Who are the members of the GPA?

The membership of the GPA consists of all graduate students in the Philosophy Department who are either registered for the current semester or on official leave of absence. If you’re in the department, you’re a member.

What does the GPA do?

The purposes of the GPA are: to promote the academic, scholarly, and professional interests of its members; to facilitate the exchange of ideas among them; and to encourage the development of the departmental community.

More specifically, the GPA is involved in various activities, such as:

• organizing and funding at least one annual graduate student conference
• representing philosophy graduate students’ interests within the department
• co-sponsoring other departments’ conferences
• providing assistance to philosophy graduate students attending conferences
• scheduling intradepartmental volunteer functions
• hosting and funding social gatherings within the department

What is the GPA’s budget?

Our budget, provided through the Graduate Student Association (GSA), is based on the number of graduate students enrolled in the department each year. Typically, the GPA has around $1000 per academic year in its budget. In addition, there are various discretionary funds in the GSA’s budget for which student groups or individual students can apply.

How frequently does the GPA meet?

There are a minimum of three GPA meetings per academic year – the beginning of the fall semester, the beginning of the spring semester, and the end of the spring semester – but usually meetings are held monthly. In addition, the various committees hold meetings which are also open for anyone to attend. See responsibility details in the bylaws.

Committees include:

• Trustee (Steering) Committee
• Departmental Vision Committee
• New Students Orientation Committee
• Publicity/Public Relations Committee
• Conferences and Colloquia Committee

Whom should I contact for more information about the GPA?

Contact any of the GPA officers listed at the bottom of the page. They’re (mostly) friendly.

What do I have to do to become active in the GPA?

Just express an interest! Either contact a GPA officer or show up at a meeting. Meetings are announced on the graduate email listserv between 8 and 2 days in advance. Incoming students’ UB email accounts are automatically added to the listserv within the first semester. If you are not receiving listserv posts, please let us know immediately.

Back to Home