Grad Student Commons
Fall Quarter 2012
Professional Development Events
How to Prepare a Statement of Teaching Philosophy for Graduate Students of Any Discipline– presented by Alan Wong from the Career Center
Interested in a faculty position at a teaching focused institution? Are you unsure about the best way to tackle writing your statement of teaching philosophy? Not sure you even have a teaching philosophy? Come to our Teaching Philosophy Workshop and get the help you need to prepare for the job market.
Tuesday, October 2nd, 12:00-1:30pm, Grad Student Commons
Got Dissertation? Tools for an Effective Dissertation Writing Process
Sustained dissertation writing requires a strong writing process. In this workshop, re-start your stalled writing, adopt more productive strategies, and strengthen your practices. Students who have advanced to candidacy in any discipline will learn habits and be introduced to tools that will facilitate composing their dissertation chapters. This workshop will launch regular writing groups—facilitated by Writing Program faculty and geared towards graduate students who are ABD—that will provide support and structure for overcoming obstacles as you work towards completing your dissertation.
Wednesday, October 3rd, 5:00-6:30pm Grad Student Commons
Please RSVP soon to reserve your spot!
Improve Your Keynote Skills Workshop
Workshop will present an overview of Keynote presentation software as well as provide instruction for creating effective animations, embedding videos directly into slides, and recording presentation podcasts. The advantages and disadvantages of Keynote versus MS PowerPoint will also be discussed.
Thursday, October 11th, 4:00-5:00pm, Grad Student Commons
STEM Career Search Strategies - presented by Alan Wong from the Career Center
In this workshop you will learn the ins and outs of identifying and landing careers in the STEM fields.
Tuesday, October 23rd, 12:00-1:30pm, Grad Student Commons
What You Should Know About Submitting Your Electronic Dissertation or Thesis
The dissertation submission process at UCSC has recently gone digital. Come hear recent graduates and library copyright and open access experts give tips and tricks about the submission and archiving process and using copyrighted works in your thesis or dissertation.
Thursday, October 25nd, 12:00-1:00pm, Grad Student Commons
Navigating the “Versatile PhD” Web Resource Tool
UCSC is now offering an amazing resource for graduate students interested in careers outside of academia – a subscription to the Versatile PhD! According to their website, this online tool is intended “to helphumanities and social science graduate students, ABDs and PhDs identify, prepare for and excel in non-academic careers.” The Versatile PhD is a great way to learn about nonacademic careeroptions,develop your transferable skills, and engage with an online community with similar goals. This workshop will teach you how to utilize this valuable tool and get the most out of it.
Wednesday, November 7th, 12:30-2:00pm, Grad Student Commons
Managing References and Bibliographies Using EndNote
This workshop will present an overview of Endnote (X4) bibliography software. The following topics will be reviewed: creating and managing reference lists, downloading citations from journal websites, and integrating Endnote with MS Word/Pages.
Tuesday, November 13th, 4:00-5:00pm, Grad Student Commons
Remember: CV critiques available through the Career Center!Set a CV review appointment with the adviser in your discipline and get specialized attention and critical feedback. The Career Center can work via email and phone for those graduate students who may be living out of the area and/or who have families and other obligations that prevent them from coming in person. Visit their website at for more information.
Social Events
First Friday Socials at The Commons Continue – Hang out and unwind with fellow grads on the 1st Friday of each month. As usual, snacks and assorted beverages will be provided.
October 5th, November 2nd, & December 7th, 5:00-7:00pm, Grad Student Commons
Halloween Bash & Pumpkin Carving – Pumpkins, snacks and assorted beverages will be provided (bring your state issued ID).
Thursday, October 25th, 6-9pm, Grad Student Commons
Health and Well-Being Events
Yoga with Aura – All are welcome. Bring a mat or use one of ours! Sponsored by UCSC Wellness and B Smart about Safety.
Wednesdays/Fridays, 1:30 – 2:30am, Grad Student Commons, Room 204
Hiking with Kimball – Explore the beautiful UCSC campus! All are welcome to join us.
Tuesdays, 12:10 – 1:00pm, Meet at the Barn G parking lot (near base of campus)
Meditation with Aditya – All are welcome. Sponsored byUCSC Wellness and B Smart about Safety.
Wednesdays, 12:10-12:50pm, Grad Student Commons, Room 204
Acupressure and Chair Massage – Back again by popular demand! Come de-stress from all the hassles of graduate life with a complimentary acupressure session or chair massage. Sign up early to reserve your time slot.
Wednesday, December 5th, 11:30-2:30pm