GVPT Undergraduate Newsletter

GVPT Undergraduate Newsletter

February 26, 2007

In this issue:

- Advising Updates

- Summer Language Intense Study

- Research Assistants Needed

- Mock Trial Update

- Undergraduate Research Day

- Summer Intensive Study on Women in Politics

- Seniors, Apply to the Campaign Corps

- Office Campus Students Association

- GVPT Study Abroad Programs

- Senior Summer Scholars

- Scholarships

- Events around Campus

- Internship Opportunities - TWO Immediate Openings!

ADVISING UPDATES

Walk-In Hours for Spring 2007

Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday :1pm -5pm

Tuesday : 1pm-3pm

Friday : 9am-12pm

If you would like to meet with an advisor at a time not listed above, you can email advising@gvpt.umd.edu to schedule an appointment. Please include times you are available to meet in the request email.

College Advising - Official Audit Time

Attention BSOS Students - February 12-23 is OFFICIAL AUDIT TIME

All BSOS majors with 80-89 credits WILL BE REQUIRED to complete an official audit. The audit can be completed via the web or in-person.

To use the web audit tool, visit: http://www.bsosadvising.umd.edu/audit/

To complete your audit with an advisor, please begin the 1st of 2 steps with your departmental advisor.

When registration comes, don't get surpised by a registartion block! Complete your audit during Official Audit Time!

2007 CRITICAL LANGUAGE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR INTENSIVE SUMMER INSTITUTES

The United States Department of State and the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) are pleased to announce the availability of scholarships for intensive overseas study in the critical need foreign languages of Arabic, Bangla/Bengali, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Turkish, and Urdu for Summer 2007.
As part of the National Security Language Initiative (NSLI), a U.S. government interagency effort to expand dramatically the number of Americans studying and mastering critical need foreign languages, the Department of State Critical Language Scholarships will provide funding for U.S. citizen undergraduate, Master’s and Ph.D. students to participate in beginning, intermediate and/or advanced level summer language programs at American Overseas Research Centers and affiliated partners.

Recipients of these scholarships will be expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship period and later apply their critical language skills in their professional careers.

Institutes locations: Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Jordan, Morocco, South Korea, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Yemen, and Russia

Eligibility: All applicants must be U.S. citizens. Applicants must be either currently enrolled in a degree-granting program at the undergraduate* or graduate level or have graduated from an undergraduate or graduate program no more than 2 years ago (May 2005). Students in all disciplines including business, engineering, science, the social sciences and humanities are encouraged to apply. Current undergraduate students must have completed at least one year of general college course-work by program start date (one year is defined as two semesters or three quarters). The U.S. Department of State and CAORC welcome all eligible applications and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, or handicap condition.
*Only graduate students and recent graduates are eligible to apply to the summer 2007 Persian program.

Duration: Programs range from 7 weeks to 11 weeks, beginning in early to mid-June with a pre-departure orientation in the U.S. Students must attend the full program and participate in all program activities.

Grant benefits: All program costs are covered for participants. This includes travel between the student’s home city and program location, pre-departure orientation costs, applicable visa fees, room, board, travel within country and all entrance fees for program activities. University level credit may be available. Note: U.S. passport fees will not be paid by the scholarship.

DEADLINE: THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2007
For Program Details and On-line Application Visit www.CLScholarship.org

Undergraduate Research Assistants for UMIACS/CIDCM Collaboration

The CIDCM research department and the Univ. of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies are hiring 2 or 3 dedicated undergrads. They are looking for students with a good knowledge of the English language and are comfortable with computers. There is an opportunity to make up to $800 per month for the next 3 months.If the students are successful, there will also be a chance for placement over the summer with the project.

For more information, or if you are interested in applying for the position, contact Karmin Cortes via kcortes@gvpt.umd.edu

Mock Trial Update

The Mock Trial Team won another tournament this past weekend. So far this year that's two tournaments, and two victories. The most recent tournament was the National Qualifying Tournament in Easton, PA. Winning this tournament means that the team will now go on to compete at the National Championship Tournament in St. Petersburg, FL.
The University's team competed among a very strong field, including several teams from Mock Trial powerhouses such as U. Penn, Georgetown, and Villanova. The students performed wonderfully, and 9 of them earned individual awards. Chaz Ball and Jimmy Creegan received all-region witness awards while Kara Wilcox, Ayo Otukoya, Coreen Mao, Emily Fetter, and Matthew Pearsall earned all-region attorney awards. Suzanne McLeod and William Mundy earned all-region honorable mention as attorneys.

