September Newsletter

On September 30, we observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The date recognizes the tragic legacy of residential schools, and remembers the missing children, the families left behind, and the survivors of these institutions

Welcome to Fall 2025 from GSA

The Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) warmly welcomes all new and returning graduate students to the University of Saskatchewan for Fall 2025! As you begin the term, don’t forget to register for your courses. If you are a thesis-based student, you must register for your (99*) courses each term to maintain your status and retain important benefits, such as GSA services (U-Pass, Health and Dental Plan).

This fall is filled with exciting opportunities to connect, including the GSA Orientation on September 10 and many events happening across campus to support your academic, professional, and social journey. We look forward to seeing you, celebrating together, and making this semester a meaningful one! Welcome back and welcome home to USask!

GSA Fall Orientation – September 10 | RSVP Now!

The Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) is excited to welcome all new and returning graduate students to the 2025 GSA Fall Orientation on Wednesday, September 10. Join us for a day of community, connection, and celebration! Orientation is a great opportunity to discover the support and resources available at USask, connect with fellow graduate students, and explore upcoming events and initiatives to help you succeed academically, professionally, and socially.

There will be free BBQ lunch and exclusive GSA swag (including t-shirts!) to kick off the year in style. Registration is required to attend. [Learn more here]

Ratification of Academic Councils and Social Clubs open: Deadline is September 19!

GSA is now accepting ratification applications for Academic Councils and Social Clubs for the 2025–2026 academic year. We are only accepting ratification information via a web form this year – please do not email or drop off copies of the old versions of the form. You can find the application portal here.

Ratification ensures that your council or club is officially recognized by the GSA, giving your group the ability to access funding, participate in governance, and represent your peers effectively. Visit our website to learn more about eligibility and documentation requirements.

Congratulations to Laila Valila, the new GSA VP Indigenous Engagement

We are excited to welcome Laila Valila, a master’s student in Public Administration, as the Vice-President of Indigenous Engagement, effective September 2025.

This position was first opened during the GSA 2025 Elections and later in the by-elections. Since no nominations were received at that time, it was reopened. We are pleased to share that Laila will serve in this important role. We look forward to working with Laila as she helps strengthen Indigenous engagement and student connections within the GSA.

Why did health and dental fees go up?

Like most insurance plans, the GSA Health & Dental Plan is renewed with the insurer each policy year. The premiums are adjusted by the insurer and based on the claims experience (i.e. more claims = higher premiums). More claims aren’t a bad thing – it means students are receiving more care that is being covered by the plan. However, due to the significant increase in claims over the past few years, a fee increase was necessary to preserve as many benefits as possible. Without the fee increase, the GSA would have had to cut significant portions of the plan, affecting the most used services such as mental health, prescription drug, and dental coverage. A coverage reduction would have left students with higher
out-of-pocket costs.

During the January 2025 GSA Council meeting, your student representatives voted to raise the fee, seeing that graduate students are gaining significant value from use of the plan. For more information, please check out this FAQ Sheet.

Fall U-Pass dates to know

Registered students can load U-Pass onto their mobile devices. The opt-out application form opens for students meeting opt-out criteria (see website for more details) and the opt-out application link.

September 1: U-Passes become active for use, valid through December 31.
September 16: U-Pass opt-out deadline (4:30 pm, non-negotiable).

Congratulations to our photo contest winners!

Congratulations to the winners of the GSA Photo Contest: Adriana Noguera, Samantha Carley, Miranda Carley, Alana Muenchrath, Julia Tregobov, Ryan Newton, Mabiana Camargo, Riel Castro-Zunti, Anastasiia Nykonenko, and Brianne Symak. Thank you for sharing your beautifully captured memories with us! Their photos will be featured in the GSA Calendar/Handbook, which will be available at the orientation event.

International Student Welcome Social – September 11, 2025

Join ISSAC on Thursday, September 11, 2025, for an evening of food, community, and connection! Start at the ISSAC Lounge (Room 70, Lower Place Riel) at 5:00 PM, then head to the Education Student Lounge for the main event. Open to all new international and exchange students, family and friends welcome! RSVP here

Explore Beyond the Professoriate! PHD Webinar Event

Join us online on September 17, 2025, at 10 am, for the session, “Is a Faculty Job right for you?” Use this link to register. Beyond the Professoriate is an online platform designed to help graduate students and postdocs navigate their transition into both academic and non-academic careers.

Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities

Don’t miss our upcoming Professional Networking Workshop for grad students on September 25, 2025. Register here, and don’t forget to check out the CGPS Professional Development website for more upcoming opportunities.

Graduate Voices – We want to feature you!

Whether it’s your research, the challenges you’ve faced and overcome, your achievements, or your experiences as a grad student at USask, we want to hear from you! The Graduate Voices series celebrates the diverse journeys of graduate students and highlights their unique contributions to our community.
Interested in being featured? Email gsa.external@usask.ca with a short paragraph (150 words maximum), a photo of yourself, and we’ll contact you to learn more.

Upcoming Events

September 10th - GSA Orientation | Register Here
September 11th - ISSAC Welcome Social | Register Here
September 16th - U-Pass Opt-out Deadline
September 17th - PhD Career Platform Webinar| Register Here
September 19th - Open House | PAC
September 25 - Professional Networking - Grad Studies | Register Here
September 30 - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (University Closed)

GSA Commons Fall Hours

The GSA Commons is located in the Emmanuel & St. Chad Chapel at 1337 College Drive. Commons fall term hours will be 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday-Friday, closed all statutory holidays & occasionally for private events. During regular hours, the GSA Commons offers a quiet study environment with computers for student use and a free coffee and tea bar.

If you have questions/concerns, please contact the Operations Manager or any of the GSA Executives via email:

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This email is being sent by the GSA to all graduate students through the PAWS Announcement System. It is not a message from or endorsed by the University of Saskatchewan.