Get to know GSKARMA
The voice of FKRM's graduate students
Mudra Dave hopes the Graduate Students of Kinesiology and Recreation Management Association (GSKARMA) is helping to create spaces for her fellow graduate students to feel welcome within the faculty.
“We are just trying to get graduate students together and involved,” said Dave.
Formed in 2021, GSKARMA is a group of masters and PhD level grad students promoting open communication and collaboration between all graduate students and the faculty. Additionally, they partner with undergrad programs like Physical Education Recreational Kinesiology Student Council (PERKS) and Athletic Therapy Student Association (ATSA).
Part of the executive team, GSKARMA advocates for graduate students, and provides a safe place to have their voices heard and initiating a process of communication with the faculty about any thoughts, ideas, or issues students may have.
“We try to advocate by collecting student perceptions and student experiences.”
“Erin Harper is our first-year rep, and she’ll bring any issues her peers or colleagues have raised,” said Dave. “Then we discuss them, and if needed, we talk to the faculty to brainstorm any solutions to address the problem.”
GSKARMA is also represented on the Graduate Program Committee (GPC), enabling further lines of dialogue between faculty members and students. Elena Broeckelmann, GSKARMA’s Communication Director, said they are often directly asked to gather student feedback on specific procedural changes from GCP.
“We try to advocate by collecting student perceptions and student experiences,” said Broeckelmann. “The communication is a little bit different when it’s from student to student.”
“We’re really trying to help students understand that with us, things can really be pushed and that we can make a difference.”
Communication between students is the driving force behind GSKARMA. A place for everyone, GSKARMA has members representing first-year, MA, MSc, and AHS students.
“We’re really trying to help students understand that with us, things can really be pushed and that we can make a difference,” said Broeckelmann. “There is actually a lot of purpose in students talking to us.”
In addition to giving graduate students a voice in their education, GSKARMA wants to help get students involved in their faculty. On Mar. 3, they held a co-working period, allowing anyone to come and enjoy some company and refreshments while they worked.
“We want to provide a means where everybody can be in the same room and talk about the different research they’re doing, or any issues that they might have, or just be there in the same place to get work done together,” said Dave. “It’s about reaching out to our community.”
Dave said that more events are coming up and for students to keep their eyes on their Instagram account for updates.
The current members of GSKARMA are:
- Mudra Dave – MSc Rep, Grad Program Committee Rep, Co-councillor
- Sasha Kullman – MA Rep, Grad Program Committee Rep, Co-councillor
- Erin Harper – First-year Rep
- Susan Su – Events Coordinator
- Sarah Bohunicky – AHS Rep
- Elena Broeckelmann – Communications director