Graduate-Professional Student Appreciation Week


Photo collage of graduate students conducting research, service and teaching.

History of Graduate-Professional Student Appreciation Week

In 1993, three students, Tony Rosati (Georgetown University), Gina Pearson (American University) & Anne Holt (Florida State University), all activists within the National Association of Graduate and Professional Students (NAGPS), wanted to find a way to physically manifest support and appreciation of the contributions, impact and value of graduate students. Their effort led to a cooperative initiative called National Graduate & Professional Student Appreciation Week (GPSAW), which seeks to emphasize the contributions, impact and value of graduate and professional students on campuses throughout the United States. It is celebrated annually on the first week of April.

GPSAW at KU

Graduate-Professional Student Appreciation Week (GPSAW) celebrates the contributions of graduate students to the mission of the University of Kansas, raising awareness of their efforts in teaching, research, and service to the campus. 

GPSAW Celebration

The 2024 Graduate-Professional Student Appreciation Week (GPSAW) will take place from Monday, April 1 to Friday, April 5. The Office of Graduate Studies will be recognizing and celebrating graduate student contributions through an online campaign, which consists of the activities described below.

Graduate students will have the opportunity to win some swag every day during GPSAW!

The swag items include:

  • graduate student t-shirts
  • coffee mugs
  • journals
  • books

This is an online campaign that will occur via social media and on this year's GPSAW website. The campaign will shed a spotlight on graduate students that have exceled in teaching, service, and research.

More information regarding each one of these activities will be available on on the week of April 1-5, 2024 by clicking on the button below.