GAPSA faced long-term structural and engagement challenges that led to discussions of dissolution. To address this, GAPSA adopted developmental evaluation methods, utilized focus groups and interviews to get student feedback, and implemented changes like expanded representation and leadership training. The document outlines GAPSA's process of self-evaluation and changes made to improve collaboration between member councils and better serve students.
GAPSA Modernizes Structure and Processes to Better Represent Graduate Students
1. Finding
Common
Ground
and
Increasing
U3liza3on
Through
Open,
Collabora3ve,
and
Innova3ve
Evalua3on
Methods
Alfonso
Sintjago,
Vice
President
-‐
GAPSA
BriHany
Edwards,
President
-‐
GAPSA
2. Historical
Challenges
GAPSA
faced
difficul3es
over
the
years
due
to
structural
problems,
and
limited
student
involvement.
These
long
term
problems
led
to
conversa3ons
about
the
poten3al
dissolu3on
of
GAPSA
by
its
councils.
3. Re-‐envisioning
Government
Through
the
inclusion
of
Art
of
Hos3ng
Techniques,
Integra3ve
Leadership
Values,
a
Developmental
Evalua3on
Model,
Greater
Student
Representa3on,
Emerging
Technologies,
and
A
Commitment
to
Greater
Openness
and
Transparency,
GAPSA
Has
Addressed
Most
Of
Its
Challenges.
This
However
Remains
an
Ongoing
Process.
4. Open
Government
As
A
PlaRorm
Open
Standards
Spark
Innova3on
And
Growth
Build
A
Simple
System
And
Let
It
Evolve
Design
For
Par3cipa3on
Learn
from
Your
“Hackers”
Data
Mining
Allows
You
To
Harness
Implicit
Par3cipa3on
• Lower
The
Barriers
To
Experimenta3on
• Lead
By
Example
•
•
•
•
•
Open
Government
Lathrop
&
Ruma
(2010)
5.
6.
7. Developmental
Evalua3on
Evalua&on
processes
and
ac&vi&es
that
support
program,
project,
product,
personnel,
and/
or
organiza&onal
development.
The
evaluator
is
part
of
a
team
whose
members
collaborate
to
conceptualize,
design,
and
best
new
approaches
in
long-‐term,
on-‐
going
process
of
con&nuous
improvement,
adapta&on,
and
inten&onal
change.
(PaHon,
1994)
8. U3liza3on-‐Focused
Evalua3on
Council
of
Graduate
Students
Process
for
Making
Decisions
About
And
Focusing
an
Evalua&on
on
Intended
Use
By
Intended
User
(PaHon,
1994)
Nursing
College
Board
GradSEHD
School
of
Den3stry
Student
Council
Pharmacy
College
Board
GAPSA
School
of
Public
Health
Student
Senate
Medical
School
Student
Council
College
of
Veterinary
Medicine
Student
Council
Masters
in
Business
Administra3on
Associa3on
Law
Council
10. GAPSA
Evaluation
Data
Analysis
“BE
IT
RESOLVED
this
internal
evaluation
will
utilize
a
series
of
different
qualitative
methods
including
the
use
of
focus
groups,
interviews,
data
analysis,
and
surveys
to
assess
its
functioning
in
relationship
to
student
councils.”
Par3cipant
Observa3on
Focus
Groups
Evalua3on
Interviews
Surveys
11. Tyler
Gieseke
Minnesota
Daily
December
11,
2012
GAPSA
Will
Broaden
Its
Executive
Board
A
‘Taxation
Without
Representation’
Setup
Will
Be
Changed.
“Though
only
half
of
the
University
of
M i n n e s o t a ’s
1 0
g r a d u a t e
a n d
professional
schools
are
represented
on
its
executive
board
this
year,
GAPSA
plans
to
modify
representation
to
include
the
presidents
of
all
of
its
member
councils
next
fall.
The
group
will
also
partner
with
the
Center
for
Integrative
Leadership
to
provide
leadership
training
for
its
members.”
12. Pressing
Student
Concerns
What
comments
do
you
have
for
the
Board
of
Regents
about
your
graduate
or
professional
experience
with
respect
to
advisers,
graduate
assistantships,
workload,
etc.?
13. Focus
Groups
Meeting
with
Each
Council
and
Reaching
A
Saturation
Point
Example
of
Focus
Answers
AA:
To
be
honest,
in
council
updates
and
GAPSA
rep
debrief,
not
concerning.
But
we
don’t
reach
out
for
GAPSA
to
reach
out.
We
(GAPSA)
does
grants
well.
Benefits
us
EB:
can
you
make
sure
my
grant
gets
passed?
I
liked
our
council
retreat,
things
are
being
done.
M:
Not
sure
what
GAPSA
does,
we’re
fairly
isolated,
(others
concur)
We
are
here
for
several
years,
have
a
lot
to
learn
from
other
students
on
campus.
14. Framing
a
Better
Alignment
Learning
Leadership
Skills
CIL
Center
for
Integra3ve
Leadership
GAPSA
Graduate
and
Professional
Student
Associa3on
Grad.
And
Prof.
Councils
Execu3ve
Members
of
Each
Council
Improving
The
University
15. Policy
Sprint
Brief
Conversa3on
Group
Discussion
Division
Into
Groups
(Can
Work
Individually)
nal
izatio cture
rgan
iting
O
Better
Stru
Rewr For
A
ts
cumen
Do
Cons3tu3on
Round
of
Comments
(Rota3on
of
Docs)
Officer
Descrip3ons
Bylaws
Round
of
Edits
(Modifica3on
of
Documents)
Honor
Code
Resolu3on
of
Differences
(Conversa3on
/
Discussion)
16. Major
Changes
Adding
Addi3onal
Seats
in
the
General
Assembly
so
That
Student
Groups
can
Voice
Concerns
Ensuring
That
Every
Council
is
Represented
in
the
Execu:ve
Board
by
Expanding
its
Membership
Provide
Integra:ve
Leadership
Training
so
That
Members
Learn
How
to
Work
Effec3ve
Together
Changes
Added
to
the
2013-‐2014
Constitution