Graduate Student Caucus

Welcome! With the generous support of NeMLA, our caucus is able to provide the below privileges for graduate students. Please visit us at http://sites.google.com/site/nemlagradcaucus/Home for further information about events and opportunities!

GSC Business Meeting/Reception

For the 2010 Convention, the Graduate Caucus Business Meeting/Reception will be held at a place and time to be announced. Stay tuned for more information!

Graduate Student Assistantships

To provide support and experience to NeMLA graduate student members, NeMLA offers a Graduate Assistantship program, offering experience with a scholarly association, as well as financial support of their convention expenses. Assistantships receive membership and registration and 2 nights at the convention hotel. Graduate Assistants work closely with the Executive Director and/or a NeMLA Board member.

For 2009-10, Graduate Assistants are sought for the following areas:

Special Events Liaison — coordinate support of NeMLA speakers
Editorial Assistant — aid in editing of NeMLA program and newsletter
Travel Award Assistant — assist with the travel award process and convention registration
Book Award Assistant — aid in the management of the book award review process
Publications Assistant (preferred Italianist with InDesign experience) — assist the publication of NeMLA Italian Studies.

For more information about a specific Assistantship or to apply for these positions send your cover letter and resume to Elizabeth Abele at nemlasupport@gmail.com by Sept. 15, 2009. Please detail software expertise.

Travel Awards

The NeMLA graduate student travel awards are open to M.A. and Ph.D. students who have been accepted to present at the 2010 Convention. For those applying, the online application will be available from Dec. 1, 2009 to Dec. 31, 2009; we will not accept applications by mail, fax or e-mail. Our evaluation will be based on different criteria, including the quality of the student's abstract. Please stay tuned for application instructions.

Graduate Student Caucus Roundtables

For the 2010 convention, the Graduate Student Caucus Roundtable will be:

Navigating the Academic Nexus. Johanna Rossi Wagner, Chair. This roundtable invites scholars to participate in a discussion about constructing an academic identity through publishing, conference presentations and networking. The aim is to aid graduate students in understanding how to create a strong and effective academic presence through various forums as well as to advise young scholars about how to successfully promote themselves and their work during and after grad school. We welcome discussion about publication expectations, conference prep, service opportunities, and tailoring to career goals. Send abstracts and questions to jrwagner@rutgers.edu.

Graduate Student Business Meeting

All graduate students are invited to this meeting to discuss how NeMLA can serve the needs of graduate students. New Officers will be nominated. At the 2010 Convention meeting, we will accept nominations for President, Vice President, and Communications Director.

Graduate Student Caucus Socials

Subsidized by NeMLA, the Caucus will sponsor various socials, including breakfasts during the convention and the Graduate Student Forum. At this annual meeting and social hour, graduate students have a chance to share their experiences at NeMLA and their home institutions, as well as discuss how NeMLA can better serve them in the future.

Graduate Student Caucus Paper Prize

NeMLA awards an annual prize to the best graduate student paper presented at any of the Convention's sections.

The submission deadline for the 2010 Graduate Student Caucus Paper Prize is January 10, 2010. Further, only papers presented at the 2009 convention will be considered. A cash prize of $100 will be awarded at the 2010 convention. Graduate students are invited to send 20-25 page versions of their essays to Rachel Spear, Chair of the Graduate Student Caucus Paper Prize at rspear1@lsu.edu.

Criteria for all Caucus Essay Awards:

Submitted essays should be between 7,000 and 9,000 words (there is a 10,000 word limit, notes and works cited included). Unrevised paper presentations are not accepted and will be returned. The author's name, address, and academic affiliation should appear only on a separate cover sheet.

Each caucus prize offers a $100 cash award. Prize-winning essays will automatically be considered for publication by Modern Language Studies; all essays are subject to MLS's double-blind review.

Other Awards

Awards for which graduate students are eligible but that are also open to other NeMLA members include:

Women's Caucus Best Essay Award: See http://www.nemla.org/community/caucuses/womens.html#Essay for more details.
LGBT Best Essay Contest: See http://www.nemla.org/community/caucuses/lgbtq.html for more details.
Summer Fellowship: See http://www.nemla.org/about/awards/fellowship.html for more details.
Newberry Library-NeMLA Fellowship: See http://www.newberry.org/research/felshp/short-term.html for more details.

Officers

Nominations for leadership positions within our Caucus are accepted at the annual Graduate Student Meeting/Reception. Elections are held shortly after the Convention through SurveyMonkey. Officers include the following:

President: Oversees the caucus and is elected triennially. The President serves on the NeMLA board, and attends both fall and spring board meeting (the fall board meeting is typically held at the upcoming convention site). Other responsibilities include Chairing the Travel Grant Committee, Organizing Convention Graduate Events, and assisting with the Graduate Student Paper Prize and Room/Ride Share Board.
Vice President: Assists the President with caucus business and is elected biennially. The Vice President organizes and chairs the convention Graduate Caucus Panel, manages caucus emails and surveys, and assists with Travel Grants, Facebook, and the Graduate Student Paper Prize.
Secretary: Oversees the Graduate Caucus Paper Prize, and assumes Secretary position upon completing the 1 year Communications Director position. The Secretary assists with Travel Grants, and heads the distribution of grant checks at the convention.
Communications Director: Oversees the Graduate Caucus Google Group, the Room/Ride Share board, and Facebook. The Communications Director also assists the President in planning Convention Graduate Events and acts as a liaison and source of support for graduate students. This 1 year position progresses to Secretary upon completion (totaling a 2-year commitment).