What is a Development Leader?

As a Development Leaders (DL) you are a vital part of the Graduate Student Enhancement Program (GradSTEP)  team. Although it is not required, DLs are usually second year or continuing graduate students appointed by their academic department. Your role is to act as the primary liaison between your department, your incoming students, and the GradSTEP staff. Because of your knowledge and skills, your department has selected you to be their representative. You will work closely with your Graduate Coordinator and other department faculty and staff in designing and implementing the department-specific orientation for your incoming students in addition to assisting with GradSTEP week. The departmental program is concurrent with and complementary to the University professional development programming. The combination of these elements helps students quickly become familiar with their new surroundings, their roles and responsibilities as graduate assistants, and as members of the BGSU community.

Your Responsibilities as a Development Leader are to:

1. attend all development leader training meetings and to actively participate in scheduled activities during GradSTEP week. Attendance at training meetings and August GradSTEP week is required.   However, in the event you are required to conduct an academic internship or field study during the summer and must miss any meetings please contact Barbara Peck at 372-7714.;

2. serve as a role model and key resource person for incoming graduate students to your department in all areas that affect life as a graduate student including academic and professional excellence; enthusiasm for Bowling Green State University; evidence of organizational and planning skills; dependability and honesty; and concern for the welfare of others;

3. actively participate in the planning and implementation of departmental meetings and activities for your incoming graduate students during GradSTEP week;

4. submit required materials to your GradSTEP Coordinator on the designated dates as outlined in the DL Meetings section;

5. to correspond with all incoming full- and part-time, funded and non-funded graduate students from your department throughout the summer and prior to GradSTEP week;

6. to assist the GradSTEP staff in conducting daily operations during GradSTEP week; and

7. to conduct follow-up activities during the fall semester to ensure continued interaction among your fellow graduate students.
   

Scope and Goals of GradSTEP

GradSTEP is dedicated to providing opportunities for graduate students to improve themselves both inside and outside of the classroom. This program goes beyond the typical orientation program for graduate students by offering training that will enable all graduate students to reach higher levels of personal and academic proficiency and to further enhance skills needed for various teaching, research, and administrative assistantship assignments. GradSTEP is offered throughout the year as either the August Program or the Ongoing Program.

The August Program
This program is also known as GradSTEP week and is held the week prior to the start of fall semester in August. Participants in the program attend a minimum of 12 hours of seminars scheduled throughout the week. This consists of 10 hours of classroom sessions and 2 hours of on-line training modules. Academic departments offer their own activities (departmental programming) to orient their new graduate students. The majority of students who complete their GradSTEP requirements do so through the August Program. This offers participants an excellent opportunity to become familiar with campus and their department before they are caught up in the busy activities of the semester.

The Ongoing Program
This program is offered to graduate students who were unable to attend or complete the August Program. The Coordinator of Ongoing Programs works closely with the students enrolled in the Ongoing Program. This section of GradSTEP operates similar to an independent study course, allowing students to tailor their individual professional development needs while meeting the requirements of their academic course work and assistantship duties.

Students that are required to complete GradSTEP but did not complete it during the August Program are notified shortly after the beginning of the semester and must attend one informational meeting. This meeting is offered at two different times and students can attend the meeting that best fits their schedule. If both times conflict with class or assistantship duties an individual meeting can be arranged with the Ongoing Programs Coordinator. Following this meeting, students are kept in close communication with the Coordinator via e-mail, phone, and written correspondence. As with the August Program, students must complete 12 hours.