Welcome to McGill University

Department of Integrated Studies in Education

MA Orientation, August 27, & Sept 32014

The Contract

The relationship between the student and the faculty, staff, and department is considered to be a contract.

All those involved in this contract are responsible for upholding their responsibilities.

Deadlines, regulations, rules and practices should be clear, consistent, and respected.

All contract members are responsible for keeping informed and in touch.

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Table of Contents

1. Student Groups & Welcome Events

2. Useful Links

3. DISE MA Programs

4. Co-Curricular Activities

5. Funding

6. Good Advice

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1. Studen

t Gro

ups &

Welc

ome Even

ts

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PGSS (Post-Graduate Students’ Society)

For all graduate students, university-wide:• organizes social events• provides financial advice• Provides some funding for cultural activities • provides insurance coverage advice• is a route for participation in PGSS and university

committees• provides student advocacy services• has headquarters in Thomson House (two

buildings downhill) with a restaurant and space for socializingContact: http://pgss.mcgill.ca

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PGSS ORIENTATION OPEN HOUSE & WELCOME EVENT

Thomson House, 3650 McTavishTuesday Sept 2 15:30 – 19:00

Requested Time for Education 17:30 – 18:30

• meet other new students• get info re McGill Services• meet faculty Deans• meet PGSS executives

http://www.mcgill.ca/firstyear/grad-students/fall-orientation

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EGSS -Education Graduate Students’ Society

For graduate students in the Faculty of Education (DISE, ECP, KPE)•shares insights, expertise and fellowship•supports you in getting through program•recognizes the collective voice of the graduate student body •provides representation on departmental committees•provides study spaces and a lounge (EDUC 631)•supports solidarity initiatives•organizes the annual Graduate Student Conference (March)

President: Currently vacant egss@mail.mcgill.cahttp://egss.mcgill.ca

DISE representative, Ashley DeMartini, Ashley.demartini@mail.mcgill.ca

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2. Usef

ul Links

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Common Abbreviations• DISE = Dept. of Integrated Studies in Education

• Note: this will soon be DESS: Dept. of Education, Schools & Society

• ECP = Dept. of Educational & Counselling Psychology (Faculty of Ed.)

• GPS = Graduate & Post-Doctoral Studies

• GPD = Graduate Program Director (MA)

• GPD = Graduate Program Director (PhD)

• GPC = Graduate Program Coordinator & Graduate Program Committee

• SP = Service Point

• ES = Enrollment Services

• CAPS = Career Planning Service

• TLS = Teaching & Learning Services

• MINERVA = student online information system

• myCourses = online Learning Management System

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MCGILL Academic LINKS

• GPS policies:http://www.mcgill.ca/gps

• Faculty of Education: http://www.mcgill.ca/education/students

• DISE: http://www.mcgill.ca/edu-dise/

http://www.mcgill.ca/study/2014-2015/

• Teaching & Learning Services: http://www.mcgill.ca/tls/

• Statistical Consulting Service: http://www.math.mcgill.ca/~scs/

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MCGill Student Services• Service Point, Enrollment Services: http://www.mcgill.ca/es/

• First Year Office: http://www.mcgill.ca/firstyear/

• CAPS Career Planning Service: http://www.mcgill.ca/caps

• Student Legal Information Clinic: 398-6792 http://licm.mcgill.ca/site.php?lang=en&page=legalclinic

• International Students Office: http://www.mcgill.ca/internationalstudents/

• IT (Computer Help Desk): 398-3398 http://www.mcgill.ca/it/

• Student Financial Aid: http://www.mcgill.ca/studentaid/awards/

• Student Health Services 398-6017 http://www.mcgill.ca/studenthealth/

• Counselling Centre 398-3601 Mental Health 398-6019 http://www.mcgill.ca/studenthealth/information/mentalhealth

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Calendars of Key DatesFor registration, adding and dropping courses, class schedules…

•http://www.mcgill.ca/importantdates/

•http://www.mcgill.ca/students/courses/dates/

Key Regulations•http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/policies/regulations#REGULATION

S

•http://www.mcgill.ca/study/2012-2013/university_regulations_and_resources/graduate/gps_gi_regulations

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3. DIS

E M.A

. Pro

grams

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DISE GRADUATE STUDIES

• Chair of DISEDr. Steve Jordansteve.Jordan@mcgill.ca

• Graduate Program Director (MA) Dr. Anila Asghar, Rm. 248

anila.asghar@mcgill.ca,

• Graduate Program Coordinator: Mr. Michael Larivière, Rm. 244

michael.lariviere@mcgill.ca 398-1591

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Advising: Ask the GPC first

Call, e-mail or stop in to see Michael Lariviere.

