Sunday, November 28, 2010

UPPSA Presidential Roundup- November 28th

• CUPPA Alumni Party- All current graduate students in Urban Planning and Public Administration are invited to the CUPPA Alumni Association Holiday Party- Wednesday, December 1st, 6pm at Jaks Tap, 901 W. Jackson. Meet MUPPS and MPA’s from years past who are out working and may be a great connection. Great networking opportunity!
• Meeting with President Hogan- You are invited to an Open Forum with President Hogan on Monday, November 29 from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in Room 302 of Student Center East. All UIC students are welcome to attend, so bring your study partner, roommate, or student organization peer. Participants will have chances at door prizes and will receive co-curricular credit for The UIC Experience http://www.uic.edu/depts/ovcsa/uicexperience.html. Plus, the first 75 students to RSVP will be treated to free lunch after the meeting. What are you waiting for? RSVP by Monday, November 22 to ovcsa@uic.edu.
• CUPPAH Turkey Bowl Results- The Turkey Bowl was awesome. More than 50 people participated and we collected many meals worth of canned goods for the Greater Chicago Food Depository. While UPPSA lost our first game, we assisted SUPA with a win and then we took on all the undergrads and won, but that didn’t count towards the standings. Pictures (and they are awesome) will be posted to the website tonight www.upppsa.org. Thank you to Eden Sabala for organizing the event and thank you to Sara Amaral for coaching the UPPSA team.
• Process Over Outcomes: Blog Your Masters Project- UPPSA gets a lot of questions about how students formulate their masters projects, organize themselves to get the work done and stay sane while working on their masters projects. If you would like to blog about your masters project experience contact us at uppsainfo@gmail.com and let us know what your particular take is and whether you would like your own thread or would like to contribute to more of a discussion.
• Mayoral Candidate Forum, December 14th- The Jewish Council on Urban Affairs is convening a forum of candidates for the first open mayoral race in Chicago since 1989. Join us at the UIC Forum Tuesday, December 14th from 6:30-8pm. To reserve a seat visit www.jcua.org/townhall
• Mentorship Program Comments and Feedback- If you are currently participating in either the APA-IL or CUPPA Alumni mentorship program, we would like to know what you think about your experiences in the program! Let us know what is working well, what is not, and any recommendations or other comments you may have. Please visit http://www.uppsa.org/contact-uppsa.html and leave your feedback using the appropriate form. Your comments are important and will help to improve the future of both programs, so please share your thoughts!
• UPP Accreditation Student Participation- In the coming months the Urban Planning and Policy department will undergo its self-study as part of the work to be accredited. Be on the lookout for opportunities to provide the department your feedback and help with the study. In partnership with the department, UPPSA will help disseminate surveys, host focus groups and help analyze how the department tracks outcomes. For more information about accreditation take a look at http://www.planningaccreditationboard.org.
• Book Exchange- As this semester is ending, a new one is going to begin shortly. Don’t forget to sell your books for some extra holiday cash, or rent them out, if you are attached to them. UPPSA book exchange in online! Go to http://www.uppsa.org/forum.html to post your books.
• Masters Project Forum- Based on a past UPP Next event during which UPP faculty and former students presented on the MUPP masters project, we thought it would be a good idea to begin an on-going discussion board for students to put their ideas out into the MUPP community, learn about resources and find people for collaboration. One of the ideas that came up was the disconnect between completing a solely individual masters project and then working in careers that will almost never involve purely individual work. Us this thread as a forum for collaboration. Feel free to post 1) your idea for a masters project 2) requests for information, sources or people to connect with 3) provide feedback to others and 4) begin the process of pursuing a collaborative masters project. To view it go to http://www.uppsa.org/forum.html
• Academic or Assistantship Advocacy- Any MUPPs with concerns about department-wide academic issues are encouraged to contact UPPSA at UPPSAinfo@gmail.com with your feedback about the program. The Board of UPPSA meets regularly with the UPP department and the Dean of CUPPA. Let us be your advocate. Also, for those students with assistantships, UPPSA President Bob Fuller is also the Graduate Employee Organization (GEO) steward for CUPPAH. If you feel you have been treated unfairly in your assistantship (Teaching, Graduate or Research) feel free to contact him at rfulle5@uic.edu to get connected with the GEO’s grievance resources.
• If you have important news for fellow MUPPs and you would like it included in the President’s Weekly Roundup and/or on the UPPSA website email UPPSAinfo@gmail.com by 2 p.m. each Sunday.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

