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The inaugural offering of the Graduate & Professional Student Symposium (GPS-S) represents a partnering of offices across campus who have a primary interest in the academic, professional, and career success of graduate students during and after their program, as well as their personal well-being. Overall, the four-day program is designed to engage incoming and returning students in navigating their success at Laurier.

In previous years, the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA), with support from the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS), and Teaching Support Services (TSS) have each offered a separate day of activities (typically the Wednesday and Thursday of Orientation Week) designed to orient students (GSA & FGPS) and develop their teaching and professional development capacity (TSS). This year, for the first time, the program partners have come together to offer an integrated, experiential multi-day event, harnessing the synergies (e.g., resources, expertise, and opportunities) of its partners.

Specifically, the GPS Symposium is designed to provide students with opportunities to:

•    network with academic, professional, and student colleagues,
•    connect with the graduate student community,
•    become familiar with campus and community services and resources,
•    develop teaching and learning skills,
•    understand and appreciate Laurier policies and practices,
•    explore what it means to be a graduate student, and
•    engage in career and professional development opportunities.

GPS-S also offers many avenues for community members to reach out to graduate students and support their success. Laurier members from each of its campuses as well as the Kitchener-Waterloo and Brantford communities are invited to contact the coordinating committee to discuss supporting or participating in the inaugural Graduate & Professional Student Symposium.

Going forward, the program partners will continue to collaborate and extend programming, identifying communications mechanisms (e.g., graduate student portal) to better connect with students before and after they arrive at Laurier as well as touch points throughout the year to share key information and resources that align with the rhythms of the semester and the degree cycle.

MBA students will receive some of the information that will be provided during GPS-S during their MBA - specific orientation, and are encouraged to consult with their program about which sessions they should consider attending.

Please refer to the documents at the bottom of the page for scheduling information.