Call for GSA Standing Committees member for the 2023-2024
The GSA standing committees play a significant role in organizing GSA events and regular activities. Each committee comprises regular student members, academic council members, and an elected GSA executive. A call for GSA standing committee members was advertised among all graduate students. The due date for application is Wednesday, November 14, 2023, at 5:00 p.m.
Please send your expression of interest in joining the standing committee you are interested in to the GSA Council Chair: gsa.chair@usask.ca.
Budget and Finance Committee
- VP Finance and Operations as Chair - Ramin Mohammadi
- President - Kayla Benoit
- Council Member - Loza Taghavi
- Regular/general Member – Sadia Afrin Lema
- Regular/general Member - Rafat Mahbub
- Regular/general Member - Md Shamin Yeasir
- Regular/general Member - Mahzad Pourmand
- Regular/general Member - Manpreet Singh
- Regular/general Member - Kaneta Eya Lam Lam
- Regular/general Member - Sara Nath
This Committee shall be convened and be responsible for the drafting of the Operating Budget for the preceding Fiscal Year, to be approved by Council subject to the requisite Bylaws and/or Constitutional regulations. This Committee shall also be charged with discussing broad financial policies and goals for the Association and may report them to the Council, the Membership, and/or any other Committees of Council that this committee sees fit. This Committee shall meet a minimum of bi-monthly with additional meetings scheduled as necessary during budgeting periods.
Bursary Selection Committee
- VP Finance and Operations as Chair - Ramin Mohammadi
- VP Academic and Student Affairs - Sristy Sumana Nath
- Council Member - Blessing Ekwueme
- Council Member - Ayat Zagzoog
- Regular/general Member - Roya Khoshnoodi
- Regular/general Member - Zahra Ghaderpanath
- Regular/general Member - Jessica Lam
This Committee shall be convened to administer the collection, evaluation and disbursement of GSA Need-Based Bursaries in accordance with the Bursary Policy. This Committee shall meet three times per year to rank and evaluate all Bursary applications according to the established rubrics with any approved or necessary modifications to such a ranking system in accordance with the Bursary Policy.
Elections and Referenda Committee
- Council Chair & Chief Electoral Officer - Devopriya Tirtho
- Council Member - Nahin Shakurun
- Regular/general Member - Saba Kamran
- Regular/general Member - Rafat Mahbub
- Regular/general Member - Sandhya Chandran
- Regular/general Member - Kaneta Eya Lam Lam
- Regular/general Member - Md Shamim Yasir
- Regular/general Member - Arash Amanlou
The Elections Committee is a committee of Council responsible for overseeing and managing Elections and Referenda as required by the GSA. The terms of reference of this committee are outlined in the relevant Bylaws section of the GSA pertaining to elections and referenda.
Governance Committee
- President - Kayla Benoit
- VP Academic and Student Affairs - Sristy Sumana Nath
- Council Chair - Devopriya Tirtho
- Council Member - Suma Ghosh
- Regular/general Member - Christopher Florizone
- Regular/general Member - Manpreet Singh
- Regular/general Member - Lacia Ellis
- Regular/general Member - Md Shamim Yasir
- Regular/general Member - Sadia Afrin Setu
The Governance committee is required to ensure the Association retains the correct documentation (Policies, Bylaws, and Constitution) to fulfill its mandate. The primary activities of this committee include: (i) revising existing documents; (ii) creating required policies and/or bylaws absent in the existing documents; (iii) authoring recommendations and bringing forth motions for Policy, Bylaw or Constitution amendments, accordingly
Code of Ethics and Discipline Committee
- Council Chair & Chief Electoral Officer - Devopriya Tirtho
- Council Member - Kiegan Lloyd
- Regular/general Member - Rafat Mahbub
- Regular/general Member - Lecia Ellis
- Regular/general Member - Kaneta Eya Lam Lam
- Regular/general Member - Md Shamim Yasir
- Regular/general Member - Manpreet Singh
The Code of Ethics and Discipline Committee shall be convened to review any complaints received against any Executive member, Council member, or any other individual acting on behalf of the GSA. It shall also serve as an appeal committee for decisions of the Election and Referenda Committee, as described in the Association’s Bylaws. The Council Chair shall serve as chair of the committee, except in cases where a real or perceived conflict of interest exists, in which case an acting chair shall be elected by and from the other members of the committee. In all of its deliberations, recommendations, and actions, the committee shall be bound by the Bylaws and Constitution of the Association. No member shall disclose any information, which comes to their knowledge as a result of their membership on the Committee, with the exception of the Committee chair in their formal recommendations to Council, or as required by law or University policy.
Awards Selection Committee
- VP External Affairs as Chair - Abbas Fazel Anvari Yazdi
- President - Kayla Benoit
- Council member – Kiegon Lloyd
- Regular/general Member – Somayeh Abdi
- Regular/general Member - Sai Kumar
- Regular/general Member - Shabnam Abdi
- Regular/general Member - Pezhman Zolfaghari
- Regular/general Member - Nickson Joseph
- Regular/general Member - Lauren Aubrey
- Regular/general Member - Lauryn Campbell
- Regular/general Member - Immanuela Ezugba
- Regular/general Member - Mahesh Rachamalla
The Awards Selection Committee is responsible for the selection of the Graduate Students’ Association Annual Award Winners, under the guidance of the Vice-President External Affairs. Individuals selected for these awards will be honored at the Annual Awards Gala held at the end of each Fiscal Year. The committee is responsible for, in alignment with the Annual Awards Policy;
- Determining the criteria and guideline to award selection.
- Assessing each nomination package according to the selection criteria.
- By consensus, determining the recipient of each award.
- Serving as volunteers at the Awards Gala.
Sustainability Committee
- VP Indigenous Engagement as Chair - Kayla Benoit
- VP External Affairs - Abbas Fazel Anvari Yazdi
- Council Member- Nasrin Aliasgharlou
- Regular/general Member - Sadia Afrin Lema
- Regular/general Member - Prince Sobere George
- Regular/general Member - Saba Kamran
- Regular/general Member - Mahesh Rachamalla
- Regular/general Member - Sandly Chandran
- Regular/general Member - Md Shamim Yasir
The purpose of the Sustainability Committee is to:
- Promote environmental, social, economic and well-being sustainability issues related to
graduate students. - Assume responsibility to guide sustainability initiatives and the application of
sustainable practices at the GSA. - Collaborate and build partnerships with other units to address sustainability.
- Advise Council on matters related to sustainability.
- Host at least one initiative or event, whether it be the Sustainability Slam or otherwise,
during the Fiscal Year.
Diversity Committee
- VP Academic and Student Affairs as Chair - Sristy Sumana Nath
- VP Indigenous Engagement - Kayla Benoit
- Council Member - Meaghan Boily
- Regular/general Member - Somtochukwu Obiora
- Regular/general Member - Arash Amanlou
- Regular/general Member - Lecia Ellis
- Regular/general Member - Sandhya Chandran
- Regular/general Membre - Kennedy Culbertson
Note: All communication related to the diversity committee should be directed to gsa.diversity@usask.ca.
The Diversity Committee will primarily focus on graduate students with disabilities, graduate
students of diverse sexual orientations, and/or any minority group fostering inclusion,
acceptance, understanding, support, and education. This committee will act as a body to:
- Make recommendations to the Executive to ensure the GSA is inclusive to all its
members, so as to provide a better graduate student experience and create a welcoming
environment and cohesive community for graduate students on campus. - Liaise with Council to ensure the GSA services/initiatives are inclusive.
- Organize events/initiatives in collaboration with the Executive and other committees.