UPPSA Presidential Roundup- November 21st

• University Reorganization and Tuition Differential Discussions- You may not know it, but there are serious discussions in the university administration to reorganize the structure of UIC colleges. UPPSA and the 3 other CUPPAH student associations met with Dean Pagano this past week to learn more and express our desire that students are included in this conversation. We will hold 3 discussion sessions Monday, November 22nd at 12pm, 3pm and 5:30pm in the Graduate Student Lounge. You need only attend one session during which student association leaders will give a brief overview of the current debate, record how you feel about the situation and take notes on your suggestions. All are encouraged to also join us for a roundtable discussion with Dean Pagano on Friday, December 10th. RSVP for this event and read about the debate at www.uppsa.org.
• CUPPA Alumni Party- All current graduate students in Urban Planning and Public Administration are invited to the CUPPA Alumni Association Holiday Party- Wednesday, December 1st, 6pm at Jaks Tap, 901 W. Jackson. Meet MUPPS and MPA’s from years past who are out working and may be a great connection. Great networking opportunity!
• Meeting with President Hogan- You are invited to an Open Forum with President Hogan on Monday, November 29 from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in Room 302 of Student Center East. All UIC students are welcome to attend, so bring your study partner, roommate, or student organization peer. Participants will have chances at door prizes and will receive co-curricular credit for The UIC Experience http://www.uic.edu/depts/ovcsa/uicexperience.html. Plus, the first 75 students to RSVP will be treated to free lunch after the meeting. What are you waiting for? RSVP by Monday, November 22 to ovcsa@uic.edu.
• CUPPAH Turkey Bowl Results- The Turkey Bowl was awesome. More than 50 people participated and we collected many meals worth of canned goods for the Greater Chicago Food Depository. While UPPSA lost our first game, we assisted SUPA with a win and then we took on all the undergrads and won, but that didn’t count towards the standings. Pictures (and they are awesome) will be posted to the website tonight www.upppsa.org. Thank you to Eden Sabala for organizing the event and thank you to Sara Amaral for coaching the UPPSA team.
• Process Over Outcomes: Blog Your Masters Project- UPPSA gets a lot of questions about how students formulate their masters projects, organize themselves to get the work done and stay sane while working on their masters projects. If you would like to blog about your masters project experience contact us at uppsainfo@gmail.com and let us know what your particular take is and whether you would like your own thread or would like to contribute to more of a discussion.
• Mayoral Candidate Forum, December 14th- The Jewish Council on Urban Affairs is convening a forum of candidates for the first open mayoral race in Chicago since 1989. Join us at the UIC Forum Tuesday, December 14th from 6:30-8pm. To reserve a seat visit www.jcua.org/townhall
• Mentorship Program Comments and Feedback- If you are currently participating in either the APA-IL or CUPPA Alumni mentorship program, we would like to know what you think about your experiences in the program! Let us know what is working well, what is not, and any recommendations or other comments you may have. Please visit http://www.uppsa.org/contact-uppsa.html and leave your feedback using the appropriate form. Your comments are important and will help to improve the future of both programs, so please share your thoughts!
• UPP Accreditation Student Participation- In the coming months the Urban Planning and Policy department will undergo its self-study as part of the work to be accredited. Be on the lookout for opportunities to provide the department your feedback and help with the study. In partnership with the department, UPPSA will help disseminate surveys, host focus groups and help analyze how the department tracks outcomes. For more information about accreditation take a look at http://www.planningaccreditationboard.org.
• Book Exchange- As this semester is ending, a new one is going to begin shortly. Don’t forget to sell your books for some extra holiday cash, or rent them out, if you are attached to them. UPPSA book exchange in online! Go to http://www.uppsa.org/forum.html to post your books.
• Masters Project Forum- Based on a past UPP Next event during which UPP faculty and former students presented on the MUPP masters project, we thought it would be a good idea to begin an on-going discussion board for students to put their ideas out into the MUPP community, learn about resources and find people for collaboration. One of the ideas that came up was the disconnect between completing a solely individual masters project and then working in careers that will almost never involve purely individual work. Us this thread as a forum for collaboration. Feel free to post 1) your idea for a masters project 2) requests for information, sources or people to connect with 3) provide feedback to others and 4) begin the process of pursuing a collaborative masters project. To view it go to http://www.uppsa.org/forum.html
• Academic or Assistantship Advocacy- Any MUPPs with concerns about department-wide academic issues are encouraged to contact UPPSA at UPPSAinfo@gmail.com with your feedback about the program. The Board of UPPSA meets regularly with the UPP department and the Dean of CUPPA. Let us be your advocate. Also, for those students with assistantships, UPPSA President Bob Fuller is also the Graduate Employee Organization (GEO) steward for CUPPAH. If you feel you have been treated unfairly in your assistantship (Teaching, Graduate or Research) feel free to contact him at rfulle5@uic.edu to get connected with the GEO’s grievance resources.
• If you have important news for fellow MUPPs and you would like it included in the President’s Weekly Roundup and/or on the UPPSA website email UPPSAinfo@gmail.com by 2 p.m. each Sunday.

