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:

  • July 3, 2024

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
    • LGBTQ* students
    • International 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
Karin Wiebe Education
Akshta Sharma Education & Graduate Community Facilitator
Ronald Kizza Engineering
Yenganeh Morshedzadeh Engineering
Kaushal Gnyawali   Engineering
Larissa Piva Creative and Critical Studies
Mandy Wallace Creative and Critical Studies
Alanna Shwed Health and Exercise Sciences
Ryan Conneely Management
VACANT Nursing
Breanne Harper Social Work
Zach Heath Social Work
Carolyn Crawford Arts and Social Sciences
Nataasha Khattar Arts and Social Sciences
Shirley (Sijie) Yang Faculty of Science
VACANT Faculty of Science
Shambhavi Singh Faculty of Science
Stephanie Awotwi-Pratt Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies
Rifah Rafia Monir Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies
Michael Sandler Graduate Student Senator
Amanda Shatzko Graduate Student Senator
Anjali Desai Graduate Student Representative, UBCSUO
Mariam Al Barazi Graduate Community Facilitator
Hammad Ahmad Graduate Community Facilitator
VACANT Indigenous Student Representative
Johanna Elizabeth Manrique Hernandez LGBTQ* Student Representative
Allison Kooijman   Disabled Student Representative
Miracle Adebayo International Student Representative