Become a Member!The Graduate Student Assembly is the voice of graduate students at UMass Boston. Do you feel as though you spend a lot of time at UMass, but only know people in your department? Join the GSA and meet graduate students from all over campus! We are always looking for new members! Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, October 7 at 3:45 p.m. All graduate students are welcome to attend!
Poster Presentation WorkshopAre you presenting a poster at a professional conference in the coming months? The Gerontology Student Organization and the GSA are collaborating with the Graduate Resource Center (GRC) to host a Poster Creation Workshop on Monday, October 18 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. in the Campus Center’s Bay View Conference Room. The purpose of this workshop is to help graduate students learn the basic skills, including relevant content and Adobe InDesign software, in order to create professional posters to be presented at academic conferences. Students attending this event will be entered in a drawing to win several prizes, the Grand Prize being a USB Flash Drive. The event is open to all graduate students! Because of the room size, space will be limited, so reserve your seat by e-mailing [email protected].
Recognized Professional AssociationsIs your Recognized Professional Association (RPA) looking for a way to add some money into your account and let others know what you’re all about? UMass Boston will be holding its Open House on Saturday, October 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Not only is the Open House a great opportunity for clubs to advertise, but the Undergraduate Admissions Office has offered to transfer $100 into the Student Life Account of any RPA holding a table! Contact Mike or Miguel at the Undergraduate Admissions Office for more information about this opportunity.
If your Recognized Professional Association is hosting an event and would like the GSA to include it in our weekly column, e-mail us at [email protected].
Student Input Sought on NEASC AccreditationPeter Langer, co-chair of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) Self-Study Steering Committee, attended the GSA’s September 23 meeting. UMass Boston is currently in the process of a self-review in anticipation of its upcoming accreditation evaluation. The Self-Study Committee has, over the last year, been meeting with different groups within the University to identify UMass Boston’s strengths and weaknesses and have drafted a Self-Evaluation Report. We, as graduate students have the opportunity to take part in the University’s evaluation process by reviewing and commenting on this draft report. Dr. Langer felt that the input of graduate students will be particularly useful for Standard 4: Programs & Instruction, but students are welcome to comment on any substantive part of the study. The report may be viewed at http://www.umb.edu/neasc/.
Professional Development GrantsAre you traveling 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.