Undergraduate Research Day

Undergraduate Research Day will be held Wednesday, April 25, 2007. Submit your proposal by Monday, April 9th, and be a part of this exciting event.

Undergraduate Research Day provides the perfect opportunity for them to share their work with the campus community. Held each April, Undergraduate Research Day showcases current research, scholarship, and artistic endeavors. Presentations, posters, and performances are open to the public and nearly 500 students participated in 2006.

Call for Faculty Mentor of the Year Nominations:
Attention undergraduate student researchers! Take a moment to consider the various ways your faculty mentor introduced you to the research process. Have you acquired new skills? Learned new research methodologies? Put your problem-solving skills to the test? Faculty mentors assist in all of these areas, and they also provide invaluable guidance as you progress through your academic career. Please consider nominating your faculty mentor for the Faculty Mentor of the Year Award. This award will be given during Undergraduate Research Day, Wednesday, April 25th. Nomination deadline is March 30 and more information is available at http://www.ugresearch.umd.edu

Summer Intensive Seminar on Women in Politics

The Women & Politics Institute is pleased to announce our Summer 2007 Intensive Seminar in Leadership Skills. This three-credit course will be taught by Women & Politics Institute Associate Director, Dr. Sarah E. Brewer.

The intensive week-long seminar not only will provide students with the opportunity to meet leading political women, they also will learn and practice a variety of political leadership skills, including op-ed writing, speech writing, and public speaking. The course includes a discussion of the extant literature on women and politics and information about myriad types of political vocations available to women. It culminates in a Capitol Hill Day, where students will spend the day meeting with prominent women members of Congress and Congressional staff and will attend a networking reception.

This is an excellent summer opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students. Please encourage all of your students to participate. The course will take place from May 14-18, 2007 from 9AM to 5PM.

For more information, please find the course flyer and registration form at http://wandp.american.edu/materials/summerinstitutepacket.pdf . Moreover, feel free to contact the Women & Politics Institute at 202-885-2903 for more information about this course and our Undergraduate and Graduate Certificates in Women, Policy, and Political Leadership.

Attention Seniors

Campaign Corps is a national grassroots program dedicated to politically empowering young people. Each year, they train talented recent college graduates and place them on targeted, progressive Democratic campaigns. Participants receive a stipend and free housing during the campaign, with all travel expenses paid.

Formerly known as Participation 2000, Campaign Corps has been bringing young people into the political process since 1988. Campaign Corps receives hundreds of applications a year from recent college graduates across the country. Once accepted, staffers come to Washington at the end of July, for a week-long Campaign School, where they learn the basics of political campaigning - voter targeting, field organization, fundraising, and press strategy - from the country's leading democratic operatives. Then participants are immediately sent to targeted campaigns, where they're paid to work side by side with candidates and other political professionals for the last three months of the campaign. Graduates of the program have gone on to hold key positions with organizations like the Service Employees International Union, League of Conservation Voters, Democratic committees and with numerous Democratic members of the House and Senate. If you are interested in applying, visit www.campaigncorps.org for an application and deadlines.

Attention Off-Campus Students

The Off-Campus Student Association (OCSA), formerly known as the University Commuters Association is looking for hard-working, dedicated students to fill leadership roles for the 2007-2008 year. OCSA deals with all issues concerning off-campus students, including transportation, housing, and public policy issues. OCSA members have had a strong presence on campus, working to ensure a better environment for students both on and off-campus. Along with advocacy and student governance, OCSA also organizes several programs and forums throughout the year which help build a sense community among off-campus students.

Students with a keen interest in student government and a drive to organize events or to lobby on behalf of certain issues will find OCSA an ideal organization to improve their leadership skills, gain valuable student governance experience, and work with other groups to organize campus events.

All positions will be open for the upcoming school year and applications are available by email at offcampusterps@gmail.com. In addition, there are several vacancies on the current OCSA Executive Board and Senate. To apply or for more info, please email offcampusterps@gmail.com today! All undergraduate students living off-campus are encouraged to apply.

GVPT Study Abroad Programs

Deadline Approaching - Study Abroad Applications due THIS THURSDAY, March 1.

The GVPT Department has highlighted two programs from the University of Maryland as special interests to Undergraduate GVPT students. These are the

England: Oxford - Honors Programme in British Law, Politics and Society, and our exchange program with University of Kent. More information is available on the Study Abroad Office's website (www.international.umd.edu).

