The University of Maryland’s Independent Student Newspaper
the diamondback
Grad student Guide 2022
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contents
contents
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UMD Graduate Student Government resolutions
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Maryland women’s basketball senior day
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Spring-Summer 2022 Grad Student Deadlines
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UMD raises minimum stipend for some graduate assistants
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Graduate studentcentered resources City council opposes Guilford Woods Purple Line development
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Graduate Student Government
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UMD GSG urges admin to consider COVID-19, maternity leave accommodations The Graduate Student Government recently passed five resolutions concerning graduate programs. By Trisha Ahmed | @ TrishaAhmed15 | Staff writer The University of Maryland Graduate Student Government passed five resolutions — or recommendations for this university’s administrators — at its meeting Friday. The resolutions called on the university’s administration to provide support to graduate students who are COVID-19 caregivers, new parents, early exiters from their programs and more. Here’s a breakdown of each resolution. Accommodate graduate students who are caregivers during COVID-19 The resolution recommends that this university’s administrators grant reasonable accommodations for graduate students who are caregivers amid the pandemic. For example, supervisors would not be able to require students who are caring for others during COVID-19 to report in person to work or school. This resolution passed unanimously, with all graduate student representatives in virtual attendance voting in favor of recommending this resolution to this university’s administrators. Give graduate students extended maternity leave if medically needed The resolution recommends that this university accommodate graduate students with more than six weeks of maternity leave if students have a medical necessity for it. “For example, if you undergo a C-section, they recommend eight weeks leave — medically — for you, which is just one example of a medical need or complication that might require more than six weeks,” said Gabrielle Wy, a criminology and criminal justice graduate student and GSG representative. This university currently allows up to six weeks of maternity leave for graduate students, up to 12 weeks for staff and a minimum of 12 weeks for faculty, Wy said. This university has largely wanted to keep this maternity leave restricted to six weeks for graduate students and to leave this policy vague, Wy added, whereas other universities explicitly state they will accommodate students with extended leave for medical reasons. The maternity leave policies at this uni-
versity are vague to create “the flexibility for compassion and reasonable accommodations” for each individual’s situation, said Scott Roberts, the graduate school’s former assistant dean, to The Diamondback last year. The resolution passed with 96 percent in favor — 22 representatives voting in favor, and one representative abstained from voting. Collect data from graduate students who leave their programs early The resolution recommends that this university’s graduate school collect qualitative data on graduate students’ advising and treatment. The graduate school would do this by conducting exit interviews with students who leave their programs before completing them. The graduate school would ask students for feedback on advisers and work conditions and their influence on their decision to leave. This resolution would apply to students who begin a doctorate program at this university but leave early with a master’s degree instead, students who leave their graduate program at all or students who change research advisers, said Kelsey Dutta, an electrical engineering doctoral student and GSG representative. Qualitative data would capture nuances of what went wrong in the program, and it would build up a track record of professors who burn through graduate students, Dutta said. This resolution passed with 89 percent in favor — 20 representatives voted in favor, and two abstained from voting. Track each department’s record keeping for statements of mutual expectations between students and advisers This resolution recommends that the graduate school keep track of the statements of mutual expectations that graduate students fill out with their departments or advisers. These statements set standards and expectations for advisee-adviser relationships. The statements are a way for graduate students to set work hours, how they will be contacted, expectations of co-authorship, funding at conferences and more, said Autumn Perkey, a government and politics doctoral student and the GSG vice president
of legislative affairs. “I’ve received feedback from some of our groups that they were not getting done, or they were getting done in a manner that they were being told to just sign them, or — if you’re like my department … they were only being filled out by 20 percent of grad assistants,” Perkey said. “This is a major problem because we do not have collective bargaining rights — even though we’re advocating for them — and we need a way to verify that we are being treated in a manner we expect, as well as having the expectation set at what we will work,” Perkey added. This resolution passed with 87 percent in favor — 20 representatives voted in favor, one voted against and two abstained from voting.
