| Greetings from the Graduate School
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Dear Students and Colleagues:
We hope that the first half of the Fall 2020 term has been one of growth and exploration, that you have been able to take care of yourselves and your loved ones, and that you have been able to connect to advisors, peers, faculty, and other members of the Ball State community even while online or socially distancing.
As you continue to face the challenges of being a graduate student during a pandemic, please know that our staff in the Graduate School is available to assist you at any time. Please reach out to us if we can be of service. In that spirit, we’ve created this newsletter to remind you of all of the resources that the Ball State Graduate School has to offer to you as a graduate student. We hope that during your time here you can take advantage of some or all of these opportunities and resources. We wish you all the best as you finish the Fall semester.
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Sincerely,
Dr. Adam R. Beach
Dean, Graduate School
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Three Minute Thesis
Congratulations to Amber Urban, M.A. in Sociology from Ball State University. After winning Ball State’s Three Minute Thesis competition in Spring 2020, she placed third in this year’s Midwestern Association of Graduate School’s (MAGS) regional competition! She competed against over 20 other regional institution winners! Having graduated with her master’s degree from Ball State in May, Amber is currently pursuing a PhD in Sociology at Western Michigan University.
We are working hard to plan this year’s Three Minute Thesis competition (with appropriate modifications for COVID-19), and we hope that you will seriously consider participating. Past participants regularly tell us how much they enjoyed the competition, how it helped them to effectively communicate about their research, and how terrific it was to interact with students outside their program and learn about the research taking place across our University. (They also were excited to compete for over $2,700 in prize money!)
To learn more and see videos of the winning presentations, visit our 3MT website. Please keep an eye out for announcements about this year’s competition coming soon.
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Inclusive Excellence Programming
The Ball State Graduate School is dedicated to an Inclusive Excellence plan that includes programming and mentoring for minoritized and marginalized student populations. Our faculty fellow for Inclusive Excellence, Dr. Robin Phelps-Ward, is overseeing the Pathways Program, a mentoring program that matches undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented backgrounds with faculty, professional staff, community professionals, and distinguished alumni associated with Ball State University.Dr. Phelps-Ward has also developed the Action Research Collective (ARC), an initiative that aims to expand professional development opportunities for underrepresented and marginalized graduate students and demystify the graduate school pipeline. Throughout the academic year, the team of ARC research partners, across various graduate programs at Ball State University, will meet bi-weekly to design and execute a research study while gaining vital experience conducting research to transform Ball State’s climate. Complete the interest form to apply or join.
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Travel and Research Grants for Graduate Students
The Graduate School offers travel and research grants specifically for graduate students with the help of our partners in Ball State’s Sponsored Projects Administration office. Graduate students can apply for up to $700 to assist in costs associated with presenting their work at a professional, regional, or national meeting or to perform or exhibit their creative works.
Approximately 60 such awards will be granted annually. Graduate students can also apply for up to $700 to support their research and creative projects, including theses and dissertations, with up to 40 such awards being offered every Fall and Spring application cycle.
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Graduate Student Wellness Initiative
In partnership with the Ball State Graduate School, the Graduate Student Wellness Initiative (GSWI) seeks to help create a culture of health and wellness for all Ball State graduate students, both online and on-campus. Run by graduate students for graduate students, the GSWI offers a series of events, workshops, and online programming for students pursuing an advanced degree that encourage them to develop healthy habits for a more positive graduate school experience.
Join the GSWI this Fall for digital "Coffee Talks" via Zoom on alternating Tuesdays, 12–1 p.m. (EST), and Wednesdays, 7–8 p.m. (EST). A full schedule of events is available at bsu.edu/GSWI.
Connect with GSWI
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Canvas Community for Student Instructors
In collaboration with the Division of Online and Strategic Learning, we have created a Canvas support community just for graduate student teaching assistants and instructors of record. This community hosts a whole suite of resources, webinars, and information for students teaching or assisting in teaching classes, including tips on how best to set up a class, manage Canvas and other digital resources, and handle the HyFlex learning environment. There is also a confidential discussion board for students to connect with one another about their teaching experiences.
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This Year for New Students
This year, the Graduate School’s new student orientation was conducted entirely on Zoom for the first time ever! While the basic information of starting graduate school is always provided on the online orientation site and can be referred to by students at any time throughout their career, we like to take the opportunity to meet and speak with our students live, even if this year it was through live streaming.
Dr. Beach, Dr. Simon-Dack, and Dr. Phelps-Ward all enjoyed the opportunity to speak with our students — you can read their opening remarks on the orientation site. These remarks were followed by a graduate student Q&A panel run by the GSWI coordinators and GSWI ambassadors where new students’ questions and concerns about graduate school could be answered.
This year, we also hosted a series of Extended Orientation Sessions for our new students run by Ball State faculty and staff experts. These three sessions were:
- You’re here for a reason: cultivating equity & community in graduate school
- Set yourself up for success: managing conflict with peers and supervisors
- Research Ethics and Navigating the IRB as a Graduate Student
We hope to be able to offer these workshops regularly in the future to all of our students, new and continuing. They were a great success!
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Other Great Resources for Graduate Students
University Libraries
Check out our awesome University Libraries — they have an incredible suite of services for online research, including online journal subscriptions, research assistance, and technical troubleshooting. You can even request individualized help on research projects, class projects, theses, or journal articles for publication.
Counseling Center
The Counseling Center is offering remote services in the time of COVID-19, and they also have a fantastic number of self-help and online tools. Learn more.
Writing Center
The Writing Center is offering a new appointment type this Fall for students working on longer writing projects. Students can chat briefly with a tutor at the start of the hour to set their writing goals, then write for the rest of the session while the tutor stays on the call. Learn more.
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Connect With UsStay connected with the Graduate School by following us on social media.
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