Graduate Assembly

The GA is launching its first annual Graduate Student Satisfaction Survey. Through this survey, the GA hopes to obtain feedback on all aspects of graduate student life at Berkeley. The survey asks about your experience with your academic program, funding and fees, student services, and the work of the GA and should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. If you haven’t already, please take a few minutes to fill out the survey before Friday, March 19, 2010. You can find it here.

If you’re wondering why complete the survey, there are two main reasons.

(1) To be heard. By letting the GA know which issues matter to you, you will help the GA to more accurately and effectively represent the needs of graduate students in its interactions with campus and external decision-makers, and to achieve results that directly benefit you, such as improved services and increased resources for graduate students.

(2) To win a prize. Survey respondents have a chance to win three cash prizes (of $800, $500 and $200) as well as ten $50 gift certificates for the Cal Student Store.

The Empowering Women of Color Conference (EWOCC) celebrates its 25th anniversary this weekend.  This historic conference will take place March 13-14 at the MLK Student Union and is free to UC Berkeley students. The conference honors women’s struggles, focuses on issues affecting women, and provides practical tools for everyday life. This year’s event, organized around the theme “Intergenerational Wisdom: Celebrating our Past, Present & Future,” includes speeches from keynote speakers Rebecca Walker and Aurora Levin Morales, a wide variety of workshops, performances, and networking opportunities. For all the details visit the conference website and email woci@ga.berkeley.edu with any questions.

Take a break from the Olympics to check out three Graduate Assembly events this week. (For the truly committed winter sports fans, these events all end before prime time, so you won’t be forced to choose.)

On Wednesday, February 24, from 12-2 pm, there is a workshop on surviving oral exams in the Tilden Room of the MLK Student Union. It will cover organization, planning, stress management, and what to expect from your committee.  Learn how to prepare while enjoying free lunch and refreshments. Brought to you by the GA’s Graduate Support Services Project in collaboration with UHS’s Counseling and Psychological Services.

On Thursday, February 25, the Grad Social Committee hosts its first event of the spring semester, a Graduate Assembly open house at Anthony Hall from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Stop by for free food, drinks, and music and to get acquainted with the GA delegates and executive board members.

And on Friday, February 26, attend the graduate student health insurance plan town hall meeting on the ground floor of Eshleman Hall from 12 -1:30 pm. Go to learn more about a proposed UC-system-wide initiative to make graduate student health insurance more affordable and comprehensive as well as possible changes to our health insurance.

The GA, the ASUC, and the Graduate Student Organizing Committee are hosting a forum on the student code of conduct in response to the charges against more than 100 students resulting from their participation in protests last semester. The forum will be held tomorrow night, Wednesday, February 17, from 6:30 – 8 pm in 2050 VLSB. The event flier is below. 

Earlier this month, the Graduate Assembly (GA) held its first delegates’ meeting of the spring semester. Upcoming elections for positions on the GA’s  Executive Board were the first topic of conversation. Many people will be stepping down at the end of this term and the delegates will vote on their replacements at the meeting scheduled for March 3rd.

Campus Affairs Vice President, Philippe Marchand, sought feedback on the changes that are being made to the Dean’s Normative Time Fellowship (DNTF). The DNTF is available only to students in certain departments and provides one year of funding for students who advance to doctoral candidacy within normative time. The changes to the award stipulate that if you accept the DNTF, you will no longer be eligible for financial support from your department after normative time for graduation. (Normative time has two dimensions: the time between entering a program and advancing to candidacy, and the time until the dissertation is filed.) This change will take effect for the 2010-2011 cohort. If you have comments or concerns, please email Philippe at cavp@ga.berkeley.edu.

Finally, UC Office of the President Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, Steve Beckwith, spoke about his position and answered delegates’ questions about budget cuts and decisions about how to allocate funding. His office distributes research funding and oversees research policy for the UC system. They also communicate to the outside world about the value of graduate training; as he said, learning to research is learning to produce knowledge. Some of the challenges his office faces currently are maintaining support for graduate students while the budget is in decline and maintaining an adequate balance of funding across the disciplines.

The Graduate Assembly delegates meet the first Thursday of every month and the full minutes from their meetings are published on the GA website.

There may not be leiderhosen, but there will be hot dogs, beer, and grad students from across campus at the Graduate Social Club’s annual Oktoberfest party.

When: Thursday, October 29, from 6 pm to 9 pm.

Where: Pauley Ballroom, MLK Building.

Who: Grad students with grad student ID and proof of age. Non-Berkeley graduate students are welcome as guests. Entry is $5 and includes 1 hot dog (or veggie option) and beer (with free refills). Bring your own cup and save $1.

This month the Graduate Women’s Project (GWP) has put on three great events: a study hall, a workshop on self defense, and a workshop on sexual communication. GWP events are fun and informative, often have free food, and create a comfortable space for graduate student women. If you’re interested in joining in, keep an eye out for GWP events coming up in November and December. A workshop on yoga and meditation, a dinner with the Women of Color Initiative, an afternoon of rest and relaxation, and more study halls are all in the works.