•Funding

•Program requirements and course selection

•Registration for courses, reading courses, projects and thesis courses

•Grades (e.g. incompletes)

•Changes of status between full-time and half-time

•Change of program (thesis ~ non-thesis only once!)

•Leaves of absence

•http://www.mcgill.ca/students/records/forms

•Thesis submission (deadlines, preparation and submission guidelines) (see below)

You can telephone, email or stop in. Office hours for Michael Lariviere are 9:30-4 TWH, 10-4 MF. Make an arrangement by email or phone to see him 4-5pm.

Always follow up with a confirmation email.

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Academic Integrity OutreachOnline Tutorial

• Information on critical issues of academic integrity.

• Intended to reduce the number of academic infractions.

• On your MINERVA student menu for you to do.

• At some point a hold will be put on registration if you have not done this.

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M.A. Program Requirements

General information: http://www.mcgill.ca/education/prospective/graduate

M.A. Education and Society: Thesis; or Non-Thesis with 6-credit project

New Concentration (Mathematics and Science Education) ThesisM.A. Educational Leadership: Thesis; Non-Thesis with 12-credit project; or Non-Thesis CourseworkM.A. Second Language Education: Thesis; or Non-Thesis coursework•All programs are 45 credits.•All thesis programs have 24 credits of thesis courses.•All programs have a Gender & Women’s Studies option•Passing grade is B-.

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M.A. Project

Available for Education & Society (6 credits) and Educational Leadership (12 credits).

Project topic and requirements are negotiated between student and supervisor.

Fill in online project form and hand in to GPC.

Can be school-based or community-based.

Some M.A. projects take the form of a report or substantive paper. Others have included: art exhibition, dance performance, play-writing, teacher guidebook for gender inclusivity, production of children’s book on social justice issues, development of interactive website for community organization, course or workshop design.

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M.A. Degree Schedule

Time to complete program:

3 years full-time

4.5 to 5 years part-time (non-thesis) or half-time (thesis)

Residence requirement: 3 terms full-time or 6 terms part/half -time.

Thesis and project students should have a supervisor by the end of the first year.

Non-thesis students must apply online for graduation.

You must be registered for every single term from the time you first register until you graduate, including leaves and thesis writing.

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Registration & Fees

• You must be registered for ALL terms between the time you first register and the time you graduate. This includes leaves, additional sessions, and thesis writing.

• International /ROC / Quebec Status: affects tuition and eligibility for some grants.

• STATUS: full-time / half-timeo international students must be full-time.o you must be full-time to apply for external grants

• RESIDENCY PERIOD: 3 terms (first summer term is free)• ADDITIONAL SESSION:

o you pay lower fees for additional terms after the residency period is completed.

• http://www.mcgill.ca/student-accounts/tuition-fees• http://www.mcgill.ca/student-accounts/tuition-fees/non-

tuition-charges20

LEAVES OF ABSENCE

• Different types of leave, usually family, medical or employment; all require documentation.

• There are no longer any “Non-Resident Leaves”• Grants and student visas do not continue during a leave.• You must be officially registered while on leave. Do not

simply disappear; you may end up not finishing, or owing lots of back fees.

• Stop the clock rather than grind to a halt!

http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/students/progress/leave-vacation

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Thesis submission Submission Dates

Note: “Initial thesis submission” refers to official submission to Thesis Office of entire thesis as the beginning of the official examination process.

When you are getting close to submission, sit down with the GPC and go over the steps.

Plan with adequate time for review, getting signatures, etc. Do not cut the deadlines too closely!

Thesis Evaluation Status: applies to fees when the thesis evaluation process crosses two terms.

http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/thesis/guidelines/initial-submission

http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/thesis/deadlines22

Official Thesis Submission Deadlines

Initial Submission(affects fees)

Final Submission(affects grad-uation date: no flexibility!)

