Graduate Student Association

Due to the resignation of Amy Miu as Vice President, there is a vacancy in the Graduate Student Association’s Executive Committee.

Effective immediately, there is a call for nominations to permanently fill this position.

Please note as stated in the GSA Constitution:

“In the case of removal or resignation of any officer, said officer shall be replaced by a vote of the Senate from any willing graduate students in attendance who have attended and signed in at two Senate Meetings within the past twelve months during the meeting at which the replacement election is held.”

Fall 2017 SBI Programming Grant applications are due Friday, October 13th.

All grant applications must include the signature of the GSA Treasurer in order to be considered, so please make sure to bring all applications to the GSA office (310 Student Union) by Thursday, October 12th at 4:30pm in order for them to be signed.

“The primary purpose of the Programming Grant is to fund programs that further the quality of student life, and enrich the educational, cultural and social experiences at the University at Buffalo. In light of these goals, organizations that receive awards are to use them to launch new programs, expand existing programs, or produce publications.”

Grants of up to $3,000.00 may be awarded to any recognized university affiliated student organization.

The application is attached here, and hard copies can be picked up from the GSA Office (310 Student Union) or the SBI Office (341 Student Union). The deadline for submission is Friday, October 13, 2017 at 4:30 p.m. Please note that this is a rigid deadline, after which grant applications will not be accepted.

SBI Programming Grant Notifications will be distributed to the grant applicants by Monday, October 23rd at 4:30pm.

Hello,

I’m writing on behalf of the UB Living Stipend Movement to encourage you to support the UB Petition for a TA Living Stipend, which you can read and sign by following this link.  By signing this petition, you join us in affirming that the current minimum stipends for Teaching Assistant appointments throughout this University, many of which are below $14,000, are unlivable.

I also invite you to participate in our march through campus on Monday, September 25 at 3:30PM, which will begin outside the Student Union on Putnam (across from Starbucks) and end at President Tripathi’s office, where we’ll present the petition to the administration.

If you’d like to get more involved in the movement, please don’t hesitate to join our Facebook page here or email us at Ubrippingusoff@gmail.com to find out about our next meeting.  For more information about the UB Living Stipend Movement, follow this link to read our Movement Handbook, and follow this link to read our recent article in The Public.  As this article states, “For the last two years, adjuncts and graduate student workers at the University at Buffalo have been asking for a living wage. UB’s response? An $18 million project for a football field house and nothing for its lowest paid instructors, who teach thousands of students each semester.”

Please share this information widely with students, faculty, and staff from all corners of the university.  Thank you for your support!

Dear Graduate Student Body:

As the current Executive Board of the Graduate Student Association, we would like to formally thank Amy Miu for her service as the Vice President these past two years. While we regret her sudden departure, we wish her well in her career and future endeavors. And while at points contentious, Amy’s resignation letter expressed numerous concerns, which the organization will thoroughly investigate.

Amy’s resignation created a second vacancy on the Executive Board, the other being the temporary vacancy due to incapacity of the office of President. The Senate voted to elect an Interim President, and voted-in Jennifer Schechter, who will fill the role until Tanja Aho can resume her duties. The permanent vacancy left by Amy’s resignation can be filled by a vote of the Senate at the next meeting (October 4th). So, we would also like to formally invite nominations to fill the role of Vice President for the remainder of the term (May 31, 2018). Any graduate student in a department represented by the GSA who has attended at least two Senate meetings in the past 12 months is eligible. Any interested, eligible students should contact the Interim President at gsa-president@buffalo.edu.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to contact us at the GSA office.

Finally, we would like to remind everyone that GSA Senate meetings are open to the public.  While only elected Senators have the ability to make motions and vote on organizational business, all graduate students are invited and encouraged to attend these meetings in order to participate in the important discussions. The full schedule of Senate meetings can be found on the GSA website here (http://gsa.buffalo.edu/governance/senate/).

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to serving you this year.

Jennifer and Anastasia
Interim President and Treasurer
Graduate Student Association

Student Wellnes Team Presents
Take a Minute, Save a Life
Suicide Prevention Week
September 10-16, 2017​

FREE EVENT
Wellness Activity Day
Tuesday Sept. 12 / 11am–2pm / Student Union Lobby

Mindful Self-Care, Yoga, Nutrition Demonstration, Mental Health Awareness Resources, Games and Prizes

FREE EVENT
Suicide Prevention Week Active Minds Speaker:  Pablo Campos
Student Wellness Team and Co-sponsors
Wednesday Sept. 13 / 7:00 pm /Doors open at 6:30 pm/Student Union Theater
Pablo Campos:  “Flying Under the Radar”

In his program, Pablo shares his story surrounding his own mental health concerns, polysubstance abuse and suicide attempt.  He also discusses the challenges he endured surrounding the norms of Guatemalan and U.S. cultures and assimilation.  Pablo discusses how stigma and a lack of education made seeking help more difficult, but by finally finding a strong network of professionals and loved ones, he was able to grow from being his own worst enemy to a powerful participant in his recovery.  He shares his story to encourage others to seek help, build peer support and to create a healthier sense of community.

FREE TRAINING
QPR:  Question, Persuade, Refer
Suicide Prevention Training
Friday Sept. 15/ 10am–12pm / Student Union 250

This training assists participants in learning to recognize the warning signs of suicide and ways to effectively help someone in need.
Register online at www.buffalo.edu/studentlife/counseling (Register for QPR workshop –individual)

For more information contact Carissa Uschold at cuschold@buffalo.edu

Or visit:  www.buffalo.edu/studentlife/counseling

Fellowships and Scholarships for Graduate Students

This workshop will introduce graduate students to fellowships and scholarships for graduate-level work as well as research and dissertation funding. The session will provide information and strategies to maximize your success in pursuing these opportunities. Open to all graduate students.

SESSIONS WILL TAKE PLACE ON:

• Thursday, August 31, 2017 at 4 pm in 107 Capen Hall
• Thursday, September 21, at 4 p.m. in 107 Capen Hall
• Wednesday, October 18, 2017, at 4 p.m. in 107 Capen Hall

Company: Givebutter – a social crowdfunding platform for student orgs and nonprofits (https://givebutter.com)

Position: Givebutter Ambassador

Responsibilities: Persuade students, friends, and groups on campus to fundraise on Givebutter (for philanthropy, trips, events, etc.)

Compensation: Up to $2,000 cash and lots of swag

Timeline: September 2017 – December 2017

Time Commitment: Check-in once per week via an online portal (5-30 minutes/week)

How to Apply: Visit https://givebutter.com/spreadthebutter and fill out the short form at the bottom. Interviews are conducted on Snapchat (you’ll send us the answers to three short questions, and we will follow up with you shortly after), check out the link to learn more.