Graduate Student Association steps up to serve students

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    By Sara Noelle On

    “Brown Bag” presentations, featuring individual graduate students” research, were started by the BYU Graduate Student Association.

    After collecting and analyzing survey data on the needs and concerns of graduate students, the BYUGSA instituted “Brown Bag” presentations as a part of some new programs to benefit the students.

    “A lot of what we”re doing now is based on survey data from last year,” said Bruce Brewer, the vice president of activities of GSA.

    The GSA also started a Graduate Travel Grant, where students can receive funding from the GSA for their trips to conferences to present their research.

    The deadline for this semester”s Travel Grant application is Feb. 28.

    “We”ve found that many graduate students need funding for these trips,” Brewer said.

    The program is popular, and finding a candidate could be difficult, according to Cecily Young, the vice president of publications of GSA and a first-year graduate student in English.

    “The attention it”s gotten from graduate students is amazing,” Young said.

    There are several factors, however, when deciding which student will be funded for his or her conference trip.

    “Basically, the more well known and competitive the conference is, the greater your chance of being accepted,” Young said.

    Many national conferences are extremely competitive where even professors are trying to get in to present their research, Young said.

    Although the program is fairly new, Young hopes to finalize and revise the requirements of application for the Travel Grant.

    “For July”s deadlines, we will refine the application process. It is still in the trial-and-error stage,” Young said.

    The “Brown Bag” presentations are open to all students and refreshments are served, Brewer said.

    According to Young, “Brown Bag” presentations will be held approximately once a month and opportunities for a Travel Grant will be offered each semester.

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