The DEVS Graduate Student Society is a graduate student committee of volunteer PhD and Master’s students dedicated to creating a strong support system within the DEVS graduate department. The DGSS mission is to foster social cohesion and peer-to-peer academic support among the Global Development Studies department's Master’s and PhD level cohorts.
The DGSS meets monthly to plan and conceptualize social and academic events for the DEVS graduate student body. We offer DEVS graduate students a wide range of events, some offering a break from their academic commitments and others the opportunity for scholarly exchange and peer-to-peer academic collaboration.
Interested in joining the DGSS executive board? Any DEVS graduate student is welcome! We invite you to reach out to the co-presidents via e-mail (devsgradstudentsociety@gmail.com) or social media.
All executive members of the DGSS play an active role in facilitating and organizing social and academic events. Below are the identified roles within the DGSS, and graduate student representatives will cycle through on an annual basis.
Co-Presidents:
The Co-Presidents oversee the work of the DGSS, spearhead the strategic planning of the organization and are in charge of conducting and moderating meetings. The Co-Presidents are also responsible for enforcing the bylaws and policies of the DGSS and maintaining open and continuous communication with the DEVS faculty.
Secretary
The Secretary is responsible for recording minutes of DGSS meetings and oversees the attendance of DGSS meetings.
Treasurer
The Treasurer creates and monitors the DGSS budget in collaboration with the DEVS department manager.
Social Media & Marketing Officer
The Social Media & Marketing Officer oversees the DGSS social media profiles and is responsible for content creation and promoting DGSS events across its social media channels.
Social Development Officer
The Social Development Officer oversees the event planning for DGSS social events in collaboration with the wider executive committee.
Academic & Professional Development Officers
The Academic & Professional Development Officer oversees the event planning for DGSS academic and professional events in collaboration with the wider executive committee.
Events
The DGSS organizes various social and academic events throughout the school year. The aim of DGSS social events is to encourage a healthy school-life balance and to foster social cohesion among the PhD and Master level cohorts. Some of our past social events include Trivia Night, a holiday party, potlucks, Drinks with Profs and a Pizza & Paint evening.
The DGSS academic itinerary provides DEVS graduate students with the opportunity to learn from upper-year peers about various program milestones and requirements. Our bi-weekly mentorship morning program offers student-run workshops on topics such as preparing for the PhD qualifying examinations, writing an MRP proposal, crafting a term paper, and many more. We also organize professor-facilitated academic skills workshops such as how to write a literature review or how to prepare for fieldwork. The Academic & Professional Development Officers are also currently working on organizing a student-run departmental conference.
DGSS executive members are happy to answer any questions prospective students may have about the program, Queen’s or life in Kingston! If you are a new graduate student in DEVS, reach out to the co-presidents to be added to our lively Facebook group and stay up-to-date on DGSS news.