Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week

April 1-5, 2019

This week we recognize the many contributions graduate and professional students make to research, teaching, and service at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Message from Interim Chancellor Guskiewicz on Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week

Get Involved!

We encourage all faculty, staff and students to come up with your own ideas and events focused on celebrating the contributions of graduate and professional students. These could be: a morning or afternoon coffee break, a lunch celebration, fun giveaways, photo opportunities, a social media campaign — feel free to think outside the box!

Let us know about your efforts, and please promote the hashtag #UNCGradStudents on social media with a photo featuring Carolina graduate students.

Source: UNC Office of Institutional Research and Assessment

Celebrating #UNCGradStudents

GPSAW Events

  • GPSAW Kick-Off! Coffee & Donuts
    • 9:00-11:00 am, the Pit
    • Happy Monday! While you’re at our table, pick up a button to show your support for graduate students at Carolina! We’ll have “Carolina Graduate Student” and “Carolina Loves Graduate Students” buttons for the taking — pick the one that suits you best!
  • Undergraduate Student Government: Thank Your TA/RA!
    • 10:00 am-3:00 pm, the Pit
    • Undergraduate students: Come by our booth in the Pit and make thank you cards for your teaching assistants and research assistants! Undergraduate Student Government will provide the art supplies, you provide the name and department, and we’ll make sure your appreciation and gratitude get to your TA/RA’s box by the end of the week.
  • Introduction to Racial Equity: REI Groundwater Workshop + Community Chalkboard
    • 1:00-5:00 pm, Health Sciences Library 527
    • Join the Racial Equity Institute, The Graduate School at UNC-Chapel Hill and the Weiss Urban Livability Fellows for a conversation on racial inequity in academia. It’s an opportunity to reflect on your own experiences to gain a greater understanding of the role of race in your research, work and relationships. Refreshments provided. Registration is required.
  • The Gaga/Naharin Movement Workshop
    • 5:30 pm, Gerrard Hall
    • Join Erez Zohar of Batsheva Dance Company for a Gaga/Naharan movement workshop hosted by Carolina Performing Arts. Gaga/Naharin is a movement language developed in the Batsheva Studios over the last decade by Ohad Naharin, Batsheva’s long-time artistic director. This movement language is used daily by dancers of the Batsheva Dance Company and Batsheva Ensemble as the basis for their distinctive technique. This workshop is open to people ages 16 and up. No previous dance experience necessary. Space is limited. First come, first served. RSVP via email and please state if you are a graduate student.
  • Undergraduate Student Government: Thank Your TA/RA!
    • 10:00 am-3:00 pm, the Pit
    • Undergraduate students: Come by our booth in the Pit and make thank you cards for your teaching assistants and research assistants! Undergraduate Student Government will provide the art supplies, you provide the name and department, and we’ll make sure your appreciation and gratitude get to your TA/RA’s box by the end of the week.
  • Carolina Dining Services Loves Graduate and Professional Students
    • 11:00 am-1:00 pm, Beach Cafe Common Area
    • Carolina Dining Services celebrates graduate and professional students with special treats in the common area outside the Beach Cafe. Stop by and see us on your way to and from class or lab!
  • Enhancing Interpersonal and Leadership Effectiveness
    • 1:00-3:00 pm, Graduate Student Center
    • Learn skills focused on how you can contribute to work environments that foster engagement and productive working relationships. Gain a thorough and practical inventory of your strengths along with an understanding of areas needed for further professional development. Each participant will come away with an action plan highlighting specific behaviors toward greater professional effectiveness, more productive working relationships and peak performance. Facilitator: Peter Metzner, Dynamic Change Inc. Workshop registration
  • Crafting Resilience with PhDepression and Stigma Free Carolina
    • 2:00-4:00 pm, Frank Porter Graham Student Union, Room 3202
    • Part of being productive is knowing when to take a break! Come have coffee and cookies, do some crafts, and learn about graduate and professional student groups (like Stigma Free Carolina) and campus offices (including ARS, CAPS, Campus Recreation, Student Wellness, Writing Center, The Graduate School) that want to support your health, well-being, and success. Chat with Susanna Harris (PhDepression) and Ben Lee (Stigma Free Carolina) about specific efforts to support graduate student mental health at UNC-Chapel Hill and beyond. And take a bit of a breather in the middle of your day!
  • Batsheva Dance Company: Venezuela
    • 7:30 pm, Memorial Hall
    • The sublime result of six decades of innovation by Tel Aviv-based Batsheva’s founder Ohad Naharin, Venezuela combines his signature Gaga technique with Tango and rap in a collage of scenes showcasing dialogue between music and movement.
    • Courtesy of Carolina Performing Arts, use code GRADFREE to redeem up to two complimentary tickets (while supplies last) online, by phone (919.843.3333), or in person at the CPA Box Office at Memorial Hall (M-F, 10 AM-5 PM). To redeem online: Select desired performance and click “Buy Now.” On next page, you must enter the code in the top right corner of the page before selecting number of tickets for the code to work properly.
  • GPSF Lunch & Learn: Student Rights
    • 12:00 pm-1:00 pm, FPG Student Union, room 3205
    • What can I do as a student to protect myself? How do I navigate spaces that can negatively impact me? The GPSF is bringing to you our next Lunch and Learn series: Student Rights. We will have a panel discussion from our campus partners to allow students to ask and learn about their rights here at UNC. Come out and hear from our University regarding your rights and the resources in place to support you, both academically and personally.
    • Event Registration
  • Live, Love, Laugh with Student Wellness
