FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions. Don't see what you're looking for? Send us an email at gpesa@ucalgary.ca.
Getting Involved and Making Connections
Come to our events or check out volunteer opportunities. Feel free to email us to get more info gpesa@ucalgary.ca.
There are many professional development sessions organized by the university, and several GPESA events such as the “Grad Chat” series. Check out our events, especially the Grad Chat series and/or join our writing group.
New to Calgary?
There are multiple options for schools in Calgary. Reach out to the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) for help.
- Public Schools (Calgary Board of Education & Calgary Catholic School District)
- Charter / Private Schools
International Student Services (ISS) provides advice and programs to support all international students as they adjust to their UCalgary studies and life in Canada.
Calgary is currently in a housing crisis. If you plan to move here for your academic journey, start your search early and be ready to pay more than you might expect for housing. UofC has limited on-campus housing for graduate students. If you're interested in living on-campus, reach out to Residence Services.
If you're looking for off-campus apartments, here are some resources that might help:
- RentFaster.ca
- RentSeeker.ca
- RentSpot
- Point2 Homes
- Students' Union Off-Campus Housing List - A free online tool with listings that is updated every night.
A UCalgary UPass allows full-time undergraduate and graduate students to have unlimited access to Calgary Transit services. All eligible students can access their UPass directly on their mobile devices through the My Fare app, available on Google Play (Android) or the App Store (iOS).
Have questions about campus?
Check to the Active Living website for the most up-to-date information.
Questions about tuition and fees?
UCalgary offers self-service payment plans for all students. Your tuition and general fees can now be paid in installments over the term, rather than being due all at once on the term fee deadline. The Payment Plan allows students to pay their fees in installments over the course of the term.
Questions about research and writing?
Proper data management will save you time and headaches at all stages of the research process. The University of Calgary is an Office 365 campus, and while you are a student you have access to 5 TB of cloud storage.You can also reach out to the library for support about what data management tools are available to you. The library can help with you creating a data management plan, providing best practices data management advice, making your datasets discoverable in data repositories, as well as with documentation and metadata standards.
UofC has several supports for writing. A great place to start is the Writing Centre.
Questions about your GANT, GAT, or GAR (Teaching Assisting or Research Assisting) contracts?
A collective agreement is a legally binding contract between an employer and a labor union, outlining terms such as wages, working conditions, and dispute resolution. It is negotiated through collective bargaining and governs the employment relationship for unionized workers. If you have a GANT, GAT, or GAR contract, then you fall under our collective agreement. To view your collective agreement or to ask questions, reach out to the Graduate Labour Union.
Yes! If you have a GANT, GAT, or GAR contract, then you are an Academically Employed Graduate Student (AGES), and you fall under the bargaing unit of the Graduate Labour Union.
If you work more hours in your contract, you are not necessarily guaranteed to receive compensation. It is crucial that you track your working hours and bring awareness to this issue before it happens. Reach out to GLU early for support.