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Current Grad Students Newsletter

Graduate Student News & COVID Information

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

Regular updates about how Carleton is coping with the COVID-19 pandemic are available by clicking here. 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. For additional information, please visit the University’s FAQ page. You can find out which buildings are open on campus by clicking here. This COVID-19 screening form must be completed each day you plan to enter a Carleton University building.


Winter Term and Courses

All Winter 2021 courses will be offered online or through other methods of distance learning based on the recommendation of the Carleton University Scenario Planning working group. A small number of pilot projects involving some on-campus learning activities may be allowed on a voluntary basis for both instructors and students.

Last week, the Senate Committee on Curriculum, Admission, and Studies Policy approved several adjustments to the winter 2021 academic term including delaying the start of the winter 2021 term from Wednesday, January 6 to Monday, January 11, 2021.


Congratulations to the Class of 2020

Join Carleton President Benoit Antoine Bacon on Saturday, November 14 at 1 PM ET for an online celebration of our Fall 2020 graduates! Details can be found on the Convocation website.


Convocation Medallists

Congratulations to all of the graduate students who have won medals in the upcoming Convocation. Andrea Reid has won both the Governor General’s Medal and the University Medal for Outstanding Graduate Work at the Doctoral Level. Find out more about her by clicking here.  Rawan Alkurd has earned a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering and has been awarded a Senate Medal for outstanding academic achievement.


Only Two More Weeks

Why not thank your favourite professor by nominating him/her for a Faculty Graduate Mentoring Award? Nominations are open until November 30. More information is available by clicking here.


Professional Development Opportunities

There are still lots of upcoming professional development events and workshops happening over the next week. Fall-only TAs, take note that you need to complete your paid training hours by November 30.

November 13:  Social Media Analysis with NVivo
November 16:  Establish Your Career Narrative: Enhance Your Employability
November 19:  Alt-Ac and Beyond: Advancement Services
November 20:  NVivo and Surveys

You can also tune in our latest Alumni Conversation on November 13 when we feature an interview with Mary Bartram, Director, Mental Health and Substance Use at Mental Health Commission of Canada.

Find out about other upcoming PD opportunities by clicking here.


Final Reminder - OGS Award Deadline

November 15 is the deadline to apply for an OGS and the Richard J. Van Loon Scholarship. The deadline for Master’s students to apply for a Tri-Council Award (NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR) is December 1. Other awards can be found on this website.


Are You a Contract Instructor

The deadline to apply for the following awards for contract instructors is November 20.


Important Date Reminders

The Winter Payment Deadline is November 25. Click here for important payment information. Late charges may be applied to the student account after this date.

You need to apply to graduate by December 1 if you are thinking of graduating in February,

December 1 is also the last day for you to submit your supervisor-approved thesis in examinable form to your department.


Looking for Support?

If you are feeling stressed out, you can access the following resources.

Health and Counselling Services remains open virtually and continues to provide counselling opportunities to domestic students through telephone or video options. Please call 613-520-6674 to book an appointment. You will be triaged by telephone to determine the safest way to provide care. Health and Counselling Services has just hired a permanent, full-time Grad Counsellor who will be available 10 months per year for grad students.

Carleton offers virtual support services to all students through TAO Online Self-Help and Therapy. The Graduate Students’ Association is running a healing spaces program, one event per month. Students can register here.

International students residing in their home country can visit this website for a list of resources. ISSO has organized a series of workshops for international students.

If you have ideas about how to cope better during the pandemic, please send them to fgpa_newsletter@carleton.ca and we can share with other grad students. The CBC sent out this list of helpful hints.


For TAs Only

Teaching Assistants! Join us for an upcoming workshop entitled MIND Your Health: Mental Health in Grad School. It takes place on Tuesday, November 17 from 1:00 to 3:00 PM (registration @ Carleton Central>TA Management Tab>TA Training Registration).


Join the Conversation

PhD students interested in writing for The Conversation should register now for this upcoming session:

What: The Conversation – An Overview with Scott White
Where: Zoom
When: Thursday November 26, 2020 from 1 to 2:30 PM
Registration: Please email Steven Reid at steven.reid3@carleton.ca to receive Zoom meeting information.


How to Stay Up-to-Date About Grad Studies

Why not join our Twitter feed? We post tweets daily and retweet relevant information from other sources. All you have to do is follow us @CUGradStudies.


Athletics Reopens

Following the Ontario Government’s COVID 19 Response Framework, the Fitness Centre and Personal Training Studio reopened Saturday, November 7For up-to-date information, click here.


New Dean of Public Affairs Embraces Challenge of Service

Brenda O’Neill, the new dean of the Faculty of Public Affairs at Carleton, sees administrative service as a rewarding experience and one crucial to the support of the University’s community and academic life.

Read More →


Carleton Breaks Ground on All-New Engineering Design Centre

A long-term vision for Carleton University’s Faculty of Engineering and Design is set to become a reality, with the construction of an all-new Engineering Design Centre having recently begun on campus. The $16-million, 25,000-square-foot facility will connect to Carleton’s existing Mackenzie Building on Library Road.

Read More →


Carleton Music Partners with the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra

For budding classical musicians, playing with professionals can make a big difference. That’s why the Carleton Music Department and the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra (OSO) have partnered to allow students to train and perform alongside experienced musicians.

Read More →


Carleton and Bruyère Researchers Receive Grant to help Long-Term Care Homes Protect Themselves from COVID

Carleton University’s Chantal Trudel, a professor in the School of Industrial Design, and a team made up of Susan Braedley, Amy Hsu, Dennis Kao, Frank Knoefel, Sophie Orosz, Heidi Sveistrup, and Bruce Wallace, received nearly $40,000 from the Foundation for Health Environments Research in the United States to study the design of Canadian long-term care homes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read More →


Psychology Prof. Michael Wohl to Address Parliamentarians About Gambling Addiction During Pandemic

How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted those with gambling addictions? Psychology Prof. Michael Wohl was asked to address this question at a talk delivered to Canadian MPs and Senators on Parliament Hill. “You might assume the unprecedented closure of casinos triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has been a good thing for gambling addicts given they can no longer spend money at such venues, but these dramatic access restrictions have had serious repercussions for those struggling with an addiction,” explains Wohl.

Read More →


Carleton Architecture: Director’s Project Starts off Year of Tackling Social Justice Issues

To engage with the burning social justice issues unfolding globally, the Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism at Carleton is organizing, hosting and supporting several initiatives and events. The main event—the Director’s Project—recently took place to celebrate the start of a new school year.

Read More →


FAQs Update

The following FAQ was updated on the current grad student site:  What is happening with Fall Convocation?