UMBC has been selected for the Enhancing Student Financial Education project, a best practice project aimed at enhancing financial education, with special emphasis on addressing the needs and understanding the financial circumstances of graduate students.

The study is funded by TIAA-CREF and is being conducted by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC dedicated solely to the advancement of graduate education and research (www.cgsnet.org). All graduate students received an official link via their UMBC email accounts for the survey.

The goal of the project is to provide best practices to universities to help them improve financial education based on the unique needs of graduate and undergraduate students. We would like to hear about your perspectives on topics such as financing your education and your exposure to financial education resources.

If you have any questions about your rights as a participant in this research study, contact the Office for Research Protections and Compliance at (410) 455-2737 or compliance@umbc.edu.

To begin the survey, please use the link that was sent to your email, with the subject: "UMBC Graduate Student Financial Perspectives Survey,"then follow the online instructions. We estimate that this survey should take about 10 minutes to complete. The link from your email is uniquely tied to the survey and your email address. Please do not forward the email message.

Participants who complete the survey will be eligible for a series of drawings that lead to prizes in the form of UMBC bookstore gift cards. Participants who do not win a prize in the first drawing will be entered into subsequent drawings. Therefore, when you participate early, you have more chances to win.

• Participants who take the survey by October 4th will be entered into the drawing for a chance to win a gift card worth $250.

• Participants who take the survey between October 5th and 18th will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a gift card worth $100.

Participants who take the survey between October 19th and 31st will be entered into the drawing for a chance to win one of three gift cards worth $50.

Thank you for your participation. Please reference the link that was sent to your email on Thursday, October 3, 2013 with the subject:

UMBC Graduate Student Financial Perspectives Survey; $250, $100, $50 prizes

Do you ever wonder what your faculty expect of you? Have you been given directions or instructions, but wonder what your faculty is asking of you? Do you have questions about what professors are looking for during the dissertation process, or how they interpret performance on comprehensive exams? Do you wonder if your professors are saying x, but really mean y? Professors have expressed that when they say X …, they mean X.  Is there a way to listen differently? Is there a way to be sure that you are understanding expectations clearly?

Each year, PROMISE; Maryland’s AGEP and The Graduate School at UMBC host a dinner seminar to allow graduate students to ask questions of faculty. This year, the  ”When Faculty Say ‘X’ … ” seminar will be held on Friday, October 11, 2013 in the first floor lecture hall of Academic IV (The George and Betsy Sherman Building) at UMBC. A full-course dinner will be served.
This is your chance to ask the faculty any questions about expectations, understanding requirements, how they say “no”, how they show their approval, express sentiments using body language, etc. You can ask any and all questions during the seminar, or post questions (anonymously) in advance as a comment on this website. 

• UMBC Students, please RSVP here: http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/18932
• Students from other schools, RSVP by commenting here, 1) Name 2) School 3) Department.  This seminar is free!

*ALL* students are asked to post questions for faculty here! These can remain anonymous. Faculty will answer your questions at the dinner seminar on Friday, October 11, 2013.

—————-

Photo reference: Partial cover image from Steven Strogatz’ The Joy of x — A Guided Tour of Math from One to Infinity, from NY Times Blog “Steven Strogatz and The Joy of x“ http://wordplay.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/26/joy-of-x/?_r=0

—————

Related PROMISE article:

Communicate with your faculty (A message for new and continuing grad students.)

Do you ever wonder what your faculty expect of you? Have you been given directions or instructions, but wonder what your faculty is asking of you? Do you have questions about what professors are looking for during the dissertation process, or how they interpret performance on comprehensive exams? Do you wonder if your professors are saying x, but really mean y? Professors have expressed that when they say X …, they mean X.  Is there a way to listen differently? Is there a way to be sure that you are understanding expectations clearly?

Each year, PROMISE; Maryland’s AGEP and The Graduate School at UMBC host a dinner seminar to allow graduate students to ask questions of faculty. This year, the  ”When Faculty Say ‘X’ … ” seminar will be held on Friday, October 11, 2013 in the first floor lecture hall of Academic IV (The George and Betsy Sherman Building) at UMBC. A full-course dinner will be served.
This is your chance to ask the faculty any questions about expectations, understanding requirements, how they say “no”, how they show their approval, express sentiments using body language, etc. You can ask any and all questions during the seminar, or post questions (anonymously) in advance as a comment on this website. 

• UMBC Students, please RSVP here: http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/18932
• Students from other schools, RSVP by commenting here, 1) Name 2) School 3) Department.  This seminar is free!

