BELONGS Graduate Fellows

BELONGS Fellow Key Responsibilities

The Graduate College BELONGS Fellows Program (Building Educational and Leadership Opportunities and Networks for Graduate Students) will position graduate students as leaders who will serve as advisors for Graduate College initiatives, partners in student outreach and community-building, assistants in professional development, and peer mentors in learning to teach. These Fellows will serve as key resources for new and current students, fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment and bridge the perspective gap between faculty/administration and graduate students. 

BELONGS fellows will work up to 5 hours per week and receive a stipend of $3000 for an academic year ($1500 for Fall, $1500 for Spring). An appointment as a BELONGS fellow can stack on top of an existing 15 hour appointment the student works at; contact Nathan Blackburn at blackburnn@ohio.edu for more information.

Community Building 

• Provide peer-led guidance, build community, and share resources  

• Plan and facilitate (with logistical support from Graduate College) two community building events for all graduate students each semester  

• Assist with collection of survey and focus group data to assess graduate student support needs 

• Collaborate with units (e.g., ISSS, Career Services, Counseling and Psychological Services) to offer monthly one-hour ‘lunch & learn’ discussions to assist graduate students in navigating academic and cultural transitions (topics could include: academic expectations of Graduate School, getting to know Athens & Ohio, managing time and stress, resources for families, overview of OHIO resources, communicating effectively with mentors, career planning) 

• Strengthen connections to OU and Athens for graduate students with specialized needs (e.g., international, first-generation, caregivers, those on the academic job market) 

Pedagogical Training & Mentoring 

• Collaborate with CTLA and Graduate College to support Graduate Student Instructor Academy (GSI) 

• Facilitate graduate student mentoring groups with partnering faculty member, meet with 4-6 groups monthly for one hour 

• Co-plan GSI sessions (e.g., inform session topics, locate, share resources) 

• Co-facilitate GSI sessions on effective teaching strategies 

• Provide feedback on teaching and/or teaching products of GSI Academy 

Professional Development 

• Publicize Graduate College events and professional development with goal of increasing in-person attendance 

• Co-lead professional development sessions with Graduate College  

• Inform new directions for professional development  

• Participate in orientation activities to welcome new students and introduce resources 

• Serve on a student panel at Graduate Student Orientation and facilitate breakout sessions 

• Revise online orientation modules 

• Provide graduate student perspective in orientation planning