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- Description
- Applying For Professional Development Reimbursement
- Current Projects
- Andy P. Smith Award
- Contacts
Life at Southern Illinois University
- What to Do When You Get Here
- Come Visit Us!
- Contacts
Life in Carbondale
- What's Up With This Place?
- Restaurants
- Socializing and Nightlife
- Housing
- Day-to-Day Domestics
Professional Development
- Workshops
- Academic Advice and Collegiality
- Master's Degrees (Rhetoric and Composition/Literature)
- Master of Fine Arts (Poetry and Fiction)
- Doctorate Programs (Rhetoric and Composition/Literature)
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WHAT IS A.E.G.I.S.?
DESCRIPTION:
"AEGIS is a professional graduate student organization in English which
concerns itself with all matters relating to the professional and academic and
general welfare of its members as instructors and students in the Department
of English...."
from--The A.E.G.I.S. Constitution
One thing everyone hears when they first arrive is that they are automatically
a member of AEGIS, by virtue of being a graduate student or instructor in the
Department of English. While that's well and dandy, many want to know if they've
been recruited into a cult or pyramid scheme of some sorts.
No -- though we may ask for your help in organizing social activities, fundraisers,
workshops, community service events, and more. We are a Registered Student Organization,
and sometimes participate with other groups to bring guest speakers to campus,
to volunteer our efforts for community service projects, to help promote the
overall image of RSOs on the SIUC campus, to develop academic, creative, and
social networks across campus, and more.
As it works out, the acronym AEGIS has a parallel meaning:
AEGIS \e-jus\ n. [L. fr Gk aigis = goatskin, perh. fr. aig-aix, goat; akin
to Arm aic goat]
1: a shield or breastplate emblematic of majesty that was originally associated
with Zeus but later mainly with Athena.
2: protection, defense.
3: patronage, sponsorship.
It is rare that we ever have to rally to the "protection and defense"
clause. We're fortunate in having a good working relationship with the Department;
graduate students at SIUC enjoy a better stipend package than students at many
other universities.
The AEGIS Steering Committee is elected
each year at the General Membership Meeting in August, during Pre-Semester Workshop.
Folks can nominate themselves or each other, and the Election Manager will call
for a "second" to solidify the nomination. If more than one person
is nominated for any position, the nominees leave the room while the membership
votes. If no competition exists, then the nominee is officially on the Committee!
The positions available each year are:
- Chair: This person sets meetings and
agendas, and determines the overall goals of the committee for the year. He
or she also serves to advise and support other committee members, and is the
primary contact for non-committee members of A.E.G.I.S. The Chair is also
the designated individual to meet with the English Department Chair, if issues
of graduate student concern need to be brought to his or her attention. This
position is also responsible for designating what service projects AEGIS will
work on each semester; some sample past events have been food pantry donations,
clothing and household goods donations to various projects, working with Habitat-for-Humanity,
book drives for the Head Start program, etc.
- Vice-Chair of Academic Affairs/ Vice-Chair of
Professional Development: Ideally, these individuals work together
to query the general membership about their needs and interests, and work
to develop appropriate programming throughout the year. Events in the past
have included arranging for a visiting scholar (visiting writers are already
funded by Crab Orchard and others), CV and job application workshops, publishing
workshops, MA Comps study groups, specific interest study groups (like Theory
and Philosophy or Service-Learning and Teaching), and more. Ideally, these
positions also work to encourage web-based portfolios which include teaching
ideas, sample thesis applications, sample course of study proposals, and more.
These positions can be combined into one, or the Chair may take on the duties
of one of the positions, depending on need.
- Secretary: This member records the minutes
of each AEGIS meeting, and puts them into form on the aegis-l list. This member
also solicits small donations to help buy thank-you gifts for the Director
of Writing Studies, for the office staff and student workers, for GAs in need
of sympathy or get-well sentiments, etc. In the event of a funeral, for example,
we have collected donations in the past to arrange for a memorial plant to
be given to the family of the deceased, as well as a card expressing our best
sentiments. To thank the office staff for their tireless efforts on our behalves,
we often create giftbags, purchase doughnuts or pizza, arrange for "thank
you cards" to be signed by the graduate students, etc.
- Treasurer: The
treasurer maintains contact with the Steering Committee as to how much money
is available in our two student accounts (one through the Department, one
through Student Development), and makes recommendations for fundraising activities
necessary to cover expenditures. When a GA applies for a travel award or a
publication award, he or she obtains the necessary forms and permissions from
the Treasurer. The treasurer also solicits donations each year from the general
graduate student body, maintains receipts for additions or withdrawals to
the student accounts, and attends (during the first months of the year) a
brief computer-based training session over at Student Development.
- Fundraising: This position works closely
with the Chair, the Treasurer, and the Awards Coordinator to determine when
fundraisers are needed, and generates creative ideas for raising money. He
or she solicits volunteers among the general membership to work the various
events, sends timely reminders of the commitment to volunteer an hour or two,
and also helps solicit faculty and alumni donations.
- Awards Coordinator: The coordinator
works on both the Andy P. Smith Writing Award and the Outstanding Graduate
Teaching Assistant Award, which are both offered each year. He or she designates
the topic for the writing award, advertises the award all over campus, solicits
donations to make it possible, contacts the faculty judges to secure their
assistance, and ensures that the entire process runs smoothly in a timely
manner. Additionally, he or she assists the Writing Studies Department in
gaining nominations for the OGTA Award, informing and encouraging the nominees
to participate, informing the Writing Studies Director of the progress of
the event, and coordinating with the department to ensure timely completion
of all stages of the award.