European Union Today - Study Tour

CDS International, in collaboration with the Carl Duisberg Centren in Cologne, Germany is pleased to announce the European Union Today Study. The study tour will take place from June 3 - 17, 2007 and will be conducted entirely in English.

Participants on the European Union Today Study Tour will spend two weeks exploring the history and recent events that make the EU the institution it is today. This will be a great opportunity for European Studies students "to put faces on the places" they study at their home institutions.

Study tour participants will not only get to see the European Parliament, the European Commission and the center of it all, Brussels, but they will have the opportunity to speak with actual representatives from the European Parliament, the Polish representation to the EU, and the German Marshall Fund. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss topics important to the European Union such as the impact the EU has beyond Europe, EU-U.S. trade relations, and integration of new member states into the European Union.

An added bonus to this study tour is a three-day seminar in Cologne that will allow students and academics well versed in European Studies to learn EU history and recent events from a European perspective. Participants new to European Studies will be able to learn the ins-and-outs of the EU from the individual courses, the sites visited and a meeting with their European peers. Participants will also be treated to several historically and geo-politically significant cities. These include Cologne and Düsseldorf in Germany, Brussels and Bruges in Belgium and Maastricht in the Netherlands.

To view the study tour brochure, please visit: http://www.cdsintl.org/fromusa/eutoday.htm For more information contact Melissa Graves at mgraves@cdsintl.org

FEE: $2300* (does not include airfare)
DEADLINE: March 30, 2007

Senior Summer Scholars

Senior Summer Scholars applications for summer 2007 are now available. The Senior Summer Scholars (SSS) Program is a competitive grant sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Studies and the Maryland Center for Undergraduate Research. SSS provides funding for talented rising seniors to work on a research project with a faculty member during the summer.

Applications and more information can be found at: http://www.ugresearch.umd.edu/aboutsss.html

Scholarship Opportunities

The GVPT Departmental Website, www.bsos.umd.edu/gvpt has a newly updated section devoted to scholarships. Interested students can click here. The deadline for most departmental scholarships is March 9, 2007.

NOW ANNOUNCING: BSOS SCHOLARSHIPS FOR 2007-2008

If you are an outstanding student in the Behavioral and Social Sciences department, it's that time of year again to apply for a BSOS scholarship for the 2007-2008 year. The following five scholarships are available, ranging from $500-$1500:
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: Murray E. Polakoff Scholarship Award
COMMITMENT TO SERVICE: Irv and Micki Goldstein Scholarship Award
OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP: Katherine Pedro and Robert S. Beardsley Scholarship Award
FIRST GENERATION STUDENT: Jean and Robert Steele Scholarship Award
FINANCIAL NEED: BSOS Future Alumni Scholarship Award

For more information visit http://www.bsos.umd.edu/advising/student_handbook/2006-2007%20Descriptions.pdf and applications are available at

http://www.bsos.umd.edu/advising/student_handbook/scholarapps.html
Applications are also available at each BSOS Department Office. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Katherine Smith at 301-405-7515 or the BSOS Deans Office at 301-405-1679. The deadline for all applications is Monday, March 26, 2007, no later than 4:30p.m.

Campus and Local Events

2007 Spring Career Fair

Tuesday, March 6^th & Wednesday, March 7^th

10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Student Union

University of Maryland College Park students are encouraged to come learn about exciting full-time job and internship opportunities with the many different organizations scheduled to attend this year’s fair!

Employers will be present each day representing companies such as Advertising.com, AmeriCorps, Baltimore Gas & Electric, Baseball Factory, Inc., Chevy Chase Bank, Consolidated Graphics, Inc., CoStar Group, Inc., Eli Lilly & Company, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Gap, Inc./Old Navy Stores, Media Matters for America, National Security Agency , Shakespeare Theatre Company, Target, U.S. Peace Corps , Under Armour Performance, US Census Bureau, US Department of State, University of Maryland University College and WeatherBug.

A UMCP I.D. is required for admittance. The attire is professional and attendees are advised to bring copies of their current resumes.

To research all attending organizations visit www.CareerCenter.umd.edu and click on the “Students: Information and employers attending” link under the Spring Career Fair in the Featured Events section.

