Hey Grads,

Welcome to your June Newsletter!

We hope you having a great summer! Here is the summary of events and activities happening on SFU campuses and in the community this month.

If you’d like to share your ideas, questions, or concerns with the GSS, or just want to stop by and have a cup of coffee, please drop by our office and lounge (MBC 2205). In the summer, the GSS Lounge and Offices are open Monday through Thursday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.

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Opportunities to Get Involved

We are continuing to recruit volunteers for Graduate Student Orientation in August. If you have already signed up, thank you! All volunteers will hear back from us in the next few weeks with more details about the Orientation.

Volunteering is a great way to feel more connected to the graduate student community, meet people, and gain experience. If you are interested in volunteering, you can join the GSS volunteer list here.

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GSS Events

The GSS Birthday Social is planned to take place on Friday, July 26. Please stay tuned for the announcement and RSVPs in the coming weeks! 

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Announcements from the GSS

Graduate Sports Drop-In

The Graduate Sports Drop-In Program has started!

Get active and meet other students on Fridays, 5:30 pm–7:30 pm at the SFU East Gym in Burnaby.

Here is the Graduate Sports Drop-In schedule for June and July.

• June 14 – Basketball & badminton
• June 21 & 28 – Short break: No drop-ins
• July 5 – Indoor soccer
• July 12 – Volleyball and dodgeball
• July 19 – Indoor soccer
• July 26 – Basketball & badminton

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Get Involved! GSS Committees and Working Groups

Are you interested in getting more involved in your graduate student society? The GSS has several committees and working groups that help help GSS operations, help deliver services and advocate on behalf of students.
There are three active working groups:

• Space Working Group  (long term space for the GSS)
• Affordability Working Group (tuition, housing & more)
• International Student Working Group (advocacy & community building)

** There are also two working groups students are interested in forming dealing with Supervision and a proposed Burnaby Mountain College for graduate students.
If you are interested in these working groups please email: advocate@sfugradsociety.ca

The GSS has the following active Committees: 

• Governance (GSS policy development & review)
• Finance Committee (responsible for GSS Budget and Audit)
• Benefit Plan Committee (manages the GSS Benefits Plan)
• Electoral Committee (conducts GSS Director elections)
• Grant Allocation Committee (reviews student & caucus funding requests)

To get involved with one of the committees please fill out the following form: https://sfu-gss.formstack.com/forms/committee_form

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Contribute to The Peak

The campus newspaper, the Peak is always looking for new graduate student contributors to cover issues such areas as family housing, tuition & finances, child care, student-supervisor relationships, and GSS advocacy campaigns and any other issues of interest to graduate students.

Graduate student voices are often not heard loudly enough when it comes to campus issues. Along with The Peak, we would like to see that changed. If you’re new to journalism or writing, The Peak offers freelancing positions that pay per article written. Email the Promotions Coordinator at promotions@the-peak.caand they will get you on the mailing list for the newspaper section you want to write for. We hope to see some of you take up this opportunity!

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Graduate Caucus Funding

Did you know that every graduate caucus gets money to spend on almost anything that benefits the grad students in your department? (See the Caucus Funding Spreadsheet for funds available to you for the rest of this fiscal year.)

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Playland Tickets

Discounted Playland tickets are available using the GSS discount code. General admission and season pass
discounts for general and junior admission. This code is posted in the GSS Lounge and available by email: info@sfugradsociety.ca.

Please note: The GSS info email is only checked during office hours.

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$ Awards Centre $

Here is a link to the currently available Summer Awards posted by GPS. If you are aware of an additional award, or if you would like an award featured here, please email Marina at student-life@sfugradsociety.ca

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Announcements From the University

Share LGBTQ+ research during Science Literacy Week

Science Literacy Week will take place on the week of September 16, 2019. Out on Campus will host a series of 30-minute talks to showcase LGBTQ+ research and/or research conducted by LGBTQ+ individuals. If you would like to participate in the event, please email ooc2@sfss.ca by June 18th, 2019.

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The Women’s Center needs graduate student volunteers!

The SFU Women’s Center has asked the GSS for graduate student volunteers for their highly celebrated summer story time event this July. If you are interested, or would like more information, please email Paola at womenscentre-admin@sfss.ca. Thanks for your help! It is always a really fun event, especially for students with families.

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Join the Lunch ‘n Chat English Conversation Group

Practice your English in a casual environment at the bi-weekly English Conversation Group “Lunch ’n Chat”. Leave each session with new conversational skills, more confidence in speaking, and connections with other multilingual graduate students. Bring your own lunch. Drop-in, no registration required.

Next meeting: Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Location: GSS Boardroom (MBC 2212)

See the full schedule and topics here: https://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/events/english-conversation-group–lunch–n-chat-.html 

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On Campus Events

TSSU Events

TSSU is currently in bargaining to negotiate a fair & better contract for all TSSU members. See updates and news here: http://bargaining.tssu.ca/ All sessions are open to ALL members, you can drop in and out as it works for you. 

TSSU POWER BUILDING SCHOOL
Join in for a full day of FREE workshops for TSSU Members, including workshops on self care, digital design software, and media tactics. We will then join a downtown Unite Here! rally in support of hotel workers at the Hotel Georgia. Breakfast provided. See more info & RSVP here: https://forms.gle/YWum8WBNXEYUa3y67

TSSU Summer Solstice BBQ Friday, June 28, 12pm, SFU Burnaby. More information to come. Stayed tuned at tssu.ca.

SUMMER EVENTS Check out all other TSSU summer events or shoot an email to tssu@tssu.ca. See you in the sunshine! 

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Announcements from the Community

Job Opportunity: BrainStation

Job Alert: Join BrainStation, a global leader in digital skills training and development, as their next Senior Campus Coordinator. This role is centered around animating the BrainStation campus in Vancouver. You will be a key player in delivering a five-star customer experience to every person who comes to the campus. This will involve sharing everything we offer at our campus, from workshops and events to courses in business, design, and development. Follow the link for more information and to apply: http://careers.brainstation.io/apply/iy4BeIYkLr

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Insight Fellows Program is accepting applications

The Insight Fellows Program is currently accepting applications for its fall programs, starting on September 9th.

Insight offers tuition-free fellowships for graduating students looking to transition to thriving careers as data scientists, engineers, and other cutting-edge professionals. We’re excited to now offer seven different programs across six cities within the U.S. and Canada, as well as a remote program.

Since 2012, Insight has helped over 2000 Insight Fellows meet, interview, and join teams at over 700 leading companies. In fact, several alumni from Simon Fraser University have completed the program, including Michel Trottier-McDonald who is now at Twitter.

Apply to the Insight Fellows Program by June 24: https://apply.insightdatascience.com

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If you have events or announcements that you would like to see included in next months’ GSS newsletters, you can share them with us by emailing student-life@sfugradsociety.ca

Follow GSS on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sfugradsociety/

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