There are 10000 graduate students at UBC Vancouver, who form the Graduate Student Society (GSS). GSS defends and promotes the interests of its members academically, socially, and culturally. Since it opened in 1962, Thea Koerner House has been the center of graduate student life on campus. The society’s executive team of five graduate students works with the council, committees, and staff to facilitate connections among graduate students and the university, the government, and the university. We have so many things to be proud of, and now it’s our turn to tell you about them.
1. Relentless advocacy
Undergraduate Graduate Students at UBC Vancouver are represented by the Graduate Student Society, which advocates for them to the University, the Government, and the general public. In addition to providing academic, professional, social, and recreational services, we serve as trustees of the Graduate Student Centre at Thea Koerner House.
2. Peer support
Grad school can be overwhelming, which is why the GSS offers Peer Support. Through this program, Peer Support Specialists are available to provide students with support, information, resources, and representation. As it is important that hard working graduate students are not left stranded to feel alone, the GSS works hard to ensure that our graduate students are well provided for and well catered to.
Graduate students providing individual support to students experiencing difficulties are called peer support specialists. In addition to providing information on and facilitation of access to university resources, they will ensure that your concerns are handled fairly and in a timely fashion.
3. Financial aid
Financial aid for graduate students at the Vancouver campus experiencing unforeseen circumstances is provided by the Graduate Student Financial Aid program (GSFA), which is administered by GSS.
Expenses that are incurred directly as a result of unforeseen circumstances may be covered by the fund, including, but not limited to:
- Expenses for living and rent
- Non-covered prescription medications under MSP, Pharmacare, and AMS/GSS health and dental insurance
- Expenses related to moving
- Fee for UBC Leaves of Absence
4. AMS/GSS health and dental plan
The AMS/GSS Health and Dental Plan gives extensive health and dental coverage, particularly made for graduate students to cover most fees not taken into account by regular health care. This plan handles very important amenities such as prescription drugs, dental care, travel health coverage, vision care, and much more.
5. Elected leadership
The GSS is led by our passionate and friendly executives, working tirelessly to give our graduate students a flawless experience at UBC and in our society. Each executive is specially elected by members of our own society, so they always have graduate students’ best interests at heart. Moreover, the executives are typically graduate students themselves who work together to serve the interests of graduate students, launch initiatives, and be the voice of all graduate students here at UBC.
