Better Together GRAD Speed Friending Night

Monday, Oct 21, 5-7pm | Wellness Center (840 East 59th Street)

Join us for a speed friending event night with Student Wellness and UChicagoGRAD. Dinner will be provided, with activities to break the ice and make new friends!

Volunteer Opportunities Fair
Thursday, Oct 17, 2:00–4:00 p.m. | Edelstone Center, 6030 S Ellis Ave

Join us at the UCSC (6030 S Ellis Ave) for a volunteer opportunities fair. This is the perfect way for new students to learn about ways to engage the community, the south side, and the city!

Meet community partners and learn about volunteer and paid opportunities across Chicago and the South Side. Explore ways to get involved with youth work, sustainability, housing, refugees, seniors, non-profits, community engagement, and more!

GRAD Orientation 2024 
Tuesday, September 24, 2024 | On campus 

Incoming graduate students are invited to mark the beginning of the new year with a Welcome Convocation, featuring distinguished faculty speakers and a welcome from Graduate Council and UChicagoGRAD.

Following the Convocation, a campus resource fair and outdoor luncheon are capped by a graduate student social. Due to the size of the event, it is only open to incoming graduate students.

11:00 a.m.: Doors Open, Rockefeller Chapel 
12:00 noon: Welcome Convocation, Rockefeller Chapel 
1:00–3:00 p.m.: Ida Noyes Courtyard and Midway 
1:00–3:00 p.m.: Resource Fair, Ida Noyes Hall 
1:30 p.m.: International Student Welcome, Ida Noyes Hall 
2:30 p.m.: The Chicago Tradition of Free Inquiry and Expression, Ida Noyes Hall 
5:00–7:00 p.m.: Graduate Council Reception, Ida Noyes Hall 

Inspiring leadership is a leadership philosophy in which the main goal of the leader is to serve. This is one who shares power, puts the needs of the team first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible. Heads of governmental agencies, private organizations, and businesses now see a need to develop an approach to leadership that depends less on absolute power and more on inspiration, motivation, and empowerment.

Join us to find out more about this fascinating style of leadership with coaches Russell Frank, Michael Chapin, Erik Summers and Peter Distler, who have team taught at 15 universities multiple times, to over 12,000 students in Asia.

RSVP here by Sept 10, thank you.

Ask Me Anything: Career Development for International Graduate Students

Are you an international graduate student considering a career in the United States after graduation? Join us for this Ask Me Anything Session with coach Kwan Segal, founder of ICAway, a career consultancy helping international students secure jobs in the U.S.

Josephine Cai (Director, International Student Initiatives) will facilitate the session and get you answers on how to explore and develop potential careers as international students. After the session, you'll have a better sense of strategies for career exploration and networking, as well as ways to address common challenges international students face. RSVP here.

GRAD International Student Resources: Introduction to Interstride

Monday May 13, 1230-130pm, Zoom

Introducing all graduate students to Interstride, a platform that offers support for international students and postdocs on their U.S and international job search process. It is an interactive portal that provides insights, community, and job opportunities. Both domestic and international students can find resources for living and working abroad – whether for study abroad, a summer internship, or a full-time job. Join us for this webinar to find out more about using this tool to inform your job search!

Wellness GRAD Support Space                                                                                                               

First Wednesdays, Spring quarter, 1230-130pm, UChicagoGRAD HQ (3rd floor bookstore building)

UChicagoGRAD and Student Wellness has partnered to bring you a support space beginning monthly first Wednesdays in spring quarter, for you to meet peers and gain support as you manage academic projects.

The discussion topic for April would be on navigating anxieties around school, and the topic for May would revolve around healthcare and insurance. All are welcome to join!

Mon Apr 22, 5-7pm | Student Wellness Center

Calling all graduate students - Join UChicagoGRAD and Student Wellness for a fun board game and social evening on our next Better Together GRAD board game night!

It will be held at the Student Wellness Center, located at 840 E. 59th Street. Looking forward to seeing you! RSVP link

Are you an international student who’s curious about careers, the job search, and where alumni are going in industry? Come talk to a recent UChicago alumni who just went through the same process!

Francesca Marchese Gonzalez completed her MA and MPP degrees from the Committee on International Relations (CIR) and the Harris School of Public Policy in 2023, and is an international student from Guatemala who is now working as data analyst in Chicago Public Schools. Join us at UChicagoGRAD to listen to her journey and participate in Q&A. Refreshments provided. RSVP link

IGSAB Filing Taxes Drop-in

It's tax season! If you were present in the U.S. in 2023, you are required to file tax forms with the government, and the information below will help determine what you may need to do to complete this process. Please take some time to review our Graduate Student Tax resources including an updated FAQ and recorded Tax Information Sessions that can be streamed at your convenience. Remember to reach out to gradhelp@uchicago.edu with your questions related to taxes and University payments. 

