We at the Graduate Assistant Advisory Committee (GAAC) would like to give all graduate assistants (returning and new) a warm welcome to UMBC! For those that do not know, the GAAC is the body comprised solely of UMBC graduate assistants that meets with Graduate School Administration to relay any employment concerns. We also work with administrators to amend and enact policies that benefit graduate assistants at UMBC.

Last year, our main focus was keeping an affordable Graduate Assistant health insurance plan that would adequately meet the needs of graduate assistants. Through your participation in online surveys and willingness to share your stories, we were able to convince the graduate school to keep our current plan at no cost to us. (The departmental chairs and graduate program directors played a crucial role in finding the money to pay for the continued coverage, so please thank them!) We are willing to work with a broad range of groups, but we need your input in order to determine where the need lies.

If you have a concern that you would like to bring to our attention, you may do so by sending an email to GAAC@umbc.edu. All correspondence through this email remains confidential and is only viewed by GAAC members, with all identifying information removed before bringing it to other parties should the need arise.

Also, we're always looking for new members, so feel free to send an email to GAAC@umbc.edu if you're interested in joining the GAAC.

Good luck this semester! Below are some helpful links for Graduate Assistants. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to help.

Sincerely,

The Graduate Assistant Advisory Committee

Helpful Link 1: The Graduate Assistant Handbook. This contains all the policies that govern your assistantship, including vacation time, sick leave, tuition remission, and ways to address workplace complaints.

http://gradschool.umbc.edu/funding/assistantships/handbook/

Helpful Link 2: Link to GA Forms. These are the forms that we need to fill out periodically, such as forms for tuition remission, health insurance, and completion of duties (equivalent of the timesheet).

http://gradschool.umbc.edu/funding/assistantships/forms/

Helpful Link 3: The GAAC myUMBC Group. This is where we post things of importance, including our current progress on different issues.

https://my.umbc.edu/groups/gaac

1. Show your Commuter Gold Card to a Commuter Assistant at the event. 
2. Bring a ticket (or other form of physical evidence) to the OCSS office.
3. Publish a social media post on one of our pages (Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter)

• Gold: 6000 CP
• Silver: 4000 CP
• Bronze: 2000 CP

OCSS is now accepting applications for the first-ever Commuter Engagement Community (CEC).  This is an opportunity for new, first-year commuter students who want to leave their mark on UMBC while benefitting local communities.

The Commuter Engagement Community parallels the experience offered by Living-Learning Communities in residence halls. This CEC is being offered in conjunction with the Shriver Center and will allow UMBC commuters to connect with one another while positively impacting their communities. The CEC includes a one-credit class component, bi-weekly meetings to discuss student experiences, and immersive academic and social experiences. The CEC will also give participants an opportunity to be mentored by upperclassmen commuter students who successfully transitioned into life as a UMBC Retriever.

Participation in the CEC requires:

• Enrollment in OCSS's PRAC 096
• Enrollment in SOC 396 or the SOCY 396 independent study section
• Completion of a service assignment in the local community (3-5 hours per week)
• Participation in social and academic events

If you are interested in applying for the CEC, please complete the attached application and submit it by Friday, August 11th at 11:59pm.  If you have questions for concerns, please contact Katie Weir, Coordinator for Commuter Engagement, at kweir@umbc.edu.

TSN Leader Duties

·       Serve as a role model to off-campus and on-campus transfer students.

·       Develop peer-mentoring relationships with assigned students before, during, and after their transition.

·       Organize programming and services as part of your team and collateral project.

·       Assist in development of a sense of community among transfer students.

·       Plan and implement the Transfer Student Network Workshop Series every semester.

·       Assist with Office of Off-Campus Student Services events as needed, including, but not limited to Commuter Week and Welcome Week.

·       Attend two Transfer Day Fairs at partnering community colleges throughout the semester.