Welcome to the December 2024 edition of GradNews for the 2024-2025 academic year!  This monthly newsletter will include key information and resources to support your success as a graduate student at SIUE.  Each month we will bring you news about upcoming events, campus resources, research funding, professional development, campus engagement, and graduate student success stories.  Watch for GradNews coming to your email inbox each month!

Have feedback for the Graduate School? Fill out the Feedback Form to let us know!

Congratulations, Graduates!

You've made it, December 2024 grads!  In just a few days you can take a deep breath and enjoy your well deserved graduate degree. We are honored that you chose to learn with us and appreciate all the contributions you have made to our community.  We hope that you have enjoyed your experiences at SIUE and look forward to hearing about your future endeavors.  

For the latest information on the commencement celebrations taking place, please visit the SIUE Commencement website.

You are now officially a part of the SIUE Alumni Association!  To learn more about your alumni benefits, visit their website.

Mark your Calendars: Graduate School Research Symposium on April 8th, 2025!

The annual Graduate School Research Symposium will take place on Tuesday, April 8th, 2025. Graduate students of all disciplines are invited to present their research or creative activity! Student presentations will take place in-person at the Morris University Center Goshen Lounge from 11:30am-1:00pm.

For more information on the presentation opportunity and to register to present your research, visit the Symposium Student Presentations website. 

Make a splash this summer! 

Summer session advising begins in January and registration opens March 31.  

Start planning your summer now. Choose from more than 850+ summer classes, including online and on-campus options. Many classes meet for five weeks or less. Lighten your class load for fall, stay within your course sequence and benefit from smaller class sizes.  

Chart your course: 

• siue.edu/summer 
• 618-650-2080 
• [email protected] 
• Service Center in Room 1309, Rendleman Hall 

Emergency Assistance

The SIUE Student Emergency Assistance fund is available to provide one-time financial assistance to enrolled, degree-seeking students who are unable to meet immediate, essential expenses because of a temporary hardship related to an emergency, such as an accident, illness, natural disaster, recent job loss, or other unforeseen circumstances. The funding does not have to be repaid.

See this page for more details. 

TimelyCare

SIUE has recently launched an exciting new resource to help support student mental health.  SIUE is now partnered with TimelyCare to deliver a new virtual health and well-being platform for students. The service provides 24/7 access to virtual care at no cost! 

How can students access TimelyCare? 
Students can go to timelycare.com/SIUE or directly download the TimelyCare app from the app store to register with their school email address. Students 
can then start visits from any web-enabled device – smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop – anywhere in the United States. 

Who can use TimelyCare? 
Any enrolled student. 

 What services are available? 
• TalkNow - 24/7, on-demand emotional support. 
• Scheduled Counseling - Select the day, time, and mental health provider of your choice. (9 visits per year) 
• Health Coaching - Support for developing healthy behaviors. 
• Basic Needs Support - Get connected to low or reduced-cost community resources. 
• Self-Care Content - Yoga and meditation sessions and group conversations with our providers on a variety of health and well-being topics. 

How much does a visit cost? 
TimelyCare services are available at no cost to students. 

Video Links 

TimelyCare Video 

Peer Community Video 

Self-Care Journeys Video 

Cougar Cupboard Fall 2024

The Cougar Cupboard is located in Room 0012 of the Morris University Center (MUC) on the lower level near Textbook Service. 

The Cougar Cupboard is open the following days and times during the Fall 2024 semester (No appointment necessary):

        Monday:    11:00 am – 2:00 pm
      Tuesday:    CLOSED
Wednesday:    11:00 am – 2:00 pm
    Thursday:    3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
          Friday:    11:00 am – 2:00 pm

Travel/Presentation Grants for Graduate Students

The Graduate School awards travel/presentation grants to graduate students who are presenting a paper at a significant professional conferences or participating in a juried exhibit or performance.  Students who meet all eligibility requirements may receive up to $750 of funding from the Graduate School. If you are presenting at a virtual conference and your only cost is registration fees, you are still eligible to apply! 

Check out the Travel Grant website for full details!

Become a More Effective Mentee

An effective mentoring relationship with several mentors while in graduate school can drastically improve your graduate school experience and your long-term success. How can you ensure you are doing your part to build successful mentoring relationships? Read this brief article on 10 Quick Ideas for Becoming a More Effective Mentee.

Interested in more content like the above? Subscribe to the GradTips monthly email series today!

Graduate Assistant Enrollment Requirements

Graduate students that work in a graduate assistantship position during the fall and spring semesters are required to be enrolled in at least 6 graduate credit hours. Students enrolled in less than that should submit the Graduate Assistant Underload/Overload Approval Form as soon as their enrollment is finalized and they have a spring 25 processed GA position.

International Graduate Assistants- International graduate students may be required to enroll in more than 6 graduate credit hours, depending on their Visa status. Please see the ISSS Enrollment Requirement page for more details. 

Meet Yemisi Ola-Afolayan, MA in Art Therapy Counseling

Yemisi received her bachelor's degree in fine and applied arts in Nigeria but she wondered if there was more to art that she could learn or do to impact the world. With time, she had the privilege of instructing an art therapy session. This kindled a passion for an immersive study in art therapy counseling. The lessons learned from this session revealed to Yemisi that there is no denying the potentials inherent in art therapy in an environment like Nigeria, where mental health and wellbeing are often ignored. This experience, coupled with her newfound knowledge of art therapy, have increased her awareness of the untapped treasure in the creative abilities of humans and further reinforced the value of caring and being a caregiver through art.

Simultaneously, her ideal institution is such that offers an experiential learning atmosphere, with embedded socio-cultural attunement and racial diversity inclusiveness. Yemisi found an excellent blend of these features, along with scholarship opportunities to attain her goal, at SIUE. Thanks in part to SIUE’s Graduate Scholar Award, Yemisi's intellectual capacity has been challenged and she has had  interactions with her professors and other tutors that have greatly expanded her aptitude for creativity.

Post-graduation, she intends to work as a Certified Art Therapist Counselor to enhance her experience. In the long run she hopes to facilitate training in art therapy counseling with tutoring and counseling centers across the nation.