This is your personal invitation to submit a poster proposal for the

Fourth Annual Graduate Student Research Poster Session
Thursday, January 28th, 2010
Graduate Student Presentations 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm
Stern Student Ballroom

As a graduate student who has worked on or is currently working on a research or creative project, you are encouraged to submit and present a poster at the Fourth Annual Graduate Research Poster Session.  We are inviting you to participate because you were accepted and have received a Graduate Student Research or Presentation Grant to support your research within the past year.

Poster session process and details can be found on our website under the link to research at http://gradschool.cofc.edu/currentstudents/research/research.php We have examples of past posters for reference in case you are unfamiliar with poster formats.  Please get in touch with our office for assistance if you need it when your poster proposal is accepted.   We will be sending out more detailed information later to all students whose proposals have been accepted.

We would like your program to be represented and will display as many posters as possible.  In the past all students who submitted poster proposals were able to present their posters and research or creative project, so it is a good idea to begin working on the poster early.

A brief timeline:

By November 17 – Deadline extended to November 20 — poster proposals are due to the Program Director from the student  (see website for proposal format)

By November 24 – reviewed and selected poster proposals are due to Dean McCandless, from the Program Director

By December 1 — ad hoc committee will select the 50 posters proposals to include in the poster session

By December 8 — students and program directors, supervising faculty, will have been notified of the selections (poster printing details will go out to those selected)

By December 20 — posters are due from students graduating in December, electronic versions to be sent to the Graduate School and posters to be printed and ready to hang

By January 15 — last chance for those students enrolled in spring classes to have posters printed and ready to hang

January 28 — Poster session — students set-up posters from 8 am to 2:30 pm and presentations are from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm, the selection of winning will also take place. Prizes will be announced and awarded the following week.

The members of the Board of Trustees will be on campus on the day of the poster session and will each receive personal invitations to attend that day. All faculty, staff and students will be invited to attend the event. Refreshments will be served.

Please contact Regina Semko with any questions: semkor@cofc.edu

Thanks to The Citadel Graduate College for this wonderful invitation to the 2009 Leadership Seminar!  Be sure to reserve your seats today.

The Krause Center for Leadership & Ethics and The Student Government Association of The Citadel Graduate College will host the 2009 Citadel Graduate College Leadership Seminar at no cost to participants.

The Seminar will be held Wednesday, July 22, 2009 from 9am – 4pm in Mark Clark Hall on The Citadel campus. This dynamic program is open to graduate students of The Citadel and The College of Charleston. Lunch will be provided.

This seminar was created in response to strong graduate student participation in the “Principled Leadership Symposium” held this past March, and demand for more opportunities to explore graduate-level leadership issues and opportunities.

With its interactive format, the sessions include two keynote speakers:
Colonel Allison Dean Love, CGC alumnus, Executive Director of SC Insurance News Service and CGC member of The Citadel’s Board of Visitors.
Dr. Nancy McGinley, Superintendent of Charleston County School District

You will participate in personal leadership assessments, engage in group decision-making exercises, and use real case studies to develop team project presentations.

Act now – the last day to register is July 15^th and seating is limited! Take advantage of this special opportunity to give your career a competitive edge in today’s demanding market.

You can review the full agenda and register today by visiting http://www.citadel.edu/krause-center/latest-news/65-the-2009-citadel-graduate-leadership-seminar.html.

We have a few guest bloggers lined up for you in the next few months as well as a few other timely topics you might find interesting.  Ultimately, I want to make sure you’re getting the information you’re looking for.  If there’s a topic you would like to see us address here, let me know.  Or if you have a specific question about graduate school, feel free to ask.  We’re here to help!

Grad School: It seemed better than getting a real job.

You have a variety of ways to touch base with me and the rest of the grad school staff:

Email:
Me: deweesen@cofc.edu
The main office: gradstud@cofc.edu

Twitter:
Me: @gradschool
The Dean, Dr. Amy Thompson McCandless: @TheGradDean
Admissions, Mrs. Susan Hallatt: @GradAdmissions

Facebook:
The Graduate School
The Graduate Student Association

Phone:
843.953.5614

More than 100 students will cross the stage in Sottile Theatre tonight to receive their Master’s degree, and our office is buzzing with excitement.  I’ve worked with several of these students since they first came through Porter’s Lodge their first semester, and have enjoyed each and every experience.  One of the students that I’ve had the privilege of working with is Kolo Rathburn.  He has made such an impact on the college, including his dedication to the Graduate Student Association.  Kolo is one of the founding members, and our most recent president.  He was also gracious enough to guest blog for us on this very special day.

