
  • Graduate student representatives from the following Faculties/programs:
    • Faculty of Applied Science (3)
    • Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (2)
    • School of Education (2)
    • Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies (2)
    • Faculty of Health and Social Development (1 representative each  from  Nursing, Health Studies and Social Work)
    • Faculty of Science (3)
    • Faculty of Management (1)
    • Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies (3)
  • Invited guests, as appropriate

GSAC MEMBERSHIP 2025/2026

GROUP/FACULTY STUDENT NAME
Education/IGS VACANT
Education VACANT
Engineering Zejia Xu
Engineering Nana Kwasi Effah Adjei
Engineering Olivia Helena Margoto
Creative and Critical Studies VACANT
Creative and Critical Studies VACANT
Health & Exercise Sciences Haley Berrisford
Management VACANT
Nursing Niki Soroush-Asghari
Social Work Deborah Edoho
Social Work Caitlin Harty
Arts and Social Sciences Carolyn Crawford
Arts and Social Sciences VACANT
Faculty of Science Bronte Shelton
Faculty of Science Dominic (Zhongda) Huang
Faculty of Science Riley Eaton
IGS Alec Dow
IGS Emily Rubooga
Graduate Student Senator Paula Verholen
Graduate Student Senator Blair Visscher
Graduate Student Association Representative Ghulam Hussain
Graduate Community Facilitator Sahar Sowdagar
Graduate Community Facilitator Lanxin Li
Indigenous Student Representative Nikki Marchand
Black Student Representative VACANT
2SLGBTQIA+* Student Representative Johanna Elizabeth Manrique Hernandez
Disabled Student Representative Chris Isaak
International Student Representative Tamara Palamar