Monday, November 15, 2010

UPPSA Roundup- November 15th

• University Reorganization and Tuition Differential Discussions- You may not know it, but there are serious discussions in the university administration to reorganize the structure of UIC colleges. UPPSA and the 3 other CUPPAH student associations met with Dean Pagano this past week to learn more and express our desire that students are included in this conversation. We will hold 3 discussion sessions Monday, November 22nd at 12pm, 3pm and 5:30pm in the Graduate Student Lounge. You need only attend one session during which student association leaders will give a brief overview of the current debate, record how you feel about the situation and take notes on your suggestions. All are encouraged to also join us for a roundtable discussion with Dean Pagano on Friday, December 10th. RSVP for this event and read about the debate at www.uppsa.org.
• Mentorship Program Comments and Feedback- If you are currently participating in either the APA-IL or CUPPA Alumni mentorship program, we would like to know what you think about your experiences in the program! Let us know what is working well, what is not, and any recommendations or other comments you may have. Please visit http://www.uppsa.org/contact-uppsa.html and leave your feedback using the appropriate form. Your comments are important and will help to improve the future of both programs, so please share your thoughts!
• Urban Innovation Symposium- There is lots to do before the symposium in January. Interested in helping out? There will be a meeting on Monday, November 15th, in the grad student basement lounge, at 3pm. RSVP at www.uppsa.org
• UPP Accreditation Student Participation- In the coming months the Urban Planning and Policy department will undergo its self-study as part of the work to be accredited. Be on the lookout for opportunities to provide the department your feedback and help with the study. In partnership with the department, UPPSA will help disseminate surveys, host focus groups and help analyze how the department tracks outcomes. For more information about accreditation take a look at http://www.planningaccreditationboard.org.
• Green Building Council Event- The Emerging Professionals of the USGBC are putting on a huge event Tuesday night Nov. 16th after Greenbuild and they would love to have any interested MUPPs attend to network and have a fun time. Cost is about $10.00 for the event, open bar, and food. Here is the link to the event website. http://take5greenbuild.eventbrite.com/
***Additionally they're looking for 10 responsible and enthusiastic volunteers to help staff the event (they would also get free admission)!***
If you are interested in volunteering or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact Candis Queen, candisq@gmail.com.
• GCI Lecture Series "Building the Speculative City" with Faculty Scholar Rachel Weber- Associate Director of CGI & Associate Professor for UPP, Dr. Weber will discuss her work on periods of rapid change in the physical fabric of the city, from construction booms to financial systems, to public planning. November 16th, 2pm at CGI, 4th floor of CUPPA. RSVP atwww.uppsa.org
• Wanna play some flag football and help out the local food bank for Thanksgiving?? PASA (public administration grads), UPA (urban and public affairs undergrad), UPPSA , the history department, & Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) are teaming up for a flag football tourney on Nov 20th, all to benefit a local soup kitchen. Each team needs at least 5 people, of which 2 have to be girls and everyone needs to bring a valid icard and a canned or boxed good for charity to be eligible. Good, cold, clean fun will ensue. Dress appropriately. When: Nov 20th at 1:30pm, Where: The field at Harrison and Halsted, right next to the Highway, Who: Teams of 7(have to have 2 girls) with a canned or boxed good item for each player. RSVP at www.uppsa.org
• Book Exchange- As this semester is ending, a new one is going to begin shortly. Don’t forget to sell your books for some extra holiday cash, or rent them out, if you are attached to them. UPPSA book exchange in online! Go to http://www.uppsa.org/forum.html to post your books.
• Masters Project Forum- Based on a past UPP Next event during which UPP faculty and former students presented on the MUPP masters project, we thought it would be a good idea to begin an on-going discussion board for students to put their ideas out into the MUPP community, learn about resources and find people for collaboration. One of the ideas that came up was the disconnect between completing a solely individual masters project and then working in careers that will almost never involve purely individual work. Us this thread as a forum for collaboration. Feel free to post 1) your idea for a masters project 2) requests for information, sources or people to connect with 3) provide feedback to others and 4) begin the process of pursuing a collaborative masters project. To view it go to http://www.uppsa.org/forum.html
• Academic or Assistantship Advocacy- Any MUPPs with concerns about department-wide academic issues are encouraged to contact UPPSA at UPPSAinfo@gmail.com with your feedback about the program. The Board of UPPSA meets regularly with the UPP department and the Dean of CUPPA. Let us be your advocate. Also, for those students with assistantships, UPPSA President Bob Fuller is also the Graduate Employee Organization (GEO) steward for CUPPAH. If you feel you have been treated unfairly in your assistantship (Teaching, Graduate or Research) feel free to contact him at rfulle5@uic.edu to get connected with the GEO’s grievance resources.
• If you have important news for fellow MUPPs and you would like it included in the President’s Weekly Roundup and/or on the UPPSA website email UPPSAinfo@gmail.com by 2 p.m. each Sunday.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