Kolo in the lab

I’m graduating tonight!  Well sort of, you see there is still this monster of a thesis I have to defend, but I have met all other requirements and with a small petition the graduate school has allowed me to participate in tomorrow’s ceremony.

All I can think of is what an honor it has been to be at the Graduate School of College of Charleston.  Not only does this institution have great academic support in administration and faculty, but the campus itself is embedded in a great historic city which makes the experience of being a student here truly unique.

During my brief tenure here at the College, about three years now, I have witnessed many changes in the grad school- all of them for the better.  With the formation and prosperity of the Graduate Student Association, an organization I am quite fond of, a more tangible graduate student community has formed at the College fostering a true sense of belonging among graduate students.  But on a personal level my experience here in Charleston has been absolutely amazing and life-changing.  I come from a small town on the North Shore of O`ahu, Hawai`i.  Coming to Charleston and the South was a huge change for me.  It was through the Graduate School in classes, research, and extracurricular activities that I really made this place my home.  The College itself has embraced me each time I’ve reached out regardless of which department it may have been.  It has also been my experience that when any graduate student has reached out on campus, they have been welcomed full heartedly.

There is a lot in my heart for the graduate school and this special place in Charleston, but I will refrain from spilling it out in this blog.  Suffice it to say that this has been the best decision I have made in my life thus far, coming to the Graduate School at the College of Charleston, and I will always cherish the times I’ve spent here.  But for now it’s time to graduate, well sort of.

Until I blog again, as an alumni, Thank you College of Charleston!

And from the bottom of my heart, Aloha.

Hello MPAers,

First of all, I would like to extend a warm and deserving “Congratulations” to the new MPASA board. These students have attended several of our past board meetings, and I can honestly say that you can expect great things from this board!

Secondly, I would like to thank you all for allowing me the opportunity to serve as your vice-president for the past year. It has been a pleasure.

Most importantly, below are brief bios of each of the new board members. You probably know a couple of them already, but take a look and see who will be representing you for the next year! The bios will also be posted on the MPASA website.

Again, thanks for the opportunity to be your vice-president, and I know you will be in good hands for the year to come.

Sincerely,
Paul J Stavovy
ex-VP, MPASA

2009-2010 MPASA Board Bios

President – Matt Irwin
Matthew Irwin (aka, the “e-mail guy”) will be the returning graduate assistant for Dr. Stewart and the MPA Program come 2009-2010.  He is a second year student focusing in arts management.  In terms of leadership, Matthew served as the President for a highly successful student organization at Clemson University.  As President of the MPASA, Matthew hopes to continue the work of the exiting board in cultivating a tighter MPA and Graduate School community, especially through a new mentor program idea, as well as provide expanded professional development opportunities.

Vice President – Amanda Helton
Hey Y’all!  My name is Amanda Helton, and I’ve been in the program since August 2008.  I did my undergraduate studies at USC (big fan) in Marketing and Finance (Real Estate).  I am focusing my studies in the MPA program in Nonprofit Administration.  I will continue to be a GA in the MPA office in the Community Assistance Program next year.  I have enjoyed getting involved in student activities this past year, and am really excited to continue to be involved!

Social Chair – Ali Titus
Ali is in her first semester of the MPA program and is following the Nonprofit Management track.  She hopes to someday work within this sector to promote justice and fair treatment for underrepresented populations (though she is not sure exactly how this desire will be manifested).  She is excited about maximizing on her time in the MPA program both in and outside of class.  Among many other things, Ali enjoys good conversation, pop culture, social revolution, and living life to its fullest!

Community Service Chair – Caitlin Patton
I am currently finishing my first year in the MPA program, focusing in arts and nonprofit administration.  I got my undergraduate degree in music from Washington College in my home state of Maryland, and currently teach violin.  Besides music, I’m into horses, animal rescue, reading, and writing.  I love being involved in community service and look forward to serving on the MPASA board.  If anyone has ideas for potential community service projects we could do next year, please let me know – I’d love to hear from you!

Professional Development Chair – Anna Kate Cristophillis
I am a first year MPA student who is in the Nonprofit Management track at the College of Charleston.  I graduated from the University of South Carolina from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication with a degree in Advertising and a minor in Business Administration.  After graduation I worked for the CW affiliate TV station in Columbia as an Advertising Account Executive.   I am currently an intern for the City of Charleston’s Office of Cultural Affairs, where I am working to promote Piccolo Spoleto, Charleston’s 17-day annual cultural event that coincides with Spoleto USA.  I am on the Development Committee for the Piccolo Intern Event that is held the second weekend of the festival.  I hope to purse a career in marketing and/or development for a nonprofit organization or a government agency.

