| GAPSA Welcome Reception for New Graduate and Professional Students |
|
September 15, 2009,
Volume 56, No. 03
|
Below are the remarks given by GAPSA Chair Corbett Brown at the Reception on Wednesday, September 9, 2009.
New Graduate & Professional Students
Good afternoon and welcome to the New Graduate and Professional Student Reception. My name is Corbett Brown, and I am chair of the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, known as GAPSA.
GAPSA represents and serves the 12,000 plus graduate and professional students throughout the University of Pennsylvania. In fact, each of you is automatically a GAPSA member due to your standing as a graduate or professional student at Penn.
While the work of GAPSA on your behalf affects many aspects of your education and your time here at Penn, there are three specific areas that I wish to touch on briefly. Specifically: advocacy, funding, and student activities.
GAPSA has and will continue to advocate for the needs of the graduate and professional students, from issues surrounding student housing, the needs of international students, as well as students with dependents. These are just a sampling of past and current advocacy areas that represent the role that GAPSA has in advocating for you.
Additionally, GAPSA is responsible for distributing funds to benefit students throughout the University. This is accomplished through distributing funds to each of the 12 schools’ student governments, as well as by providing grants for student travel expenses for conference trips as well as grants for other educational experiences. I would recommend that you take advantage of these grants as they will assist you in expanding your educational experiences while here at Penn.
Finally, GAPSA plans both cultural and social activities throughout the year for your benefit. These activities are strategically planned to bring students together from each of the twelve schools, thus providing an environment for you to meet individuals from other disciplines. This is an important function of these activities as it helps bring graduate and professional students together in solidifying a shared identity. This very evening GAPSA has planned an exciting social event at Strikes, and hope that you will attend this event and many other events throughout the year. One event in particular is important for you to look forward to, and that is end of the school-year celebration for graduate and professional students known as Gradfest.
In closing, GAPSA is here to represent you through advocacy, funding, and in planning activities throughout the year for your benefit.
I wish you all a great and successful year and look forward to seeing you at GAPSA events!
Related: Keeping Penn’s Community of Scholars Forever Young and Forever Strong;
Penn's Novel Possibilities |
