GVPT Undergraduate Newsletter

1. Advising Updates

The GVPT Department, and your advising staff, wish everyone a great Fall semester! Welcome back to College Park!

Walk-In Hours will be held every Monday-Thursday from 1pm-5pm

Appointments will ONLY be scheduled Monday-Thursday from 9am-12pm and Friday from 9am-5pm. Students wishing to set up an appointment should email advising@gvpt.umd.edu with multiple available dates and times.

The Advising Staff would like to remind you of the following upcoming dates:

September 15th - End of Schedule Adjustment Period (drop/add)

October 22 - Begin Leave of Absence Option

November 10th - Last day to withdraw (drop for a "W")

Final Exams - December 15-20

2. Nominate Your Classmate For The Spirit Of Maryland Award!

The Spirit of Maryland Award is presented annually in lieu of a traditional Homecoming King or Queen honoree. The Award is presented to a male and female member of the senior class who through their achievements has most exemplified the "spirit" of the University of Maryland. Criteria for the award include outstanding scholarship, leadership, campus involvement, community service, and communication skills. A committee of faculty and staff interviews students who are advanced to the final round of the application process. The Spirit of Maryland Award is presented at the halftime of the Homecoming football game on October 25, 2008.

Please note that to apply for the Spirit of Maryland Award, a student must be recognized by the University as being of senior status, having 90+ academic credits* and having a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above.

*If the student is expected to graduate by May 2009 and does not have the current 90 academic credit senior status, (s)he may still be eligible to apply.

Please feel free to nominate classmates whom you find exemplify this award. You may access the Spirit of Maryland nomination form and application form at www.thestamp.umd.edu then click on the Spirit of Maryland Award link. Nominations are due by 5:00pm on Friday, September 19, 2008. Upon receipt of your nomination(s), Campus Programs will provide nominees with web access to the Spirit of Maryland application. Applicants will be invited to submit their materials by Friday, October 3, 2008 for full consideration. All applications must be submitted through the web at www.thestamp.umd.edu . Application submissions must be completed by 5:00pm on the appointed due date.

3. TerPAC's Beach Party

TerPAC's Annual TEL AVIV BEACH PARTY at La Plata Beach
Friday September 12, 12-4 PM
Come party Israeli style at La Plata beach to kick off your weekend. There will be Israeli MUSIC, FOOD, HOOKA, a moon bounce, a challenge course, and a lot more fun, all for FREE. Celebrate the finest parts of Israeli culture with your friends, meet a former Israeli soldier, and learn about free trips to Israel. If you miss Israel or just want to have your first taste, then this is the place to be.
Cosponsored by: ICCGW, Hasbara Fellowships, The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington

4. Idealist Graduate Degree Fair

If you or anyone you know is thinking of going back to graduate school, check out our Idealist Graduate Degree Fairs at http://www.idealist.org/gradfairs
At each of these fairs, you will meet representatives from 60 to 120 of the leading nonprofit-related graduate programs in the country, representing degrees ranging from MPAs and MBAs through Law, Social Work, International Relations, Urban Planning, and many more.

This fall we will be in: Washington, DC, September 19

For more information, to register (it's free!), and to see a list of the schools attending each fair, just go to http://www.idealist.org/gradfairs and click on your city.

And if you want to get a sense of who you’ll meet at these fairs, and why you should attend, watch this two-minute video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P4OxM_c_lI

5. Job & Internship with the Iranian Americans

Non Profit in need of a Website & Research Associate

Position will be full time with salary and benefits, with immediate start date. Responsibilities will include regularly maintaining and updating the website, media monitoring, data management, and newsletter design and production. Skill requirements include basic knowledge of html and IT as well as general office etiquette. Preferred skills include basic knowledge of International Affairs as well as researching capabilities using RSS feeds, Google Alerts, and similar search technologies. Knowledge of Persian (Farsi) is a plus. Please email cover letter and resume to info@paaia.org or fax it to (202)828-8371.

Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) in need of interns

Positions will be part time or full time. Responsibilities include but are not limited to writing articles, reporting on events, adding to the website, assisting with media monitoring, working on the newsletter amongst other projects involving community outreach. Applicants should have excellent written and spoken communication skills, a highly organized approach to work, and pro ficiency in the use of computers. Preferred skills include knowledge of International Affairs, and knowledge of written and spoken Farsi. Please email cover letter and resume to info@paaia.org or fax it to (202)828-8371.

6. NOW Internship

The National Organization for Women has nine Fall semester internship positions available for interested students. With more than 500,000 contributing members, NOW is the largest feminist organization in the United States. Since NOW was founded in 1966, its members have struggled to end the injustice and inequality women face daily. As an intern, you will be on the front lines of the women's rights movement. An important element of our program is comprehensive leadership training. We hold a series of workshops to empower young feminists and give you the tools and knowledge to become leaders on your campuses and in your communities. You will learn the organizing skills from leaders of the most prestigious feminist organization in the world. Becoming a NOW intern is a commitment to apply the skills learned during the internship and to become, or continue to be, an activist leader.

Available Fall semester internships:

Government Relations/Public Policy Intern: Characterized by lobbying, legislative research and writing, and political campaign work. We have two openings for this position.

International Policy Intern: Research global feminism, international policy and strategies, write reports on international affairs and how they affect women. We have one opening for this position.

Field Organizing Intern: Get involved in the nuts and bolts of grassroots organizing for NOW's broad range of priority issues. Work on pickets, campaigns, conferences/summits, speaking tours and materials development. We have three openings for this position.

Communications Team: Research and write articles for the National NOW Times, assist in maintaining press clips, draft press releases and field press calls. We have one opening for this position.

