Nominations & Eligibility

  • All GSA Senate positions have a term of one academic year, so GSA Senate elections occur annually in the Spring semester.
  • All continuing graduate students are eligible.
  • All candidates are required to self-nominate and include a personal statement describing their intent for the specific position.
  • Only members of a specific department are eligible to run for the representative of that department.
  • Graduate students not elected to the Senate can still serve on the Senate in an appointed but non-voting capacity.
  • All graduate students can serve on GSA Senate committees (see Committees).
  • If a GSA position is vacant, the vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the President with the approval of the GSA Senate at any point in the semester.
ResponsIBILITIes and Expectations of All Senators
All members of the GSA Senate shall:
  • Attend scheduled GSA Senate meetings. If attendance is not possible, Senate members must submit their reports to the President or designate a proxy.
  • Prepare a plan of events and budget for the academic year to be presented to the Chief Financial Officer and President within the first two meetings of the semester.
  • Maintain records of logistics and preparations for each planned event, and keep an updated budget of event and committee expenses throughout the academic year.
  • Serve on at least one internal committee (see Committees).
  • Prepare an Executive Report prior to the final meeting of the academic year, to be delivered to both the President and the incoming Senator for the upcoming academic year, documenting and assessing responsibilities, resources, challenges, and recommendations.​
  • Uphold and honor the GSA mission to serve the graduate student body (see Home).
The nomination period is currently closed and will open in March 2026. 

