GAPSA - Graduate and Professional Student Assembly

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History and Introduction
by Steven Lin, GAPSA Chair 2013-2014

One of the greatest benefits of attending Penn is, inarguably, the opportunity to embrace a culture of intellectualism, innovation, and diversity. It is for this reason that more than 10,000 students each year from across the United States and the world choose to be at one of the twelve graduate and professional schools Penn. In this

sea of opportunities, what the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly strives to accomplish is to integrate students with a unique Penn experience spanning disciplines. The beginning of graduate student government at Penn can be traced to the 1950s, when a group of students began meeting to discuss and work on issues pertaining to graduate student life. In 1979, the Board of Trustees formally sanctioned GAPSA into Statutes of the University, marking GAPSA's entry into Penn's core body of governing laws. The first General Assembly meeting gathered on September 24, 1979. More than three decades later, GAPSA continues to be a thriving organization with membership open to all membership and involvement of the twelve graduate and professional schools at Penn. It has continued to fulfill its mission in empowering students, advocating on their behalf, and supporting countless academic, professional, and social initiatives. In 2012, GAPSA hosted the Ivy Plus Summit, a gathering of the student government leaders throughout the Ivy League partner institutions and MIT. Furthermore, over the years, Penn has become one of the most well-funded and involved student governments in the world. Even as GAPSA continues to establish and promote relationships among student leaders nationally, it remains committed to what the needs of the students at Penn. On this website you will find contact information for me and my peers on the GAPSA Executive Board and your school representatives on the General Assembly. Whether you have questions about GAPSA events, ways to get involved, or just want to reach out to us, we want to hear from you. We are conveniently located on the third floor of the Graduate Student Center, and you are more than welcome to schedule a time to meet with us. GAPSA does not exist without your support. I hope that GAPSA will be a part of your Penn experience, and thank you for being a part of GAPSA. Sincerely,
Steven Lin

06/11/2025

Our Thursday GAPSA Alumni Mixer!

Our alumni mixer series is a happy hour for GAPSA students and alumni to network. Join us for some fun, food, and drink at New Deck Tavern! Includes two drink tickets and light fare.

When: Thursday, June 12 (7:00 - 9:00 PM ET)
Where: New Deck Tavern (3408 Sansom St)
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1045188526017?aff=oddtdtcreator

06/10/2025

06/09/2025

:ocean: Surf’s Up! Come surf with GAPSA friends :ocean:
Date: Sunday, June 22, 2025
Time: Carpools leaving from Philly ~7:30 AM
Location: Stacey’s Surf in Margate City, NJ
Sign up before spots fill!
https://forms.gle/F9BCdZ9X6A279RVt5

06/06/2025

GAPSA Broadway Series: The Wiz
Our Broadway Series is back with its third show of the year! The Wiz is a re-telling of L. Frank Baum’s classic story The Wizard of Oz. With a score full of soul, gospel, rock, and 70s funk, this musical highlights contemporary African American culture and explores themes of friendship, adversity, and finding your place in the world.
Tickets (June 8th/12th): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gapsa-broadway-series-the-wiz-tickets-1365775684839

06/05/2025

Summer 2025 Conference & Professional travel grants universal application is OPEN! Including Fontaine Society Conference Grants, GAPSA PGLA International Conference Grant, GAPSA Professional Student Grant, GAPSA Professional Student Grants, GAPSA Research Student Travel Grants. Deadline: June 10. Apply Now! https://www.gapsa.upenn.edu/individual-grants

04/30/2025

Join GAPSA for our annual Sports Carnival! Enjoy games like football, soccer, golf, volleyball, badminton, croquet, corn hole, tug-of-war, sack/bed race, three-legged race, horseshoes, jump rope, and frisbee! This is a family-friendly event! Free registration includes water and light food.

Details:
5/2/2025
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Penn Park

Link in bio!

04/29/2025

Ditch the ordinary and dive into an unforgettable night of year end madness!! Don your favorite blazer/dress or just grab your favorite outfit and get ready to dance the night away. This is a no pressure cruise, come dance, relax, and burn off that end of year steam. Include drinks & food!

Date: May 13th (11pm - 2:30am)
Tickets: Link in bio!

04/13/2025

Looking for a break from books? Ready to let loose and have some fun? Join us for a game night filled with laughter, delicious food, and new friendships. Meet fellow graduate students from UPenn and create unforgettable memories.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/game-night-at-board-and-brew-tickets-1317767822029?aff=oddtdtcreator

📅Date: April 20, 2025

🕒Time: 5-8 pm

📍Location: The Board and Brew Philadelphia, 3200 Chestnut Street

04/01/2025

GAPSA is proud to be hosting a university-wide graduate student research conference in collaboration with the graduate center! The poster walk itself will be from 4:30-6pm on Friday April 4th. Submissions due by April 2nd, but GAPSA will cover the cost of printing posters submitted by March 27 11:59pm. All work in all stages of progress welcome. Gifts and prizes for participating. Drinks and refreshments provided.

Poster Submissions: https://forms.office.com/r/pYnc7YTxtP

Questions: [email protected]

03/28/2025

GAPSA Director Positions NOW OPEN!

