Student Newsletter - September 2022

Welcome to the CCAS Graduate Student Newsletter! Designed to keep you up to date with news and events, policies and processes, and all things for CCAS graduate students!

Graduate Student Newsletter Archive

SEPTEMBER 2022

The Student Services Team is here to advise, guide, and provide you with resources to aid in your success, as well as help you navigate university policies and procedures. Our office is located in Smith 118, and we are open during normal business hours on Monday – Friday from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. On Thursdays, we are open until 6:00 pm. You can schedule a virtual, phone, or in-person appointment with your Student Services Coordinator and Career Counselors.

The Student Services Team would like to thank everyone for attending our Welcome Week events! It was great seeing everyone back on campus, and we look forward to seeing you throughout the semester!
Seven members of the Student Services Team standing together in front of Smith Hall 118

For our September newsletter we have the following topics:

Welcome Message From the Associate Dean

For those of you joining us for the first time, please accept my hearty welcome to GW and to the Columbian College of Arts & Sciences. To returning students, welcome back!

We’re excited to start this new academic year with you and look forward to supporting your coursework, research, creative endeavors, and career pursuits over the coming months and throughout your graduate program.

Last year, CCAS graduate students made award-winning 3MT presentations describing their ongoing research on sustainable materials for high energy density lithium-ion batteries; published op-eds on the Black Feminist Collective website and scholarly articles detailing their analysis of drug residue in needle-exchange syringes in Washington, DC; and launched The Fearless Artist’s Young Curators Program to help younger artists get their work seen, shared, and sold. We expect that you will match or top those achievements this year and eagerly await the announcement of your discoveries and creations.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me or any member of our team in the CCAS Office of Graduate Studies if we can assist you in any way. Here’s wishing you a very successful start to the fall semester!

Fall 2022 Reminders

Academic Policies

Please familiarize yourself with all CCAS and University policies. Students are responsible for adhering to all policies and procedures relevant to the pursuit of their graduate degree, including those published in the University Bulletin, the CCAS Bulletin, and in the CCAS Graduate Student Handbook.

Student Forms

Students may continue to send all student forms electronically to the Office of Graduate Studies at [email protected].

Adding and Dropping Courses

GW bills students according to their course registration. Whenever a student adds a course, a tuition charge and student association fee will be added to the bill. If courses are added after the start of the semester, students should remit the payment for those courses immediately.

Courses that are dropped on or after the first day of classes are subject to the refund schedule. This schedule details the way in which tuition and fees will be prorated should a student drop courses or withdraw completely. Please be aware that drop penalties are non-refundable. The last day to drop a course for a full tuition refund in Fall 2022 is September 9, 2022.

In addition, please note that some programs have a special refund schedule. If you wish to drop a course, we encourage you to consult with your program to determine if a special schedule applies.

If you wish to drop all of your courses, please reach out to your Student Services Coordinator at [email protected].

Student Account

We strongly recommend that students check their Student Account regularly to ensure that the account is in good standing and that no payments are due. Students always have access to their eBill and Student Account information through GWeb.

Salary and Stipend Payments

If you receive a salary or stipend from the university, you may sign up for direct deposit. Enrollment information can be found on the Human Resources website.

Change in Access to Academic Buildings

Effective Monday, August 29th, the University restored pre-pandemic access to academic buildings. Campus buildings that house classrooms are now open for entry from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. without GWorld cards. Office suites within many of those buildings will continue to require tap access. After hours (after 6:00 p.m.) and on weekends, building entry will be through tap access.

Given this change, please remember to take care of your belongings. Do not leave personal items unattended and please lock all office and laboratory doors when you step out, even if only momentarily.

Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)

If you are interested in obtaining health insurance through the university sponsored plan, please visit the GW University Health Plans website to enroll. The enrollment deadline is September 12, 2022.