Additional Session

Thesis Evaluation

Graduation

Apr 16 – Aug 15

Aug 16 – Dec 15 Summer Fall February

Aug 16 – Dec 15

Dec 16 – Apr 15 Fall Winter June

Dec 16 – Apr 15

Apr 16 – Aug 15 Winter Summer October

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4. Co-cu

rricu

lar Acti

vities

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CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Workshops, talks, seminars and presentations:

•Practical help in learning specific skills, from reference formatting to grant-writing.

•Opportunities for informal learning about educational activities and research in a wide variety of areas with students, faculty and educators.

Keep track of your attendance on the Co-curricular Activities Report sheet (on DISE website).

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Practical Help

• SKILLSETS (GPS &TLS)http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/students/skillsets

• myRESEARCH (in the Education Library)

http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/students/skillsets/research/myresearch

• Grant-Writing Support (DISE, GPS and SKILLSETS) see below

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Speaker Series

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• DISE TALKS! Students, faculty and visitors talking about their work and projects.

• “Globalization, Education and Change”: inter-disciplinary perspectives from local and international scholars and educators.

• “Meet the Neighbours”: experiences in community education, research, knowledge production and social change with community educators, organizers and practitioners

5. Funding Support

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DISE FUNDING

DISE Graduate Excellence Entrance Awards• Eligible: full-time students in M.A. thesis and 12-credit project

option only.• Awards for 2014-15 are: $1500 (Quebec), $2000 (ROC) and

$2500 (international)

Research Assistantships• Given on entrance or later to work on a funded research project.• RA positions are posted on CAPS and must be applied for.• RA unit is unionized, with a collective agreement.

Teaching Assistantships • TA positions are posted on CAPS, and must be applied for.• Degree requirements vary for levels of courses. • TA unit is unionized, with a collective agreement and a priority

pool

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GREATS: DISE TRAVEL awards

http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/students/fellowships/great

• Helps fund cost of conferences at which you are presenting.

• One presentation given between May 1, 2013 and April 30, 2014 is eligible.

• The amount of individual awards depends on the number of applicants

• Send notice of submission to GPC; requests are considered and funds reserved as they are received. Include name, ID, name/dates/place of conference.

• Confirmation of acceptance required before disbursement.• Funds available only after September 1.

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Graduate Travel Fellowships: • These are awards for travel NOT to attend conferences, e.g.

research, data collection, special summer course. • A call for applications usually goes out in October. All

decisions will be made at one time shortly after the due date.• The amount of individual awards depends on the number of

applicants.• Preference is given to those applicants who did not receive an

award during 2013-14

EGSS Travel Fellowships: • $250 (N. Am.) or $500 (outside N.Am.) for conference

presentation • number of awards as funding permits • deadlines to apply can be found on EGSS website

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DISE and Faculty Awardshttp://www.mcgill.ca/education/students/graduate/awards

Notifications of award deadlines will be sent to you by email.

DISE Awards: 1 PhD and 1 MA award each; application dates in Winter

Community Engagement Award Educator Practitioner-Researcher AwardInnovative Dissemination of Research Award

Faculty of Education Awards: A variety of awards of varying amounts

• Two application sessions, in Fall and Winter terms.

EGSS Fellowships: two $500 MA awards and two $1,000 PhD awards.

• Based on research and professional excellence. • Deadline usually in April.

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GRANTS: External

Information on external and internal grants and awards:

http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/students/fellowships

SSHRC: www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/ [must go through Dept.]

FQRSC: http://www.fqrsc.gouv.qc.ca/fr/accueil.php

Although forms change slightly from year to year, the basic sections remain the same. You can get a head-start on your drafts by using the most recent forms on these sites.

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6. Good A

dvice!

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Words to the Wise…• Communicate with us only via your official McGill student

email address. Always include your student ID number.• Pay attention to your email messages. • Check your advising transcript regularly on MINERVA• Check your physical mailbox, 2nd floor inner corridor, often. • Make sure your current coordinates are up-to-date on

MINERVA.• Register on time. Respect deadlines. Allow time for

signatures. Allow time for unforeseen unknowns.• Double-check conflicting advice!• You must be officially registered for ALL semesters, even

on leave. Do not disappear.• Use the assistance available before you really need it.• Take advantage of McGill and community resources. They

are for YOU!35