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The Graduate English Students Association (GESA), established in 1975, is the primary graduate student organization within the University of Virginia's English Department. GESA advances the interests of graduate English students to departmental and university administrators, fosters and supports a vibrant intellectual community, and provides valuable resources to members at every phase of the University's program in English.

GESA affords students the unique opportunity to become familiar with and have a hand in the administration of a large academic department.   Each year we elect new officers, appoint members to departmental committees, convene monthly GESA meetings, and organize a number of intradepartmental activities.

GESA provides helpful resources to all graduate English students, including pre-registration peer advising, teaching brown-bag lunches, technology in the humanities programs, and this web site.   We are instrumental in keeping members abreast of issues impacting graduate students, graduate study, and career objectives.   An ever-growing stockpile of conference announcements, employment notices, academic bulletins, calls for papers, meeting minutes, committee reports, departmental information, and reference material has been compiled by GESA in order to help students navigate the University's English program and prepare their future careers.

GESA is largely dependent upon annual dues from students; the number of contributors determines the variety of services GESA will be able to support in any given year.   Dues allow GESA to fund the annual grad conference, area gatherings, the traditional fall picnic, and many other activities which assist in the cultivation of a lively intellectual community.   Accumulated dues give GESA the flexibility to meet unexpected needs as they arise.

We encourage all graduate English students to participate in GESA, and to take an active role in the academic milieu to which they belong while at UVA.