    • 3:00-4:00 pm, Student Wellness Office, SASB South, Large Room
    • Want to laugh your way into wellness? Research indicates that laughter therapy may decrease anxiety, stress, and depression and improve quality of life. Come and try out some laughter therapy techniques with your peers and giggle, guffaw, and laugh your way into wellness. Take a risk and be silly, and walk away feeling rejuvenated.
    • Participants will:
      • Learn how to simulate laughter to stimulate laughter
      • Learn ways to incorporate laughter into daily activities in intentional ways to maximize the positive health benefits of laughter
      • Learn more about the science behind the wellness benefits of laughter
  • GPSF & CUAB Outdoor Movie Night!
    • 5:30 pm, Baity Hill (outside of leasing office)
    • Ready for a nostalgic movie night? The GPSF and CUAB are teaming up to bring you 1997’s “Good Burger”! Come on out to Baity Hill by the leasing office for an outside showing of our favorite ’90s movie. We will have movie snacks on hand for you to enjoy.
  • Campus Health Honors Graduate and Professional Students: Complimentary Acupuncture
    • 12:00 - 2:00 pm, Health Education Conference Room 233, second floor of Campus Health
    • Are you interested in exploring acupuncture? Campus Health is offering complimentary acupuncture treatment to the first 8 registrants (scheduled in 15-minute increments). To schedule your complimentary treatment, please call 919-966-2281 and connect with central appointments staff. Sorry, all appointments are booked.
  • Annual Graduate Student Recognition Celebration
    • 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm, Alumni Halls in the George Watts Hill Alumni Center
    • The Graduate Student Recognition Celebration celebrates the many ways graduate and professional students contribute to our University and beyond. Specifically, the event recognizes students who have received prestigious external fellowships and numerous other awards this academic year. The event begins with the awards ceremony at 4 p.m. and is followed by a reception with research poster presentations. All graduate and professional students are invited to attend!
  • Grad Gratitude Hours with Associate Dean Ngai
    • 9:00-11:00 am, Graduate Student Center, light breakfast refreshments sponsored by GPSF
    • Life as graduate and professional students can be challenging. OK, let’s not kid ourselves. It *is* challenging. But who are the people that help you get through those difficult patches? Your parents who call you once a week? Your partner who makes you dinner? Your kids who give you hugs? Your advisor who thanks you for your contribution to a project? The friend in your cohort who drags you out for coffee when they know you’ve been staring at your screen for too long? Come out to the GSC and join Associate Dean Ngai in writing notes of gratitude. We’ll have note cards available (you bring your own pens!). And for this special event, she’ll even mail them for you!
  • Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation Workshop at CAPS
    • 10:00 - 11:00 am, Health Education Conference Room 233, second floor of Campus Health
    • Join staff from Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) for an introduction to mindfulness and meditation workshop. The workshop will provide a brief overview of mindfulness and meditation along with facilitation of mindfulness and meditation skills. Mindfulness has been shown to help with stress management, anxiety, difficulty focusing, and overall emotional wellbeing. We hope you can join us as you ease into the weekend!
  • Front Porch Friday with The Graduate School staff
    • 2:00-4:00 pm, Bynum Hall front porch
    • As we wind down Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week, join The Graduate School staff for some sweet tea, lemonade, and cookies on our front porch. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s a little reminder of where you can go when you have questions, need help, or just want to get to know us a little bit better. We’re here for you – on this day, throughout your graduate school career, and beyond. Come join us for some southern hospitality – and hopefully sunshine!
  • Gil Shaham, violin & Akira Eguchi, piano
    • 8:00 pm, Memorial Hall
    • One of the foremost violinists of our time, Gil Shaham is a Grammy Award-winner and has been acclaimed for his appearances on the concert stage since the age of 10. He is joined by distinguished pianist and composer Akira Eguchi.
    • Courtesy of Carolina Performing Arts, use code GRADFREE to redeem up to two complimentary tickets (while supplies last) online, by phone (919.843.3333), or in person at the CPA Box Office at Memorial Hall (M-F, 10 AM-5 PM). To redeem online: Select desired performance and click “Buy Now.” On next page, you must enter the code in the top right corner of the page before selecting number of tickets for the code to work properly.

Special promotions

UNC Student Stores

Celebrate GPSAW all week with these special discounts for graduate and professional students! Make sure to show your UNC ID and mention the promotion at the register.

  • Free upgrades on all café drinks in the Stone & Leaf Monday-Friday
  • 25% off Graduate School merchandise and School-specific merchandise
  • 10% off diploma frames
  • Bundle prices on regalia, announcement, and diploma frame purchases

Carolina Performing Arts

To celebrate Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week, Carolina Performing Arts is offering a limited number of complimentary tickets to grad students at UNC-Chapel Hill! Use code GRADFREE to redeem up to two complimentary tickets for performances of Batsheva Dance Company: Venezuela on April 2 and Gil Shaham, violin & Akira Eguchi, piano on April 5 (while supplies last).

E(I) Lab

E(I) Lab is celebrating graduate and professional students this week with free T-shirts in the lobby of Marsico Hall every day from 11 a.m. to noon! Stop by to pick one up and learn more about the work of E(I) lab to bring together graduate students, professional students and postdocs from diverse disciplines across UNC-Chapel Hill to develop innovative healthcare solutions.

First-generation graduate students pose next to a number 1