GSIE Engages More Than 1,000 Graduate Students through Orientation, Welcome Events

Cassandra Thomas

Umer Rahman provides introductory remarks at the Graduate Student Orientation. The orientation was one of a slate of events held last week, with more than 1,000 graduate students attending the events in total.

The Graduate School and International Education set graduate students up for success last week with a slate of orientation and welcome events to give them the resources, knowledge and connections they need to succeed in graduate school, with more than 1,000 graduate students attending events in total.

GSIE held a Teaching Assistant Orientation on Monday, Aug. 14, followed by New Graduate Student Orientation on Thursday, Aug. 17. The school also held a Welcome Back Grad Bash Monday on the lawn of Gearhart Hall, offering free food, music, and opportunities for graduate students to engage with organizations on campus.

"These events provided crucial resources and guidance to our graduate students as they embark on their academic journey," said Ed Pohl, dean of the Graduate School and International Education. "I want to thank our Office of Graduate Student Support for coordinating these events and all the staff in the Graduate School and International Education who volunteered to help."

"We want to give our students the information they need to succeed, but we also want to make sure they walk away from orientation events feeling engaged, inspired, and knowing that the Graduate School and International Education is here to help them every step of the way as they embark on the start of classes," said Umer Rahman, associate director of graduate student support. "Thank you to all our campus partners who participated and made these programs a huge success."

Teaching Assistant Orientation

During the Teaching Assistant Orientation, students participated in three workshops centered around effective teaching — "What Does It Mean to Be an Effective Teacher," led by Bill McComas, professor of curriculum and instruction; "Mental Health & Teaching," led by Andrea Allen, director of U of A Cares; and "Effective Communications in the Art of Teaching" led by Lynn Meade, teaching assistant professor in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

GSIE also promoted the launch of a new program — the Graduate Student Teaching Enhancement Project, or G-STEP for short — to help transition graduate students to graduate teaching assistants through additional training and support around pedagogies, course design, educational technology, communication, classroom management and teaching best practices. The program is available free of charge to all graduate teaching and research assistants. Those interested in participating can fill out a form online.

"Our graduate students are crucial to our teaching and learning mission to advance student success on our campus, and we want to make sure they have the skills needed to succeed in the classroom teaching our undergraduate students," Pohl said. "We hope all graduate students teaching this year will join our G-STEP program."

Graduate Student Orientation

Graduate Student Orientation was held in the Verizon Ballroom of the Arkansas Union and kicked off with an information session introducing students to campus and GSIE that included a visit from the Razorback Athletics spirit squad and remarks from Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan.

Pohl also gave a keynote address, discussing the impact graduate education had on his life as a first-generation college graduate and congratulated students on their acceptance to graduate school.

"That advanced education opened doors to me that would've never been opened otherwise — including the opportunity to stand in front of you today as the Dean of the Graduate School and International Education at a prestigious university like the University of Arkansas," he said. "Your advanced education will open doors for you, too. It will empower you and propel you to new futures. So, congratulations on your acceptance to Graduate School. This is a tremendous accomplishment in and of itself."

He outlined the six pillars of success for graduate students — engagement, professional development, value-driven, belonging, wellness, and affinity - and his vision for how the pillars drive success.

"You can see that these pillars are interconnected — being engaged and value-driven leads to professional development and belonging, which leads to affinity and wellness," he said. "So, don't view these as six separate pillars you have to try and follow, but rather see how the six harmonize together and complement each other."

Following that, students attended breakout sessions on topics ranging from financial aid and graduate fellowships to graduation services and parking, to the Pat Walker Health Center and the Counseling and Psychological Services on campus.

The day ended with a Student Resource Fair offering more information on campus programming, including the Graduate Student Professional Congress, Library Services, the iFriends program, and the Office of Career Connections.

For more information on programming offered by GSIE's Office of Graduate Student Support, visit their website.