A Model of Collaboration: How the Baylor Graduate School and GSA Work Together to Support Student Success
Sara Dolan
Associate Dean for Professional Development
Laura Sepanski
Program Coordinator for Professional Development
At many universities, graduate student organizations and administrative offices operate in separate spheres—sometimes even at odds. But at Baylor University, the Graduate Student Association (GSA) and the Graduate School have cultivated a uniquely collaborative relationship, grounded in shared goals of academic excellence and holistic student wellbeing.
Rather than functioning as an advocacy group in opposition to administration, Baylor’s GSA works with the Graduate School as a strategic partner in shaping the graduate student experience. The GSA brings graduate student needs to the administration, which works in good faith to respond. Past successes include:
- Parental leave policy (2010)
- Local and national advocacy on graduate student stipend taxation (2016)
- Graduate student regent member (2017)
- Mental health advisory group (2018)
- Reduction of doctoral student fees (2019)
- Annual increases in doctoral research stipends (2023-25)
- Fundraising partnership with University Advancement (2023)
- On-Campus Graduate Student Meal Rate (2024)
- Additional 66 graduate housing units (2024)
We operate with inclusion and transparency. Every graduate student at Baylor is automatically added as a member of the Graduate Student Association. There is no membership fee. Funding is provided by partnerships with the Graduate School, Baylor Libraries, and the Office of Student Life. Every department is encouraged to select a graduate student representative who can express the needs and visions of the students within their program. Monthly GSA Assemblies (during the Fall and Spring semesters) are open to all students and live-streamed via Zoom. Committees focus on specific areas such as collegiality and community, our online students, academic and professional affairs, and advocacy.
When an issue is identified, the GSA, the Graduate School, and Baylor University administration work jointly to develop solutions, with the understanding that a final resolution may require years of effort. 2023-24 GSA President Anna Beaudry wrote in her farewell article:
“… as I told my cabinet at our first meeting last summer, we are building cathedrals. The students and faculty who got rid of student fees in 2020 and who implemented the health insurance subsidy started long before those changes were realized. The announcement we got a few weeks ago that all graduate students will get the faculty/staff dining rate beginning August 1st was the result of many years of advocacy and work on the part of past GSA presidents and caring administrators…. If you are someone like me who immediately sees where problems lie and cares about addressing them, I’d urge you to get involved in GSA next year. It’s been a privilege to work the last few years alongside passionate graduate students, faculty, and administrators who are willing to roll up their sleeves and do the hard and often invisible work of effecting change on behalf of others. I’m a firm believer that if you are going to complain about a problem, you must be willing to seek its solution—and Lord knows I’m going to complain about things! So, it’s time to get to work.”
This partnership is not only rare, it’s intentional. GSA leadership meets regularly with the Graduate School Dean and the Associate Dean for Professional Development. The GSA and the Graduate School co-create programming for events like Graduate Student Appreciation Week and Dialogue With Leaders, where Baylor administrators share a meal with GSA department representatives. We also support GSA events where students present their scholarship, such as Research Showcase, Present Your PhD, and 3-Minute Thesis.
Administration values the contribution graduate students make to a research university and understands that their well-being affects the entire campus. “We support initiatives that address the full spectrum of graduate student needs from professional development and academic support to mental health and community building,” says Dr. Sara Dolan, Associate Dean and GSA faculty advisor. “Research shows that graduate students thrive when they are seen, heard, and supported as whole people. By working together, we can respond more quickly and effectively to student needs.”
In an era when graduate students at other institutions are forming unions to advocate for basic needs, Baylor’s model offers a different story: one of trust, collaboration, and shared purpose. It’s a partnership that reflects the university’s commitment to cultivating a graduate community where students don’t just succeed, they flourish.
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