UPass Metro Card Distribution for the 2022-2023 Annual Year

GW’s UPass program returns for another academic year. For $100/semester, eligible students have access to unlimited use of Metrorail and Metrobus at a subsidized, discounted fee. The Fall 2022 UPass program runs from Saturday, Aug, 20 through Friday, Dec. 23, 2022. The Spring 2023 dates are from Tuesday, Jan. 17 through Sunday, May 21 (Commencement Day). Visit the GW UPass website to review your eligibility, as well as when and where you can pick up your physical GW-branded UPass Metrocard to use for the entire academic year. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Please note: Starting Tuesday, September 6, you must visit the GWorld Card Office in the University Student Center to pick-up your UPass card.

Space Still Available! SUST 3003: World on a Plate

This course, created by internationally renowned chef and humanitarian José Andrés, surveys the many ways in which food and society interact. We want our students to walk away from this course with a greater understanding of how the historic and current food system works against the poor and health of the many but that there is a way forward to enact change. Food connects yet divides us by favoring the rich and making our systems complex and unsupportive of the majority. It is valuable for us to consider what our food is, where it comes from, who are the people behind this process. Whether you are buying a snack out of a vending machine or eating at a fancy restaurant, you should know how it got there.

We will explore the things that you can do as an individual: composting, stop wasting food, choosing foods not harvested by enslaved individuals (what does that mean?), and connecting with your food in a more thoughtful manner. Faculty and guest lecturers have been carefully selected to expand the experiences of students who choose to participate in this exciting exploration of a truly interdisciplinary topic. In this course, we invite you to think deeply about food in its many different roles, e.g., as a critical factor in public health, as an industry, as a science, as the medium of the craft of cooking, and as a political instrument. During this coming fall 2022, there are two important actions which we will engage in, first, the first

Whitehouse Food, Nutrition, and Health Conference in over 60 years and the renewal of the farm bill which funds most of the programs related to food insecurity and supply in our country.

Wellness Corner

Counseling and Psychological Services

The Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Office serves GW students and engages the entire GW community, working to build a culture of support and connection with student well-being. They support mental health and personal development by collaborating directly with students to overcome challenges and difficulties that may interfere with academic, emotional, and personal success. A variety of support services are available, including individual, group, and drop in counseling. Counseling support is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by calling 202-994-5300.

In addition, CAPS will be hosting a variety of Virtual Workshops throughout the fall semester:

Anxiety Toolbox (three-session workshop): Gain readily accessible skills for managing anxiety.
Interpersonal Effectiveness (three-session workshop): Focus on identifying ways to foster healthy relationships through self-monitoring, effective communication, and conflict resolution skills.
Managing Depression (three-session workshop): Increase understanding of depression and learn skills to recognize and manage symptoms.
How to Find a Therapist 101 (single-session workshop): Learn how to navigate behavioral health insurance benefits for students as well as how to find off-campus support.

Engage in Your Physical Well-Being: Fall 2022 at Lerner Health & Wellness Center

GW’s Lerner Health and Wellness Center is temporarily closed until mid-fall as the university performs extensive HVAC work throughout the entire building to replace outdated and non-functioning units. While the building is closed, the Lerner team continues to provide physical wellbeing opportunities for GW students in other locations both on- and off-campus. Explore the programs, activities, and offerings you can participate in this fall, and check back for updates.

CCAS Career Corner

All CCAS graduate students now have access to two dedicated career counselors to help with resumes, cover letters, networking, interviewing, and many other areas. (Note: The Trachtenberg School and Data Sciences program have their own dedicated career counselors.) Wendy Wright and Paul Binkley are now available to meet one-on-one by scheduling a time in Handshake. More information on the services available to CCAS graduate students can be found on our Career Services website and via email at [email protected].

All CCAS graduate students are encouraged to log into their Handshake accounts using their GW UserID to also find resources, tools, events, employer connections, how-tos, coaching appointments, and hundreds of job and internship postings.

Career Spotlight: Fall is a Good Time to Update Your Resume

Whether you are starting a new graduate program or returning to one, fall is a great time to update your resume to reflect new experiences. CCAS Career Services has a resume worksheet and template that will briefly show you the main components of an effective resume and give you examples of how to describe your experiences. CCAS students can download our How to Write an Effective CCAS Resume (PDF) document or request a copy by emailing [email protected]. More documents and resources are available in the Resource section of Handshake.

