Graduate and Professional Student Affairs Council (GPSAC)

GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL STUDENT AFFAIRS COUNCIL (GPSAC):

Duke’s graduate and professional student community spans 10 schools and numerous programs—each with unique cultures, support structures, and student needs. This website serves as a shared home for the student affairs professionals who work across these decentralized environments and come together around a common goal: empowering graduate and professional students to thrive.

About the Council:

Established in 1995, the Graduate & Professional Student Affairs Council (GPSAC) brings together representatives from the division of Student Affairs and the student support areas of Duke’s graduate and professional schools:

GPSAC is a collaborative forum where professionals share insights, discuss emerging issues, and strengthen the support structures available to Duke’s graduate and professional students. The council is currently chaired by Genille Anderson (Associate Dean of Students, Director of Graduate and Professional Student Services), Melissa Bostrom (Senior Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Professional Development) and Alistar Erickson-Ludwig (Assistant Dean, Master of Management Studies at Fuqua)

Council Goals:

• Promote Communication
• • Facilitate ongoing dialogue about issues impacting graduate and professional students across Duke
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• Strengthen Connections to Leadership
• • Serve as an accessible and consistent link between the Graduate & Professional Student Government (GPSG) and university administrators.
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• Build Professional Community
• • Foster relationships, shared understanding, and collaboration among student affairs teams working in schools and departments across campus.

Why GPSAC Matters:

With more than half of Duke’s student population enrolled in graduate and professional programs, GPSAC plays a key role in ensuring that the diverse needs of these students are understood, elevated, and addressed in a coordinated, student-centered way.

Meetings:

GPSAC typically meets on the second Tuesday of each month, either virtually or in a hybrid format. For more information, contact gpss@duke.edu

ABOUT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE

(Registration for the May 20, 2026 Conference is open NOW. Register here!)

The Duke Graduate & Professional Student Affairs Conference was created as a homegrown opportunity for staff and faculty to:

• • Connect with counterparts working in graduate and professional student affairs across campus;
• • Share impactful practices, programs, and innovations;
• • Deepen understanding of our shared goals for student success;
• • Build stronger networks among decentralized offices; and
• • Identify effective strategies for supporting graduate and professional students.

This annual May gathering reinforces the collaborative spirit established by GPSAC and provides a space to celebrate achievements, address challenges, and learn from one another.

What Participants Gain:

• • Practical tools and ideas to bring back to their schools and programs;
• • A stronger sense of Duke’s university-wide ecosystem;
• • New partnerships and professional connections; and
• • A shared vision for supporting student wellbeing and success.

Contact gpss@duke.edu with questions.

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Media:

RESOURCES FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS

Communication Connections

Looking for consistent Duke grad/prof updates, news, and events?

1) Request to join our mailing lists (for Duke faculty/staff only):

• GPSAC Listserv [subscribe]:
• • Shares meeting information and Duke updates relevant to grad/prof students and programs
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• GPSG and GPSS Newsletters (Emma) [subscribe — GPSG | GPSS]:
• • Shares student-facing information, programs, and events

2) Looking to advertise to the grad/prof student community?

• • GPSG Newsletter Submissions [submit items]
• • GPSAC listserv – subscription required [subscribe] [email listserv]

QUICK LINKS

• • GPSG Website
• • Student Affairs
• • Email GPSS
• • GPSS Contact Page