GPSO E-Newsletter: September 19, 2013

In this Issue:

Upcoming GPSO Events: "Nuestras Raíces", October Assembly and First Friday

Assistantship Available: GPSO Programming Coordinator

Participants Needed: IU Financial Literacy Survey

Funding Opportunity: International Dissertation Research Fellowship

Guest Article: Building Your Network

GPSO plans your weekend!

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Upcoming GPSO Events

"Nuestras Raíces"

As part of the celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, all are invited to attend the Nuestras Raíces event and a tour of La Casa, the Latino Cultural Center on campus!  The tour will be held on Wednesday, September 25th at 6:30pm.  Then stay for Nuestras Raíces and dinner at 7pm.

Nuestras Raíces is an open mic, family-style sharing of family traditions, songs, music, & stories. Bring your own stories, mementos, poems, songs and share in those of others. Come and chat, meet new people, share your stories, and learn more about different traditions. Eat and Enjoy! All are welcome!  The tour is brought to you by La Casa and GPSO.  Nuestras Raíces is co-sponsored by Latin@ Graduate Student Association (LGSA), La Casa, and Hutton Honors College.

To RSVP for the dinner, please send an email to gpsolink@indiana.edu.

First Friday - October 4

Mark your calendars for our monthly "First Friday" events!

The GPSO Assembly will be meeting from 3:30-5pm in Woodburn 100. All are welcome!

We will follow up with our October First Friday Social Hour. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for the event invitation.

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Assistantship Available: GPSO Programming Coordinator

The GPSO is seeking to appoint a new Programming Coordinator for the remainder of the 2013-2014 academic year.  This position organizes and executes social and academic events throughout the year. Events include Orientation Week, the annual Grad Appreciation Week (culminating in the Grad Bash), and monthly social networking hours, special family-friendly and cultural events. The Programming Coordinator also plans and implements academic, professional development and community building activities, in frequent partnership with university departments, student groups, and community organizations.

For full description, please visit our website announcement.

The Programming Coordinator is a 20-hour per week (50% FTE) position. Compensation includes tuition remission for 9 credits of tuition remission in the fall 2013; and 12 credits in spring 2014 semester excluding non-remittable fees; subsidized Student Academic Appointee Mandatory Health Insurance and a $10,000 stipend for the year. This position also includes mandatory summer work compensated at $12.50/hour.

Application Deadline: Thursday, September 26, 5pm to both gpso@indiana.edu and ytrevino@indiana.edu.

The letter of recommendation may be sent separate from the other application materials but must arrive by the deadline.

Please contact gpso@indiana.edu with any questions or concerns.

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Participants Needed: IU Financial Literacy Survey

Graduate and professional students face a unique set of financial circumstances and challenges. To learn how IU can help you meet these challenges, we invite you to participate in a brief survey about your financial goals and familiarity with financial topics.

Your participation is entirely voluntary, you may skip any question you do not wish to answer and you may discontinue at any time. Your responses will be kept confidential. The survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.

Please follow this link to complete the survey.

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Funding Opportunity: International Dissertation Research Fellowship

The Mellon International Dissertation Research Fellowship (IDRF) offers nine to twelve months of support to graduate students in the humanities and humanistic social sciences who are enrolled in PhD programs in the United States and conducting dissertation research on non-US topics.

The program invites proposals for dissertation research conducted, in whole or in part, outside the United States, about non-US topics. It will consider applications for dissertation research grounded in a single site, informed by broader cross-regional and interdisciplinary perspectives, as well as applications for multi-sited, comparative, and transregional research.  Proposals that identify the United States as a case for comparative inquiry are welcome; however, proposals which focus predominantly or exclusively on the United States are not eligible. 

Eighty fellowships are awarded annually. Fellowship amounts vary depending on the research plan, with a per-fellowship average of $20,000. The fellowship includes participation in an SSRC-funded interdisciplinary workshop upon the completion of IDRF-funded research.

For more information, you can find eligibility requirements, selection criteria, and frequently asked questions on the SSRC website. Applications are available online at the SSRC Online Application Portal. You will also use this portal to contact your referees and language evaluator(s), complete the research relevance section, upload your research proposal and bibliography, and send reminders to referees and language evaluators.

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Guest Article: Building Your Network

By Trenda Boyum-Breen, via Inside Higher Ed

Recently I had the privilege of sitting on a panel with executive women leaders, one of whom, Vickie Schray, senior vice president at Bridgepoint Education, spoke about networking.  Vickie offered inspirational wisdom about the value of one’s professional network, and the incredible hard work, intention and dedication it takes to tend to one’s network.  That got me thinking about how invaluable my network has become, particularly as I’ve crossed higher education sectors.

