Funie Hsu, Coordinator
gmsp@ga.berkeley.edu
510.642.2876 ext. 4
ABOUT US
The Graduate Minority Students' Project (GMSP) serves as an advocate, resource
and network for underrepresented graduate students of color at the University of
California, Berkeley. GMSP assists individual students and student organizations
through a variety of services and publications, academic symposiums, cultural
activities, and social gatherings. We advocate for underrepresented graduate students
of color by communicating their concerns to the faculty and administrators and by
serving on a number of campus committees. The GMSP main responsibilities include:
- Recruitment
- Retention
- Advocacy
To see a listing of our upcoming events, click here.
To subscribe to our newsletter, please contact gmsp@ga.berkeley.edu.
1. RECRUITMENT
In order to increase the number of graduate school applicants from underrepresented
communities of color, GMSP also sponsors a series of outreach activities each year for
undergraduates who are considering applying to graduate school. These events include
GRE Test Preparation Courses (held in the fall), "Thinking about Graduate
School" panels featuring current UCB graduate students from a variety of departments
(held late October), and Personal Statement Help Desks in which prospective
graduate student applicants are paired up with current graduate students of the same
academic discipline to work on how to best present yourself as a competitive applicant.
The GMSP also works with the Graduate Division's, Graduate Diversity Program and the
departmental Diversity Coordinators to recruit and advise prospective graduate students.
- For more information on how to apply to UCB and to find out about the graduate programs we offer, click HERE.
- For more information about the Graduate Diversity Program or to find out if there is a Diversity Coordinator in your prospective department, click HERE.
Each spring, the GMSP also organizes a Graduate Student Diversity Day Reception for underrepresented applicants of color who have been admitted to Berkeley. Graduate Student Diversity Day serves to familiarize prospective graduate students with potential
funding and campus resources and provides an introduction to various communities of color on campus that offer social, academic, and personal support. This event is a
great way for prospective underrepresented graduate students of color to meet current graduate students, departmental faculty, and departmental and campus-wide staff.
2. RETENTION
GMSP sponsors a variety of events to support the academic, cultural, and social well being of underrepresented graduate students of color. One such program is the Distinguished Lecturer of Color Series, which invites speakers from various
fields to address topics of interest to the community and to increase the effective presence of people of color on campus. We also co-sponsor with the Graduate Diversity
Program the Brown Bag Series which is a year-long sequence of workshops aimed at aiding students to survive and thrive in graduate school.
We believe that developing a strong sense of community is essential to the retention and success of underrepresented graduate students of color. GMSP works to encourage more students to feel connected, welcome, and involved. A few past events sponsored by GMSP
include a Latino Faculty Social and Hurricane Katrina awareness and donation activities. GMSP works to support our students pursuit of excellence by promoting an inclusive and dynamic community at Cal.
Some of the annual programs we sponsor include:
GMSP also maintains a listserv for underrepresented graduate students of color that distributes relevant information about campus and community events, fellowships, academic workshops, job listings, and GMSP events. To subscribe to the
list, please contact us at gmsp@ga.berkeley.edu.
New Graduate Minority Student Orientation
August 25, 2009
11am - 4pm
Tilden Room, MLK Student Union
Sponsored by the Graduate Assembly and the Graduate Division. New Graduate Minority Student Orientation is a supportive service for new graduate students of color and this event provides programming, services, resources and networking opportunities. Please join us!!
3. ADVOCACY
Beyond our recruitment and retention activities, GMSP advocates for underrepresented
graduate students of color by serving on campus-wide committees and keeping our
community informed about campus initiatives. Through these avenues and others,
we promote awareness of issues related to the underrepresented graduate students of color by communicating them
to faculty and upper administration.
GMSP also counsels graduate students on an individual basis as well as advise
current and prospective graduate student groups about how to register and receive
funding from the Graduate Assembly.
For a listing of current graduate student groups concerned with issues related
to underrepresented communities of color, click here.
Each year, GMSP produces a handbook entitled "Diversity and Excellence"
which publishes a listing of on-campus resources relevant for underrepresented
graduate students of color. This resource guide also includes information about
minority-owned businesses in the Bay Area such as restaurants, clothing stores,
bookstores, clubs, salons and barbershops, and more. The 2006-2007 publication
is currently under revision.
For up-to-date information about minority-owned business and activities, check out the following links:
Campus Resources for Underrepresented Graduate Students