April 29th, 2025 The University of Calgary Graduate Students’ Association (UCGSA) congratulates Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberal Party on their electoral victory. Mr. Carney and his party will face turbulent times in government, and as was mentioned in the letter sent to the major federal party leaders during the campaign, graduate students are a vital source of problem-solving …
UCGSA to Federal Leaders: What Graduate Students Can Do for Canada
CALGARY——The University of Calgary Graduate Students’ Association (UCGSA) has released an open letter detailing graduate student priorities for the upcoming federal election. The organization, which represents almost 7,500 graduate students, is calling for the federal parties to work with provinces to increase graduate student funding, exempt graduate students from the caps on international students, and to stop with the culture …
Tentative Agreement Reached Between GSA and University of Calgary
Only 2025 Academically Employed Graduate Students (AEGS) may vote — Ratification Vote on March 24–25, 2025 The Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) and your bargaining team are pleased to announce that a tentative collective agreement has been reached between the University of Calgary and the GSA, pending ratification by a vote of the membership. If ratified, Academically Employed Graduate Students (AEGS) …
Provincial Priorities Act Exemptions Release
CALGARY——The University of Calgary Graduate Students’ Association (UCGSA) is grateful to see that the recently announced regulations for the Provincial Priorities Act exempt research funding, student employment, work experience, continuing education, and conferences. The UCGSA Advocacy Team has been advocating on this issue to the Minister of Advanced Education, and the Government of Alberta more broadly, since it was announced …
UCGSA/UCSU American Research Letter
As many of you know, relations between Canada and the United States have rapidly deteriorated. This has resulted in threats of tariffs, talks of annexation, and a general feeling of anxiety and uncertainty. Unfortunately, Alberta—and Calgary in particular—is on of the more vulnerable areas in Canada to any protracted trade war: oil and gas exports to the United States are …
The State of Post-Secondary Education in Alberta
The University of Calgary Graduate Students’ Association (UCGSA) has signed onto an open letter, with our counterparts and allies throughout the province, outlining our deep concerns about the state of post-secondary education in Alberta. Click here to read the full open letter The open letter highlights a number of stark facts. For instance, Alberta was the third most educated province …
CASA Advocacy Week 2024: UCGSA Efforts in Ottawa
From November 25th to 29th, the University of Calgary Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) participated in CASA Advocacy Week in Ottawa. This key event brought together student representatives from across Canada to directly engage with policymakers on issues that impact graduate students. VP-External Hunter Yaworski, VP-Academic Alexandria Poppendorf, and Advocacy Advisor Andrew Kemle worked tirelessly to advocate for policies that affect …
Advocating for Graduate Students: Open Letter for Representation in Alberta’s University Future
The University of Calgary Graduate Students’ Association (UCGSA) took a decisive step to ensure that graduate students are heard in shaping Alberta’s post-secondary system. In an open letter addressed to Dr. Jack Mintz, we formally requested the inclusion of a graduate student representative on the expert review panel he chairs. Dr. Mintz, a renowned economist and President’s Fellow at the …
Advocacy Update: Graduate Students Driving Innovation for Alberta’s Future
On November 12, 2024, the University of Calgary Graduate Students’ Association (UCGSA) met with members of the Alberta New Democratic Party (NDP) to discuss the pivotal role graduate students play in shaping Alberta’s economy and driving innovation. UCGSA was represented by Saaka Sulemana (President), Hunter Yaworski (Vice President—External), Nadia Ghazanfari (Vice President—Student Life), Andrew Kemle (Advocacy Advisor), and Graham Sucha …
UCGSA Brief to SRSR: Advocating for Graduate Student Representation and Research Funding in Canada’s Future
The Standing Committee on Science and Research (SRSR) plays a crucial role in overseeing federal scientific activity, including the work of the Tri-Council granting agencies. As part of its current project, the committee is investigating the Capstone research organization outlined in Budget 2024. On October 29th, 2024, the University of Calgary Graduate Students’ Association (UCGSA) submitted a brief to SRSR …