Federal Workforce Recruitment Program Open for Students and Recent Graduates with Disabilities

Student registration is open for the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) 2023! The WRP is a recruitment program for students and recent graduates with disabilities to find internships and jobs in the federal government. Students and graduates with disabilities may visit the WRP website to take their first step towards opportunity for federal employment. All applicants must be eligible for the Schedule A Hiring Authority for persons with disabilities and must be a U.S. citizen. To register for the WRP, students will need to visit the WRP website (use Chrome or Firefox on a computer, not a mobile device), and follow these steps:

Select the first purple box that says, "Student Registration Now Open" Then click the green "Students Register Now!" button.
Click the registration button, then complete the Rules of Behavior, Agreement, and Registration forms.
Once your School Coordinator approves your registration, you will receive an email with information about how to create or sign into your Login.gov account, which you will use to log into WRP.
After you set up your login for the first time, you will be directed to your student homepage
Click "New Student Application" to get started

Important WRP dates to keep on your calendar:

August 22 – Student registration opens
October 13 – Student registration closes
October 16 – Student applications due

For more information, contact Caroline Morton at [email protected] or send an email to [email protected].

Funding/Employment Opportunities

Grad2Grad Fellowship

Grad2Grad is an opportunity for current GW undergraduate students to transition straight into graduate studies after earning their bachelor's degree. Qualified candidates receive a 10% tuition reduction while pursuing an eligible GW degree or graduate certificate. The Grad2Grad Fellowship Enrollment Form deadline for Fall 2022 is Monday, September 19th. For more information, visit the Grad2Grad website or contact [email protected].

Chicagoland Diverse STEM Postdoc Recruitment Initiative

Northwestern University, the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), and the University of Chicago (UChicago), are excited to announce that applications are now open for the second annual Chicagoland Diverse STEM Postdoc Recruitment Initiative! This opportunity is for advanced (post-candidacy) PhD students, recent PhD grads, or early-career postdoc scholars in STEM fields who identify as an underrepresented racial and/or ethnic minority, disabled, LGBTQIA+, or first-gen. The last day to apply is Monday, September 12th. More information is available on the program website.

Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship (FPPF)

The Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship (FPPF) provides a unique opportunity for U.S. early and mid-career professionals and practitioners to serve in a foreign government ministry or institution around the world.

For the 2023-2024 academic year, Fulbright Public Policy Fellowships will be available in three world regions: Africa (Botswana, Ghana, and Rwanda); Western Hemisphere (Colombia and Peru); and East Asia and the Pacific (Cambodia, Fiji, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam). Examples of successful past projects and placements have included examining opportunities to strengthen inter-ministry collaboration for public health; implementing alternative dispute resolution mechanisms; supporting corruption prevention practices; streamlining renewable energy policies related to geothermal law; and conducting census mapping of community health workers.

Fulbright Public Policy Fellows build mutual understanding and contribute to strengthening the public sector while cultivating public policy experience in their area of expertise. The Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship also includes an independent research component that focuses on an issue related to the Fellow's in-country work. The Fellows have an opportunity to build their knowledge and skills, provide support to partner-country institutions, and promote long-term ties between the U.S. and the partner country. Interested applicants are encouraged to sign-up for the MyFulbrighter newsletter for more information on future events, as well as join monthly Fulbright Public Policy Office Hours and view the most recent Webinar. The deadline to apply is Monday, September 15th. For inquiries, please contact the Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship team at [email protected].

Cosmos Scholars Research Grants

The Cosmos Club Foundation Cosmos Scholars Grant Program provides grants to meet specific research needs not covered by other supporting funds, including, but not limited to, special supplies, travel, and unanticipated expenses that would enhance the work. There is no restriction as to academic field, but the project should be focused on objective scholarly research rather than commercial or political activity, social activism, or other non-academic goals. Amounts of awards will be determined individually and will not exceed $5,000. Applicants must be enrolled, on a full-time or part-time basis, in a program leading to a graduate degree (Master’s or Doctoral). The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, November 1, 2022. For inquiries, please contact [email protected].

Updated September 1, 2022

Graduate Student Newsletter Archive