GSA Senator – Leanne Veach
Leanne Veach is a 23-year-old, first-year MPA student from Surfside Beach, S.C.  She graduated from Winthrop University in 2007 with a B.S. in Integrated Marketing Communication.  She is on the nonprofit track for her degree, and loves both the beach, and her roommate’s dog, Oliver.

Finance Chair – THIS COULD BE YOU!

Hello Fellow Graduate Students.

As many of you are aware there are two positions open on the Graduate Student Association’s Executive Board, the positions of Secretary and Treasurer. Jose and I will be interviewing to fill these positions as soon as possible and the Senate will vote upon the approved candidate in August.

I would like to invite all of you who are interested in either of these positions to contact me to set up an interview. These executive positions do come with a small monetary stipend, but more importantly they facilitate personal interaction with administrators and allow you to be able to make a difference within the College and for the graduate student body.

Here is a brief description of each of the positions:

Secretary: The secretary maintains all official records of the GSA, takes roll and manages attendance at meetings, handles all GSA correspondence, maintain contact lists, orders food for GSA meetings and communicates with all Graduate School Council representatives

Treasurer: The treasurer is in change of all monetary affairs of the GSA, ensures that accounts are always balanced, develops and maintains the budget, is involved in all fund raising projects, chairs the appropriations committee, and reports on any financial matters at GSC meetings.

If you have any other questions about the responsibilities that come along with either of these positions please contact myself at rmcollins87@gmail.com or Jose at zenunogoncalv@gmail.com.

Please respond to this blog NO LATER than April 24. All interested parties should email me at rmcollins87@gmail.com. We will begin interviewing those that have responded within this two week period as soon as possible.

Thank you all and I hope you will seriously think about considering these positions.

Rachel Collins
President, Graduate Student Association

Hello fellow graduate students. Many of you know me and many of you may not, but first and foremost I’d like to say that the Graduate Student Association is a wonderful organization and I am lucky to be part of such an accomplished group.

I’m from Chatsworth, Georgia and graduated from the University of Georgia in 2008 with a Bachelor’s degree in English. I am currently enrolled in the Master’s of English program here at C of C. Being at the College of Charleston has provided me with an excellent academic atmosphere but there is more to being in college than academia.

While at UGA, I was highly involved in a professional sorority serving as parliamentarian for one year and serving on the philanthropy and fund raising committees for three years. This past year at C of C, I have served as one of the representatives for the English Master’s program on the Graduate Student Council, as the GSA Bylaws committee chair, GSA representative on the President’s Privacy Policy Committee, as secretary for the newly formed Graduate English Association, and I am employed as a graduate assistant in the President’s office. I thoroughly enjoy being involved in the Graduate Student community and I feel that it is time to take the next step and run for an executive officer position within the Graduate Student Association.I feel that I have the organizational skills, the drive, and the leadership experience required of a candidate in order to effectively serve the graduate student body.

Even though the GSA is a relatively young organization, we have been able to accomplish a great deal and I hope to be able to continue this progress by working with the organization from an executive standpoint. Some of my goals for the upcoming year include continuing to fight to save PASCAL, providing Graduate students with more opportunities to intermingle with students outside their programs, attempting to procure extended library hours or a 24-hour study space, and continuing to work toward obtaining a better college insurance policy.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of goals but a few main points I wish to address. My main concern is that graduate student voices and concerns are heard on campus and if elected I would do my best to represent these concerns to the administration of the college in an effective manner. I would be honored to be able to serve you all as GSA President and I hope to have the opportunity to do so.
Thank you
Rachel Collins

Hello All,

Here are a few upcoming GSA events.

First, Thursday night there will be a time set aside to meet the GSA executive board candidates for the 2009-2010 school year. It will be at 6:15 pm in the Graduate Studies Office, 310 Randolph Hall. You should have all received an email from Niki DeWeese about it. Please come out and meet the candidates
and have dessert with the Dean.

Continuing with election information. GSA executive board elections will be on March 23 and 24 (Mon and Tues). Voting will be done online on cougar trail. There will be polling stations set up downtown (in the stern center and second location TBD). As an added incentive, the first 150 people to vote will receive a free GSA t-shirt. More details will follow, but I just wanted to give you a heads up.