Offer money for moving assistance in admission letters This resolution requests graduate programs to explicitly state that students can negotiate funding packages to account for their moving and relocation expenses. “Some departments are willing to do that, but it’s not always evident to students,” Wy said. “This resolution is specifically about providing funding for domestic students to relocate,” said Laura McBride, an atmospheric chemistry and climatology doctoral student and GSG representative. “We already passed a resolution supporting relocation funding for international students.” The new resolution passed with 87 percent in favor — 20 representatives voted in favor, and three abstained from voting.
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SENIOR DAY
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Maryland women’s basketball honors four unique contributors on senior day Chloe Bibby, Katie Benzan, Channise Lewis and Zoe Young were recognized before and during the Terps’ Feb. 6 game against Nebraska. By Varun Shankar | @ByVarunShankar | Staff writer
they’re there. Frese praised Lewis’s loyalty as a player who’s been a Terp for five years, using up her extra year of eligibility to return for one last ride, just like Benzan and Bibby. Although she no longer takes the court for her team, she’s always there to give “great nuggets.” Those nuggets have been an integral aspect for the team, with Lewis using her knowledge of the game as a point guard even when she can’t play. “It’s like another coach, just her basketball IQ and her wisdom of the game,” Bibby said. “It’s all the time whether it’s in practice or it’s in games she’s always there and it’s a great asset to our team.” Young — also a former point guard — passes on her wisdom to the team as well. She’s had a key role in practices as a student assistant, stepping in at times to play with the scout team to help Maryland prepare while using her platform to advocate for others. “She’s been very active in a lot of causes that she’s very passionate about,” Frese said. “She uses her voice with our team, something that we really value.” The seniors were a part of the Big Ten’s best team BRENDA FREESE poses for a photo with Katie Benzan, Channise Lewis, Zoe Young and Chloe Bibby during their senior day ceremony on Feb. 6, 2021. julia nikhinson/the diamondback a season ago and although some have had their roles It’s easy to see the contributions Chloe Bibby and matchups. shifted, they continue to be important to their teamKatie Benzan have made for Maryland women’s basket“She’s a matchup nightmare,” coach Brenda Frese mates, whether they were recruited and played here for ball. Just listen for the cheers every time one of them said. “Her versatility obviously to stretch the floor for five years like Lewis or came from Harvard a year and knocks down a three-pointer. The pair were two of us, pick and pop, but then just her toughness when she a half ago like Benzan. the four Terps honored before Sunday’s 80-65 home goes inside… I think she’s a really difficult matchup.” victory over Nebraska. Benzan is on the short list of greatest Terp shooters Benzan and Bibby received a standing ovation from of all time. In her first year at Maryland, she scored the the Xfinity Center crowd as they checked out for the last third-most triples in the country and shot a blistertime late in the fourth quarter and hugged each member ing 50 percent from behind the arc. This season, she’s Through these two years being here all of the Terps’ bench before they sat down. continued that strong shooting and has been a reliable of them have become my sisters and I’m “To hear the love and support… I can really feel that point guard option for Frese. just so grateful for Coach B to bring me I found a place where I belong and where I’m loved,” The other two seniors, Channise Lewis and Zoe Young, into this family... I just can’t thank her Benzan said. rarely get standing ovations from the fans. Neither has “We’ve gone through it all together,” Bibby said. played a game this season, but both remain key parts and my teammates, for the memories “We’ve hit a lot of adversity together, the COVID year of the team. that we’ve made and for… the memories really brought us closer.” Both suffered torn ACLs that ended their Maryland we’re going to make.” While four Terps were honored, only two played on careers. Young retired before the season to become a the court. The other two’s additions to the team aren’t student assistant and Lewis announced that due to as easy to see, but they’ve all stepped into important challenges in her rehab she would not return for her roles over the season. final year of eligibility. Benzan and Bibby played integral roles in Maryland’s “Their journeys and their paths have not been easy,” GUARD Big Ten regular season and tournament championships. Frese said. “They’ve had a ton of adversity as they fought On Sunday against the Cornhuskers, Bibby scored a through injuries that tabled their careers.” team-high 21 points, continuing a strong stretch where It’s harder to see the duo’s contributions, simply she’s averaged over 16 points per game in the last eight because they haven’t been able to suit up and play, but
KATIE BENZAN
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GRAD SCHOOL DEADLINES
Spring-Summer 2022 Grad Student Deadlines FEBRUARY 18, 2022
MAY 16, 2022
JULY 18, 2022
Nomination of Dissertation Committee Form submission to be submitted to the Office of the Registrar
