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Current Grad Students Newsletter

Graduate Student News

FGPA typically sends out newsletters to all graduate students every Thursday morning. If you have any questions, please email us at: fgpa_newsletter@carleton.ca.


COVID-19 News

Regular updates about how Carleton is coping with the COVID-19 pandemic are available by clicking here. For additional information, please visit the University’s FAQ page. For questions concerning current graduate students, click here. To view FAQs for prospective graduate students, click here.  International graduate students, please check out FAQs on the ISSO website. You can find out which buildings are open on campus by clicking here. Check out this information that was first distributed to all students on Sept. 9th. It includes Carleton’s Updated Mask Policy.


Fall Orientation - Last Call

This is a final reminder for new students and TAs. If you have not already done so, please view the Orientation and supplementary videos in cuLearn. For more information, visit the orientation page.


Registration for Fall/Winter Terms

The deadline (Sept. 23rd) is fast approaching to register in Carleton Central for fall/winter courses for new and returning graduate students. Be sure to visit Step 1 of Registration in Carleton Central to view your registration start time. You can view fall and winter Special Topics by clicking here.


More Welcome Weeks Activities

The Graduate Students’ Association is still hosting several Welcome Weeks events. You can find out more by clicking here.  Also, the GSA offers low cost medical, dental, and accident insurance. All full-time students registered in the Fall term, including international students, are automatically covered by the plan for the entire September 1 to August 31 plan year. As things are quite complicated during the COVID-19 pandemic, the GSA has created a number of online forms to help ease the process of opting in and opting out.

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Residence Student Self-Isolating after Testing Positive for COVID-19

We have been made aware that a student in residence tested positive for COVID-19. This is not an instance of community transfer and the individual is self-isolating as required. We are in consultation with Ottawa Public Health and are taking every precaution to ensure the health and safety of all those in our community.

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Fee Assessment Deadline

September 30th is the last day for a fee adjustment when withdrawing from fall term courses. Withdrawals after 11:59 p.m. on September 30th will have no fee adjustment applied. Non-attendance does not constitute withdrawal  from your courses. If you do not deregister yourself through Carleton Central, you will be responsible for paying fees for the term.  For more information on fee assessment, please visit www.carleton.ca/fees/tuition-fees/fee-assessment.


Professional Development Initiatives

Our popular Grad Café virtual chats have started again. Each one-hour session covers various topics relating to graduate student and postdoc life, with a focus on thesis writing and professional development. You can find out about this and other initiatives by going to FGPA’s Graduate Professional Development website.


You are invited to our Strategic Integrated Plan Launch Event

You are invited our to the Strategic Integrated Plan (SIP) Launch event, to be held virtually on September 30. Please join us as we celebrate this important milestone.


Celebrate Throwback 2020

Join students, alumni and the entire Carleton community for the eighth annual Throwback. This year, we will be going virtual with a number of guest speakers, reunions and events, including the launch of our Strategic Integrated Plan — you don’t want to miss this!

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Add Your Voice to Carleton’s Draft EDI Action Plan

Be part of exciting change! Carleton is developing an institutional Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan and invites you to review and comment on the draft recommendations before they are finalized. Provide feedback online or participate in a Town Hall on Sept. 22 or Oct. 14. Tri-Council research funders, employers, government and the broader community have all identified EDI as critical to the future success of the university; and while we have taken steps to lay the foundation for progress, much work to advance anti-racism and EDI still needs to be done.


Sustainability Events

Check out these upcoming events: Meal Exchange Training, Cleaning the Capital, Waste App – Carleton Waste Wizard and the Cycling Virtual Workshop.

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Services for Grad Students

Health and Counselling Services: HCS offers virtual counselling services (by phone or video conference). They are in the process of hiring a grad-focused counsellor who will be available to assist graduate students. There is also virtual assistance through residence counselling and wellness services and the Centre of Indigenous Initiatives is providing virtual assistance for Indigenous students. Carleton has counsellors who are Indigenous and have specifically worked with different indigenous communities. The counselling services are free. You can book an appointment by calling 613-520-6774.

U-Pass This term, all students are eligible to opt out of the U-Pass service through Carleton Central. You can find out how to opt out by following the instructions found here: U-Pass Opt-Out Process. Unfortunately, the deadline has now passed for those who already activated their U-Pass for the fall 2020 semester. However, if you have not, and will not be activating your U-Pass for the upcoming academic year, then you have until April 30th, 2021 to submit your opt out through Carleton Central.

Teaching Assistants: The new cuLearn page for Teaching Assistants offers pre-recorded training videos, resource materials, up-to-date information, discussion forums, and space for TAs to share teaching resources with each other. You can self-enrol by logging into cuLearn – search for the name (TA Central Hub) and then enrol here. You can also access the TA Support website that is within the main EDC-TLS site.


How to Thank Your Favourite Professor

Why not nominate your favourite professor for a Faculty Graduate Mentoring Award? Nominations are open until Nov. 30.

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Are You Eligible for a Scholarship Balance?

If you are eligible to receive a scholarship balance, you can request your balance through Carleton Central by clicking on “Refund or Scholarship Balance Request”.  Students will also be able to request a refund of the RA amount applied to their account in excess of their tuition fees. Depending on the amount of your scholarship balance, you will have up to four options: campus card transfer, e-transfer, cheque, or donate to Carleton. Although you can submit your request prior to the financial drop date, it will not be processed until after September 30, 2020. If you have any questions, please contact Student Accounts at: student_accounts@carleton.ca or phone 613-520-2600 ext. 3626.


Researchers Reveal Serious Flaws in Studies Linking COVID-19 and Air Pollution

Carleton University’s Paul Villeneuve and McGill University’s Mark Goldberg have published new research calling into question reported links between air pollution and mortality from COVID-19.

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Two Carleton University Researchers Named to the RSC College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists

Carleton University researchers Zoe Todd and Laura Madokoro have been named members of the 2020 incoming class of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists by the Royal Society of Canada (RSC).

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Grad Research: Can Harm Reduction Reduce the Harms of Prohibition Experienced by People Who Use Drugs?

PhD candidate Lisa Wright is looking into the legality and provision of harm reduction services. She is examining how people engage in harm reduction, and the legislation, policies and rules that guide the provision of it.

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FAQ Update

No new FAQs have been added this past week.