Get Involved with Graduate Student Association

The purpose of the Creative Writing Graduate Student Association (CRW GSA) is to provide support, communication, and positive motives for educational growth to all students enrolled in the MFA program and UNCW. All MFA students are members when they enroll at UNCW.

The CRW GSA plays an important role in helping graduate students access professional development opportunities beyond the classroom. Through advocacy for campus funding and resources, the GSA helps make it possible for students to attend conferences such as the annual Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) Conference.

Attending conferences like AWP provides valuable opportunities to network with fellow writers, educators, publishers, and scholars; learn from established voices in the field; explore professional and publishing opportunities; and build connections that can support students throughout their careers. By helping students access these experiences, the CRW GSA contributes to a stronger, more connected, and professionally engaged graduate community.

An executive member of the CRW GSA participates as a liaison in the Department of Creative Writing faculty MFA Committee meetings. This provides students with a direct voice in discussions and decisions that affect them and the MFA program.

CRW GSA Officers 2026-2027:

President: Adrienne Siefert
Reps: 3rd-yr: Mad Barbier, Wyatt Long
         2nd-yr: Joven Delay, Mack McCormack

2026-27 Events:

• 1st-year Gala! meet & mingle @ Mad & Anastasia's: Fri, Aug 28 @ 7:00p
• 1st- and 3rd-year Q&A: Fri, Sep 4 @ 1:00p in Kenan Hall (KE 1005)
• MFA Bar Crawl: Sat, Sep 12 @ 8:00p (Cape Fear Spirits, Blue Post, Lula's)
• Pickleball Day! Fri, Oct 16 @ 4:00p (court location TBD)
• Craft Night! Sat, Nov 14 @ 6:00p (location TBD)

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) is dedicated to improving the lives of all students seeking a graduate degree at UNCW. The membership comes from all graduate degree-granting departments. The GSA works to make the concerns and interests of the graduate student body a driving force in the university.

The GSA represents the general interests of graduate students, not individual departments. In particular terms, the GSA has been responsible for the creation of the Graduate Computer Lab on UNCW Library's 2nd floor and has a program to bring speakers to campus to discuss graduate concerns. We urge you to become involved.

The campus-wide GSA meetings are typically held on the first Thursday of the month, 6-7pm.