Doctoral students to submit Nomination of Dissertation Committee Form to the Office of the Registrar
MARCH 1, 2022
MAY 26, 2022
Master’s, Doctoral and Post-Baccalaureate Certificate students submit the Application for Graduation to graduate this semester
Master’s Thesis students to submit Nomination of Thesis Committee Form to the Office of the Registrar
Graduate Program staff submit the Approved Program Form and U.achieve audit to the Office of the Registrar
Doctoral students submit dissertations to the ETD System
APRIL 19, 2022
JULY 8, 2022
AUGUST 12, 2022
Doctoral students submit dissertations to the ETD System
Nomination of Dissertation Committee Form submission to be submitted to the Office of the Registrar
Master’s Thesis students submit their thesis to the ETD System
MARCH 1, 2022
Graduate Program staff submit the Approved Program Form and U.achieve audit to the Office of the Registrar
APRIL 26, 2022 Master’s Thesis students submit their thesis to the ETD System
Master’s Thesis students submit Nomination of Thesis Committee Form to the Office of the Registrar
JULY 29, 2022
AUGUST 25, 2022
GRADUATE STIPEND
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Following complaints, UMD raises minimum stipend for some graduate assistants By Shifra Dayak | @shifradayak | Staff writer The University of Maryland will increase the minimum stipend amount for graduate assistants beginning in January, the university announced in an email to graduate students Wednesday. The university raised the minimum stipend amount for 9-month graduate assistants from about $18,340 to $21,000, effective Jan. 2. The change will mark a nearly 15 percent increase from current minimum stipend amounts for fiscal year 2022. Nine-and-a-half month and 12 month graduate assistants will also receive a proportional stipend increase. Step I and Step II stipends, which are the levels above the minimum stipend amount, will be $500 and $1,000 higher than the Step I minimum amount, respectively, the email said. “This is one step in our continuing efforts to provide graduate assistants with stipends that are competitive with top peer institutions and that take into account the high cost of living in our area,” Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer King Rice and Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate School Steve Fetter wrote in the university’s message. This announcement comes after some graduate students spoke out about their stipends being too low The minimum stipend was raised by nearly 15 percent, but some say it’s still not enough. julia nikhinson/the diamondback to sustain the cost of living in and represents graduate assistants and “The increase to minimum stipends around College Park. The planned other student employees — based on … is incredibly low, given the cost of increase in stipend amounts will impact over 60 percent of graduate assis- 2018-19 academic year numbers, the living around College Park,” an FSE tants, Rice and Fetter said in the state- median stipend at this university is statement regarding the university’s $23,775. announcement said. “We await the ment. When compared with the costs-ofday when the university recognizes the “I was really pleasantly surprised at how large the increase was,” said Grad- living and stipends at other universi- work of its graduate students by paying uate Student Government president ties in the Big Ten conference, graduate them the bare minimum needed to live Tamara Allard. “This is going to affect assistants at this university have the a stable life.” DiBella, who is a first-year doctora lot of students, including most likely biggest cost-of-living deficit, which lies at over $15,000, the data shows. al student in the information studies students in my department.” Stipend amounts are decided by in- FSE does not have data based on the school, said this is yet another sign dividual departments, not the univer- current minimum stipend amounts set the university should provide graduate students with collective bargainsity as a whole, Allard said. This means by university administration. Some members of FSE are unhappy ing rights in order to address concerns that some graduate assistants are alabout stipends, a lack of diversity in ready receiving more than the planned with the stipend increase. Samuel DiBella, FSE’s media comthe graduate student body and other minimum amount of $21,000, so the mittee chair, said the increase is “alissues. increases may not apply to them. “There is not a meaningful conAccording to data compiled by Fear- most meaningless” considering how much the cost of living has risen in reversation between the university and less Student Employees — a campus cent years. graduate assistants about working and organization that advocates for and
living conditions, and that the only way for that to happen is if we have collective bargaining rights,” he said. According to the university’s email to graduate students, stipends have risen a total of more than 37 percent over the last four years. In fiscal year 2018, the minimum stipend amount for 9-month graduate assistants was $15,294. While Allard said stipends can always be higher, she is hopeful this stipend increase will be the gateway for more increases and university policies that support graduate students. “I don’t think that this by any means necessarily is going to fix the problem,” Allard said. “It makes me hopeful. And with the changing administration, I’m hopeful that maybe we’ll get some exponential growth.”