Position Descriptions

President
  1. Maintain GSA as a recognized organization at SUNY-ESF that abides by all regulations set forth by the Division of Student Affairs and the Business Office, or the office in charge of oversight of student organizations on campus.
  2. Maintain strategic relationships with other organizations on campus as well as administrative and faculty offices.
  3. Preside at all meetings of the GSA Senate or appoint someone to do so in their absence.
  4. Prepare and circulate a structured agenda (see GSA Standard Operating Procedure – Meetings) for each meeting of the GSA Senate.
  5. Work with the Chief Communications Officer to establish channels for effective communication with the graduate student body.
  6. Initiate a vote among the GSA Senate to settle issues of contention or debate.
  7. Vote only on Motions if there is a tie.
  8. Certify monetary payments in coordination with the Chief Financial Officer, the Director of Internal Affairs/Internal Vice President, and/or the Faculty Advisor.
  9. Act as an official check signer for GSA checks in coordination with the Chief Financial Officer, the Director of Internal Affairs/Internal Vice President, and/or the Faculty Advisor.
  10. Act as a designated cardholder for one of two GSA Debit Cards.
  11. Serve as the Student Trustee representing ESF graduate students for the ESF BOT.
    1. Before the first Board of Trustees meeting of the academic year, coordinate with the MOSA BOT representative to ensure that rotation between the graduate and undergraduate representatives alternate on a yearly basis.  The graduate representative shall hold the vote every academic year where the fall semester is an even year.
    2. Voice graduate student interests and concerns to, and obtain relevant information from, members of the BOT.
    3. Act as liaison between the BOT and the GSA Senate as needed on pressing issues.
    4. Keep a record of the BOT actions relevant to graduate students during their term of office.
Vice President, Director of Internal Affairs
  1. Act as the Proxy for the President at GSA Senate Meetings in their absence.
  2. Certify monetary payments in coordination with the Chief Financial Officer, the President, and/or the Faculty Advisor.
  3. Compile and archive individual Executive Reports as an Annual Report and Assessment.
  4. Prepare meeting minutes of all GSA Senate meetings and upon request, provide a copy to any member of the GSA.
  5. Maintain an accurate account of all the GSA Senate members and their positions.
  6. Lead the review of the constitution and bylaws during the appropriate time.
  7. Help assemble the Annual Report and organize archive folders on the GSA Senate hard drive.
  8. Keep attendance at meetings through the roll call.
  9. Work closely with the Director of Communications to ensure all outgoing messages reflect the true and accurate status of the GSA.
  10. Maintain the organization of GSAs online records and archive all contents onto the GSA hard drive at the end of the academic year.
  11. Ensure that the contents of the GSA website are up to date and accurate at all times.
  12. Act as GSA’s representative to the Academic Governance Student Experience Committee.
Vice President, Director of External Relations and Community
  1. Constitute and chair the Committee of External Affairs to ensure GSA participation in all external resources available to ESF Graduate Students, including but not limited to SUNY Student Assembly (SUNY SA), Syracuse University Graduate Student Organization (GSO), Mighty Oak Student Assembly (MOSA), and the ESF Board of Trustees (BOT).
  2. Serve as ex-officio member of all committees of the GSA Senate.
  3. Act as GSA’s representative to the Academic Governance Executive Committee.
  4. Serve as the Official Delegate to the SUNY SA for ESF Grad Students.
  5. Represent the interests of ESF graduate students as applicable in SUNY SA matters by attending meetings of the SA and reporting back to the GSA Senate.
  6. Appoint with approval of the GSA Senate all delegates or representatives to ESF external and internal bodies or committees, unless otherwise stipulated in the Bylaws.
  7. Serve as liaison between the GSA and MOSA as needed on pressing issues.
Chief Financial Officer
  1. Maintain close relations with the Business Office to ensure GSA’s fiscal processes are in line with ESF, New York State’s and other legal requirements.
  2. Keep an account of all receipts and disbursements.
  3. Lead the participatory budget review and approval process at the beginning of each semester.
  4. Work with the college accountant to ensure the purchase, implementation and maintenance of QuickBooks accounting software.
  5. Direct the payment of money only on written orders properly certified by the Chief Financial Officer, the President, and/or the Faculty Advisor.
  6. Safeguard the monetary capabilities of the GSA Senate and ensure its ability to address all monetary obligations.
  7. Co-ordinate with the President, Director of Internal Affairs/Internal Vice President and Committee Chairs to facilitate the expenditures necessary to conduct the business of the GSA.
  8. Organize end-of-semester Financial Review Meetings in the Fall and Spring with GSA committee chairs.
  9. Act as an official check signor for GSA checks, in coordination with the President, Director of Internal Affairs/Internal Vice President, and/or the Faculty Advisor.
  10. Coordinate the changeover of check signors from the outgoing Senate and incoming Senate (to be performed at the end of the Spring semester).
  11. Act as a designated cardholder for one of two GSA Debit Cards and coordinate the destruction of the outgoing Senate’s debit cards.
  12. Work with the Office of Student Success and Engagement to manage the GSA PEX accounts.
  13. Prepare the yearly budget and present financial reports to the GSA Senate when requested.
  14. Submit an itemized written report to the GSA Senate of all financial transactions at the end of their term of office.
 Chief Communications Officer
  1. Maintain close relations with the Office of Communications and Marketing
  2. Vet and approve all outgoing communications to make sure they reflect the true and accurate position and ethos of the GSA.
  3. Manage and maintain GSA’s online presence.
  4. Execute the annual GSA Survey.
  5. Maintain the GSA’s website, Email accounts, and social media accounts (Instagram, Discord server, any additional social media accounts added by future Senates).
  6. Maintain the GSA’s calendar of events (for example GSA Senate meetings, etc.) on the GSA Google Calendar, the ESF Engage platform, and the ESF Corq platform.
  7. Archive meeting minutes on the GSA website.
  8. Post GSA event descriptions, information, and advertisement flyers on the website and various social media platforms in a timely manner.
  9. Organize and execute GSA Elections according to the guidelines laid out in GSA Standard Operating Procedure - Elections
  10. Maintain and update the Annual GSA Process and People to Know document.
  11. Develop and implement strategies to increase and maintain ENGAGE membership and use.
chief Programming officer
  1. Oversee the effective implementation of the GSA’s Affiliate Organization and Event Hosting Programs
  2. Assist with the planning and execution of graduate student orientations.
  3. Oversee all internal committees of the GSA.