Are you ready to make a real impact on the graduate and professional student community at Penn? GAPSA is excited to announce that applications for Director positions ARE NOW OPEN! This is your chance to step into a leadership role, drive initiatives, and shape the future of our community.

- Why apply?
-> Be a part of meaningful change and create lasting impact!
-> Stipend: Executive Board roles come with a GAPSA Service Award of up to $3,000 per academic year. (Eligibility and limitations apply.)

Important: You must be enrolled in a program and registered for courses through May 2026 to apply.

Not selected for Director? No worries! Deputy Director positions will also be available!

Mark your calendars: The application form is available NOW. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to lead and make a difference!

03/24/2025

GAPSA is proud to be hosting a university-wide graduate student research conference in collaboration with the graduate center! The poster walk itself will be from 4:30-6pm on Friday April 4th. Submissions due by April 2nd, but GAPSA will cover the cost of printing posters submitted by March 27 11:59pm. All work in all stages of progress welcome. Gifts and prizes for participating. Drinks and refreshments provided.
Poster Submissions: https://forms.office.com/r/pYnc7YTxtP

Questions: [email protected]

03/20/2025

Spring Gala Menu:

Wondering if we have vegetarian options to go with your drinks? Not sure if we will have your favorite dish? Thinking some cookies would go great with your favorite beverage? Well then take a gander at our menu for Spring Gala! March 22nd (8pm) at The Fillmore!

Tickets in bio!

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Our Story

Greetings to all new and returning graduate students,

It is our pleasure to welcome you all to the 2019-2020 Academic Year. Whether you are new to campus or it feels like you have been here forever, the GAPSA executive board would like to take this opportunity to wish you well, introduce ourselves, and let you know about some of the resources and opportunities available to help you make the most of your time here.

The Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA) is your student government. It exists to advocate on your behalf, represent you to the university administration and to the world, and to support your professional, educational, and personal goals. To do this, we offer funding for student groups and individuals; host events to connect you with your fellow students; work to connect you to university resources; advocate on your behalf to expand those resources or to change university policies; and represent graduate and professional concerns in a myriad of ways on countless committees and to virtually every office and center here at Penn, and beyond the bounds of the campus.

To hear more about us, and to get updates on the work we are doing, the events we are hosting, or the funding we have available, we encourage you to sign up for our weekly newsletter, to like us on Facebook, and to explore our website.

In the meantime, to kick off the new year and welcome you all in style, we invite you to get to know each other at our annual GradFest! This is a full week of events and activities to help you meet your fellow students, familiarize yourself with GAPSA and some of the other resources and groups available to you, and to take a well-deserved break from the hectic sprint that is the beginning of the semester. For details on these and a full listing of all the events, check out our GradFest webpage. We hope to see you all at some or all of these wonderful events!

On a more somber note, we would like to acknowledge the simple truth that graduate school can be difficult. It can be isolating, overwhelming, stressful - it can be all these things and more. But you are never alone in this. There are many people around you who care about you and resources available to support you, some of which are listed below:

Chaplain’s Office: (215) 898 - 8456

Penn Women’s Center: (215) 898 - 8611

Graduate Student Center: (215) 746-6868

Reach-A-Peer Helpline: 9pm - 1am by phone at (215) 573 - 2727, 24/7 texting support at (215) 515-7332

In-person peer support: Penn Franklins

If you feel a more urgent need to talk with someone, an on-call CAPS clinician will also be available at any time (24/7) to help you. They can be reached by calling (215) 898 - 7021 and pressing 1.

In addition to all of these, GAPSA itself is here to help. Not just because GAPSA is a resource, but because GAPSA is YOU. It’s us. Every Executive Member whose name appears at the bottom of this e-mail, every member of a GAPSA committee, every doctoral candidate conducting field research hundreds of miles away, every new Master’s student who is only learning about GAPSA for the first time in this very e-mail. Each and every one of us is a graduate and professional student at Penn, we are all a part of the GAPSA community, and we are all in this together.

At first, in the wake of last week’s tragedy loss, we worried this message would be disrespectful to, or at least discordant with, the grief on campus. But, in truth, there is seldom a more important time to be reminded that we are all a community. That none of us are alone. So, please, come out to one of our events. Get to know your fellow GAPSA members. Take advantage of the resources available to us. Together, we, as individuals and as a community, can improve our graduate school experience, supporting one another as students, as friends, and as human beings.

If you are interested in joining us in building a stronger, more vibrant graduate community, whether by organizing events, advocating for each other, or just joining the conversation, please reach out to the GAPSA Executive Board or General Assembly members.

The first General Assembly meeting of the year will be September 18, at 6 pm, in Amado Recital Hall, Irvine Auditorium. All members of GAPSA (that is, each and every one of us) are welcome to attend. If possible, we just ask that you e-mail our Chair for Operations, Aalok Thakkar ([email protected]), so that we can have an accurate headcount.

Together, we will make this a fantastic year for us all.

With best wishes for the year ahead,

The 2019-2020 GAPSA Executive Board

Contact the university

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Website

http://gapsa.upenn.edu/

Address

University Of Pennsylvania, Graduate Student Center, 3615 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA
19104

GAPSA - Graduate and Professional Student Assembly

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