November 7th UPPSA Presidential Roundup

Hello,
Now that you are refreshed from an extra hour of sleep (be sure you changed your clocks back to standard time) take a gander at this week’s UPPSA announcements.
• UPPSA Board Leadership: American Planning Association First Year Representative- The UPPSA board is excited to announce that the new First Year Representative to the APA-IL is Meredith Klekotka. Meredith will serve an 18 month term beginning in January, during which time she will represent UIC Planning students as a voting member of APA-IL’s executive board. Her responsibilities also include publicizing APA events and initiatives at CUPPAH. She was chosen from a strong pool of candidates and will work with Sara Amaral, current APA-IL representative until her term expires in May. Thank you Meredith for taking on this responsibility and thank you to all the great candidates who took the time and energy to apply for this position.
• GA/TOD- The next UPPSA General Assembly/Transit Oriented Dining will be Friday, November 12th starting at 6pm. The meeting will take place at the TOD location in the Pilsen neighborhood- Nuevo Leon 1515 W. 18th St. Chicago, IL 60608 (312) 421-1517 www.nuevoleonrestaurant.com
Directions from UIC: Cycling/Driving -- Take Van Buren west for about 3/4 mile until Ashland Ave. Take a left onto Ashland Ave. and go south for 2 miles until 18th St. Then make a left and go east for 1 block.
CTA -- Walk west on Van Buren for about 3/4 mile until Ashland Ave. Take the Ashland bus (#9) south until the 18th St. stop. Then take a left and walk 1 block east on 18th St.
To RSVP for the social event, please go to www.uppsa.org before Wednesday, November 10th so we can get a rough headcount to make our reservation. Please let me know if you have any other questions. We hope to see you there!
• CUPPAH Gridiron Challenge- On Saturday, November 20th at 1:30 pm the combined athletic abilities of UPPSA, SUPA (undergrads), PASA (Public Administration) and CUPPS (Phd’s) students will create an unbelievably awesome flag football game. Email UPPSAinfo@gmail.com if you are interested in playing, cheering on or coaching for the game. The game(s) will take place at Harrison Field (just across the expressway from CUPPAH). We are asking all participants to bring a canned good or non-perishable item to be donated to a local food pantry.
• UPP Next: Informational Interviews as a Networking Tool- Learn about networking and informational interviews and also practice conducting them at this UPP Next event! Find out how to develop a plan for informational interviewing that will help you learn more about what interests you in planning, identify how your interests fit into a possible career path, and begin to build your own professional network.
Marva Boyd, the Acting Chief of Staff at the Illinois Department of Transportation, will be presenting on this important career development tool. Participants will have the opportunity to put what they learn into action during the session--you'll leave prepared to use what you've learned to expand your networks well before you need a job! Join us Friday, November 12th @ 12 PM in the Great Cities conference room, 4th floor of CUPPA Hall.
• Masters Project Forum- Based on this past Friday's UPP Next event during which UPP faculty and former students presented on the MUPP masters project, we thought it would be a good idea to begin an on-going discussion board for students to put their ideas out into the MUPP community, learn about resources and find people for collaboration. One of the ideas that came up was the disconnect between completing a solely individual masters project and then working in careers that will almost never involve purely individual work. Us this thread as a forum for collaboration. Feel free to post 1) your idea for a masters project 2) requests for information, sources or people to connect with 3) provide feedback to others and 4) begin the process of pursuing a collaborative masters project. To view it go to http://www.uppsa.org/forum.html
• Academic or Assistantship Advocacy- Any MUPPs with concerns about department-wide academic issues are encouraged to contact UPPSA at UPPSAinfo@gmail.com with your feedback about the program. The Board of UPPSA meets regularly with the UPP department and the Dean of CUPPA. Let us be your advocate. Also, for those students with assistantships, UPPSA President Bob Fuller is also the Graduate Employee Organization (GEO) steward for CUPPAH. If you feel you have been treated unfairly in your assistantship (Teaching, Graduate or Research) feel free to contact him at rfulle5@uic.edu to get connected with the GEO’s grievance resources.
• If you have important news for fellow MUPPs and you would like it included in the President’s Weekly Roundup and/or on the UPPSA website email UPPSAinfo@gmail.com by 2 p.m. each Sunday.
Have a great week,
Bob Fuller
President- UPPSA