  4. Appoint with approval of the GSA Senate additional and appropriately constituted committees deemed necessary and not provided for in the Constitution or Bylaws.
  5. Act as secondary coordinator of events along with the President for unrepresented committees.
  6. Maintain a working relationship with the Graduate School, Office of Advancement, and Office of Student Success and Engagement.
  7. Organize panel and workshop events representing the professional interests of the graduate student body.
  8. Work closely with the Chairpersons for Graduate Research & Curriculum in organizing the CNY Conference on Environmental Science and Studies.
  9. Be responsible for coordinating and managing all social affairs of the GSA.
  10. Work closely with other senate members to ensure all events meet the standards for social engagement by the GSA.
  11. Work closely with the Mighty Oaks Student Assembly (MOSA) and the Syracuse University -Graduate Student Organization (SU-GSO) representatives to ensure coordination of co-executed social events.
​Chairperson of Graduate Research & Curriculum
  1. Constitute and chair the GSA Research & Curriculum Committee.
  2. Lead the yearly planning of the CNY Conference on Environmental Science and Studies.
  3. Act as GSA’s representative to the Academic Governance Committee on Research (COR) and Academic Affairs Committees.
  4. Work with Administration (Vice President for Research, Provost, Department Chairs, etc.), COR to review enabling conditions for graduate research and learning at ESF (financial support packages, lab spaces and equipment, safety training, internal and external grant awareness and access, incentives for publications and conferences, endowed fellowships, etc.) and propose improvements as they see fit.
  5. Work with Administration (Vice President for Research, Provost, College Foundation, etc.), COR to compile information on ESF graduate student research and learning output and productivity metrics, compare performance metrics with other graduate programs outside of ESF, and assemble information highlighting examples of success/achievement to use in promotional marketing material to attract donor/alumni support.
  6. Prepare summaries of activities of the GSA Research & Curriculum Committee to the ESF Board of Trustees, upon request from the GSA President and GSA Board of Trustees Representative.
  7. Work with Administration (Dean of the Graduate School, Vice President for Research, Provost, Department Chairs, etc.), AGAA, and GSA Curriculum Committee to review graduate courses (through, for example, course evaluations or other assessment means, etc.), identify areas of concern, and propose upgrades to ESF graduate courses.
chairperson of inclusion, equity and international student affairs
  1. Constitute and chair the Inclusion, Equity & International Committee to facilitate and execute events.
  2. Represent the GSA at meetings of the International Students Association meetings and act as liaison between ISA and GSA.
  3. Plan and execute multicultural events that facilitate gatherings of all members of the international graduate student community.
  4. Assist with the planning and execution of international graduate student orientation each academic semester.
  5. Maintain a working relationship with the ESF Offices of International Education and the Syracuse University Office of International Services and keep apprised of college’s diversity and inclusion initiatives.
  6. Maintain a working relationship with the ESF Office of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (OIDE) as well as the Office of International Education and keep apprised of the college's diversity and inclusion initiatives.
  7. Coordinate with OIDE to organize Anti-Bias and Safe Zone Trainings, as well as any other training they deem necessary for the GSA Senate members, to be voted upon by the Senate.
  8. Act as the GSA’s representative for the Committee of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity.
  9. Work with the Director of Communications to organize and execute the GSA Survey within the first 3 weeks of each Fall semester.
  10. Review and assess GSA events and processes to ensure they meet the criteria for justice, equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion.
chairperson of grants and awards
  1. Constitute and chair the Grants & Awards Committee to facilitate and execute events, grant opportunities, and awards.
  2. Oversee the application and disbursement process of any research, travel, professional development, etc. grants and awards that they, with approval of the Senate, deem necessary and/or prudent for the academic year.
  3. With the handling of multiple types of grants and awards per semester, the VP of Grants and Awards can reserve the right to ask for additional Senate help when the application period closes each semester.
  4. Prepare the guidelines and solicit applications for the grants offered through GSA.
    1. Updated guidelines are to be sent to the Director of Internal Affairs/Internal Vice President and Chief Communications Officer or the Senate member in charge of updating the SUNY-ESF Graduate Student Association website by the start of the application period.
  5. Update and follow the process outlined in the ‘Grant Review Process’ document which is to be sent to the current VP of Grants and Awards at the beginning of the academic year.
  6. Coordinate with the Chief Financial Officer to disburse and track funds awarded to recipients.
  7. Act as GSA’s representative to the Academic Governance Faculty Experience.
chairperson for sustainability
  1. Serve as the liaison between the ESF Office of Sustainability and the GSA Senate.
  2. Work to further the sustainability efforts and relationships within the graduate student body.
  3. Sit on the College Sustainability Committee.
  4. Serve as the Chairperson of the Sustainability Committee.
  5. Attend monthly exchange meetings with the Office of Sustainability and other student sustainability organizations.
  6. Ensure that all GSA activities are sustainable to the extent possible and strive to achieve, at minimum, a ‘Certified Sustainable’ certificate for all major GSA events from the Office of Sustainability.
Department Representatives
  1. Facilitate communication between the students and faculty of their respective departments via mechanisms that shall consist of, but are not limited to, one or more of the following:
    1. Attending faculty meetings.
    2. Receiving a copy of the formal faculty meeting minutes.
    3. Scheduling meetings with the department chair or coordinator at least once a semester.
    4. Hosting internal departmental forums.
    5. Holding office hours to receive general comments or concerns.
  2. Serve on the Graduate Dean’s Advisory Committee. When called upon, provide feedback to The Graduate School and Office of Academic Administration on campus issues concerning graduate students.
  3. Maintain a record of specific departmental contacts.

Structure & Stipends

Voting

The 25-26 voting period will open in March 2026 following the nomination period.
For more information on the election process, positions, and the Standard Operating Procedures of the GSA Senate, refer to Constitution & Bylaws.
Elections are coordinated by the Chief Communications Officer. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact [email protected] or reach out directly to the Chief Communications Officer (see Current Senate Members).