GAPSA History
The graduate and professional student governance on the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota rests with the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA). All currently registered graduate and professional students at the University of Minnesota are members of GAPSA. It was established in 1990 as a non-profit (IRS 501 (c)(3)) confederation of independent college councils representing all graduate and professional students at the University of Minnesota to the Board of Regents, the President of the University, the University Senate, the University at large and wider community.
GAPSA serves as a resource for member councils, as the primary contact point for administrative units, as a graduate and professional student policy-making and policy-influencing body, and as a center of intercollegiate and intra-collegiate interaction among students.
GAPSA serves students in the Carlson School of Management, the Dental School, the Graduate School, the Law School, the Medical School, the School of Nursing, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Public Health, the College of Veterinary Medicine, and the College of Education and Human Development. During the academic year the GAPSA Assembly meets monthly to discuss topics and to make decisions to address immediate and long-term concerns for the graduate and professional student body.
In identifying issues of importance to our constituency at the collegiate, University, city, state, and national levels, GAPSA strives to maximize the level of student input in the advocacy process. We strive to develop creative, thoughtful, and well-researched positions and proposals that will benefit graduate and professional students and, ultimately, the entire University community.
GAPSA is uniquely positioned to serve at the highest level of graduate and professional student government. We have a variety of mechanisms well-suited and well-coordinated for serving our constituency. GAPSA's President and the GAPSA Student Representative to the Board of Regents act as our primary liaisons to the University Administration. Our Vice President for Public Affairs leads the charge to educate elected officials on graduate and professional student needs and vice versa. Our Assembly is selected from graduate and professional student representatives to the University Senate and the University Senate Committee system, allowing us to interact with faculty and staff in daily decision-making and to propose changes to policies. College council representatives are also members of the Assembly, ensuring a free flow of information about college trends and obstacles faced in representation at that level.
Past Presidents
- 2007 – 2008 Kristen Denzer
- 2006 – 2007 Suzanne Sobotka (acting), Dmitry Zhdanov
- 2005 – 2006 Taqee Khaled (acting), Karen Buhr
- 2004 – 2005 Abu Jalal
- 2003 – 2004 Todd Powell
- 2002 – 2003 Christina Frazier
- 2001 – 2002 Phillip Cole, Patrick Pederson
- 2000 – 2001 Ben Solomon
- 1999 – 2000 Cheryl Jorgensen
- 1998 – 1999 J.P. Maier
- 1997 – 1998 J.P. Maier
- 1996 – 1997 Bruce Bromberek
- 1995 – 1996 Kathy James
- 1994 – 1995 Cecil Smith
- 1993 – 1994 Cecil Smith
- 1992 – 1993 Michel Foster (acting), Dave Dahlgren
- 1991 – 1992 Julie Harrold
- 1990 – 1991 Suzanne Fust