December 6, 2017

Current Grad Students Newsletter

Graduate Student News

Welcome to the final issue of TheGraduate@Carleton e-newsletter for this year. The next issue will be distributed on Jan. 3. For up-to-the-minute news, follow us on Twitter @CUGradStudies or visit our website: gradstudents.carleton.ca. To comment, email us at: fgpa_newsletter@carleton.ca

Coping With Stress

It’s a stressful time of year. Here are some resources or initiatives you might want to consider, including information about exams.

Instructors! Will You Be Using Scantrons During Exams?

During the upcoming exam season, any instructors using Scantrons that require processing at the Educational Development Centre (EDC) need to read this.

Holiday Closures, Reduced Hours on Campus

Carleton will be closed from noon on Saturday Dec. 23 until 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 2. Here are campus closures and reduced service hours on campus during the holidays.

Got a Great Research Story?

The SSHRC Storytellers competition for 2018 has launched! Your task is to tell the story, in 3 minutes or 300 words, of a SSHRC-funded research project – your own or a professor’s. Submissions will be accepted from January 8 to 31. FGPA is holding two training sessions for all interested students: today (Dec. 6) from 2 to 3:30 p.m. and Tuesday, Jan. 9 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Both sessions will be held in 506 Tory.

Why Participate in the Three Minute Thesis Competition?

Carleton’s 2018 Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT) will be taking place in March in Richcraft Hall, and we want you to be a part of it. The 3MT can help you build confidence, develop your presentation skills and focus your research. If you are interested in participating, we invite you to come to our information session on Jan. 18 from 1:30 to 2:30 in 482 MacOdrum Library. Please register for this information session. If you want to learn more, check out our Carleton 3MT page or our video in which a former graduate student explains why he participated in the 3MT.

Two NSERC Research Competitions Accepting Submissions

NSERC’s Science, Action! Video contest is offering 15 cash prizes for videos that tell a 60-second story about fascinating science research. You have until 4:59 p.m. on Jan. 19 to enter. NSERC is also encouraging students to enter its Science Exposed competition. This photographic competition closes Jan. 12.

Carleton to Negotiate With Dominion-Chalmers United Church

Carleton’s Board of Governors has passed a motion to start formal negotiations on purchasing Dominion-Chalmers United Church. This move would provide new performance and concert space in an exciting community arts and culture hub downtown and would also include a recording studio and additional space for public lectures, events and exhibitions.

Grad Research: Hooked on Fish

As a child, PhD candidate Vivian Nguyen wasn’t particularly interested in fish. In fact, she was much more intrigued by birds. But that quickly changed when she came to Carleton.

Convocation: PhD Student Presented with University Medal for Outstanding Doctoral Work

After completing her BA, MA and PhD at Carleton, Saira Fitzgerald was presented with one of the top university medals at the Nov. 18th Convocation ceremony.

Convocation: 1st Student to Graduate with a Master of Entrepreneurship Degree

Along with the first PhD degrees in Social Work and Architecture, there was another first at the November Convocation ceremony. Elza Karapetyan became the first student to graduate with a Master of Entrepreneurship from the Technology Innovation Management (TIM) program.

Convocation: PhD Students Sean and Jana Sarran Have a Lot to Talk About

At Fall Convocation, it was a family affair. The husband and wife team of Sean and Jana Sarran each received a Master of Engineering degree and they have now both started pursuing a PhD in Engineering.

Save these Dates - Winter Orientation

Will you be a new graduate student or teaching assistant in the winter term? Then, you will want to register now for our FGPA Winter Orientation on Jan. 12. International students can also register for an additional International Student Orientation on January 7.

Inportant Information for TAs and Those Interested in Becoming One

Will you be a new Teaching Assistant as of January? If so, here are several things you need to know. More

All full-time graduate students who have NOT been awarded a Teaching Assistantship can now express interest in becoming an “out of priority” TA. The deadline to apply for winter 2018 is Dec. 15. Check this page to see if you are eligible and for information on how to apply.

Dec. 31 is the deadline for TAs to apply for a “leave from duties” for the winter term. More (scroll down on the page)

U-Pass Opt Out

For students wanting to opt out of the U-Pass, you need to do so before Jan. 14, 2018 to receive a full refund. Read on to find out if you are eligible.

75 Fascinating Folks Who Graduated From FPA

From the Foreign Service to foreign correspondents, alumni in the Faculty of Public Affairs lead fascinating and inspiring lives. In honour of Carleton University’s 75th anniversary this year, FPA profiled 75 of their most inspiring alumni. Many of these people are former graduate students.

