The Martlet | Students asked to partially fund new facilities
The athletics fee issue is back. The GSS was active in the campaign to defeat this last year by calling on the Minister of Advanced Education (now Science and Universities) and the BC Tuition Limit Policy.
some past news on this issue:
Coverage of the campaign victory at UBC Insiders
Some past Martlet coveragae here.
And hey, here's the campaign info from the last time around.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
UVIC GSS website
Hi all, we are experiencing some trouble with our UVIC Graduate Students' Society website in google since it migrated to the new site. It is being fixed, but for now, the link is the same: http://gss.uvic.ca/
UVIC graduate student health plan information can also be found at http://gss.uvic.ca/.
UVIC graduate student health plan information can also be found at http://gss.uvic.ca/.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
kick start you writing using online motivational tools
Beyond my life working for graduate students at the gss, I also have a secret life as a graduate student.
This term I am to submit my research proposal. Through my first two terms of graduate school, I have attempted to journal as a means to help my writing process, but with limited success.
Today I embarked on a new effort to ensure I do keep to my writing commitments, partly inspired by Joan Bolker's book, Write your dissertation in 15 minutes per day. (What an inspiring title!) Which advocates keeping a research journal.
But for those, like me, who need some prodding, some online tools may be of interest.
Do you forget to write every day? Oh, Life may be fore you. It is a simple system. you set up an account using your email, and then each evening Oh, Life sends an email asking about your day. You respond, and that is these emails become the substance of your journal. After you build up content, it will send snippets of past entries as reminders/starting points, selected at random. I wish I could choose its question to suit my purpose (not "how was your day" but "how's the research?" or something ... as long as it isn't "are you done your thesis yet?"). However, I can't fault the simplicity of the system, and the fact that an email prompt will likely be helpful for someone like me.
If goals and rewards are what you need, you might like the online journal, 750 words. With this site you are encouraged to login and write 750 words per day, and if you do this for five days in a row you get a little reward (penguin badge), and each month you get a score card with more points the more days you write. The site also assigns moods based on what you write (which unnerves me). There are challenges as well -- you could end up on the wall of awesome (or wall of shame) so think on that before choosing your pen name!
In both cases, the online journal can be downloaded for use elsewhere. Perhaps in your thesis methods section!
This term I am to submit my research proposal. Through my first two terms of graduate school, I have attempted to journal as a means to help my writing process, but with limited success.
Today I embarked on a new effort to ensure I do keep to my writing commitments, partly inspired by Joan Bolker's book, Write your dissertation in 15 minutes per day. (What an inspiring title!) Which advocates keeping a research journal.
But for those, like me, who need some prodding, some online tools may be of interest.
Do you forget to write every day? Oh, Life may be fore you. It is a simple system. you set up an account using your email, and then each evening Oh, Life sends an email asking about your day. You respond, and that is these emails become the substance of your journal. After you build up content, it will send snippets of past entries as reminders/starting points, selected at random. I wish I could choose its question to suit my purpose (not "how was your day" but "how's the research?" or something ... as long as it isn't "are you done your thesis yet?"). However, I can't fault the simplicity of the system, and the fact that an email prompt will likely be helpful for someone like me.
If goals and rewards are what you need, you might like the online journal, 750 words. With this site you are encouraged to login and write 750 words per day, and if you do this for five days in a row you get a little reward (penguin badge), and each month you get a score card with more points the more days you write. The site also assigns moods based on what you write (which unnerves me). There are challenges as well -- you could end up on the wall of awesome (or wall of shame) so think on that before choosing your pen name!
In both cases, the online journal can be downloaded for use elsewhere. Perhaps in your thesis methods section!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
More great grad school themed blogs
I seem to be having a bonanza in the department of "excellent blogs for UVic graduate students to read", something I am always seeking in my work.
The Thesis Whisperer warms my heart because, like me, she keeps a list of procrastination activities handy. It is also packed with practical advice to be productive in your research and writing, so has the best of both worlds.
The thesis whisperer is actually a group of whisperers, but the writing is consistent and topical.
The Thesis Whisperer warms my heart because, like me, she keeps a list of procrastination activities handy. It is also packed with practical advice to be productive in your research and writing, so has the best of both worlds.
The thesis whisperer is actually a group of whisperers, but the writing is consistent and topical.
how is academic writing to be ranked in the age of 2.0?
Found this article an interesting read from the Academic Productivity blog. What is the impact of self publishing online for academics?
What happens when "that hallway conversation moves into blogs" and is now cited?
The author argues that peer reviewed journals are becoming out of date in terms of tracking article impact, and looks at new publishing models for researchers. Not sure I want to give up on peer review altogether but the proposal for self publishing and online debate is interesting. After all, it isn't so much different than conferences ...
Perhaps we should organize a discussion on this at the GSS?
What happens when "that hallway conversation moves into blogs" and is now cited?
The author argues that peer reviewed journals are becoming out of date in terms of tracking article impact, and looks at new publishing models for researchers. Not sure I want to give up on peer review altogether but the proposal for self publishing and online debate is interesting. After all, it isn't so much different than conferences ...
Perhaps we should organize a discussion on this at the GSS?
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
BC Student Activism goes waaaay back
In a tribute to the students around the world standing up for public post secondary education systems in past weeks, here is some archival footage of BC's first (I expect) student demonstration -- the UBC Great Trek of 1922, which demanded the campus finally be build so students didn't have to study crammed in old huts.
On a personal note, I recently learned my Great Aunt Eunice was a student on the Great Trek, as my cousin found a letter she wrote home describing the demonstration to her family. Guess I know where I get my activist streak!
Here is a bit of a history lesson in a bit of a bland but more structured and informative video about BC's history of establishing universities. Given the financial struggles we are having, it is good to learn from this mini-doc that BC's biggest university fought off closure during the great depression, only 7 years after it opened.
To learn about some current grad student campaigns visit the UVIC GSS at http://gss.uvic.ca
On a personal note, I recently learned my Great Aunt Eunice was a student on the Great Trek, as my cousin found a letter she wrote home describing the demonstration to her family. Guess I know where I get my activist streak!
Here is a bit of a history lesson in a bit of a bland but more structured and informative video about BC's history of establishing universities. Given the financial struggles we are having, it is good to learn from this mini-doc that BC's biggest university fought off closure during the great depression, only 7 years after it opened.
To learn about some current grad student campaigns visit the UVIC GSS at http://gss.uvic.ca
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Science & Tech funding boost
CBC is reporting that Industry Canada has announced funds for 310 Canada Research Chairs. See the story here.
There is no write up on the Industry Canada site, although there is a (not very exciting) media advisory.
The push seems to be in particular areas and with at least some focus on commercial/economic outcomes for the research...
Between this and BC's announcement that 2011 is the Year of Science, looks like the coming year might be science-tastic. (Too bad BC is simultaneously is reducing involvement of independent researchers and increasing Big Pharma's input in the BC drug approvals process... read about it in the Globe and Mail or listen to the CBC Victoria radio interview (MP3)).
There is no write up on the Industry Canada site, although there is a (not very exciting) media advisory.
The push seems to be in particular areas and with at least some focus on commercial/economic outcomes for the research...
Between this and BC's announcement that 2011 is the Year of Science, looks like the coming year might be science-tastic. (Too bad BC is simultaneously is reducing involvement of independent researchers and increasing Big Pharma's input in the BC drug approvals process... read about it in the Globe and Mail or listen to the CBC Victoria radio interview (MP3)).
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