*ALL* students are asked to post questions for faculty here! These can remain anonymous. Faculty will answer your questions at the dinner seminar on Friday, October 11, 2013.

—————-

Photo reference: Partial cover image from Steven Strogatz’ The Joy of x — A Guided Tour of Math from One to Infinity, from NY Times Blog “Steven Strogatz and The Joy of x“ http://wordplay.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/26/joy-of-x/?_r=0

—————

Related PROMISE article:

Communicate with your faculty (A message for new and continuing grad students.)

FAQ's: Here are some frequently asked questions about the new MARC Penn Line weekend service.

How many trips will operate on the weekend?
There will be 9 round trips on Saturday and 6 on Sunday.

Will there be weekend service on the Camden Line?
No. Camden Line passengers are welcome to use the new Penn Line service.
 One-way, weekly and monthly tickets on the Camden Line are always
honored on the Penn Line.

Will there be weekend service on the Brunswick Line?
No. Brunswick Line passengers are reminded of the MTA Commuter Bus 201,
which provides 7-day a week, hourly service between Gaithersburg Park
and Ride, Arundle Mills Mall, and BWI Marshall Airport and Rail Station.

Can I use my MARC weekly or monthly pass that I use Monday through Friday for the new weekend service?
Yes! You will need to purchase single ride tickets for anyone in your party
that does not have a MARC pass. Weekly tickets are good for unlimited
use beginning on the Saturday of the designated week until midnight of
the following Friday.

Will select Amtrak trains still honor MARC weekly and monthly tickets on the weekend?
No. MARC tickets will no longer be honored on Amtrak weekend trains.  Funds
used to pay Amtrak for this priviledge have been shifted to pay to
operate the weekend service. 

PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP and the PROF-it (Professors-in-Training) Program at UMBC are connecting with the Goucher Prison Education Partnership. This partnership will provide opportunities for graduate students or postdocs  to engage in community-based teaching initiatives.

Amy Roza, Director of the Goucher Prison Education Partnership, will come to the PROF-it “Brown Bag” seminar on:

• Friday, October 4, 2013
• 12 noon
• Room 318
• The Commons, UMBC.

 Please bring your lunch to this seminar. (Following Amy Roza’s presentation, Dr. Judith Pollack will discuss public speaking in the classroom.)

Information about the Goucher Prison Education Partnership

The Goucher Prison Education Partnership (GPEP), a division of Goucher College, gives men and women incarcerated in Maryland the opportunity to pursue an excellent college education. We offer Goucher College courses to students at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women (MCIW) and the Maryland Correctional Institution – Jessup (MCIJ). We also provide college preparatory courses for students needing additional skill development to be ready for rigorous college work.

The entire Goucher academic community is enhanced and strengthened by the inclusion of these talented, dedicated students at the two prisons. Our work together stimulates awareness and meaningful dialogue in and beyond the Goucher community about justice, incarceration, and educational access.

Teaching With GPEP

College courses are taught by Goucher College faculty and occasionally by faculty from other local institutions. The same outstanding courses offered on Goucher’s main campus are offered at MCIW and MCIJ. We also hire skilled instructors to lead college preparatory English and math courses.  

Individuals interested in learning more about opportunities to teach with GPEP should visit our website www.goucher.edu/GPEP<http://www.goucher.edu/GPEP>. Those wishing to apply should send a cover letter and resume to GPEPteach@goucher.edu<mailto:GPEPteach@goucher.edu>. We have a particular need for highly qualified math instructors for courses including pre-algebra, algebra I, algebra II, precalculus, statistics, and calculus I.

Other ways to become involved

A cohort of skilled community members volunteer with the Goucher Prison Education Partnership. We have a particular need for math tutors and for individuals who can commit to offer 5 or more hours per week of office help. To find out more, please visit our website www.goucher.edu/GPEP<http://www.goucher.edu/GPEP>

Related articles

• Professional development seminars for graduate students: FALL 2013 (promiseagep.wordpress.com)

PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP and the PROF-it (Professors-in-Training) Program at UMBC are connecting with the Goucher Prison Education Partnership. This partnership will provide opportunities for graduate students or postdocs  to engage in community-based teaching initiatives.

Amy Roza, Director of the Goucher Prison Education Partnership, will come to the PROF-it “Brown Bag” seminar on:

• Friday, October 4, 2013
• 12 noon
• Room 318
• The Commons, UMBC.

