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Graduate Administrators

The Graduate Administrator performs several key functions of the program: collecting and preparing information; scheduling meetings, examinations, and workshops, and coordinating various committees. The Graduate Administrator corresponds with prospective applicants, receives documentation for applications, and ensures that files are circulated among the faculty members of the Graduate Committee towards committee decisions about admission and funding, consults with the Graduate Chair about individual students' programs, and prepares documentation towards dissertation examinations and graduation.

Graduate Chairs

The Grad Chair is responsible for providing information to, consultation with, and mentorship of graduate students, and has oversight of admissions, awards, programs, and general administration in your academic unit. Your Grad Chair is usually the chair of your department's graduate committee (so represents your department in dealings with the College of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies), and they may also be the chair of your student committee. Together with the Graduate Administrator, the Grad Chair monitors the progress of each student in the program.

Graduate Committees 

All academic units offering graduate programming have a Graduate Committee, typically chaired by the Graduate Chair. This committee makes decisions and recommendations about applicants, graduate students, allocates funding, and the program itself. CGPS provides guidance on the scope of work - some committees may adopt the guidelines and create additional criteria.

Student Advisory Committee (AC)

As soon as possible following a student's first registration in a thesis or dissertation-based program, an advisory committee, including a research supervisor, should be named. Responsibility for naming the members of a student's advisory is typically managed by the Graduate Chair. It is the responsibility of the advisory committee to assist students in course selection and definition of research area, to provide support and advice, to evaluate regularly the student's progress by meeting at least once yearly, to take appropriate and timely action in view of this progress, and to keep records of this evaluation and all actions taken. 

Supervisor 

The supervisor is responsible for ensuring that progress reports, meeting minutes, programs of study, and other advisory committee paperwork is completed and forwarded to the unit’s graduate administrator. Broadly defined, a supervisor's role is to successfully guide a student through the requirements of their academic program to completion in a timely fashion.

What does CGPS do? The College of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (CGPS) is home to approximately 4,500 graduate students enrolled in over 180 different graduate diplomas, course & thesis-based master's and doctoral degree programs and is home to over 240 postdoctoral scholars engaged in a diverse and intense research environment. We often refer to graduate students as dual citizens. Why? 

• Students often identify with their academic unit or college but can also go to CGPS for guidance.
• Graduate degrees are recommended by the student's home unit/college and are conferred by the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
• CGPS relies on unit recommendations and insight which in turn allows CGPS to provide oversight, policy, and leadership.

GSA

The Graduate Student Association (GSA)'s focus is the advocacy of its members in pursuit of a safe, supportive, respectful, accessible, and inclusive community that fosters the multi-faceted roles played by graduate students at the University of Saskatchewan. All graduate students at USask are members of the GSA and have the right to vote in elections, referenda, and at general meetings. 

GSADC

Dean's Graduate Student Advisory Circle (GSADC) is a circle of graduate student volunteers who serve as mentors and leaders that work with the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies leadership to identify solutions and create positive change. This group brings graduate student perspectives on discussion topics like holistic admissions, policy revisions, degree-level learning outcomes, ways to enhance career preparation, entrepreneurial training, an Indigenization action plan, and more.

Council

CGPS Faculty Council has authority over all matters related to the academic affairs of the College. In 2023 CGPS had its bylaws formalized, accepted, and approved. Now voting CGPS Faculty Council membership includes student voting members from the GSA, at least one Indigenous graduate student leader and an additional five graduate students selected through an open call process managed by the CGPS' Nominations Committee.

USask has a tricameral governance structure, which means it has three governing bodies:

Executive Leadership

USask's Executive Leadership team supports each of the university’s governing bodies in fulfilling its role in accordance with the requirements of The University of Saskatchewan Act and the principles of good governance.

University Secretary

The Office of the University Secretary is a key link between the executive leadership and governing bodies of the university, facilitating the activities of the Board of Governors, Senate, General Academic Assembly, and University Council as well as governance matters related to university policies.