Get Involved

Meet new people, gain valuable experience, and help build a better graduate experience by getting involved with the GSA and with student governance at the University of Alberta.

Careers at the GSA

Join the team behind the scenes.


The Graduate Students' Association (GSA) at the University of Alberta is powered by a small and committed team of professionals who support over 7,000 graduate students. Our operational staff work in areas like administration, advocacy, finance, programming, and communications to help advance the GSA’s mission and deliver high-quality services to students.

If you're passionate about student support, policy work, and collaborative teamwork in a post-secondary environment, we invite you to explore current opportunities with us.

Contact Us

Step Into Student Leadership

GSA student executives, (formally known as GSA Directly-Elected Officers) are elected annually in February. Student executives work to develop and implement the GSA Board Strategic Work Plan — a set of priorities that guide the GSA in best representing graduate students to government and the University.

The President and Vice-Presidents actively engage with stakeholders and advocate for over 8,000 of their fellow graduate students about important matters (like tuition and funding) through major University governing bodies and meetings with senior administration. 

Serve with the GSA

You can also get involved by serving as a graduate student or GSA representative on any number of GSA Standing Committees or University of Alberta committees.

To see the current membership of each committee, please click here. For more information about each committee, please see GSA Bylaw and Policy (under Governance Resources). 

GSA Appeals & Complaints Board: 1 GSA Councillors & 1 GSA Member

Position Start Date: Immediate 

Purpose and Mandate of the GSA ACB:

The GSA Appeals and Complaints Board is responsible for hearing and deciding appeals of GSA Chief Returning Officer decisions through election periods and complaints about GSA Officers as allowed by Section 94(3) of the Post-Secondary Learning Act (GSA Bylaw and Policy, Section H.POL.6.1).

Meetings:

Members must be available primarily during the GSA General Election process through February and March, but must be available to answer complaints that come up around the year. The GSA Executive Director or delegate will provide training on procedural fairness to all committee members. 

Eligibility:

Has not run in the last GSA General Election or election of the Associate Vice-President Labour; and has no intention to run in the next GSA General Election, or election of the Associate Vice-President Labour, or By-Election. 

Please note: Members cannot serve on both the GSA ERC and the GSA Appeals and Complaints Board (GSA ACB).

Qualifications:

  • Demonstrated ability to be neutral;
  • Capacity for acting impartially;
  • Capacity for reserving judgment until all parties have been heard; and
  • Independent thinking.

Note: “The President, Vice-Presidents, other Elected Officers, and GSA Elections and Referenda Committee members may not serve on the GSA ACB” (GSA Bylaw and Policy, Section H.POL.8.6).

 Please note that an interview will be arranged with GSA Management and the NoC to determine eligibility. 

For more information about the GSA ACB, please see GSA Bylaw and Policy.

GSA Governance Committee: 1 GSA Councillor

Deadline: Friday, August 22nd at 12:00PM (noon)

Position Start Date: Immediate 

Purpose and Mandate of the GSA GC:

The GSA Governance Committee advises and recommends changes to GSA Council regarding the GSA Bylaw and Policy documents or other governance issues (F.POL.4.2). 

Meetings:

Monthly meetings on the third Friday of the month from 10:00AM-12:00PM. 

Eligibility:

Open to GSA Councillors

For more information about this position, please see GSA Bylaw and Policy.

GSA Election & Referenda Committee: 1 GSA Member

Deadline: Friday, August 22nd at 12:00PM (noon)

Position Start Date: Immediate 

Purpose and Mandate of the GSA ERC:

The ERC plays a key role in consulting with the Chief Returning Officer (CRO) on all matters related to GSA Elections, By-Elections and Referenda, including consulting and approving election timelines, advertising, ballots and policy breach rulings.

Meetings:

Monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of the month from 3:00-4:00PM. Additional meetings may take place during the election period in February and March, and a debrief session will be held in the spring. 

Eligibility:

Open to all GSA members who have not and do not plan to run in or volunteer for the last or upcoming GSA General Election, By-Election, or Referenda (I.POL.17.1). Members must maintain neutrality and impartiality.

 

Please note: Members cannot serve on both the GSA ERC and the GSA Appeals and Complaints Board (GSA ACB).

For more information about this position, please see GSA Bylaw and Policy.

GSA Board: 3 GSA Councillors

Deadline: Friday, August 22nd at 12:00PM (noon)

Position Start Date: Immediate 

Purpose and Mandate of the GSA Board:

The GSAB is the senior administrative authority of the GSA, as delegated to it by GSA Council, and is the discussion forum for the GSA Officers and Directors.

Councillors are non-voting members on the GSA Board and are expected to provide a link between the DEOs and GSA Council. Accordingly, they present information, as needed, to GSA Council when GSA Board (GSAB) business is discussed and, likewise, represent the voice of GSA Council at GSAB meetings and advise DEOs on matters discussed by the GSAB (F.POL.3.1.f.i).

Meetings:

Weekly meetings on Wednesdays from 2:00-4:00PM and emergency meetings may be called by any voting member. Notice of seventy-two (72) hours must be given for an emergency meeting, unless there is agreement to meet on shorter notice (F.POL.3.3.b).

Eligibility:

Must be a GSA Councillor.

 Please note that an interview will be arranged with GSA Management and the GSA Nominating Committee (NoC) to determine eligibility. 

For more information about this position, please see GSA Bylaw and Policy.

