Departmental GSAs

Every September, for each academic year, YUGSA registers Departmental Graduate Students’ Associations (DGSAs) which  provides a variety of services, most importantly an Operating Grant Fund (OGF). DGSAs offer services back to their own department’s members, such as support for funding and social events. Executives of DGSAs are elected by the graduate students of their own department, and they appoint representatives to take their voting seats at the YUGSA Council. Each DGSA has a minimum of two voting seats at the YUGSA Council (with an additional representative for every two hundred members).

1. Register your DGSA

Every year, each DGSA must register with the YUGSA.  This is done by filling out the registration form (see below for the link). In order to determine the number of councillor appointments allowed for your department, please refer to “Graduate Headcount” page on York’s website (see below for the link).

• DGSA Registration Form (2024-2025)

• Graduate Headcount

Registration gives a DGSA voting positions at the YUGSA council, and allows the DGSA to apply for the OGF.  A DGSA can register with the YUGSA at any time. In order to be eligible for the OGF, it must register by October 10, 2024

In the case that a DGSA does not have a constitution, it must submit one by November 21, 2024. See below for the list of DGSA constitutions, a sample template for constitutions, and a letter to transfer bank signing authorities.

• List of DGSA Constitutions

• Template for DGSA ​Constitutions

• Request for Supporting Letter for Transfer of Signing Authorities

2. The Operating Grant Fund (OGF)

​The OGF is a sum of money given in two installments which allows registered DGSAs to fund various projects, such as graduate student conferences on campus.

In order to receive the full OGF, certain guidelines must be met:

• For the 2024-25 academic year, each DGSA must register with the YUGSA by October 10, 2024.

• YUGSA councillors must attend the Council Orientation on October 17, 2024 before the October Council Meeting from 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM. The Council Orientation will be organized virtually this year over Zoom.

• YUGSA councillors must attend an anti-oppression training session organized by YUGSA. These trainings will be held on (TBD). Details of training sessions will be announced shortly.

• Submit all financial records via the OGF Application Form by November 15 for the first installment of the OGF.

• Each DGSA must submit its updated financial records in 2024, no later than February 14, 2025 using the OGF Application Form for the second installment of the OGF.

• The YUGSA councillors (or their alternatives/proxies) must attend three out of six council meetings held before March 1, 2025.

Failure to follow these guidelines will result in the OGF amount being reduced to base level (60%) or withheld.

For inquiries about DGSA registration, constitution, or council attendance, please contact internal@yugsa.ca.

For inquiries about OGF or financial documents, please contact finance@yugsa.ca.