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Graduate students, welcome to Orientation Day!
The Graduate Student Association-University of Waterloo (GSA-UW) is the official representative of graduate students at the University of Waterloo. GSA-UW welcomes all the new graduate students to the Spring 2023 – Graduate Student Orientation on May 11, 2023.
As part of graduate student orientation on May 11, 2023, the GSA will hold a Services Fair to introduce students to useful services that are available to the graduate community!
To learn more about the people who run the GSA, please visit this page.
To access the full GSA website and learn all about our organization, click here.
services
Some of the services that the GSA provides include the following:
Provides unlimited access to the Grand River Transit Buses & ION Light Rail transit.
Provides health insurance, prescription drug coverage, vision care, mental health supports & more!
Provides preventative care services, including $750 coverage in dental visits & discounts offered by Studentcare Dental Network members.
Provides confidential advising services concerning university policies, issue with supervisors, filing a grievance & petitions, meeting support, & more.
Provides graduate students with programs & events designed to promote academic success (e.g., the Writing Centre)
Provides opportunities to engage with the UWaterloo communit through workshops, speaker series, & events at the Graduate House.
The Graduate Studies Endowment Fund (GSEF) provides funding to improve the experience of graduate students on campus.
The GSA has spaces in the Student Life Centre (SLC), including the Grad Lounge (SLC 3216), which can be used as a study and event space, and the Board Room (SLC 3218), which can be booked for meetings.
community
A virtual space for International graduate students that offers a student blog, wellness resources, a Discord community, and more!
A virtual space for BIPOC graduate students. Join the community on Discord!
Affiliated Departmental GSAs creating community for graduate students in their respective departments.
advocacy initiatives
The GSA Equity Strategy, supported by the Equity Coordinator, is now entering Phase 2. See progress and accomplishments of this work.
On this webpage, we provide information for students looking for housing, and about the GSA’s advocacy for affordable housing in Waterloo Region.
This fund aims to nominate local organizations in the Waterloo Region to be recipients of a modest donation.
The GSA Council has endorsed the formation of a union to represent graduate student teaching and research assistants and sessional instructors.
The GSA-UW is committed to advocating for the continuous improvement of the academic and social experience of graduate students. To that end, the GSA is advocating for the creation of an independent, on-campus ombudsperson position.
research
Reports written by student researchers on topics of interest to GSA advocacy.
Questions and decisions posed to the whole graduate student body.
resources
This page offers important resources for better acquainting yourself with the graduate student worker position.
partners
Here are some of GSA’s partners, who are participating in this Orientation event.
- Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs
- Student Success Office
- Writing and Communication Centre
- Centre for Teaching Excellence
- Centre for Career Action
- AccessAbility Services
- Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Anti-racism
- Athletics and Recreation
- UW Library
- Sustainability Office
- Graduate Studies Endowment Fund
- Organize UW