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, November 4 at 3:45 p.m. All graduate students are welcome to attend!
Graduate Students and Student Affairs The GSA would like to thank Vice Chancellor Titus for joining us at our recent meeting. Vice Chancellor Titus spoke to the GSA about the importance of a ‘holistic’ approach to education. He was interested in hearing about graduate students’ experience on campus and how best to integrate graduate students into student affairs. We look forward to working with him on these issues throughout the semester. The WatermarkRepresentatives from the school’s literary magazine, The Watermark, also spoke at our recent meeting. Due to the magazine’s popularity, the editors of The Watermark are planning on publishing an issue this fall, in addition to the usual spring issue. Because graduate students have traditionally contributed up to half of the magazine’s submissions, the GSA voted unanimously to allocate funds to help support this initiative.
Recognized Professional AssociationsRPA officers are reminded to check their club’s Student Life mailbox to keep up on what is happening with other clubs and in Student Life. RPAs are also reminded to email the GSA and let us know what your club is doing – we may be able to include your event in the GSA News! 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.
Spayne and Bollinger Grant Deadlines AnnouncedThe deadline for this fall’s Spayne Master’s Thesis Award and Bollinger Doctoral Thesis Award will be Wednesday, December 1 at 5:00 pm. Both of these programs are competitive grants awarded to graduate students to help defray the cost of thesis research. Up to two grants of $1000 (maximum) are awarded each fall and spring semester by a committee of UMass graduate students, faculty and staff. For more information and applications, please visit our website.
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?The GSA office is 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.