Dear Graduate Students, Welcome to the thirteenth edition of the Graduate Planner and Services Handbook, updated for the 2021-2022 academic year. As mask mandates begin to be lifted, and as glimpses of normalcy begin to appear, we may react in different ways: perhaps with excitement, with caution, or even trepidation. Things are still not “normal,” and we recognize this. And yet, the life of a graduate student is also hardly ever described as a normal thing. You are (or will be) spending disproportionately large amounts of time studying, reading, and researching, and are (or will be) in contact with people and situations that are likely to be unfamiliar and challenging. Finding life balance may be more difficult than ever as the demands of your program compete with relationships and responsibilities at home and work. For most of you, life as a graduate student is a temporary, transitory state, but the skills and experiences you are gaining promise to be of value the rest of your life. Many of you have indeed fought for this non-normal opportunity: may you embrace it, and make the most of it as a new or continuing graduate student! The purpose of this Handbook is to introduce (or re-introduce) some resources that are available for you as a graduate student at Loyola. These resources may help you succeed academically, feel more a part of the Loyola community, or help you know “where to go for what.” Whether you are new or continuing at the university, please consider this publication to be your invitation to visit or contact any of the departments listed within. Consider, too, becoming involved with the Graduate Student Organization (GSO) in some way. As a graduate student, you are already a member of the GSO. Please visit www.loyola.edu/gso or www.loyola.edu/gradfriday for more information and our monthly newsletter. Here’s to a successful academic year for you! Sincerely,
Mark Lee Director, Technology and Graduate Student Services mslee@loyola.edu www.loyola.edu/gradstudents
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