There are multiple benefits to acting as a GFWSSA representative on committees within the Graduate Program in Gender, Feminist & Women’s Studies and the School of Women’s Studies, and on broader councils within York. You meet other students, you meet faculty members, you learn about the inner-workings of our program and graduate education in general (it’s professional development work and service to the university), and you advocate on behalf of your fellow students on important decisions that directly impact us. Committees and councils range greatly in time and energy commitments. These positions are filled through a self-nomination/volunteer process, usually in September & October each year. In the event of a volunteer pile-up for the same spots, a cordial conversation between the involved parties usually works everything out. Positions tend to go fast, so make sure you sign up quickly for the ones you feel strongly about!

Representatives can often choose to be as involved as they like, and a nexus of passionate representatives and the GFWSSA hive-mind is extremely rewarding for all parties involved. These positions offer a unique opportunity to graduate students to make their voice heard and advocate for the needs of their fellow colleagues, making a difference to the culture of the program at large. 

A list of  student committee and council rep positions is provided below, along with a quick and dirty description of each role and any requirements that may exist (i.e MA, PHD, post-comps etc). Once you volunteer for a position, you may decide to return the same position once your term is over. Our 2023-2024 program committee/council representatives are listed below. Don't hesitate to contact us should you require further information. 

1. GFWSSA CUPE 3903 (2 positions, 1 year term)

CUPE stewards attend union meetings and report to the GFWSSA regularly. They also inform GFWSSA members of their rights and benefits as union members. Work as a CUPE steward is often moderate, with the work being heavy during Strike years. If you're passionate about graduate student labour being exploited, this is the place for you to have your voice heard! 

Our current CUPE representatives are: Mackenzie Edwards (mackiee@yorku.ca) and Steff Juniper Mendolia (steffmendolia@gmail.com).

2. York University Graduate Students Association (YUGSA) (2 positions, 1 year term) 

YUGSA representatives attend monthly meetings and report to the GFWSSA regularly. The GFWSSA is a subsidiary of the YUGSA and relies on operating grants from the YUGSA to fund all of its activities. A member of the GFWSSA must attend meetings in order to receive this funding.  Work as a YUGSA representative is moderate across the year, with the work being heavy during Strike years.  If you're moved by the racial, gendered, ableist, and exploitative conditions of higher education that impact graduate students, this position is for you! 

Our current YUGSA representatives are: Laxana Paskaran (laxana@yorku.ca) and Shanique Mothersill (smother4@yorku.ca)

3. GFWS Executive Committee (3 positions, 1 year term) 

All GFWS Executive Committee representatives attend monthly program executive committee meetings, which is the highest decision-making body within the graduate program. These meetings offer significant insight into the inner workings of our graduate program, ranging widely from discussions on potential hiring, incoming student compositions, and various other developments in the program. Representatives take minutes of the meetings for GFWSSA records, and report on the work of the GFWSSA in these meetings. Work as a GFWS Executive Committee member is moderate across the year, with work being light in Strike years. If you're invested in the decision making of our GFWS department, sign up for this spot!

Our current GFWS Executive Committee representatives are: Kanishka Sikri (sikri@yorku.ca), Ingrid Bachner (ibachner@yorku.ca) and Arooj Hussain (afhussai@yorku.ca)

4. Curriculum Committee (3 positions, 1 year term) 

Curriculum Committee representatives play a key role in developing, changing and determining the curriculum and curricular requirements of the program, as well as evaluating course evaluations. Curriculum committee representatives liaison between the program and the graduate students, and report the minutes of meetings to the GFWSSA for our records. Work as a curriculum representative is light all year round. Think the GFWS curriculum could expand its horizons or reimagine its pedagogical assumptions? This is the place to make yourself heard! 

