Mandate and History

The Graduate Student Society (GSS) is the official representative organization of all graduate students at the University of Windsor, pursuant to Bill 184, College and University Student Associations Act, 2011 of the Province of Ontario.

Organization

The Society was established and incorporated in 1980. The founding leaders were inspired by a popular national trend in that era to establish a unified voice for masters' students, as done on many other campuses across Canada.

Since its inception, GSS has been crafted with governance, processes and an increasing value proposition to its members. The value proposition generally includes programs, which comprise of services and events, designed to advance and defend the interest of member students.

This, in the face of a dynamic and changing world, emerging adversarial forces, and unintended shortcomings of authorities, partners and community agents to otherwise ensure masters' students interests are properly respected.

Elected representatives of the Graduate Student Society represent graduate students at different levels of the University, including the Board of Governors, the Senate, the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research Council, and on many of the committees of the aforementioned bodies.

The GSS representatives have full voting rights at these meetings. Involvement in a wide range of committees and organizations enables the elected representatives and staff of the GSS to act as a conduit of information including current events and activities, decisions, policies, and issues for graduate students.

Through its work, the GSS actively represents and advocates for graduate students’ interests. Graduate students at the University of Windsor are also members of Canada’s national and provincial student organization, the Canadian Federation of Students (local 48), and are active members of the Federation’s National and Provincial Graduate Caucuses.

Purpose

From our governing documents, the purposes of the Graduate Student Society are:

  • To organize students on a democratic, co-operative basis for advancing students’ interests, and advancing the interests of the student’ community;
  • To provide a common framework within which students can communicate, exchange information, and share experiences, skills, and ideas;
  • To bring students together to discuss and co-operatively achieve educational, administrative, and legislative change whenever decision-making affects students;
  • To facilitate co-operation among students in organizing services which supplement the learning experience, provide for human needs, and which develop a sense of community with our peers and with other members of society;
  • To articulate the desire of students to fulfill the duties and be accorded the rights of citizens in Ontario, in Canada, and in the international community;
  • To achieve the goal of a system of post-secondary education which is accessible to all, which is of high quality, and which is rationally planned; which recognizes the legitimacy of student representation and the validity of students’ rights; and whose role in society is clearly recognized and appreciated.
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