On Friday, March 27th will be the 1st annual GSA/Higdon Student Leadership Center Power Luncheon. Guest speakers wil be Lori Sheridan Wilson, Director of Environmental Education at Dewees Island, and Stacy Oldfield, CEO of Corporate DevelopMint, a strategic planning and consulting firm. From 12-1:30 pm at the Hidgon Leadership Center on the downtown campus. Each speaker will give a brief presentation followed by a roundtable discussion between students and the speaker. Lunch will be provided. Space is limited to 15 students per speaker. Please RSVP through Ryan Strickler at ryan.strickler@gmail.com (include your full name, student ID, program, and which speaker you would like to meet). For more information call 843-953-6356.

The following Friday, April 3rd, will be our last GSA meeting of the semester. Please attend if you are interested in the GSA or have any concerns or comments that have come up throughout this semester. Directly following this meeting we will be walking over to our April social event. There is a comedy show at Theatre 99 (the improv theatre on Meeting St.). It is directly following the meeting and tickets are $7 for the first show and $10 for both that night. More details to follow.

Last but not least, the Alumni Association’s Event for graduating students and alumni, “A Charleston Affair” will be on April 25th. This is their annual event and it is a lot of fun, with food and drinks included in the ticket price. If you actively participated in GSA this semester (missing no more than 1 meeting per semester), then we would like to reward you by purchasing your ticket. For the remainder of the grad students, we received a reduced rate if we purchase as a group and you will just need to purchase your tickets for $20 each. We will need to get a list together of interested students, but the date for purchasing tickets is April 16th, so I will send out a longer description in a couple of weeks. I just wanted to give you all a heads up.

Have a great week,

Bryan Danson
Masters Candidate
College of Charleston
Grice Marine Laboratory
(Cell) – (313)401-5250

Research Assistant
SCDNR-MARMAP

Graduate Student Council Member

]]> http://blogs.cofc.edu/gradschool/2009/03/18/graduate-students-get-out-and-vote/feed/ 0 http://blogs.cofc.edu/gradschool/2009/02/13/students-a-call-to-join/ http://blogs.cofc.edu/gradschool/2009/02/13/students-a-call-to-join/#comments Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:47:43 +0000 Niki DeWeese http://blogs.cofc.edu/gradschool/?p=253 A call to join the master of public administration student association

Guest Blogger: Ryan Strickler, Master of Public Administration Student Association (MPASA) President

I know what you’re thinking – “Hey, I’m a full or part-time MPA student who’s going to be in the program for the entire 2009-2010 school year. I love all things public administration, and I wish there was some way I could be involved with, and give back to, the MPA community.”

I know, I’m clairevoiant…weird, right? Anyway, have I got a sweet deal for you. You should join the 2009-2010 MPASA Board!!!!!! We have every single board position opening up next year, from GSA Senator to Community Service Chair to, yes, even President!!

To blow your mind even further, here’s what you can get if you join the MPASA team:

• respect…lots and lots of props…
• the chance to do some positive for the MPA program, and make it better for everyone
• a valuable piece of leadership to put on a resume
• tons of free stuff, and free food, at volunteer events, GSA meetings, professional development workshops, etc
• better grades
• better looks
• did I mention the mad props?

Seriously, the MPASA has been really fun and really rewarding for me, and I’m super glad that I did it.

If you’re interested in next year’s board, even just a little bit, come to our next meeting. It’s Monday, February 16th, 4pm, in Maybank 119

Please RSVP…Email me at ryan.strickler@gmail.com if you can make it. I know, 4pm may be a bad time for you. If you can’t make it, but still may be kinda-sorta-a-little-bit interested, email me. I can answer any questions, talk more about what we do, sit down for coffee…whatever works!

Hope to hear from you soon!

Hello Everyone,

I am excited to announce our first GSA fundraiser. We will be having a joint  fundraiser with the Charleston School of Law to benefit the Lowcountry Food Bank and our very own GSA. It will be an oyster roast at O’Malleys Bar and Grill on February 21st from 5-8 pm. There will be all you can eat oysters, food buffet, and vegi-option. There will be a reduced price bar. Tickets are $10.

Contact me, or your GSA rep to purchase tickets. Tickets will also be available at the Graduate Student Office and North Campus. I look forward to seeing all of you very soon for this great event.

Bryan Danson
Chair of GSA Social Activities and Student Outreach Committee
(Cell) – (313)401-5250
bryan.danson@gmail.com