Indian Graduate Students Association

Our purpose is to serve Indian graduate students (alumni, current, & incoming) and their families at Texas A&M University. We are an organization in the service of over 800 Indian graduate students on-campus at Texas A&M University. Our student leaders have recognized that the issues faced by Indian graduate students and their needs are unique to this demographic. These students come from varied backgrounds, and face many challenges with transitioning to a distinctly new system of rules and procedures. With a view to addressing these issues, our mission is based on the following key objectives: 1) Advocacy : Many Indian graduate students face serious challenges in coping with the pressures of university requirements, and on many occasions, they are unaware of the resources available on campus to help resolve their issues. Consequently, there needs to be an organization that can lend a voice to this group of students, and also promote involvement at forums aimed towards university-level policy planning efforts. With these aims in mind, IGSA works with agencies like the OGS and GSC, among others, to facilitate their efforts with a focused group of the campus community. 2) Networking : There is an urgent need to develop and maintain a strong networking resource that includes members from the current graduate school community, academia, industry professionals and the alumni. It is of utmost importance for the graduate students to be well-informed about the developments pertaining to their experiences at graduate school and beyond. Through events like socials, information sessions and others, IGSA offers a students a platform to develop a strong network base that is both resourceful as well as engaging. 3) Mentoring : Mentorship at the departmental level is crucial for the success of our graduate students. Incoming Indian graduate students need guidance to step into the daily routines and workings of the department/courses/research. IGSA has departmental points-of-contact for all the major departments and schools on campus who can help the students based on their personal experiences and valuable resources in the form of other similar departmental representatives. The availability of mentors will help the students absorb core Aggie values, which, along with traditional Indian values, which will help the graduate students become healthy and successful Aggies.