- Social Chair: The Social Chair organizes
fun events which bring everyone together. He or she is responsible for maintaining
a diversity of events which can appeal to all members and which are non-exclusive
in nature. Some suggestions are organizing a Friday Social Hour for the first
few weeks of any semester, a welcome-back picnic to be offered during Pre-Semester
Workshop, a Progressive Party (traditionally held in January or early February),
horseback riding expeditions, canoe trips, camping trips, Scrabble tournaments
(we so rock on these!), etc. The Social Chair is also responsible for advertising
the events and soliciting help in managing them.
- First-Year Representatives: Among the
new folks, one MA candidate is to serve, and one MFA or PhD candidate as well.
These representatives help the Steering Committee stay in touch with the needs
of not only the first-year teaching assistants, but also the needs of any
of our nonteaching graduate students. They welcome the nonteaching students
to the department, encourage their involvement with AEGIS, invite them to
social events, and work to make sure that their needs are being met. This
is especially important because nonteaching students do not generally meet
their colleagues early on, as do the teaching graduate students (because of
Pre-Semester Workshop). They also solicit volunteers among the graduate student
body who can serve as contacts for new and interested graduate students looking
for information on a variety of things related to the Department and to living
in Carbondale.
- Representatives for the Departmental Committees
(Policy, Graduate Studies, Writing Studies): These positions are
required to attend the committees, to represent graduate student interests,
and to report back to the Steering Committee any nonconfidential committee
updates which pertain to graduate student interests. These are primarily professional
development opportunities which allow graduate students a glimpse of how a
department works (excellent experience for the future!), and the positions
must be filled every year, per the Department's operating papers. If a committee
member wishes to make a statement during one of the meetings, he or she should
approach the committee chair in advance to ask for time and space to speak.
Other issues of decorum should be referred to the AEGIS Chair and to the Committee
Chair, who can advise the Representative on more delicate issues. Once elected
to the position, the Representative should immediately make arrangements to
meet the Committee Chair and introduce himself or herself to that person.
As you can see, the AEGIS Steering Committee is large and provides diverse
opportunities for service and experience. We do, however, ALWAYS need help in
generating new ideas, running fundraisers, adversiting events, etc. AEGIS involves
ALL of us, not just the Committee. And if you have questions, doubts, or concerns
at any point regarding your position as a graduate student, your teaching details,
your general life in Carbondale, etc., please talk to one of us! We would love
to help! Similarly, if you are new to the department, or have yet to arrive,
we have folks ready and able to help with things such as finding housing, learning
the ins-and-outs of the campus and city, meeting other graduate students, meeting
faculty members, etc. Some people have also volunteered a spare sofa or bed,
if you need someplace to stay while conducting a housing search or while waiting
for your lease to begin. Please let us know how we can best help you.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MONEY:
Each semester, AEGIS members may apply for a $50 reimbursement fee to help
off-set conference attendance moneys; this source of funding is provided by
AEGIS. Graduate students can also approach GPSC (The Graduate and Professional
Student Council) and the Graduate School for additional moneys. In the past,
Women's Studies has sometimes offered money to women scholars or to those who
are specifically studying women's issues. Please see these individual departments
for information.
Download the AEGIS Travel Reimbursement Form
AEGIS is also working to obtain funding to help MFA students pursue publishing
goals; we understand how costly it is to prepare and send manuscripts and to
enter contests. Updates on this project will be made available to Graduate Students
as they arise.
CURRENT PROJECTS:
AEGIS is always on the lookout for new fundraising ideas. Please see Buck if you have input. The project to obtain funding for MFA students' creative endeavors continues. The Andy P. Smith Writing Award is nearly launched and ready to go, and all GAs should start thinking about putting together a teaching portfolio. Not only is this required for the OGTA Award, but it may also prove useful to have something put together when we have job search workshops. Finally, publishing workshops for literature and rhetoric/composition students are in the makes; we had the publishing workshop for creative writing students last semester, thanks to Jon Tribble and Alison Joseph.
CONTACTS:
Chair: Abbey Waldron (also coordinating Academic Affairs)
Vice-Chair, Professional Development: Matt Werner
Secretary: Erin Logan
Treasurer: Teresa Kramer
Fundraising: Buck Weiss
Awards Coordinator: Dave Leitner
Social: Liz Randall
First-Year Representatives: Jessica Gatewood (MA) and Amy Blache (MFA/PhD)
Committee Representatives: Ashley Green (Writing Studies) and Stephanie Biermann
(Policy Committee)
Note: Dr. Molino (Graduate Studies) was on sabbatical during the Fall 2004
semester, and since the primary business of the Spring semester involves graduate
school applications, graduate teaching assistantships, and other confidential
matters, there will be no Graduate Studies Committee representative for the
2004/2005 Academic Year. During confidential meetings, graduate students must
leave the meeting because it is a violation of federal privacy laws for them
to be privy to other graduate students' records and such.
Back to A.E.G.I.S. Home ...
Page Last Updated: 30 January 2005 -- ADW
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