For the last two years I have served as a member of the History of Education Society’s Graduate Student Committee. My adviser suggested that I apply to meet more people within the society and to get involved in the process of organizing the annual meeting. I had attended HES twice before and noticed the wonderful work of the GSC who organized fun social outings and opportunities to meet other graduate students in our intimate field. I couldn’t be happier that I took his advice. Working with the GSC has not only helped me to hone my organizational and leadership skills as the chair of the committee, but has also helped me forge wonderful relationships with those I served with, scholars in our field, and many of you! As my tenure on the GSC comes to an end, and as the outgoing chair, I’d like to take this opportunity to share some insight into the inner workings of the GSC and encourage you to apply for one of our three open positions.
I know that many people have questions about the GSC: What do we do? How do we choose our members? So I’d like to address some commonly asked questions.
What is the GSC and what do we do?
The GSC is comprised of graduate students from across the country who help to plan events for graduate students at the annual meeting of HES. The position lasts two years and includes planning social and professional events for graduate students at HES; we also help to run the registration tables.
For several years, our “main event” has been a social outing between graduate students and faculty members—the “Night on the Town Dinner.” Perhaps many of you have joined us in the past for this great event. One of the greatest attributes of the faculty in History of Education is their accessibility and enthusiasm when it comes to helping graduate students succeed. It is for this reason that this event is always such a success. The “Night on the Town Dinner” provides opportunities for networking and fascinating conversations between grad students and faculty all in a relaxed environment. The planning for this event occurs months in advance because we need to find a place that will fit our large group and offer a good meal at a reasonable price. This process is fun but can be frustrating! We are constantly working to make this process easier on our members and those of you who attend the meetings. This year, we introduced an online payment system that nearly half of the graduate students who attended took advantage of. We hope that this system will continue next year to make the process just a little easier, and represents the ways that the GSC is continuously working to make connecting easier.
The “Night on the Town Dinner” is certainly the highlight of the GSC’s work but it is certainly not all that the GSC does. Each year the GSC designs a session during the meeting that is specifically designed for graduate students. This can take many forms. This year, we used the time to conduct a panel discussion of graduate students and faculty members who shared their experiences in the things that matter to graduate students at various stages of their education from preparing for comprehensive exams to finding a job to publishing. The GSC works collectively to determine what form this session will take each year.
To be sure, there are events that have come to be seen as traditions each year, but the great thing about being on the GSC is that there is ample opportunity for change as well. This year, we felt that there should be more opportunities for graduate students to socialize together. We proposed to the HES executive committee that the GSC sponsor a graduate student breakfast. Through the generosity of Karen Graves and the Denison University College of Education, we were able to have this event at the meeting site. We also diversified our membership connection by creating this website, vigilantly using the list-serv, and connecting with new members through our facebook page.
In all, we do a lot during the annual HES meeting and throughout the year to try to keep graduate students connected with each other.
How do we meet?
The GSC is comprised of a group of graduate students throughout the United States. This year we had students in Pennsylvania, Washington, Indiana, Georgia, and Florida. Clearly, working together takes an awful lot of planning and off-site work. This year, our group decided to meet once a month for about an hour through conference call technology. We have tried to use webcams to connect “face-to-face” but it has not been easy. Working through phones calls and emails, we are able to do what we need to do without ever even meeting, in many cases. While it would be nice to meet in real life, we make the most of the long distance communications that we can use to facilitate meetings together and it has worked well, so far.
How do I become a member of the committee?
Each year new members are selected to become a part of the GSC. The term to serve is two years, so we encourage those who apply to do so when they will have at least two years left of school. However, we welcome students at any stage in their programs to help add to the diversity of our perspectives. If you are interested in joining the GSC please stay tuned for more information about this year’s application process. We plan to begin the application stage in February and will do so online.
Final Thoughts
Finally, I’d like to take a moment to thank my outgoing committee for all the hard work that they have done to make my years on the GSC especially fun and rewarding. I am confident that the remaining members and our new members will only continue to improve upon the traditions that have continued at HES. I can’t wait to see what comes next!
I know that many people have questions about the GSC: What do we do? How do we choose our members? So I’d like to address some commonly asked questions.
What is the GSC and what do we do?
The GSC is comprised of graduate students from across the country who help to plan events for graduate students at the annual meeting of HES. The position lasts two years and includes planning social and professional events for graduate students at HES; we also help to run the registration tables.
For several years, our “main event” has been a social outing between graduate students and faculty members—the “Night on the Town Dinner.” Perhaps many of you have joined us in the past for this great event. One of the greatest attributes of the faculty in History of Education is their accessibility and enthusiasm when it comes to helping graduate students succeed. It is for this reason that this event is always such a success. The “Night on the Town Dinner” provides opportunities for networking and fascinating conversations between grad students and faculty all in a relaxed environment. The planning for this event occurs months in advance because we need to find a place that will fit our large group and offer a good meal at a reasonable price. This process is fun but can be frustrating! We are constantly working to make this process easier on our members and those of you who attend the meetings. This year, we introduced an online payment system that nearly half of the graduate students who attended took advantage of. We hope that this system will continue next year to make the process just a little easier, and represents the ways that the GSC is continuously working to make connecting easier.
The “Night on the Town Dinner” is certainly the highlight of the GSC’s work but it is certainly not all that the GSC does. Each year the GSC designs a session during the meeting that is specifically designed for graduate students. This can take many forms. This year, we used the time to conduct a panel discussion of graduate students and faculty members who shared their experiences in the things that matter to graduate students at various stages of their education from preparing for comprehensive exams to finding a job to publishing. The GSC works collectively to determine what form this session will take each year.
To be sure, there are events that have come to be seen as traditions each year, but the great thing about being on the GSC is that there is ample opportunity for change as well. This year, we felt that there should be more opportunities for graduate students to socialize together. We proposed to the HES executive committee that the GSC sponsor a graduate student breakfast. Through the generosity of Karen Graves and the Denison University College of Education, we were able to have this event at the meeting site. We also diversified our membership connection by creating this website, vigilantly using the list-serv, and connecting with new members through our facebook page.
In all, we do a lot during the annual HES meeting and throughout the year to try to keep graduate students connected with each other.
How do we meet?
The GSC is comprised of a group of graduate students throughout the United States. This year we had students in Pennsylvania, Washington, Indiana, Georgia, and Florida. Clearly, working together takes an awful lot of planning and off-site work. This year, our group decided to meet once a month for about an hour through conference call technology. We have tried to use webcams to connect “face-to-face” but it has not been easy. Working through phones calls and emails, we are able to do what we need to do without ever even meeting, in many cases. While it would be nice to meet in real life, we make the most of the long distance communications that we can use to facilitate meetings together and it has worked well, so far.
How do I become a member of the committee?
Each year new members are selected to become a part of the GSC. The term to serve is two years, so we encourage those who apply to do so when they will have at least two years left of school. However, we welcome students at any stage in their programs to help add to the diversity of our perspectives. If you are interested in joining the GSC please stay tuned for more information about this year’s application process. We plan to begin the application stage in February and will do so online.
Final Thoughts
Finally, I’d like to take a moment to thank my outgoing committee for all the hard work that they have done to make my years on the GSC especially fun and rewarding. I am confident that the remaining members and our new members will only continue to improve upon the traditions that have continued at HES. I can’t wait to see what comes next!
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