Web Team: Be part of the team that maintains NOW's web site. Research, write and edit stories about women's issues, design graphics and build web pages. We have one opening for this position.

Political Action Committee: Assist with NOW/PAC organizing, including meeting with candidates, processing endorsement requests, and managing Federal Election Commission materials. We have one opening for this position.

Please send your cover letter, resume, writing sample and two letters of recommendation to NOW’s intern coordinator, Lynsea Garrison, at volunteer@now.org. For any questions or concerns, please call (202) 628-8669 * 129. All internships are unpaid. Please visit our internship Web site for more information: http://www.now.org/organization/intern.html

7. Volunteer for the Governor

The Governor's Grants Office (http://www.gov.state.md.us/grants/) would like to invite students from the Department of Government & Politics, University of Maryland, College Park to volunteer at the 2008 Governor's Grants Conference (http://www.gov.state.md.us/grants/2008conference.html) on Monday, September 8, 2008 at the University of Maryland, University Conference Center (UMUC).

Students will have the opportunity to interact with leaders from Maryland's State agencies (http://www.gov.state.md.us/grants/pdfs/AgencyContacts.pdf), and hear speakers from the Federal government, including congresswoman, Donna Edwards, from the 4^th Congressional District.

Continental breakfast/ Healthy snack break will be served.

Students can sign up to assist with three areas:

7 am - 10 am: Registration
10 am - noon: Technical Assistance Lab
1 pm - 3 pm: Technical Assistance Lab

Volunteers can email their name and contact phone number to Lynne Kelleher at lynne.kelleher@mdcourts.gov by September 3, 2008.

The National Endowment for Democracy is an independent, bipartisan, grant making organization funded by an annual Congressional appropriation. Its aims are to promote democratic reform and foster civil society worldwide. In 2007 NED made nearly 1000 grants to grass roots organizations in more than 90 countries. NED is also the home of the International Forum for Democratic Studies, the Journal of Democracy, and serves as the secretariat for the World Movement for Democracy. More information can be found at www.ned.org

The ideal candidate is an undergraduate student with a strong interest in democracy development and/or international affairs who would benefit from experience in an international non-profit organization. Applicants should possess excellent written and verbal communications skills, a strong work ethic and a sharp attention to detail. Foreign language skills are a plus, though not required. This position is unpaid. For consideration please send a cover letter and resume to Beth Davis, bethd@ned.org

The USSA is seeking a Communications & Technology Intern and an Organizing & Legislative Intern. Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis until October 1. The internship is expected to last until December 5th.

United States Student Association
The United States Student Association, the country's oldest and largest national student-led organization, develops current and future leaders and amplifies the student voice at the local, state, and national levels by mobilizing grassroots power to win concrete victories on student issues.

United States Student Association Foundation The United States Student Association Foundation ensures the pipeline of effective student leadership by facilitating education, training and other development opportunities at national, state and local levels in advocating for issues that affect students.

Description:
-Dates and hours are flexible
-15-30 hours per week
-Paid internship or credit
-Willingness to travel and attend conferences if necessary

Preferred Skills/Experience:
Communications & Technology Intern
.       Basic Design Skills (i.e. Publisher, Adobe, Photoshop,
websites, brochures)
.       Internet Research skills
.       Analytical and critical thinking and writing skills
.       Ability to communicate (ie, calls, emails, visits) with student
membership on organizing issues
.       Awareness of educational access and social justice issues
.       Competency of Microsoft software programs and data basing
.       Experience in special events planning such as press conferences and
forums a plus!
.       Fun and Flexible

Organizing & Legislative Intern
.       Understanding of Federal Legislative Process
.       Knowledge of elections and the current political climate
.       Experience working on Direct Action Organizing Campaigns a plus
.       Internet and Research Skills
.       Ability to communicate (ie, calls, emails, visits) with student
membership on organizing issues
.       Awareness of educational access and social justice issues
.       Competency of Microsoft software programs and data basing
.       Experience in special events planning such as press conferences and
forums a plus!
.       Fun and Flexible

To Apply Attach:
1.      Resume
2.      Cover Letter
Please answer the following questions with 500 words or less:
3.      Please respond with your feelings on the following link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9131493/
4.       USSA works on educational access and affordability, why is this issue imperative to shaping our country?

Please send resumes, cover letters and essay responses to Gregory Cendana-Vice President at vp@usstudents.org. If you have questions please call Gregory Cendana at 202-640-6570.

USSA is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. People of color, women, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and differently-abled people are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Koch Associate Program is a highly selective, year-long career opportunity for promising leaders and entrepreneurs interested in a non-profit career. While in the program, Associates develop the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary for successful futures with market-oriented think tanks, policy institutes, or other non-profit organizations.
Participants learn to apply Market-Based Management ® - a management philosophy based on the principles of a free society – while advancing liberty.

During the program, Associates work in a full-time role with a reputable organization four days each week. They then come together one day each week in a classroom setting at the Foundation to engage in reading discussions and group projects, network with peers, hear guest speakers, and learn to apply Market-Based Management through interactive exercises and workshops.

The project assignments cover fascinating areas including: policy research, measurement and analysis, marketing and communications, grassroots education, and donor relations.

Applications are due by March 16, 2009. For more information or to apply for the 2009-10 Koch Associate Program, please visit: cgkfoundation.org

The newsletter is sent out everyday Friday to all current University of Maryland students who have declared and been accepted into the GVPT major. Only information relevant to academic and extra-curricular opportunities for these students will be sent through the newsletter. The government advising office reserves the right to edit and review all submissions to the GVPT newsletter and deny any submissions at their sole discretion.

If you would like to submit information or announcements, please email ADVISING@gvpt.umd.edu. Only those submissions which are denied or delayed will be contacted further.