Terrapin Objectivists on North Korea

On February 13th 2007, the United States signed an agreement with North Korea to close down and seal its main nuclear reactor. The price?
Up to 2 million tons of oil, American aid, and an even tighter grip on President Bush’s neck. Appeasing North Korea has not worked, will not work, and simply fuels Kim Jong Il’s communist objectives.
Why?
Join the Terrapin Objectivists in discussion next Thursday, March 1 at 8 p.m. in room 0101 of the Armory and find out for yourself.

For information on North Korea, visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/countries/korea.html?nav=el

The FBI is Recruiting from UMCP

The FBI will be in attendance of The Criminal Justice Career Fair on February 27, 2006 from 10am-4pm in the Grand Ballroom, Stamp Student Union. Recruitment representatives from more than 50 criminal justice agencies will be in attendance. UM Undergraduate and Graduate students in any major are invited to attend.

Interested in Law? Want to become a lawyer? Need to learn about law school?

Join The College Park Law Society

First Meeting: Tuesday, Feb. 27 7:00-8:00 PM Tydings 0130

NEW MEMBERS WELCOME!
Meetings every Tuesday at 7:00 pm in Tydings 0130

CollegeLaw@Hotmail.com

FREE practice GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, DAT, OAT, PCAT Saturday, March 10th @ 12 noon at the UMCP Armory Bldg. (sponsored by the UMCP Pre-Med Society)

On Saturday, March 10th at 12 noon, the University of Maryland Pre-Medical Society is holding a FREE opportunity for students to take a practice GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, DAT, or PCAT. The event will be held in the Armory building at the UMD campus in College Park. It is open to anyone who would like to take a practice test, even if you are not a UMCP student. Last year we had over 4,000 registrants for this event. Each test will last up to 3 hours and will be proctored like an actual exam. After the test, guest instructors will give a short workshop on test-taking strategies and answer questions.

Even if you cannot make it out on March 10th, as long as you register by e-mail, we will order you a copy of the exam that you want, and you can pick it up sometime later in March to take home and bring back. This is a great opportunity for students to see how they might score on the real thing, and also to get an idea of the kinds of questions that will be on the real test. The tests will be scored and returned to the students at a later date with computerized feedback about their individual performance on the test.

To sign up for the event, you just need to provide us with the following information by e-mail at:
UMCP.PreMed.Society@gmail.com .

1. Name
2. Home address
3. E-mail
4. Phone number
5. Which test you would like to take

Before the event, we will send you an e-mail confirming your registration and giving you the room number for your test.
Again, this is a completely FREE event and a great opportunity for anyone interested in going to grad, business, law, med, dental, or pharmacy school in the next few years!

Internship Opportunities

Proposed Scope of Work for GDA SSP Program

Undergraduate Research Associate - IMMEDIATE OPENING

Program Background:

Under the Global Development Alliance Support Services Program, DAI is providing direct support to the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Office of Global Development Alliances (GDA) in Washington, D.C. to help support it in becoming the global leader in alliances for international development. This program provides support for strategic alliance building for enhanced scale and impact, marketing and communications and internal training to mainstream the approach within USAID.

The GDA is an innovative public-private alliance model for improving social and economic conditions in developing countries. The GDA combines the assets and experience of strategic partners, leveraging their capital, creativity and access to markets to solve complex problems facing government, business, and communities.

USAID assists strategic partners in their investment decisions and brings new actors and ideas to international development. Through the GDA model, USAID promotes fundamental changes in governance and institutions, human capacity, and economic structure so that developing countries can achieve economic and social progress without depending on foreign aid.

Overall Responsibilities:

The Undergraduate Research Associate position provides a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to learn about international public-private alliances and gain project management, research and administrative skills. The primary responsibility of the Associate is to manage projects to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the USAID GDA office. Associates will also have the opportunity to participate in conferences and other events in Washington, DC related to public-private alliances.

This Scope of Work includes, but is not limited to, the following specifications and is subject to modifications as a result of input from USAID and Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI). The Undergraduate Research Associate will work under the direction of the DAI project team.

Timeframe: Position is available for February – May 2007. Candidates must be available Mondays from 9:00 – 10:00 am. (Internships are paid: $13/hour)

Specific Duties:

Research

Collect data, reports and other documents on USAID Alliances.
Write summaries of Alliances including descriptions, impact and lessons learned.

Database Management

Analyze alliance database and develop recommendations for improvements.
Update alliance database.