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Graduate Resources
Graduate student-centered resources Black Graduate Student Union - bgsuumd@gmail.com Graduate Legal Aid Office - glao@umd.edu Graduate Student Life - gradstudentlife@umd.edu Graduate Academic Counselor - Simone Warrick-Bell - slivings@umd.edu Graduate School Writing Center - gradwritingfellows@umd.edu Office of Postdoctoral Affairs - Dr. Blessing Enekwe - blessing@umd.edu Office of Graduate Diversity and Inclusion - gradschool@umd.edu Graduate Student General Therapy Group - Dr. Allison Asarch - aasarch@umd.edu Women’s Graduate Student Support Group - Dr. Pepper Phillips - pepper@umd.edu Graduate Student Government - gsg-office@umd.edu
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Purple line & Guilford woods
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City council opposes Purple Line sector plan that would develop Guilford Woods The council discusses the two interests at hand of continuing development while preserving natural areas. By Trisha Ahmed | @TrishaAhmed15 | Staff writer
Several plants and trees stand near Maryland Hillel on South Campus on Apr. 15, 2021. This vegetation is part of Guilford Woods.
Purple Line construction along Campus Drive near the College Park Metro Station on Oct. 7, 2021. joe ryan/the diamondback
The College Park City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to send a letter opposing a new county sector plan that would develop part of the Guilford Woods area. City staff drafted the letter to the Prince George’s County Planning Board a n d D i s t r i c t Co u n c i l a f te r co u n c i l members expressed concerns about the plan, which was discussed at a Jan. 4 city council meeting. The current plan, called the Preliminary Adelphi Road-UMGC-UMD Purple Line Station Area Sector Plan, decides zoning around a future Purple Line station near the intersection of University Boulevard, Adelphi Road and Campus
The College Park City Council Meeting in College Park City Hall on Feb. 15, 2022. joe ryan/the diamondback
autumn hengen/the diamondback
Drive. It proposes building a new neighborhood near the Adelphi Road-UMGCUMD Purple Line Station, which would deforest part of Guilford Woods. The woods has been a subject of community discussions since community members started the Save Guilford Woods movement to push back against plans to develop it into graduate student housing. University of Maryland officials paused that project, called Western Gateway, in October. The proposed neighborhood would include high-density affordable housing and a walkable community area in and around Guilford Woods.
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Purple line & Guilford woods
Signs for the “Save Guilford Woods” group at the Guilford woods protest on McKeldin Mall on Oct. 15, 2021. joe ryan/the diamondback
Purple Line construction on Campus Drive on March 9, 2020. joe ryan/the diamondback
Terry Schum, College Park’s director of city planning, noted that during a public hearing held by the planning board and the county council on Jan. 18, 31 of 34 speakers opposed the development. “The gist of the city’s letter is that the plan inadequately addresses environmental, transportation and public
“I hope it’s conveyed that we’re not necessarily opposed to a sector plan for this area. We’re not opposed to increased density in this area,” Adams said. “It just needs to be done right, and it needs to be done with true community input.” Mayor Patrick Wojahn said he wanted the county to balance the need for development in the College Park area with
facilities issues and recommends zoning changes that are not justified in the plan,” Schum said. District 3 council member Stuart Adams, who was involved in the Save Guilford Woods movement, said he appreciates the possibility of high-density housing near public transit, but had other concerns about the development.
preserving the environment. “I appreciate that this motion recognizes that there really are two interests at stake here,” Wojahn said. “One is the need to develop densely by our key public transit corridors and the Purple Line in addition to preserving our natural areas.”