Important Dates and Deadlines

ACADEMIC DEADLINES.

December 8: Fall term ends. Last day of fall-term classes. Classes follow a Monday schedule. Last day for academic withdrawal from fall term courses. Last day to pay any remaining fall tuition fees to avoid a hold on access to marks through Carleton Central and the release of transcripts and other official documents.

December 9: No classes or examinations take place.

December 10 – 22: Final examinations in fall term courses and mid-term examinations in fall/winter courses may be held. Examinations are normally held all seven days of the week.

December 25-January 1, 2018: University closed.

January 2: University re-opens at 8:30 a.m.

January 8: Winter term classes begin.

January 14: Want to opt out of the U-Pass? You need to do so before Jan. 14, 2018 to receive a full refund.

January 19: Last day for registration for winter term courses and the last day to change courses or sections (including auditing) for winter term courses.

January 19: Graduate students who have not electronically submitted their final thesis copy to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs will not be eligible to graduate in Winter 2018 (February) and must register for the Winter 2018 term.

For a complete list of all official academic and financial dates and deadlines, please go to the Registrar’s website. For all financial matters, go to Student Accounts.

AWARDS & COMPETITION DEADLINES

December 6: Deadline to apply for a Gates Cambridge scholarship

January 10: Deadline to submit an abstract for the Annual Political Economy Graduate Conference

January 12: Deadline to enter NSERC’s Science Exposed competition.

January 15: Deadline to apply for a ThinkSwiss scholarship

January 19 at 4:59 pm: Deadline to enter NSERC’s Science Action competition

January 21: Deadline for submissions for the 24^th Underhill Grad Student Colloquium

February 1: Deadline to apply for a Mackenzie King Travelling and Open Scholarship

February 1: Deadline to apply to the Aga Khan Foundation Canada’s International Youth Fellowship Program

March 10: Deadline to apply for a Dan David award

Mitacs offers several funding opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. You can apply any time, except there are two deadline dates each year for the Mitacs Elevate program. Check out:
(a) Mitacs Accelerate (Funding starts at $15,000 for research internships with industry or non-profit partners)
(b) Mitacs Elevate ($55,000 annual grant for two-year postdoctoral fellowships with industry or non-profit partners, plus a customized research management training program valued at 7,500)
(c) Mitacs Globalink Research Awards (Funding to support research collaborations with international universities.)

Note: For information about Carleton awards, go to our awards and funding website.

EVENTS/OTHER

December 8: Disability, Technology, Inclusion: A Symposium on Interdisciplinary Research, History Exhibits and Pedagogy

December 9: Holiday Skate

January 3: Institute of African Studies Brown Bag Series

January 8: Map the System Challenge. Register now!

January 26-28: Global Game Jam 2018 (sponsored by the School of Info. Technology)

March 2: Political Economy Graduate Student Conference

March 15-17: 24th Annual Underhill Graduate Student Colloquium

For information about Carleton events, go to the university events calendar.

TRAINING WORKSHOPS

December 6: Storyteller Training Session, 2-3:30 p.m.

January 9: Storyteller Training Session #2 (repeat), 10-11:30 a.m.

January 9: BioSafety Training. Register now

January 15: Lab Safety Training. Register now

January 18 (1:30 to 2:30): Three Minute Thesis Information Session in 482 MacOdrum Library. Please register.

The G rad Navigate workshops are now finished for the fall term. Workshops for the winter term will be posted shortly.

You can still access online training through MyGradSkills.ca. Please note that these online training modules do not count towards paid training hours for TAs.

Check out the Graduate Student Engagement Program through CERIC. There are lots of intriguing opportunities for graduate students.

TA DEADLINES

The deadlines to apply for a Leave From Duties are: December 31 (winter term), April 30 (summer term) and August 31 (fall term) (access form via Carleton Central).

Deadlines to apply to be an “out-of-priority” TA are as follows: December 15 (Winter term), April 15 (Spring/Summer term) and August 15 (Fall/Winter term). You can apply once you are registered as a full-time student in the respective term (For fall, registration opens June 23).

“Pedagogical” training hours must be completed by March 30 for a full academic year TAship or a winter-only TAship and by November 30 for a fall-only TAship.

TAs – Please note that it can take up to two weeks before your attendance at workshops is recorded. You are strongly encouraged to track your progress independently of the TA Management System in order to ensure its accuracy. In the event of a discrepancy, you are responsible for ensuring your training is captured in Carleton Central.