2015 NAGPS Northeast Regional Conference

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Date/Time
Date(s) - 04/10/2015 - 04/12/2015
All Day

Location
University of Pittsburgh

Categories


Join us for the 2015 NAGPS Northeast Regional Conference!

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The National Association of Graduate-Professional Students (NAGPS) would like to welcome you to the 2015 Northeast Regional Conference! This annual conference brings together graduate student leaders from the Northeast region.  

 

[tabgroup] [tab title=Checklist ] [headline]Checklist[/headline]
  1. Please review all the tabs for detailed information about registration and contributing to the conference.
  2. Register for Conference
  3. Book your Hotel
  4. Submit an Abstract for Session
  5. NAGPS Members: Nominate someone or yourself for a Regional Board Position
  6. NAGPS Members: Submit a bid to host the 2016 Northeast Regional Conference
  7. Please check out the 2015 NAGPS Northeast Regional Conference Facebook page for updates!
[/tab] [tab title=Register ] [headline]Registration Fees[/headline]

Registration Fees

Member Universities: $35/person

Non-member Universities: $60/person

Register Now
[/tab] [tab title=Accommodations][headline]Accommodations[/headline]

Hotel Information

 

  • NAGPS has secured a block of rooms at the University Center Wyndham for the special rate of $140/night
  • NAGPS block rate expires March 13
  • The Wyndham University Center is located at 100 Lytton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
  • Call the hotel directly to receive NAGPS discount: 412-682-6200
[/tab] [tab title=Transportation][headline]Transportation[/headline]

Conference activities will take place at the William Pitt Union , located at the heart of the University of Pittsburgh’s campus and a short 5 minute walk from the hotel. For conference attendees coming in from outside of Pittsburgh, it is easy to access the University campus via public transportation.  Real time bus information can be viewed on the Transit and Tiramisu smartphone apps.

  • From the airport. The 28x Airport Bus travels directly from Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) to the University of Pittsburgh campus and conference hotel. Bus drivers do not carry change; buses accept cash only. Fare to or from the airport is $3.75 for one direction.
  • From Downtown (Megabus/Greyhound/Amtrak). Take the 71A/B/C/D from Downtown to Fifth Avenue and Tennyson. Bus drivers do not carry change; buses accept cash only.  Fare to or from downtown is $2.50 for one direction, $3.50 for round-trip (includes 3 hour transfer).
[/tab] [tab title=Abstracts & Roundtables ] [headline]Abstracts & Roundtables[/headline]

The full list of abstracts and roundtables can be found in the  conference program.

NAGPS regional conferences serve as a forum where student leaders from the region come together to share best practices, learn about national platforms, and grow in their understanding of issues relevant to graduate students in the Northeast. The conference presentations are a great opportunity to highlight your organization, as well as to learn from the wisdom of your fellow student leaders. Presentations are typically 15-20 minutes in length with 10 minutes for questions.  Many presentations are roundtables, which allow conference attendees to directly share experiences and focus discussion around major issues.

 

The theme of this year’s conference is sustainability.  If you are unsure of a presentation or roundtable topic, here are some suggestions, following the four traditional pillars of sustainability: culture, politics, economics, and environment.

 

Cultural
-Preparing graduate students for non-academic employment
-Supporting graduate student mental health
-Events that help students break out of the campus bubble
-Sustaining open forums for feedback on cross-cultural concerns

 

Political
-Strategic planning
-Transitioning new graduate student leaders
-Data-driven advocacy
-Managing advisors and support staff
-Engaging international and underrepresented groups in graduate student organizations

 

Economic
-Conference funding
-Supporting social entrepreneurship on campus
-Student fees and independent graduate student governance
-Challenges in supporting graduate student parents

 

Environment
-Peer conflict management
-Promoting alternate transportation (buses, biking)
-Graduate lounge space
-Helping international students

 
Submit Your Abstract [/tab]

 

[/tab] [tab title=Elections ] [headline]Regional Board Elections[/headline]

 

Interested in being more involved in NAGPS? Why not start with a regional board position? Elections will be held during the regional business meeting for the following positions (full description of positions here):

 

-Vice Chair
-Director of Outreach
-Director of Legislative Affairs
-Director of Communications & Administration
-Employment Concerns Chair
-Social Justice Chair
-International Student Concerns Chair
-Legal Concerns Chair

 

During the business meeting portion of the conference, elections for each of the positions will be held. For each position, each candidate will get the chance to give their “campaign speech” followed by question and answer by the membership. Afterwards, a closed discussion and closed vote will determine who is elected. (NOTE: Regional Chair positions are elected at the National Conference).

 If you have any questions or want to run for a position but cannot attend the business meeting please contact the Northeast Regional Chair, Will Frankenstein at nerc@nagps.org

Self-nominations are encouraged!

  Nominate Here

 [/tab] [tab title=Bids for the 2016 Northeast Regional Conference ] [headline]Bids for the 2016 Northeast Regional Conference[/headline]

 

If you are interested in hosting the 2016 Northeast Regional Conference, you must submit a letter of intent to the NAGPS Executive Committee (excomm@nagps.org) AND Regional Chair (nerc@nagps.org) before the regional conference, April 10th, 2015. This letter shall provide two important elements: (1) approval of the graduate-professional student organization (GPSO) to host the regional conference; this can include approval from your GPSO, Dean, or Administrator, and (2) a named Director of Regional Conference to coordinate planning and volunteers of the regional conference (the Director must be a member of the host organization).

 

After submitting the letter, you would present your bid proposal to the membership at the 2015 Regional Conference. Please limit your presentation to no more than 10 minutes and 10 slides. Click here for an example bid. The presentation shall include, but is not limited to:

 

  1. Dates of conference (must occur between March 1st and April 30th)
  2. Location and member organization overview
  3. Meeting facilities
  4. Accommodations
  5. Projected budget
  6. Projected expenses for an attending organization
  7. Name of the Director of Regional Conference
  8. Required assistance from the Association

 

Time will be allotted for questions on each proposal. After all regional bid presentations have concluded, there may be a closed discussion followed by a vote of the membership. The majority vote of the regional membership will elect the host institution for the 2016 Regional Conference.

 

Host institutions shall secure funding for the conference. It is the responsibility of the host school to lead fundraising efforts. All fundraising and other partners must be submitted to the Board of Directors, which reserves the right to reject any partnership. Host institutions shall adhere to the NAGPS Constitution, Bylaws, and Standard Operating Procedures. All approved written and verbal communications to host the conference are binding.

 

For more information or questions, please contact the Vice President, Zachary Brooks at vp@nagps.org.

 

[/tab] [tab title=Schedule ] [headline] Schedule[/headline]

A detailed schedule can be found in the full conference program.

Tentative Schedule

Friday evening: Welcome Session and Evening Activity
Saturday morning: Sessions
Saturday afternoon: Business meeting, Keynote
Saturday evening: Dinner, Evening Activity
Sunday morning: New regional board meeting

[headline]Attire[/headline]

Welcome Dinner on Friday, and Social Event on Saturday are casual.

 

Conference on Saturday is business casual.

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As a region, we meet once a year at our Regional Conference to discuss the issues and concerns that are important to graduate and professional students across the region. The Regional Conference is one of the best venues and opportunities to network and meet other leaders across the Northeast and exchange best practices of your graduate organizations.

On behalf of the Northeast Regional Board, we are excited for you to come join us this year at the University of Pittsburgh.
Best,
Will Frankenstein
Northeast Regional Chair