GSS October 2026 Wrap-Up

October was another happening month here at the GSS with events, advocacy, networking opportunities for grad students, and some spooky season fun! See updates below.

Updates from President Hayley Lawrence

Town Hall

A big thank you to all the graduate students who joined our GSS Town Hall and shared their experiences, concerns, and ideas. We had important discussions about the implementation of the $40,000 PhD funding minimum, funding for master’s students, funding clawbacks, housing affordability, food security, mental health, and access to student services. Thank you for speaking up and helping us hold UBC accountable to the needs of its graduate student community. Your voices are central to our advocacy, and this conversation will continue.

Bangladesh Grad Alliance Event

Thanks to the Bangladesh Grad Alliance for organizing such a wonderful event! Creating spaces where incoming graduate students can connect, share their cultures, and build friendships is so important in helping them feel welcomed and supported at UBC. These events help foster a stronger sense of belonging and community. Keep up the great work!

alumni UBC Advisory Council

The President attended the alumni UBC Advisory Council. alumni UBC volunteers are a vital part of the university and have a direct impact across both campuses and in regional markets worldwide. The global alumni community’s capacity to influence and give back is significant, with well over 425,000 graduates in 145 countries. alumni UBC volunteers support GSS career and networking events and training for GSS executives.

STEM and Beyond Career Development Day

Our alumni once again generously showed up for current graduate students with advice about navigating careers after graduation. This time the focus was on ‘STEM and Beyond’. The attendees benefited from a panel discussion, as well as a speed networking event aimed at opening doors and forging connections. VP Students Mahder Teffera was in attendance. We once again thank all the alumni for their time and insights, and the GSS members for bringing their questions and their passion.

Provincial Townhall: The Future of Post-Secondary

Your GSS, along with the Graduate Student Society at Simon Fraser University (SFU GSS), and the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) organized an open, non-partisan dialogue with representatives from BC’s major political parties where they shared their visions for the post-secondary sector ahead of the provincial election. VP External Relations Charles Adkins introduced the event.

Halloween Events

As always, we had a number of fun events this month including two Halloween-themed events – a Games Night, and a Paint and Sip event. Don’t miss out on the next one. Follow us on Instagram to receive updates about our upcoming events.

Photos courtesy: The Hunny Lens

Projects in Numbers

105

families provided baby hampers

1110

households supported by Acadia Food Hub

3643

individuals supported by the Acadia Food Hub

Council Highlights

During the October Council meeting, several financial and governance matters were discussed. Council approved the addition of Appendix IV to the House Finance Policy to establish clearer CPI indexation guidelines for GSS income, expenses, honoraria, and rates. Proposed changes to committee chair honoraria were also discussed to align the policy with the current monthly amount of $200. Council reviewed the proposed allocation of uncategorized investments among the Century Fund, UBC repayment reserve, Capital Projects Investment Fund, and Contingency Fund. The motion was tabled pending further consideration of the revised GSS Fund Policy, which was referred to the Code and Policy Committee.

Council also discussed proposed bylaw amendments and a Special General Meeting scheduled for November 19, 2026, to consider the changes. The 2026–2027 Legislative Advocacy Agenda was presented for approval to guide the Society’s lobbying and advocacy efforts. Other discussion items included a SWOT analysis, the upcoming Executive Midterm Performance Evaluation in November, and the October monthly financial report presented by the Financial Officer. Councillors were reminded to complete the executive evaluation survey by October 31.

To read more about the GSS Council, visit gss.ubc.ca/council.

Learn more about the Special General Meeting, including how you can attend and the prizes you can win!