Author Archive: GSA VP Services

GSA EXECUTIVE AND BOARD POSITIONS OPEN

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GSA EXECUTIVE AND BOARD POSITIONS OPEN

Calling all students! Applications for the Graduate Student Association (GSA) have been extended. Positions for GSA Executives (paid!), Board of Directors (volunteer!), and Faculty Representatives of the Council (volunteer!) are available. Nomination forms are available here. The nomination period will finally close on Monday, March 15th at 12:00 p.m.

We would like to report to you on the academic year April 2020 to April 2021. While many changes happened, we are so excited to connect with all of you at our GSA Annual General Meeting on March 26th, 2021 at 10 a.m. Save the date to attend and vote on proposed changes for the 2021-2022 year! 

Graduate student elections to the Senate. Voting for grad student representatives to McMaster’s Senate is open March 15 to 17. For more information, including a list of candidates, visit the Daily News.

Graduate Students’ Response to New Federal Isolation Requirements and 3-Day Mandatory Hotel Stay

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Graduate Students' Response to New Federal Isolation Requirements and 3-Day Mandatory Hotel Stay

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Alireza Kamyabi

UBC Graduate Student Society
VP External Relations
vpexternal@ubc.gss.ca
778-319-6414

Graduate students call on federal government to utilize university residence isolation plans
as an equitable alternative to mandatory hotel stay for arriving international students

Eight graduate student societies and associations, representing 91,000 graduate
students across Canada, are calling on the federal government to approve university-administered quarantine plans at university residences as an equitable alternative to 3-day mandatory hotel stay for arriving international students.

On February 21st, 2021, Canada introduced new restrictions on international travel requiring all travellers arriving in Canada to isolate in a federally-approved hotel for three days at their own expense. While restrictions on international travel to Canada are required to ensure safety and wellbeing of travellers and residents, we believe the unequitable barriers to entry to Canada must be mitigated for those that must enter the country for essential travel.

Graduate students are a group that must enter Canada to be able to partake in their studies, which is primarily research which takes place in research facilities on and around campuses.

As organizations advocating on behalf of graduate students, our priority is the health and safety of our respective student bodies and broader community. We believe university residences’ isolation programs are a safe, equitable and affordable alternative to mandatory 3-day hotel stay for international graduate students who must enter the country for their research and studies.

Quotes from GSS/GSA Student Leaders on the impact of this letter:

    “We believe there is an opportunity here to utilize university residence isolation programs as a safe and affordable alternative to mandatory hotel stay that will reduce costs for students and allow for greater utilization of hotel space for other arriving groups. Our university residences’ quarantine plans have proven to be safe and effective programs so far and we think approving them would be beneficial especially as we universities to re-open and more students arrive in Canada:
– Alireza Kamyabi, Vice-President External Relations, Graduate Student Society of University of British Columbia Vancouver

    “International graduate students are key contributors to the academic mission of Canadian universities, and we need to reduce travel-related barriers so they can begin or continue their studies here. Our universities’ federally-approved isolation packages are the ideal compromise between affordability, safety, and accessibility for these students.”
– Marc Waddingham, President, University of Alberta’s Graduate Student Association,
gsa.president@ualberta.ca

    “It’s already difficult for international students to adjust to a foreign country. In addition to that, incoming international students face high financial stress due to increased payments that are required to start a life in a new home country. Forcing students to also pay a minimum of $2,000 for a hotel room stay is creating more financial barriers for students, especially when universities are prepared to receive international students during the pandemic and have government approved quarantine plans in place.”
– Humaira Inam, President, University of Saskatchewan’s Graduate Students’ Association

Read the Full Graduate Student letter to the government here.

CREST 2021: Adapting for the Future

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CREST 2021: Adapting for the Future

CREST is an interdisciplinary celebration, not only of females in STEM, but also of the exciting research being conducted in these domains more broadly. CREST offers an excellent venue for students, postdocs, and faculty of all genders to present their research in an interdisciplinary environment, network with local academics, and learn more about research opportunities in academia or industry through a series of professional development workshops, interactive career panels, and social mixers.

Dates: Friday March 12th, 2:30-8:30 pm and Saturday March 13th, 10:00 am – 7:00pm

UPDATES FROM THE GSA 2021-02-12

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UPDATES FROM THE GSA

There is so much to celebrate this week! International Women and Girls in Science Day is a reminder to celebrate the many women who have led us to be the graduate students we are today, as well as the many women after us which we will commit to removing barriers and creating the spaces for women and girls to be free, thrive and lead.

Remember that Monday is Family Day, a holiday that is observed here in Ontario, therefore McMaster campus will be closed and no classes should be scheduled online. We hope you enjoy the long weekend.

McMaster University Student and Experience Survey launched! Sent to all students by email – please share your experiences to help us enhance student-facing programs and services. Contact Equity and Inclusion Office (linked to @EIOMcMaster) equity@mcmaster.ca for questions. Link to the tweet from EIO page or on Facebook.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT MAC

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BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT MAC

At the GSA, we are celebrating our Black graduate students on campus once again this February.