 Please bring your lunch to this seminar. (Following Amy Roza’s presentation, Dr. Judith Pollack will discuss public speaking in the classroom.)

Information about the Goucher Prison Education Partnership

The Goucher Prison Education Partnership (GPEP), a division of Goucher College, gives men and women incarcerated in Maryland the opportunity to pursue an excellent college education. We offer Goucher College courses to students at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women (MCIW) and the Maryland Correctional Institution – Jessup (MCIJ). We also provide college preparatory courses for students needing additional skill development to be ready for rigorous college work.

The entire Goucher academic community is enhanced and strengthened by the inclusion of these talented, dedicated students at the two prisons. Our work together stimulates awareness and meaningful dialogue in and beyond the Goucher community about justice, incarceration, and educational access.

Teaching With GPEP

College courses are taught by Goucher College faculty and occasionally by faculty from other local institutions. The same outstanding courses offered on Goucher’s main campus are offered at MCIW and MCIJ. We also hire skilled instructors to lead college preparatory English and math courses.  

Individuals interested in learning more about opportunities to teach with GPEP should visit our website www.goucher.edu/GPEP<http://www.goucher.edu/GPEP>. Those wishing to apply should send a cover letter and resume to GPEPteach@goucher.edu<mailto:GPEPteach@goucher.edu>. We have a particular need for highly qualified math instructors for courses including pre-algebra, algebra I, algebra II, precalculus, statistics, and calculus I.

Other ways to become involved

A cohort of skilled community members volunteer with the Goucher Prison Education Partnership. We have a particular need for math tutors and for individuals who can commit to offer 5 or more hours per week of office help. To find out more, please visit our website www.goucher.edu/GPEP<http://www.goucher.edu/GPEP>

Related articles

• Professional development seminars for graduate students: FALL 2013 (promiseagep.wordpress.com)

All are invited to attend a free lunch seminar at UMBC on personal money management, developing budgets, and reducing debt on Wednesday, October 2, 2013, 1:00 PM, in Room 329 of the Commons.  Our guests will be Kevin Harris, MBA, CEO of Bedrock Assets in Chicago, and Sonya Caesar, Director of Money Matter$.

Kevin Harris is a businessman and leader who has traveled to 22 countries on 5 continents; he has observed and applied leadership principles across uniquely different cultures and demographics. Kevin is the CEO of Bedrock Assets, and is also the general manager for BP’s 1.2 million sq. ft. property portfolio in the Chicago Area. He leads a team of 250 people to deliver safe, reliable and cost efficient operations across a diverse portfolio of pilot plant, commercial office and trading floor operations. His organization also provides design, construction, safety, medical and other business services to nearly 3000 employees in Chicago and the western suburbs. Kevin has domestic and international business leadership and operations experience in the U.S., Japan, China, Africa, S. America and various parts of Europe. His previous leadership experience includes serving as Vice President of strategy, planning and performance for a $15 billion BP fuels business, General Manager for a $100 million international BP chemical business in addition to other sales, engineering and operational roles. Harris will discuss: Budgeting, saving, debt, spending patterns  & “Future Financial Decisions – How Budgeting Now Can Lead to Financial Savings Later.”

Sonya Caesar, Director of the “Money Matter$” program at CCBC, interviewee on PBS’ Nightly News regarding financial management, and UMBC Alum, will work with participants on their personal budgets. She coordinates Developmental Education on the Essex Campus of CCBC, and is one of the leaders for the community-based Financial Literacy initiative in the Baltimore region. Caesar will discuss student debt, managing both a personal budget and student loans. 

—————-

AGENDA

• 12:45 – Participants arrive, get lunch

• 1:00  - Welcome & Overview of Financial Literacy Series

• 1:05 – Overview of the importance of budgeting - Sonya Caesar, Director of Money Matter$

• 1:10 – “Keynote” Budgeting, Saving, Debt, Spending Patterns” & “Future Financial Decisions – How Budgeting Now Can Lead to Financial Savings Later”  - Kevin Harris, MBA, CEO of Bedrock Assets 

• 1:35 – “Creating a Budget Worksheet” & Report out - Sonya Caesar.

• 1:50 – Q & A

• 2:00 – End formal session

• 2:00 – 2:30 – Informal Q& A and Individual consultations with the speakers.

This seminar is co-sponsored by The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) TIAA CREF Financial Literacy grant and The Graduate School at UMBC. Kevin Harris appears courtesy of co-sponsorship by Bedrock Assets. For more about Bedrock Assets, visit their website:   http://www.bedrockassets.com.