************************** GSC ANNOUNCEMENTS *************************<br>
more extensive annoucements online: <a href="http://gsc.mit.edu">http://gsc.mit.edu</a><br>
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<br>
headlines (details below):<br>
<br>
1. Graduate Orientation 2006<br>
Enjoy events, meet new students, and volunteer<br>
<br>
2. BU Dental School Dental Plan<br>
Open to MIT students<br>
<br>
3. Students on Graduate Curriculum Options (SCGO) Committee<br>
Calling for members<br>
<br>
<br>
details:<br>
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<br>
*Grad Orientation 2006*<br>
<br>
Graduate Orientation kicked off to a great start this week with BBQs,
seminars, information booth, tours, and much much more. <br>
<br>Volunteers are still needed! For the full schedule of events, please visit
<a href="http://gsc.mit.edu/orientation">http://gsc.mit.edu/orientation</a>. The following events are particularly in need of volunteers:<br>
<br>
Carmen Sandiego Orientation Party (Friday, September 1)<br>
Residence Day Carnival (Saturday, September 9)<br>
Dance Fusion V Orientation Party (Friday, September 8)<br>
Graduate Student Volunteer Day (Saturday, September 16)<br>
<br>
For a full volunteers-needed list, go to the Orientation Volunteers
page: <a href="http://web.mit.edu/gsc/www/firstyear/orientation/volunteers.shtml">http://web.mit.edu/gsc/www/firstyear/orientation/volunteers.shtml</a>
or contact the GSC Orientation Committee Chairs directly by email:
<a href="mailto:gsc-oc@mit.edu">gsc-oc@mit.edu</a>.<br>
<br>
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<br>
*BU Dental School Dental Plan*<br>
<br>
The Boston University Dental School has opened enrollment for its
Student Dental Plan. Many MIT students have found this to be an
affordable way of obtaining dental care while enrolled here.
Enrollment is open to all graduate and undergraduate students and their
spouses. Spaces are limited and BU expects them to fill up
quickly, so sign up now if you are interested. The plan costs
$239 for coverage starting Sept. 1, 2006 and ending on Aug. 31, 2007.<br>
<br>
For more details and to register, see <a href="http://dentalschool.bu.edu/sdp">http://dentalschool.bu.edu/sdp</a> or
call the Student Dental Plan office, 617/638-4698, Monday through
Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.<br>
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<br>
*Students on Graduate Curriculum Options (SGCO) Committee*<br>
<br>
Two graduate students, Emily Fox and Stephen Hou, are working to
implement a Pass/D/Fail option for courses taken beyond the core
graduate requirements. This issue stemmed from within the Course
6 Education Committee (SixEd), but this effort has to be institute
wide. Thus, the Students on Graduate Curriculum Options (SGCO)
committee was formed in order to organize this effort and gain broad
support to take the proposal to the appropriate Institute
committees. The committee would meet for one hour every other
week and on an as-needed basis.<br>
<br>
Currently, a graduate student may register to take classes only on
grades (A/B/C/D/F) or as a listener. The issues SGCO sees with
the system as it stands are primarily: <br>
* Many graduate students opt not to take classes that interest them
beyond the core requirements because of the amount of time it would
take away from their research if they were to take the subject on grades<br>
* Research is becoming more multi-disciplinary and students interested
in exploring tangential fields may not have all the background for a
subject, but would still benefit from the material covered.
Anxiety about grades may deter students from signing up for the subject
in the first place.<br>
* Most subjects at MIT rely on problem sets or other assignments as a
significant portion of the learning process. Even if a listener
is motivated enough to do the work (which is rare), they do not receive
feedback nor does the subject show up on the external transcript (even
though it counts against the student's course load)<br>
* Graduate seminars and classes end up getting cancelled because there
are not enough students taking them for credit, even though there are
often many students who want to learn the material <br>
* Classes and office hours may become overcrowded with listeners, and
departments may not supply the correct amount of support staff to some
subjects because of inaccurate student counts.<br>
<br>
If this is an issue you care about, and you would be interested in
joining the SGCO, please email <a href="mailto:sgco@mit.edu">sgco@mit.edu</a>. Also, please direct
all questions to <a href="mailto:sgco@mit.edu">sgco@mit.edu</a>.<br>
<br>
------------------------------------------------------------------------<br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Shan Wu<br>Vice President<br>Graduate Student Council<br>Massachusetts Institute of Technology<br><br><a href="mailto:gsc-vice-president@mit.edu">
gsc-vice-president@mit.edu</a> | <a href="http://gsc.mit.edu">http://gsc.mit.edu</a>