CUSG Joint Boards

The following information is for CUSG Joint Board Chairs and Cost Center Directors. Graduate and professional students interested in serving on a board should contact the GPSG Co-Senators to CUSG.

Selection of Grad Student Members for CUSG Joint Boards

Updated November 10, 2022

Purpose: The CUSG Constitution, as amended in the Spring 2022 election, requires that one seat on each CUSG Joint Board be reserved for a post-baccalaureate student. GPSG historically has supported the participation of graduate students on CUSG joint boards to ensure that the voices of graduate students are included in CUSG cost center decision-making processes. GPSG has continued to support this directive since the creation of our organization in 1990 - See Legislative Council Bill: 32 LCB 06. The constitution provides that these seats will be reserved until the end of September, when if no qualified applicants have been selected for appointment, the seat may be filled by any other eligible student. GPSG seeks to ensure graduate students are available to fill these seats and to collaborate with CUSG joint boards to fulfill this constitutional requirement. 

GPSG recognizes that each Joint Board serves a unique purpose and has unique processes established before the new constitutional requirements. As such, we have prepared two options for recruiting graduate students to CUSG Joint boards. We ask each cost center/joint board to select a method and communicate their decision to the GPSG Executive(s) and the CUSG/GPSG Co-Senators. 

Option 1:  Recruitment External to GPSG

  1. The Joint Board Chair handles all aspects of grad student recruitment, including the information sessions, interviews, email communication, and Legislative Council ratification. 

  2. GPSG will help publicize, advertise, and share information with the GPSG Assembly about the Joint Board position opening but will not be involved in member selection.

  3. The Board Chair will notify GPSG promptly with the name and contact information of new graduate student members.

  4. GPSG will hold separate ratification of the appointee if the board position is eligible for a pre-established stipend from GPSG for their work on the board.

    • The GPSG Assembly retains the right to deny the ratification of a selected member. The member may continue to serve on the CUSG Joint Board but will not receive stipend funding from GPSG. 

Option 2:  Recruitment Internal to GPSG

  1. GPSG will handle recruitment, including outreach, advertising, email communication, information sessions, interviewing, and selecting candidates.

  2. The GPSG Assembly will ratify appointees if they are budgeted to receive a stipend from graduate student fees. 

  3. The GPSG Executives or CUSG/GPSG Co-Senators will connect the selected board member with the Board Chair promptly after approval of the Assembly. 

  4. CUSG Legislative Council ratifications will be submitted by the Board Chair to the CUSG Legislative Council President promptly on the Tuesday following notification about the GPSG appointment. 

    • The CUSG Legislative Council denies GPSG appointments. GPSG will restart the recruitment process from the beginning or reach out to qualified candidates who were not selected in the first selection process. 

  5. The student is a full board member once appointed and ratified by the GPSG Assembly and the Legislative Council.

GPSG recruitment processes generally start in August each academic year and are repeated in January for the spring semester if necessary. Graduate student recruitment is generally most effective before the start of each semester. GPSG can and does continue to advertise open positions across CU Boulder, made known to us, but fewer applications are received after the first two weeks of the semester have passed. 

GPSG stipends are approved before each fiscal year during the fall semester by the GPSG Assembly. Stipends paid by GPSG are maintained by the GPSG Director of Finance, finance.gpsg@colorado.edu; any issues or concerns about stipends for ratified Board members should be directed to the Director of Finance by email. 

Nota Bene: GPSG Leadership turns over in May of each AY. Ideally, each board chair and cost center director will decide their preferred method of graduate student member selection during the summer and communicate this to GPSG using the above contact information. The GPSG recruitment process, including outreach, advertising, and appointment interviews, begins in August of each year. 


If you have any questions or concerns about the proposed options, please contact engagement.gpsg@colorado.edu and cusg.gpsg@colorado.edu.