mdaymars@umd.edu
One Love
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UMD One Love holds partner violence awareness workshop for SGA, GSG The club brings awareness to the SGA and GSG and gives them resources to better support victims as an uptick in domestic violence is seen since the pandemic. By Trisha Ahmed | @TrishaAhmed15 | Staff writer
Over 35 people gathered on Feb. 7, 2022 for One Love’s “Escalation” training on intimate partner violence. trisha ahmed/the diamondback SGA, GSG and One Love UM hosted a workshop Monday for their members to learn about intimate partner violence. More than 35 people attended the in-person event in the Juan Ramon Jimenez Room at Stamp Student Union. The workshop featured a 40-minute screening of the film Escalation from One Love — an organization that educates people about healthy and unhealthy relationships — followed by a discussion of the film and available relevant resources. The film portrayed an example of an “unhealthy relationship and how it gradually got worse,” said Josie Urrea, who helped organize the event. Urrea, a junior Chinese and public policy major, serves as the Student Government Association’s director of sexual misconduct prevention. The workshop’s speakers — students from this university’s chapter of One Love — said one in three women, one in three men and one in two transgender and nonbinary people will be in an abusive relationship during their lifetime. This university’s students filed 213
reports of sexual misconduct in the 2019-20 academic year, according to the most recent report from this university’s Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct and The Diamondback’s reporting in November. Event organizer Autumn Perkey said her biggest hope is the workshop will open up communication about the issue and that people will start talking about it more. Perkey, a government and politics doctoral student, serves as the Graduate Student Government’s vice president of legislative affairs. “The best way to deter domestic violence is to be educated about it. So this was a way to kind of get more education out there to hopefully help people avoid these situations,” said Perkey. Perkey said she is a survivor of domestic violence and is now an advocate. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, you saw an increase in domestic violence and a reduction in resources,” Perkey said. “[People] were trapped at home with their abusers, and they couldn’t escape.”
Monday’s workshop was required for members of SGA’s legislature, said Urrea. The training brought awareness to SGA and GSG members about the people they represent on campus and how prevalent these situations are for this university’s students, said Urrea . “We need to be cognizant of that when we do our work,” she added. Meghana Kotraiah, SGA’s speaker of the legislature, said the workshop had a great discussion on the heavy subject material. A point from the group discussion that stuck with Kotraiah was the harm inflicted when friends and family say only positive things about a new relationship — if something goes wrong later, the victim might feel shameful and unable to talk about the problem. “It was definitely an important training to do,” said Kotraiah, a sophomore agricultural and resource economics and government and politics major. Tamara Allard, a development psychology graduate student who attended the workshop and serves as GSG’s pres-
ident, said domestic violence can look very different for graduate students and undergraduate students. For example, Allard said, many graduate students live with their significant others, are married or engaged, are economically dependent on their partners, have children or are isolated from others — all factors that can make a domestically violent situation challenging to leave. “It’s much easier to fall into a situation like this and much harder to get out of a situation like this if you don’t have a support system,” Allard said, adding that the workshop emphasized the importance of having three people you can rely on in the event of intimate partner violence. “Were there three people that I could have relied on when I first came here, where I would have felt comfortable telling them that the situation was going on or that they would even see the signs? Probably not,” Allard said. Perkey, one of the event’s organizers, said, “I think graduate students have experienced more trauma than they like to talk about.” “And I think we’re at this generational divide, where the people who are current graduate students weren’t allowed to speak about their traumas, versus the undergrads (who) are vocal about it,” Perkey said. “So I’m hoping that we start talking more and people start getting more support in ways like accessing therapy.” The workshop’s speakers shared some of this university’s resources to help with intimate partner violence including CARE to Stop Violence, the UMD Counseling Center, Behavioral Health Services, UMD Help Center and Lean On Me. The above organizations offerx services like free therapy, medication management, an anonymous crisis hotline and a non-crisis text line. The speakers also shared national resources including Love Is Respect, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, the National Sexual Assault Hotline and The Trevor Project.
