Weekly Update (Week of February 8th)

Hello Fellow GSS Members,

The GSS Weekly Update serves as a way to distribute GSS relevant information to all active members of the GSS.  For your convenience, items in RED denote announcements or reminders pertinent to Senators while items in GREEN apply to Senators and the larger student population.

MEETINGS

NEW SENATOR ORIENTATION (THIS THURSDAY BEFORE OUR MONTHLY MEETING)

This session is dedicated to recently recruited, new and prospective senators.  Please plan to attend this mini-orientation as the GSS Executive committee touches base with the rights and responsibilities of a senator during a senate session.  Senators who started in the Fall semester, as well as students interested in serving on the GSS as a volunteer are also asked to attend. 

·      Where: Memorial Hall, Room 127 

·      When: 4.30pm - 5:00pm

·      Dates: February 11th

GSS Spring Meetings (FIRST MEETING THIS THURSDAY!)

·      Where: Memorial Hall, Room 127 (http://primus.nss.udel.edu/buildings/displayBuilding.action?building.code=NC32)

·      When: 5:00pm - 7:00pm

·      Dates: February 11th, March 11th, April 8th, May 6th

·      Meeting will feature two guest speakers:

·      Ms. Marianne Green, from the Career Services Center, will also be present to answer frequently asked questions about job-hunting, portfolio development and related issues. PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND AND INFORM YOUR COLLEAGUES!

·       Mr. Jeff Lang will introduce "Gradshare", a new, free resource for graduate students! Check out the website (http://www.gradshare.com/landing.html) available to graduate students to pose questions and get answers.  The Office of Graduate & Professional Education will tailor the website to suit the needs of UD graduate students by adding more resources to it.  

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Louis Lorenzo Redding Diversity Award (nominations due THIS FRIDAY)

This award recognizes UD individuals or units whose efforts have promoted, enhanced and implemented diversity programs or activities that have resulted in a significant change in the campus climate and/or composition within the University community.  Examples include innovative recruitment and retention efforts, expanded educational opportunities for undergraduate students, and programs that celebrate and recognize the contributions of underrepresented groups.  The award consists of a plaque and a $1,000 gift to the Morris Library in honor of the recipient.  The recipient may help select educational materials for the library, in consultation with library staff members.  Nomination forms can be obtained by calling the Office of Equity and Inclusion: (302) 831-8735.  The deadline for submission is this Friday, February 12, 2010.

Global Research, Internships, and Performances for Graduate Students (starting Summer 2010)

·      Sponsored by the Office of Graduate and Professional Education in collaboration with Institute for Global Studies.  See http://www.udel.edu/gradoffice/financial/intlaward.html for details.

·      This competitive grant program will provide funding of up to $5,000 to advanced graduate students at the doctoral and master’s level campus wide to support research travel during the summer of 2010 through winter session 2011 that will significantly enhance scholarship opportunities and/or provide interesting and important venues for creative work and internship experiences.  It is fully anticipated, that successful recipients will use these internal grants to bolster future opportunities to secure external funding for research travel, via the Fulbright program and other potential resources.  In addition, recipients must be firmly committed to public engagement and outreach, as they will become central promoters of this summer program and the value of international study in the future.  Note that research travel within the United States will be considered.

·      Proposals should be submitted to Marsha Rybicki, (mrybicki@udel.edu) by February 15, 2010.

Graduate Internships in Delaware Arts and Culture (starting Summer 2010)

·      The Graduate Internships in Delaware Arts and Culture provide opportunities for students to work in organizations and agencies that support, preserve, and present cultural heritage and fine and performing arts to public audiences in the state.  No prior experience in not-for-profits is required for participation in this program, which is open to all full-time graduate students at any stage of their courses of study.  Successful applicants will be paid $3,500 for eight weeks of full-time work (320 hours) to be undertaken during the summer of 2010.  See http://www.udel.edu/museumstudies/ for details.

·      The organizations sponsoring internships are Delaware Humanities Forum, Delaware State Division of Historical & Cultural Affairs, The Biggs Museum of American Arts, Delaware Art Museum, Delaware Historical Society, The Grand Opera House, Delaware Theatre Company, and Newark Arts Alliance.

·      The deadline for applications in February 22, 2010.  Appointments will be made and announced by March 25, 2010.

Professional Development Award

·      The Professional Development Award helps graduate students participate in significant professional conferences pertaining to their field of study.

·      Rolling admission awards range from $100 - $500 with some matching requirement.

·      Due to funding constraints and recent guideline reviews, the Professional Development Award has become more competitive.  Applicants should submit well-crafted proposals that highlight the significance of their conference presentation to their professional career development, as well as the primacy of the conference to their field.

·      See http://www.udel.edu/gradoffice/financial/profdev.html for application details.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

Grant Writing Workshops

The Office of Graduate & Professional Studies and Morris Library will provide a professional development workshop series for graduate students entitled “External Fellowships and Funding 101.”  Workshop attendees will learn the “how-to’s” of locating funding sources; strategizing for the application process; and crafting successful proposals.  The sessions will be hands-on and problem-based.  Students should expect to end the workshop with a clear and tangible plan for completing a fellowship or grant application in the immediate future.  

·      Registration is on a first serve basis and graduate students are encouraged to sign up early since spots fill up quickly.  Please contact Mary Zielinski (zielm@udel.edu) to register.

·      Attendees are encouraged to bring laptops with wireless connections.

·      In addition to the half-day professional workshops, the Office of Graduate and Professional Education can bring fundraising and proposal-writing sessions directly to you.  Facilitated by Vice Provost Debbie Hess Norris, these 90 minute sessions are geared to the needs of each department and program and will inspire graduate students to be their own best fundraising advocates.  Please contact Mary Zielinski (zielm@udel.edu) for more information.

Humanities and Social Science: February 18th, 1:00pm to 4:00pm

This grant writing workshop also includes Education and Urban Affairs/Public Policy.
Morris Library Room 116A

Science and Engineering: March 11th, 1:00pm to 4:00pm

This grant writing workshop also includes Agriculture and Marine Sciences.
Morris Library Room 116A

REMINDERS

University-Wide Committee Representatives
Any GSS active member or any Senator already serving on another committee is welcome to serve on these committees.  One committee still looking for a GSS representative is:

·      Newark City Council (http://www.cityofnewarkde.us/index.aspx?NID=62)
Email Hudaa (hudaa@udel.edu) if interested.

We hope you have a wonderful kick-off to the spring semester and look forward to seeing you at our meeting on Thursday!

Your faithful Executive Committee,
Laura, George, Hudaa & Maria

Did you know?

UD has developed really cool, new Bus Tracking software that provides estimated arrival times of shuttle buses at your desired location.  It also has interactive maps of each bus route.  This is a great tool, especially during these cold months, which you can check before you go stand outside in the cold waiting for the bus.  It's pretty stellar!! Scope it out (http://udshuttle.com/)!!