We would like to highlight an amazing initiative by students on campus, McMaster Black Student Mentorship Program (BSMP). In this program, you can mentor an upper year undergraduate student who shares your interests and/or goals. At the same time, you’ll be mentored by a Black faculty member. BSMP will give you the opportunity to connect with other Black students, faculty, and alumni! 

All students and faculty are welcome to “Safe fieldwork strategies for at-risk individuals, their supervisors and institutions webinar” with Monique Pipkin and Amelia-Juliette Demery hosted by Faculty of Science on Tuesday, March 2nd at 7 to 8:30 p.m. Their safe fieldwork strategies were published last month in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

Register ahead here. Any questions? Please contact Jay Robb, Faculty of Science communications manager.

You can read more about Black History Month (BHM) and the message from McMaster. For regular updates on BHM events at McMaster, visit the BHM Facebook or BHM Twitter or contact Tolulope Ojo at Ojot2@mcmaster.ca for any additional information.”

SIGN UP FOR WINTER INTRAMURALS

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SIGN UP FOR WINTER INTRAMURALS

All graduate students are invited to check out the Winter Virtual Intramural Programs via the MacMoves website. Get connected with friends and play some virtual intramurals! Registration is currently open and closes on January 25. Register here. Any questions? intramurals@mcmaster.ca. 

  • ESport Leagues – FIFA 20, NBA 2K, NHL 20, Rocket League {1v1 & 2v3}
  • Mobile Game Leagues – Chess, 8 Ball Pool & Words With Friends 
  • NBA & NHL Fantasy Leagues
  • NBA Pick’em Pools
  • Social Media Contests/Giveaways and Women In Sport Series

UPDATES FROM GSA 2021-01-22

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UPDATES FROM GSA 2021-01-22

If you’re interested in being part of the GSA between February to April 2021 for a small financial honorarium, consider the following… Ahead of GSA Elections, we need a Chief Returning Officer (CRO). In this position, your role would include the following: 1) to be responsible for the conduct of GSA elections, 2) to present on the election process, and 3) to chair the Annual General Meeting. More details on this GSA Website post.

All graduate students are welcome to join the GSA Council Monthly Council Meeting on January 28 at 12 p.m. Register to join us on Zoom using this link, only McMaster emails will be eligible to register. 

GSA INTRODUCTION SERIES: ACGSA

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GSA INTRODUCTION SERIES: ACGSA

Hello from the African Caribbean Graduate Student Association (ACGSA)! 
We are a club under the Graduate Student Association (GSA) that is tailored for students from Africa, the Caribbean and/or for those that self-identify as being of African, Caribbean or African American Ancestry. All McMaster graduate students who are interested in things pertaining to the people of Africa (all races and colours), the Caribbean, African Americans and their socio-cultural interests are welcome! 

Our services and events aim to:

  • Create a space for our students to know and interact with each other to give the students a sense of community.
  • Advocate for opportunities for our members in McMaster University, Hamilton and Canada.
  • Welcome new African and Caribbean graduate students.
  • Provide guidance and the information necessary for African and Caribbean students to integrate into McMaster University, Hamilton and Canada.
  • Organize informative, educational and social events for African and Caribbean graduate students.

Contact us via email to join (acgsa@mcmaster.ca) or find us on Facebook! 

Thank you ACGSA for your introduction! If you want to learn about other GSA Clubs check out this list of over 20 clubs on our website. 

McMaster GSA Declares its Support for Black Lives Matter and its Anti-Oppression Policy

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McMaster GSA Declares its Support for Black Lives Matter and its Anti-Oppression Policy

Following the horrific murder of George Floyd, on May 25, 2020, the McMaster University Graduate Student Association (GSA) decided to abolish its neutrality policy, which has been effective since 2005 and prevented the GSA from aligning itself with any political movements, including Black Lives Matter (BLM). As renown anti-apartheid activist Desmond Tutu noted “[i]f you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” We have chosen to be on the right side of history by standing with those made most marginalized in our community, rather than remaining “neutral,” starting with the Black community.

We are proud to announce that, after months of internal conversations, we passed a comprehensive anti-oppression policy, on November 12, 2020, in place of the neutrality policy, mandating the GSA to work towards social justice, in solidarity with other progressive organizations. Based on this policy, the GSA’s Student Issues Action (SIA) Committee will also conduct annual internal surveys to track graduate student experiences with oppression, assess the efficiency of existing anti-oppressive actions, identify deficiencies, and suggest remedies, and will lead audits every four years, coinciding with the development of the Strategic Plan.

            In support of BLM, we have also endorsed the preliminary 5-point plan against anti-Blackness, which was drafted by members of the McMaster community.  It calls on McMaster University to openly endorse the BLM movement, denounce all forms of white supremacy, including when it is disguised as free speech, financially support BIPOC students, expand access to anti-racist pedagogical training for all student teaching assistants and faculty, fire the current Director of Parking and Security Services, Glenn De Caire, due to his documented racism, and sever ties with police. Encouraged by the letter McMaster University issued on June 1, condemning anti-Blackness, we ask the University to follow in our footsteps and not simply engage in anti-racist discourse, but rather, act on it, heeding the demands of oppressed communities and imagining and implementing a more just world.   

GSA Request for McMaster University to Address Anti-Blackness