As my career took me from traditional to for-profit institutions, I found two things happened:

My network expanded.  In addition to colleagues in the faculty ranks, academic and student affairs, institutional assessment and government relations, I added contacts in analytics, marketing, business leadership, finance, and project management – a real reflection of the cross-functional nature of educational mission and business practices in most for-profit institutions.

Requests to become part of someone’s network increased.  People who may have taken the value of networking for granted in a more traditional environment seemed to make the connection that as higher education professionals moved between traditional and for-profit institutions or environments, networking can truly broaden one’s opportunities and marketability.

As I found myself more in demand as a member of someone’s network, and as I expanded my own network across disciplines and sectors, I recognized that networking isn’t just about collecting names, titles and contact information, it’s about relationships, and as with any relationship that matters to us in our life, we have to be thoughtful and purposeful about developing and nurturing it. 

Many sites offer tips and tricks for networking, but there is one piece of advice that has never let me down: Be disciplined and have integrity about developing your network.

Whether you are new to networking or a seasoned networker, you can benefit from taking time to grow your network. Here are a few suggestions from my own networking tool kit:

• Make time for networking.  Just as you schedule time for your softball league or academic research activities, put networking time on your calendar -- either inviting someone to connect or responding to someone else’s networking request. We make time for things we value, and committing to networking on your calendar keeps it a priority.

• Identify two to three people a month with whom you want to connect (either for the first time or “again”).  Maybe it’s a community member, or the chair of a committee or a CEO.  Sometimes fear keeps us from being honest about who we want to connect with … don’t censor yourself! As I moved from traditional to for-profit institutions I was exposed to work environments and roles that were new territory for me at the time. Sometimes I had to get past my preconceived ideas about my own value in relation to someone else in order to learn valuable insights and information in the new world of for-profit higher education. Being intentional about a list of who I wanted to meet or reconnect with helped me commit to reaching out.

• Write down why you want to know more about them. What is it each person on your list that intrigues or inspires you? Are they doing a job you have an interest in? Why does it interest you?  Have you seen them advance and want to know more about their trajectory? Perhaps you’re considering a move from the corporate world to the not-for-profit sector and aren’t sure it will be the right fit for you.  Ask questions of your not-for-profit contact that will help you understand the benefits and challenges of that sector.

• Invite them to connect.  Send an invitation through a networking site and ask for an e-mail or phone conversation, or invite them to let you treat them to coffee or lunch. Everyone needs to eat, and you’re going to have prepared conversation points (keep reading), so don’t be shy about sticking your neck out to ask for time on someone’s calendar.

• Tell the person why you want to connect with them. Maybe it’s because your friend knows someone and thought they would be a good contact, or maybe the reason is more profound.  Several times after presenting at a conference about my research and personal experiences of managing work and home life as a working mother, colleagues will feel compelled to reach out to me for advice and understanding of their own work/life situation. No matter the reason, help your connection understand why you selected them.

• Prepare questions in advance of your conversation or meeting. Most people are happy to talk about what they do, why they do it, how they got there, lessons learned, or tips of the trade. But when they make time for you they are doing you a favor. Make sure they know you value their time, and put thought and effort into preparing for your connection. 

• Hand your new contact your business card. Ask them to send you a quick e-mail if they think of anything that might be helpful for you to know.

• Consider sending a thank-you note after your meeting. End your meeting on the right note: put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and express your appreciation for your contact’s contribution to your network. Share something your new connection said that made an impact on you, and let them know you are grateful for their time, wisdom or both.  Such social graces go a long, long way, even in today’s digital age.

• Keep notes about your connection. Whether someone hands you their business card at a conference, or after a networking lunch, write down how you met, and something about your conversation. When you see each other again you can remind the person of how you know each other or follow up on something specific you may have discussed. Or six months down the road you may want to reach out to your connection to say hello, or ask additional questions. Like a thank-you note, it’s another way to show someone you value the connection you have. 

From forging relationships that are useful for your current position to developing contacts that can help you make your next career or life move, networking is about relationships.  As Vickie’s contributions at our panel reminded me, when it comes to networking you get what you give. Try my networking challenge. Comment below and let others know what worked, or didn’t. We have so much to gain from each other!

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GPSO plans your weekend!

September 20 - 22:

• September 20, 8pm: IU Opera presents The Marriage of Figaro (IU Musical Arts Center, $12/students)

• September 21, 10am-12pm: Fiesta de Otoño (Bloomington Farmers' Market, free)

• September 22, 3pm: Brett Wiscons, contemporary acoustic guitar (Oliver Winery, free)

Nothing look good to you?

Check out the ongoing exhibits featured in the sidebar or visit www.bloomingtonscene.com and www.visitbloomington.com for the full on- and off-campus scoop.

Have an event to promote?

Email me at gpso@indiana.edu, and I can help you spread the e-word to our fellow grad students.

Go have some fun!

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