At its first general assembly meeting of the new year Tuesday night, the Graduate and Professional Student Council discussed a wide range of topics, from Career Week to getting to know groups that work closely with GPSC.
Virginia Steinmetz, director of graduate career services, and James Ong, a graduate student in philosophy, announced a new series of programs that the center will be offering to graduate students.
Specific career needs will be addressed in tailored workshops on individual self-assessment, locating employers and general job-hunting strategies.
"Think of us as your creative consultants," Ong said.
The two encouraged students to take advantage of a number of graduate student-specific events during Career Week, including a mock-interview demonstration.
As part of GPSC's efforts to reach out to various graduate and professional groups, representatives invited Ben Kennedy, president of the Fuqua School of Business's MBA Association, to make a presentation about Fuqua.
Kennedy said Fuqua's major strengths include its overall funding and close relationship with the school's administration. Fuqua has the best-funded MBA association in the world, with a $300,000 annual budget, he added.
Kennedy also spoke about the school's new program, which focuses on preparing students for job interviews, among other things. "[This is] how we run our ship at Fuqua," he said, adding that career searching is among the biggest issues Fuqua students face.
Discussion then turned to the upcoming social events, such as Duke University Union productions like "The Great Game" and "The Man of La Mancha."
Molly Miller, DUU representative and a graduate student in mechanical engineering, said that this past fall "Cats" sold out the first day tickets were available.
Other upcoming events include a lottery, which will occur from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, to sign up for ACC Tournament tickets.
GPSC Student Life Chair Gautham Pandiyan, a graduate student in molecular biology, previewed Legislation Action Day, during which graduate students nationally will lobby for legislation favoring higher education.
The event will be held Feb. 15 and Feb. 16. He noted that one of LAD's sponsors is currently Hillary Clinton's office, so there is a chance to meet the presidential hopeful.
Pandiyan also announced a graduate movie-making contest much like the undergraduate Froshlife competition.
"Anything goes, so long as you don't break [any] University, state and federal laws," Pandiyan said.
GPSC Treasurer David Kahler then presented groups' petitions for funding and the amount GPSC tentatively allocated to each, which in every case was less than that requested.
Representatives also raised the issue that some groups were unable to put on well-attended events because of potential lack of funding.
"We didn't want there to be an institutional expectation," GPSC Vice President Nathan Kundtz said, adding that the allocations were not set in stone.
In other business:
Judith Ruderman, liaison to the regional accrediting agency, presented potential topics for a 75-page self-study for the reaccreditation of the University this year.
As part of the process, she will visit several student councils to introduce and solicit topic ideas.
GPSC will also revamp its website, www.gpsc.duke.edu.
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