GSA Deputy Returning Officer (DRO): 1 GSA Member

Deadline: Friday, August 22nd at 12:00PM (noon)

*All nominations received will be circulated as submitted to GSA Council

Position Term: July 1st to June 30th of the following year

Mandate:

To assist the CRO as needed.

Meetings:

  • To report on elections business, the DRO must attend GSA Council meetings: held monthly on the penultimate or last Monday of each month from 5:00-8:00PM - the dates can be viewed here
  • GSA Elections & Referenda Committee meetings are currently held from 3:00-4:00PM on the second Tuesday of each month.

Eligibility:

  • Must be a registered GSA member in good academic standing, and must be able to work in an environment that is fast-paced, collegial, cooperative, and respectful.
  • The CRO and DRO may not hold any other representative position in the GSA (D.POL.12.3.a).
  • The CRO and DRO must not have run in the most recent GSA General Election and election of the AVPL and/or by-election or served as a Campaign Representative in the most recent referendum (D.POL.12.3.c).
  • The CRO and DRO must be fully willing and able to carry out the position and must be physically present in Edmonton or surrounding areas for the duration of any GSA General Election and election of the AVPL, by-election, and/or referendum (D.POL.12.3.d).
  • The CRO and DRO should ideally have previous experience with the administration of student elections (D.POL.12.4.a).
  • The CRO and DRO are expected to be neutral and to act impartially, including declaring any conflicts of interest and rising above individual or departmental interests (D.POL.12.4.b).
  • The CRO and the DRO should have a thorough understanding of GSA Bylaw and Policy, especially with sections pertaining to elections and referenda (D.POL.12.4.c).
  • The CRO and the DRO should have schedules that allow for the bulk of election or referenda work to take place in a compressed time-frame (a few weeks) (D.POL.12.4.d).
  • Candidates must be available between October and March to assist with the GSA General Election, and as needed throughout the rest of the year.
  • Candidates will have exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, proven critical thinking ability, ability to analyze policy, and ability to assess large amounts of governance information in order to determine when to bring forward the GSA’s stance on various issues to a University governing body, committee, or process (D.POL.4.6)

 Please note that an interview will be arranged with GSA Management and the GSA Nominating Committee (NoC) to determine eligibility. 

For more information about this position, please see GSA Bylaw and Policy.

FGPS Council: 25 GSA Members

Deadline: Friday, August 22nd at 12:00PM (noon)

The term of office for graduate student FGPS Councillors is one year. FGPS Council normally meets between September and May. 

In addition, FGPS Councillors and Alternates will have the opportunity to sit on FGPS Council Standing Committees (found here).

Mandate

As per the Post-Secondary Learning Act (PSLA), a faculty council may determine the programs of study for the faculty, provide for the admission of students to the faculty, conduct examinations, and determine the conditions under which a student must withdraw from or may continue in a program of studies within the faculty. The composition and policies of the FGPS Council can be found here

Meetings

The GSA hosts a FGPS Caucus meeting prior to each FGPS Council meeting, in order “to coordinate graduate student representation at FGPS Council meeting” (GSA Bylaw and Policy, Section G: GSA Caucuses, GSA Policy, GSA Caucuses, Section G.POL.3.2.a).  As such, graduate student members on FGPS Council are encouraged to attend all of the meetings listed below. 

Meetings of FGPS Council take place monthly on Wednesday afternoons, and meetings of GSA FGPS Council Caucus take place in the mornings of either the Monday or the Tuesday prior to the FGPS Council meetings. Meetings are held hybrid. 

GSA Board/Nominating Committee (GSAB/NoC): 1 Councillor

Deadline: Friday, August 22nd at 12:00PM (noon)

Position Start Date: Immediate 

Purpose and Mandate of the GSA NoC:

The GSA is seeking one graduate student to serve on the GSA Nominating Committee (NoC). The NoC fills graduate student vacancies on committees, councils and other bodies requiring graduate student representation (E.POL.8 1-7). The GSA NoC, in the case of a resignation or other vacancy, may fill vacancies, including direct appointments (E.POL.8.5).

Key Details:

  • Online Meetings: Meetings and votes are held via email as Council and Committee vacancies arise, so candidates must be quick to respond within time restrictions.
  • This position also sits on the GSA Board (see advertisement above).

Eligibility:

  • Did not run or serve as a Campaign Volunteer in the most recent election/by-election/referendum nor plans to run or serve in an upcoming election
  • Must be able to engage in NoC business within time restriction
  • GSA NoC members must also be neutral and impartial, declare conflicts of interest and rise above individual or departmental interests to ensure the best fit between nominees and vacancies (i.e. having no immediate or vested interest in the outcome of GSA General Elections and referenda) (E.POL.6.1-3).

Preferred Skills:

  • Experience with election administration and GSA policies, strong time management skills.

For more information about this position, please see GSA Bylaw and Policy.

Science Faculty Council: 2 Science Graduate Students

Deadline: Friday, August 22nd at 12:00PM (noon)

The Faculty of Science is looking for two graduate student representatives to sit on the Science Faculty Council. 

Key Details:

  • Online Meetings
  • The Science Faculty Council will meet once during the upcoming academic year, with the option of an online ballot if required. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 28, 2026, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Eligibility:

  • Only graduate students in the Faculty of Science may apply
Nomination Form

Please direct any questions or concerns to gsanomco@ualberta.ca