Administrative Support

Organize internal electronic and hard copy document management systems.
Write-up notes and action items from weekly Monday team meeting.
Provide other research and administrative support as needed.

Qualifications:

Current undergraduate student, preferably in business or international relations.
Ability to complete multiple assignments for multiple task managers in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to review and summarize information.
Excellent organizational and administrative skills.
Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to professionally represent the GDA SSP team to internal and external contacts.
Competency in Microsoft Office. Experience developing or updating databases in Microsoft Access, a plus.
Web development skills, a plus.

Send resume and cover letter to gda@dai.com. Please indicate “Undergraduate Research Associate” in the subject line of your email and be sure to include the timeframe you are applying for.

HILLARY FOR PRESIDENT SEEKS PRESS INTERNS

The Hillary Clinton for President Exploratory Committee has immediate openings for press interns on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and weekends. Past experience in press or communications, especially on the Hill or on a campaign, is a bonus but not a requirement. Interested parties should send a resumes, references, and a brief cover letter to Sam Arora (sarora@hillaryclinton.com)

Intern with the Undergraduate Legal Aid

The Undergraduate Student Legal Aid Office will begin to accept applications for the Fall 2007 Internship Program on March 26, 2007. The closing date for the acceptance of applications is April 13, 2007. I would appreciate it if you could share this information with students in your classes, or any other students that you think could benefit from the experience.

On March 5 at 4:00 P.M., we will be holding an open informational meeting in The Nanticoke Room in the Stamp Student Union for students who want to learn more about the Internship Program.
Applications for the Internship Program can either be obtained from the Student Legal Aid Office in Room 1235 of the Stamp Student Union starting March 5, or downloaded from our website at: www.studentorg.umd.edu/legalaid/ .

Students can obtain 3 hours of graded credit for the internship, which includes working in the office and participating in an educational seminar on Mondays from 4:00 - 5:15 P.M. A student must have 56 credit hours by the beginning of the Fall Semester (12 of which must have been at UMCP), and it is recommended that they have a minimum GPA of 3.00. All applicants must complete a face-to-face interview, and if chosen, must complete a one day training session on August 28, 2007.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact Jim Jones, Director of the Student Legal Aid Office at 301-314-7756.

The Republican Governors Association is looking for intelligent, energetic college students to spend a semester learning the nuts and bolts of politics in America. The internship program is designed to provide the knowledge, skills, and tools that will assist an intern in all future professional endeavors.

Interns will have exposure to the various aspects of the RGA. Responsibilities include assisting the finance team with fundraising, events and member services, working with our political team tracking news, polls and other information related to the gubernatorial campaigns as well as administrative tasks necessary for the overall success of the organization.

Any student who is interested in interning with the RGA should visit our webpage at www.rga.org and navigate to the intern program tab. A letter from RGA Chairman and Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue is posted as well as application details and a link to our online application.

Details of the program:

Application deadlines:

Summer 2007 – April 1, 2007
Fall 2007 – July 1, 2007

Stipend:

$1,000/month (regardless of whether or not the student receives course credit)

Positions available:

DC: 1 Finance, 1 Political, 1 Administrative

Atlanta: 1 Administrative/Political

Duration of internship:

The duration of an internship will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

School credit:

RGA will be glad to assist in any way if a student would like to receive course credit for their internship.

If you have any questions, feel free to send an e-mail to Adam Kincaid at akincaid@rga.org.

White House Internship

The White House Internship Program offers an excellent opportunity to serve our President and explore public service. We are seeking exceptional candidates to apply for this highly competitive program. In addition to typical office duties, interns attend weekly lectures, tours, and complete an intern service project. Interns may serve a term in the Fall, Spring or Summer. Every candidate must be a United States citizen, enrolled in a college or university, and at least 18 years of age.
An application and additional information about the program can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/wh-intern.html

Strong applications exhibit:
* sound academic credentials
* a history of community involvement and leadership
* solid verbal/written communication skills
* a demonstrated interest in public service

Applications should be submitted to Karen Race, Deputy Director and Intern Coordinator, White House Personnel, at intern_application@whitehouse.gov on or before the following deadlines:
* March 6, 2007 for SUMMER 2007 (May 22 to August 24, 2007)
* June 26, 2007 for FALL 2007 (September 4 to December 14, 2007)
If you have questions you may contact Karen Race at (202) 4565979 or intern_application@whitehouse.gov .

Rules for the GVPT Newsletter

The newsletter is sent out each Monday before 5 pm 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.