Feel free to join us for a drop-in session to meet fellow graduate students like you and gain some company while filing taxes together. Light refreshments will be provided. RSVP for drop-in session here.

Also, do note that this is a support group and not one with instruction, so there will not be any individual tax advice, but a space to hold people together as they file taxes and support each other with the process!

Save the Date: GRADUCon 2024

Friday, March 22, 2024, Online via Zoom

GRADUCon is the university’s annual career exploration conference exclusively for graduate students, postdocs, and recent graduate alumni. Each year the conference brings together hundreds of participants for a full day of career-themed panel discussions and one-on-one conversations with UChicago alumni mentors. By centering the advice of alumni who have been in your shoes, GRADUCon inspires and empowers you to achieve your professional goals.

There will be a panel on the U.S Job Search for international students. We understand that as an international student, the process of navigating the job search and avoiding potential pitfalls within the American job market can be a disconcerting concept for many. We have invited alumni to share their perspectives on how they have personally been through the process, and what are the types of realities international students would have to be prepared for as they enter the job market.

The virtual panel will take place via Zoom on Friday, March 22, 2024, from 1:00 pm – 2:15 pm CDT. In addition to the panel, the conference will also feature opportunities to meet with students for one-on-one virtual “coffee chats” over Zoom.

For a full conference schedule, including a list panel topics, please refer to the GRADUCon webpage.

Wednesday, March 13, 10:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m., meet at UCSC, 6030 S. Ellis

Calling all international graduate students spending spring break here on-campus, join us for our second annual GRAD community volunteering event! After a breakfast and training session, participants will have the opportunity to visit, tour, and complete a volunteer project at a non-profit southside organization. We look forward to seeing you! RSVP here.

Better Together GRAD Speed Friending Night

Monday Feb 26, 5-7pPM, UChicagoGRAD HQ (3rd floor bookstore building)

Join us for a speed friending event night with Student Wellness and UChicagoGRAD. Dinner will be provided, with activities to break the ice, make new friends, and play board games if you'll be so inclined! From 5-6 p.m, we will have speed friending in groups and from 6-7 p.m, we will have games and food for more casual connecting. We look forward to seeing you then!

US Dating 101 (a Valentine's Special by IGSAB for International Graduate Students) Monday Feb 12, 6-730PM, UChicagoGRAD HQ (3rd floor bookstore building)

You're invited to join the International Graduate Student Advisory Board (IGSAB) and Graduate Council's Health and Wellness Committee, to learn more about the American dating scene! Bring your questions about dating apps, cultural norms around dating, and safer sex, while fellow students share their experiences and tips around dating safety and more! Dinner will be provided.

Lockin China Session

Wednesday, November 15, 2023; 7:00pm-8:00pm CT; virtual via Zoom

Join Lockin China for a session featuring industry experts and senior recruiters sharing their insights about Chinese industry jobs relevant to UChicago graduates who are interested in working in top Chinese companies. The workshop is open exclusively for current Chinese-speaking students at UChicago.

The International Graduate Student Advisory Board (IGSAB) is currently recruiting for International Allies, a peer mentorship program. The International Allies Program is designed to provide support, community, and resources for international graduate students to help them adapt to life in the U.S and at UChicago. As a part of this peer-to-peer mentoring program, students in their second year and beyond will serve as mentors to first- or second-year students. This mentorship may entail sharing various life, academic and administration-related experiences, among other things. Each mentor-mentee pair will be required to meet at least twice per quarter, with a small stipend provided to enable outings such as going for brunch or coffee, visiting a museum, or other activities.

Register your interest in participating in International Allies with the following form by November 3, 2023 at 5 pm. Based on your responses, we will match mentors and mentees accordingly within a week. The program will officially start with a kickoff mixer on November 15, 2023 from 5:30-6:30 pm at UChicagoGRAD HQ (3rd floor, bookstore building). Attendance will be mandatory barring course conflicts.

IGSAB Alumni Career Talk
Tuesday, October 31st, 5:00-6:00 p.m., UChicagoGRAD Headquarters (3rd floor, Bookstore Building)

Are you an international student who’s curious about careers and where alumni are going in industry? Come talk to a recent UChicago alumni who just went through the same process! Mati completed her MPP degree from Harris in 2023, and is an international student from Italy who is now in the consulting industry. Join us at UChicago GRAD to listen to her journey and participate in Q&A. Refreshments provided.

GRAD International Student Resources: Introduction to Interstride

Monday Oct 9, 1-2pm | Online, Zoom

Introducing all graduate students to Interstride - a platform that offers support for international graduate students and postdocs on their U.S and international job search process. It is an interactive portal that provides insights, community, and job opportunities. Both domestic and international students can find resources for living and working abroad - whether for study abroad, a summer internship, or a full-time job.

To access the platform, go to https://www.interstride.com/university-of-chicago/ and click on student login. That will bring you to shibboleth and you can proceed to create an account directly from there.

Register on Zoom to access the webinar.