In 1991, two graduate students, Javier Duran (Spanish) and Carlos Rodriguez (Higher Education) began working with Dr. Adela Allen (Associate Dean of the Graduate College) to improve graduate student representation in student government. At that time the only graduate organization in student government was the Graduate Student Association (GSA), a service of ASUA which operated under the Administrative Vice President (now the Vice President for Programs and Services). The GSA had little support and poor funding. For ten years the GSA had tried to get support within ASUA for graduate student issues, only to be ignored. Javier Duran had served as the GSA Director in 1990-91, and tried unsuccessfully to get the ASUA Senate to create two seats for graduate students.

During the 1991-92 school year there was a movement within ASUA to improve student outreach, and a series of town halls were held. At this time, a director had not yet been appointed for the GSA, and at a town hall in November of 1991 graduate students turned out in large numbers to express their displeasure at the lack of attention their issues were receiving within ASUA. Major issues of concern to graduate students at the time were the appalling condition of Christopher City (the U of A family student housing complex), the lack of Graduate Assistant/Associate benefits, the poor wages for graduate employees and the lack of job protection, and the lack of day care available. Six months into office ASUA President Lee Knight finally appointed a director for the GSA (Stephanie Wickstrom), but tabled all graduate student initiatives.

In frustration Carlos, Javier and Stephanie began to work with the Graduate College to form a graduate student council. The Dean of the Graduate College, Martha Gilliland, asked the deans of all the colleges to appoint a representative to the new Graduate Student Council (GSC). The first GSC was recognized by the Graduate Council during the spring of 1991, and began the process of seeking official recognition as the sole representative body for graduate students at the U of A. On November 22, 1991, the GSC officially changed their name to the Graduate and Professional Student Council (GPSC). They drafted a constitution, sought funding and held elections for their successors.