Serving the Needs of Graduate and Professional Students at UCR
Governance
The Graduate Student Association (GSA) at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) operates as the representative body for graduate students. It's structured to effectively address academic and non-academic issues, representing graduate student interests within the university administration. The GSA facilitates communication between graduate students and the university faculty and staff, ensuring their needs and concerns are addressed. This governance body also manages resources and organizes events to enhance the overall graduate student experience at UCR.
Here you will find detailed information about the GSA's decision-making process, meeting schedules, and minutes from past meetings. Additionally, you will find resources and documents pertinent to governance, such as bylaws, policies, and procedural guidelines, providing transparency and guidance for current and prospective graduate students.
General Student Council
The General Student Council (GSC) meets on a monthly basis from October through June. GSC meetings are open to any members of the graduate or undergraduate student body, any member of University related or public media, and any member of the administration or faculty. Exceptions by which a GSC meeting becomes closed can be found in the GSA Constitution, Article II, Section 3, sub-sections ‘a’ and ‘c.’ While GSC meetings are open, voting on items is limited to individuals comprising the GSA executive board and mini-GSA representatives.
Purpose of the GSC
- Represent the general interest of the graduate student body to the University of California, Riverside
- Liaising between graduate students and members of the staff, faculty, and administration at UC Riverside
- Disseminate information to graduate students
- Assist in the resolution of problems pertaining to graduate student affairs
Meeting Schedule
The GSA holds General Council meetings on the first Wednesday of every month from October through June. All students are welcome to join, and comment, and enjoy free food. Meetings are held at 7pm in an online or hybrid format. Check below for details for each meeting. We would love for you to join us!
The meeting link is: https://ucr.zoom.us/j/92401421419
UCR GSA General Council Meeting Schedule:
Wednesday, October 2nd @ 7pm
SSC Multi-Purpose Room 1
Wednesday, November 6th @ 7pm
SSC Multi-Purpose Room 1
Wednesday, December 4th @ 7pm
Wednesday, January 8th @ 7pm
HUB 260
Wednesday, February 5th @ 7pm
SSC Multi-Purpose Room 1
Wednesday, March 5th @ 7pm
SSC Multi-Purpose Room 1
Wednesday, April 2nd @ 7pm
HUB 269
Wednesday, May 7th @ 7pm
SSC Multi-Purpose Room 1
Wednesday, June 4th @ 7pm
SSC Multi-Purpose Room 1
Meeting Agendas and Minutes
Check out the latest Meeting Agendas and Minutes for the current academic year to find out what GSC is currently doing.
September 2024 Meeting Agenda (Coming Soon)
Meeting agendas are voted on and approved one week before General Student Council meetings. Students may request adding items to the agenda by emailing a GSA officer.
Finances
The GSA administers a budget which is approved by the Graduate Student Council. Details of the bylaws governing GSA finances can be found in Section X: Finances of the GSA bylaws. If you have any further questions or comments regarding finances, please contact the GSA financial officer at finance.gsa@ucr.edu.
Financial Forms and Reports
Usage of GSA funds requires submission of either a reimbursement form or requisition form. A requisition form is pre-approval of expenses with a UCR approved vendor. A reimbursement form is not limited to UCR approved vendors and is submitted after the funds are spent. Look through the list below to find the appropriate form.
Departmental / Program GSA Reimbursement Request Form
This form is for Departmental GSA representatives seeking reimbursements for meetings other than conference sponsorship.
Officer Travel Reimbursement Form
This form is for officers seeking reimbursements for travel and travel related expenses.
General Reimbursement Request Form
This form is for reimbursements for general expenses not covered by other forms.
Project Codes and Budget Line Items
Click here for project codes for departmental GSAs
Click here for account and budget line items for all other expenses
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What purchases are allowed for reimbursement?
Typically, funds are used to incentivize attendance to events, such as quarterly meetings, workshop, etc. This includes food and beverages and other graduate-student related resources. Reimbursement policies are set at the UC system level. The current version of these policies can be found at https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3420364/BFB-BUS-79
If you have any questions or doubts concerning potential for reimbursement, contact the VPAA and Finance Officer with your inquiry.
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Can I submit a reimbursement form without all documents from checklist?
No. Every document in the checklist is required by UCR accounting. Failure to have all documents listed in “Materials Checklist” will be returned as incomplete.
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What if the event does not have an agenda/meeting minutes/sign-in sheet?
For the agenda, a flyer for the event satisfies this requirement. Meeting minutes can simply detail what occurred during this event.
All events are required to have a sign-in sheet with student ID numbers.
Please do not ask for NetIDs in addition to student ID numbers.
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What are the requirements for a sign-in sheet?
All events are required to have a sign-in sheet with student ID numbers. Please do not ask for NetIDs in addition to student ID numbers.
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Can the “Explanation of Business Purpose” be for a social gathering?
No, all events need to have a business purpose as per UCR accounting policies. If the event is to gather members from your community to deliver an update on recent events with a social period afterwards, this is acceptable. Please detail this in the “Explanation of Business Purposes” section.
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Why do I need a separate form for travel expenses and other expenses?
UCR accounting policies handle traveling expenses differently than other expenses. As a result of this, all travel expenses must be listed on the travel reimbursement form while all other expenses should be listed on the appropriate reimbursement form.