Become a Member!The Graduate Student Assembly is the voice of graduate students at UMass Boston. Are you looking for a way to get more involved with what is going on at UMass? Do you want a say in how some of your fees are being spent? Join the GSA and make sure your voice is heard and your graduate program is represented! We are always looking for new members! Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, October 10. All graduate students are invited to attend!
Game Room Night – Wednesday, February 9With the beginning of the semester so busy, we all need to make time to relax with friends and classmates. The GSA will be sponsoring a Game Room Night for graduate students on Wednesday, February 9 from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. in the Campus Center Game Room (Upper Level, Campus Center). Stop by, grab some pizza, enter our raffle drawing, and play some pool or air hockey on us! Bring a few classmates and challenge another department to a tournament! This event will be a great opportunity to have fun and meet other graduate students! Please bring your Graduate Student ID. We hope to see you there!
Recognized Professional Associations (RPAs) The Graduate Student Assembly sponsors Recognized Professional Associations (RPAs) to promote interaction and professional development among graduate students at UMass. The Spring 2005 activation deadline is Thursday, February 3 at 5:00 p.m. RPAs must be re-activated yearly and activation materials may be found on our website. (Any RPA which activated in Fall 2004 will remain active for Spring 2005.) The President and Treasurer of each new RPA must attend Officer Training. Please check the GSA website for the training date.
RPA officers will soon be given a spreadsheet with their account information so they can decide how best to spend the money in their budget. The semester goes by quickly, so start planning your events now! If you need help planning an event, your Student Life Advisor is available to offer guidance. Officers should also remember to check their club’s Student Life mailbox to keep up on what is happening with other clubs and in Student Life. Finally, the GSA has several desks and cabinets in the Student Life area available for use by RPAs. Email the GSA if your club would like to use some of this space.
Send Us Your News!Does your Recognized Professional Association or academic department have news that it would like to share with other graduate programs and students? Email the GSA and we may print it in our newsletter! Dissertation defenses, lectures, and group activities are all appropriate for the GSA News! Keep us up to date on what is going on with your group!
Professional Development GrantsAttending and presenting at professional conferences can be a great opportunity to network and learn, but is often so expensive that students often find themselves unable to participate. Do you need extra money to travel to a professional conference this semester? The GSA administers the Professional Development Grant (PDG) program to assist graduate students with the economic burden of traveling to, and participating in, professional conferences and meetings. Grants of up to $400 are available to reimburse students presenting papers or posters, and grants of up to $300 are available for students attending conferences. Please refer to our website for application materials and guidelines. Note that all application materials must be submitted at least 30 days prior to travel to be eligible for review.
Looking for us?We are located on the third floor of the Campus Center, in room 3404. For applications, forms, or more information on any of our programs, please visit our website at www.gsa.umb.edu.