UVM Interim Provost and Senior Vice President Patty Prelock and her husband Billy interacting with GSS 2018-2019 President Joey Campbell (left) and 2019-2020 Jessica Bocanegra (right) and GSS Presidents with President Tom Sullivan. (Photo: Joseph Hanko)
GSS places representatives on numerous university-wide governance boards, including the Board of Trustees and Faculty Senate Committees. We also establish committees internally to allow groups of senators to focus their attention and action on specific issues that concern graduate students, such as the Housing Committee, Student Assistanship Support Committee, and many others.
Graduate Student Senate Committees
Finance Committee
Oversees the finances of GSS and processes applications for Graduate College Mini Grants. Comprised of the GSS Treasurer and two senators.
Budget summary (PDF)
Members: Aayudh Das (Chair) (Aayudh.Das@uvm.edu) , Jessa Murphy-Gibbons and Jaspreet Singh Nagi.
Student Affairs Committee
Responsible for documenting and providing guidance for grievances and concerns affecting graduate students that are submitted to the Graduate Student Senate.
Members: Jessica Bocanegra (Chair) (Jessica.Bocanegra@uvm.edu), Jessa Murphy-Gibbons and Madeline Hunter.
Parking and Transportation Action Committee
Works with Transportation and Parking Services to seek and advocate for new parking opportunities and alternative transportation options for graduate students.
Members: Rosie Chapina (Chair) (Rosaura.Chapina@uvm.edu), Alexander Daniels, Roberta Molokandov and Sanish Paramadam.
Compensation and Benefits Action Committee
Works with administration and graduate students on graduate student compesation and benefits.
Members: Jaspreet Singh Nagi (Chair) (jaspreet-singh.nagi@uvm.edu), Nick Adler, Suraj Bhattarai, Kirtika Chatri, John Coffin, William Hanley and Scott Vanson.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Committee
Promotes the goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion and ensures that all graduate students feel included in the UVM committee. Organizes events such as speakers, workshops, and social gatherings, all related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Members: Rosie Chapina (Chair) (Rosaura.Chapina@uvm.edu), Baxter Worthing (Vice-Chair) (Baxter.Worthing@uvm.edu), Jenny Bower, Erin Cullen, Alexander Daniels, Rosy Neale, Michaela Schuster, Joy Solomon and Amelia Trello.
Assistantship Support Action Committee
Works with administration, Graduate College, The Center for Teaching and Learning, departments and other groups to provide support, resources and training for Graduate Teaching and Graduate Research Assistants.
Members: Jaspreet Singh Nagi (Chair) (jaspreet-singh.nagi@uvm.edu), Miriam Snider (Vice Chair) (miriam.snider@uvm.edu), Suraj Bhattarai, Ashma Chakrawarti and Ibne Farabi Shihag.
Student Mental Health Promotion Action Committee
The Mental Health Promotion Committee aims to understand and meet the mental health needs of graduate students. By working closely with the Center of Health and WellBeing, we are able to address and approach mental health needs at the university level.
Members: Mickey Schuster (Chair) (michaela.schuster@uvm.edu), Naomi Cunningham, Matthew Ebner, Jenny Magoon, Nawaf Nazir, Anoob Prakash and Joy Solomon.
Graduate Student Life Action Committee
Works to improve graduate student life by promoting events and resources that foster a graduate community within the University of Vermont.
Member: Mara Hintz (Chair) (Mara.Hintz@uvm.edu), Madeline Hunter (Vice-chair) (madeline.hunter@uvm.edu), Jeffrey Adams, Nicholas Adler, Johnny Coffin, Anika Gillwald, Aarzoo Grover, Andy Klem and Ceres Rafiq.
Student Engagement Action Committee
Works with graduate students to help them understand UVM and how to be involved with GSS.
Members: Marcus Weinman (Chair) (Marcus.Weinman@uvm.edu), Baxter Worthing (Vice-Chair) (Baxter.Worthing@uvm.edu), Fonda Heenehan, Jessa Murphy-Gibbons and Anoob Prakash.
Graduate Student Housing Action Committee
To advocate for reliable, affordable, and family-friendly housing that meets the needs of graduate students and aligns with the needs of the greater Burlington community.
Members: Alexander Daniels (Chair) (Alexander.Daniels@uvm.edu), Rosie Chapina, Sandra Nnadi and Biswash Thakuri.
Board of Trustees Committees
Audit Committee
Responsible for monitoring the quality and integrity of the University’s financial statements.
Representative: Aayudh Das
Budget, Finance, & Investment Committee
Oversees the development and review of strategic institutional financial plans and objectives as well as the formation and approval of UVM's budget.
Representatives: Jessica Bocanegra & Avery Rasmussen
Educational Policy & Institutional Resources Committee
Oversees the development and status of programmatic and resource use plans and related plan objectives.
Representative: Kenna Rewcastle
Faculty Senate Committees
Curricular Affairs Committee
Responsible long-range planning of majors, minors, and other academic standards for undergraduate and graduate students.
Representative: Lindsay Worley
Educational & Research Technologies Committee
Responsible for the development and implementation of educational and research technologies and the review of related policies and procedures.
Representative: Scott Vanson
Financial & Physical Planning Committee
Responsible of physical resources for the institution and issues related to the formulation of the University Budget.
Representative: Sandra Nnadi
Research, Scholarship & Creative Arts Committee
Responsible for research, scholarly work, and the creative arts at the University. Serves as a liaison between the Faculty Senate and the administration of support of research and the creative arts and advancing knowledge and communication.
Representative: Nick Adler
Student Affairs Committee
Responsible for issues related to student affairs, effects on the educational process, and academic climate of the University.
Representative: Berke Tinaz
Administrative Committees
Our Common Ground Committee
Recommends members of the UVM community to the President for Our Common Ground Award.
Representatives: Kevin Fischer & Berke Tinaz
Traffic Board of Appeals
Reviews appeals from students, faculty, staff, and visitors who have received parking tickets and/or have been towed for violations of the UVM parking rules and regulations.
Campus Master Plan Advisory Committee
Advises the university administration in developing a Campus Master Plan the that provides a flexible framework that can accommodate changes in attitudes about campus environments, new technologies and revised institutional requirements.
UVM Transportation & Parking Services Advisory Committee (TAPSAC)
Responsible for the management of both the Campus Area Transportation System (CATS) and the University parking programs.
Socially Responsible Investing Advisory Council
Makes recommendations to the Vice President for Finance and Treasurer on sustainability investment at the University of Vermont, including positive investments of operating cash reserves and the Clean Energy Fund.
Representative: Maeve McDermott & Eric Recchia
Student Research Conference Committee
Organizes the annual spring Student Research Conference that showcases graduate and undergraduate research.
Representative: Brandon Ackley
Student Trustee Search Committee
Responsible for selecting a student representative (undergraduate, graduate, or medical) to sit on the Board of Trustees. The selected Student Trustee is a full voting member of the Board.
Representative: Jessica Bocanegra
Executive Committee
Between the meetings of the Board of Trustee, this committee shall have all the powers of the board in management of the property and affairs of the University
Representative: Jessica Bocanegra
IBB Steering Committee
UVM's Incentive-Based Budgeting (IBB) model went live in FY16. The IBB Steering Committee continues to meet to assess the model’s performance and impact. Metrics associated with the model are reviewed annually. The next major review of the model will occur in FY24, with the implementation of IBB Model 3.0 in FY25.
Representative: Jessica Bocanegra
Honorary Degree Advisory Committee
Has the responsibility of selecting the honorary degree recipient for that year’s commencement.
Representative: Jessica Bocanegra