General Body Meeting

October 2nd, 2025

Huntsman Hall JMHH370

Phrase of the Day: sWeAtaa WeAThaa

​

Agenda for this meeting

SASGov General Body Meeting | 2nd October, 2025

Presidents Updates

• Survey Results
• Merit Funding Use
• Ways to use funding
• Which departments cannot use their funding?
• How to find out about your funding
• Smaller Cohorts
• Reworking Website and your Grad Group’s Websites
• GAPSA + University Council

​

​

​

SASGov General Body Meeting | 2nd October, 2025

Finance Updates

​

Discretionary funding is now open!

​

Social budget is supplemented by GAPSA IPF

​

SASGov General Body Meeting | 2nd October, 2025

Fall Grant applications are now closed! Decisions out 11/1

Finance committee

Policy Updates

• Policy Committee Caucus
• Resolution discussion and updates
• Representative survey
• Hiring reductions (215 -> 175)
• Deferred admissions?
• Merit funding usage
• Listserv access
• Website issues

​

​

SASGov General Body Meeting | 2nd October, 2025

GETUP Updates

• GETUP Reps may discuss what updates should get out to students!

SASGov General Body Meeting | 2nd October, 2025

Social Updates

Upcoming Event

• 76ers Basketball Games
• SASGov x BGSA
• Oct 17, Fri, 7 pm - 76ers vs. Timberwolves
• Upper-level: 23 free tickets
• Oct 31, Fri, 7 pm - 76ers vs. Celtics
• Upper-level: 12 tickets, $27/pp

​

• Spooky Candle-making Workshop
• Cork & Candles ｜ University City
• Oct 19, Sun, 2-4 pm
• 30 tickets, $15/pp (original cost $65/pp)

SASGov General Body Meeting | 2nd October, 2025

Public Affairs

Survey Results (Swag)

• Most votes: Crewneck
• T-shirt
• Tote bag
• Least votes: Sticker

​

SASGov General Body Meeting | 2nd October, 2025

Public Affairs

Penn Violence Prevention (PVP) is hosting variety of events for Domestic Violence Awareness Month

​

SASGov General Body Meeting | 2nd October, 2025

Operations Updates

• Fill out the Attendance form (QR)
• Committee Inquiries
• Are you free & 5:30pm?
• Phrase of the Day:

SASGov General Body Meeting | 2nd October, 2025

Communications Updates

• We’re missing reps from:
• Africana Studies
• Applied Math & Computer Science
• Earth & Environmental Studies
• Pure Math
• Middle Eastern Languages & Cultures
• Music
• Let me know in advance if you will be having a proxy attend for you

SASGov General Body Meeting | 2nd October, 2025

GAPSA Reps Updates

• Research Student Town Hall on Thursday, October 9
• Conversation about how students are being affected by University, local, and federal policy changes
• Food provided
• 4-6pm in Houston Hall, Ben Franklin Room
• GAPSA provisional budget passed
• Motion made and passed to refer the topic of Graduate PLUS loans, funding changes for current and future students, and lifetime borrowing limits, to the equity & access committee for recommendation and presentation to the University Council

SASGov General Body Meeting | 2nd October, 2025

Submit questions for the town hall here ^

GAPSA Advocacy Introduction

• Advocacy Division (Vice President of Advocacy–Yumi Kodama SAS)

Directors: Wellness–Amber SAS (History & Sociology of Science)

Equity and Access–Yvonne Yang SP2-MSW/GSE-ECS

International Students Affairs–Nowreen Yasmin school

External Affairs–Iris Horng Wharton (Statistics and Data Science)

We Advocate for Whatever Graduate Students Want/Need

5 Goals for 2025

1. Comprehensive Survey
2. Advertisement so that grads actually can carry voices to GAPSA and get information (events/clubs/free swags)
3. Establishing International Student Council
4. Transitions
5. Platform (Penn forward)

SASGov General Body Meeting | 2nd October, 2025

GAPSA Advocacy Introduction

• Wellness- Amber
• Wellness Week (and beyond!)
• International Student Affairs- Nowreen
• DHS comment
• Events–pre-global cafe series, International food event…
• International Students Council
• Equity and Access- Yvonne
• UC reform, advertise, UC Committee, Sub Committee (ESAC,RSAB,Manufacture Responsibility etc…)
• All voice matters
• External Affairs- Iris
• Ivy+ Summit
• Graduate Student Housing, SEPTA/Transportation
• Climate Survey

SASGov General Body Meeting | 2nd October, 2025

Resolutions + Action Discussion

Resolutions

• ISSS?
• Something else?

Results from the Representative Survey

• Clarity about effect of less hiring
• Merit funding
• Listserv
• Website

External Relations + Civic Engagement

• Participating in conversations with state/national reps
• Writing/Joining petitions

​

Collaborating with GAPSA Advocacy?

• UC Council Testimonials- Graduate student issues? Can bring issues to the Provost (JLJ)
• What might they need?
• What would we want to help with?

SASGov General Body Meeting | 2nd October, 2025

Committee Time

• Committee Assignments
• Brief Intro Meetings
• Policy: Filippini, Guthertz, Shih, Chang, Sun, Jones, de Monte Lima/Swain, Desai, Garzino/Altman
• Finance: Suleyman/Hillman, Mutua, Song, Murphy, Cravero, Bae, Tinsley, Etienne/Terry, Jenks/Curran, Saxon
• Public Affairs: Curran, Tidmarsh, Sassi, Dowling/Reich, Martin, Mukesh
• Social: Hoffman, Carney, Walsh, Banda, Garner, Cummings/Gassner,

​

​

​

​

​

​

SASGov General Body Meeting | 2nd October, 2025

Reminders

• Please email/communicate with your reps about our updates
• Communicate with your grad coordinators/administrators about merit funding
• Talk to your fellow students about how you might want to use that funding!
• Discretionary Funding is still open until October 30th!
• Penn Violence Prevention - “How to Support a Survivor” workshop October 15th 6-8PM 3935 Walnut Street.
• PVP - Trauma Informed YOGA (10 AM on Fridays through the 31st) in Pottruck Studio 414
• GAPSA Research Council Town Hall October 9th, 4-6PM, Ben Franklin Room (Houston Hall)
• Oct 19 - Candle Making Event & Oct 17, 31 - 76ers Basketball Games - Details Forthcoming on our socials!
• ​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

SASGov General Body Meeting | 2nd October, 2025

Open Floor

ATTENDANCE→

SASGov General Body Meeting | 2nd October, 2025

Join Us for Happy Hour!

SASGov General Body Meeting | 2nd October, 2025