Our current Curriculum Committee representatives are: Joshua Falek (jbfalek@yorku.ca) and Jade Nelson (jzbn@yorku.ca)

5. MA Admissions Committee (2 positions, 1 year term)

Admissions Committee representatives assist in recommending new MA applicants to the program. They meet frequently from February to April, and deliberate on incoming student applications. Work as a MA Admissions Committee representative is negligible year round, and heavy from February to April. Curious to engage with the processes that led you into graduate school? This is the position to opt for!

Our current MA Admissions Committee representatives are: Katelyn Barker (kabarker@yorku.ca) and Blessing Ogunyemi (ebukun@yorku.ca) 

6. PhD Admissions Committee (2 positions, 1 year term)

The PhD Admissions Committee representatives assist in recommending new PhD applicants to the program. They meet frequently from February to April, and deliberate on incoming student applications. Work as a PhD Admissions Committee representative is negligible year round, and heavy from February to April. To be a PhD Admissions Committee representative, you need to have passed your Comprehensive Exams. Feel passionately about learning more about admissions work and want a say in choosing the next batch of incoming candidates? Sign up! 

Our current PhD Admissions Committee representatives are: Kanishka Sikri (sikri@yorku.ca) and Sylvie Cote (sylvie05@yorku.ca)

7. Council of the School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies (1 position, 1 year term)

The Council of the School representative attends routinely scheduled meetings that offer insight into the workings of the School of Gender, Sexuality & Women's Studies. The representative also provides minutes of these meetings to the GFWSSA. Work as the Council of the School representative is often light to moderate all year round. Excited to learn about the inner functionings of the school? This is the position for you!

Our current Council of the School of Gender, Sexuality & Women's Studies representative is Tina Powell (tpowell@yorku.ca)

8. School of Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies Community Assembly (2 positions, 1 year term)

Normally, the School Community Assembly occurs once annually. Additional assemblies may also be called at the request of the Executive Committee or Chair as deemed necessary; requests for additional assemblies by members of the School Council can be made to the Executive or Chair. It occurs for the purposes of community consultation, information sharing and/or reporting news; it is the arena in which the School’s student representatives, faculty members (YUFA and CUPE Unit 2), staff, and academic administrators meet to converse, raise issues of mutual concern (e.g., safety and security, students’ interests, current events, or social and political matters germaine to the School, etc.), and/or to engage respectfully in meaningful and productive dialogue and social and political debate. It does so in the interests of maintaining a vibrant, current, involved, engaged, and inclusive School community. The School Assembly’s functions include the delivery or receipt of information throughout the School community, announcements, dialogue, debate, celebrations and/or community consultations (e.g., regarding Cyclical Program Reviews, identifying new student interests and concerns as they might relate to School programming of events, workshops, etc.).

Our current School of Gender, Sexuality & Women's Studies Community Assembly representatives are: Shruti Kalyanaraman (shruti86@yorku.ca) and Brandon Shiga (shigab@yorku.ca) 

9. The Undergraduate Sexuality Studies Program Council (2 positions, 1 year term)

The duties for the position include attending two (2) meetings per year, and joining various subcommittees within the council. Find more info here.

Our current Undergraduate Sexuality Studies Program Council representatives are: Kathleen Cherrington (kathleencherrington@gmail.com) and Fatemeh Gharibi (fgharibi@yorku.ca). 

10. The GSWS Adjudicating Committee (2 positions, 1 year term)

An Adjudicating Committee is required to assess the material in the candidate’s file for advancement to candidacy, tenure and promotion, and promotion to full professor. Normally, members of the AC will not be asked to serve as referees for any aspect of the candidate’s file. If a member of the Adjudicating Committee serves as a referee, a rationale must be provided in the report of the File Preparation Committee.

Our current GSWS Adjudicating Committeee representatives are: Joshua Falek (jbfalek@yorku.ca)  and Gila Yefet (gilayefet@gmail.com) 

Given the new pandemic realities, most if not all meetings in the foreseeable future will happen online and will be remotely accessible.