GENERAL INFORMATION

THE GRADUATE STUDENTS' UNION

The Graduate Students' Union (GSU), an organization run for the graduate students by the graduate students at Memorial University, has been in existence since 1967. Every graduate student at MUN becomes a member of the GSU upon registration. Presently the graduate student body consists of over 1300 full- and part-time students, thereby comprising almost 10% of the total student population.

Recently, the GSU has acquired Feild Hall, two floors of which serve as residence for graduate students, one floor houses departmental graduate student offices and one floor on which the graduate student lounge and restaurant, "Bitters", is located. The GSU also owns the Graduate House, a residence on Military Road, that can also be booked for social events.The GSU office is located in the newly acquired Feild Hall, Room 2007. Office hours are posted outside the office door and are also indicated on the GSU answering system. You can reach the GSU office by phone (709)737-4395, by fax at (709)737-3395, or by writing to: Graduate Students' Union, 216 Prince Philip Drive, #2007, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1B 3R5.

The GSU has two important functions: 1) to represent the graduate students' interests in enhancing the quality of graduate student life, and 2) to help sort out problems and misunderstandings arising between individuals and the university. Student fees, presently $15 per semester per graduate student, provide the GSU with its annual operating budget. The fees are used to run the office, assist social and academic events, provide a Conference Aid Fund, and cover other operating expenses. A detailed budget is presented at the first Board of Directors (BOD) meeting each semester to be passed or amended.

The GSU is run by a Board of Directors consisting of the GSU Executive, a student representative from every department and school having a graduate programme, and those graduate students who sit on various academic councils and committees of the university. The Board meets once a month to assess executive decisions and to discuss matters of importance to graduate students. This is also a chance for graduate students to raise any concerns from individual departments and in return receive advice or suggestions on problem solving. These meetings act as the main line of communication between the Executive and the general graduate student population. For this reason, the GSU needs an active and interested Board of Directors, without which the GSU would be ineffective.

Last modified on October 8, 1997 by MaryJane Puxley

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