Category Archives: Newsletter/Announcement

MSPM: In the Know, August 29, 2013

MSPM: In the Know

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3:		 Volunteers Needed to Recruit Students at PMIWDC PM Symposium, Sep 13
Disability Support Services
Religious Holidays

Dear MSPM Students,

I hope everyone is enjoying their first week of classes. Below are 3 additional items you need to know this week:

Volunteers Needed to Recruit Students at PMIWDC PM Symposium, Sep 13

The MSPM program is a premium sponsor of the PMIWDC Chapter’s Project Management Symposium on Friday, September 13. This annual event, held in Crystal City (Arlington), VA, provides a forum focused on professional development and networking for project managers. I am looking for two students to assist in student recruitment at the event. If you are interested, you will need to commit to assist in the exhibit booth from either 8am-12pm or 12-5pm. This volunteer opportunity also includes free registration to the event (and lunch). During the half of the day you are not in the booth, you are free to attend the educational sessions.

Interested in volunteering? Email me at chapp@gwu.edu to provide your preference of the two time slots.

Disability Support Services

Disability Support Services is committed to insuring all students with disabilities have equal access to educational opportunities. They also serve as consultants to others who may suspect their participation in an academic program is being compromised by a disability. Students with a documented disability may choose to seek access to needed accommodations through Disability Support Services by completing the registration process detailed on their website.

Students who suspect they may have a disability or are referred by a faculty member or other person with similar concerns are encouraged to set up an appointment with the Associate Director of Disability Support Services for a consultation.

Religious Holidays

GW’s policy regarding the accommodation of religiously observant students and faculty may be found on the Office of the Registrar site. This is a reminder that students must notify faculty during the first week of the semester of their intention to be absent from class on their day(s) of religious observance. Please discuss this item with your professor before the end of this week.

MSPM: In the Know, August 26, 2013

MSPM: In the Know

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3:		 Course Not Available in Blackboard?
Put Your Student ID to Work
Fall 2013 MSPM Need-based Scholarship Recipient

Dear MSPM Students,

Happy first day of school! I am excited to welcome everyone back to school this week. I encourage everyone to reacquaint themselves with their classmates, professors, and the academic technology for the program. A plethora of resources and information are available to you at my.gwu.edu, the Office of the Registrar website, and www.gwprojectmanagement.org.

The top 3 items you need to know this week:

Course Not Available in Blackboard?

Curious as to why your courses may not yet appear in Blackboard even though you confirmed your registration in GWeb Info Systems? Chances are the professor has not yet activated the course in Blackboard. Rest assured that your course will be activated in Blackboard by the first day of class. For example, DNSC 6261 Intro to Project Management does not meet for the first time until Thursday evening. In that case, Prof Kettunen may not activate the course in Blackboard until Thursday, August 29.

This is also a friendly reminder that confirmation of your course registrations should always be done via the GWeb Info Systems site, not Blackboard. As always, if you have specific questions about your course in Blackboard or the course syllabus, reach out to your professor. They are always happy to assist.

Put Your Student ID to Work

The start of the school year is always a great time to take advantage of the many discounts made available to students with your college ID card. In addition to discounts offered by Apple and AT&T, companies such as Best Buy and Banana Republic offer discounts and special coupons to students. An article from today’s issue of Express highlights some of the offers available. I also located a blog with a comprehensive list of discounts.

Fall 2013 MSPM Need-based Scholarship Recipient

Thank you to everyone who applied for the scholarships available to current MSPM students based on need this fall. We received a large number of applications, many with compelling stories of financial need to continue in the program, however we were only able to issue one award of $4,000. Congratulations to Tracy Rea, who received the MSPM Need-based Scholarship for the fall 2013 semester. Tracy is a GIS Lead at Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina.

MSPM: In the Know, August 22, 2013

MSPM: In the Know

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3:		 Revised Blackboard Collaborate Schedule
GWSB Graduate Student Club & Organization Fair, Aug 28
MSPM Student Listserv

Dear MSPM Students,

This week is shaping up to have more than just 3 items you need to know about. I’ve included information on upcoming events and revised schedules for next week. Enjoy!

Revised Blackboard Collaborate Schedule

For those enrolled in the distance section of our courses, each professor will host a weekly one-hour session via Blackboard Collaborate. An updated schedule is now available on www.gwprojectmanagement.org. Your professors will also confirm the schedule in the first class session and in the syllabus.

GWSB Graduate Student Club & Organization Fair, Aug 28

Attend the GWSB Graduate Student Club & Organization Fair on Wednesday, Aug 28, from 5-7pm in Duques Hall, 5th floor to learn more about the various student organizations/clubs available to all GWSB graduate students. This is a great way to meet other new and continuing graduate students and to learn about the various activities and events planned for the next academic year.

MSPM Student Listserv

As a reminder, your GW email address is the only address that we are able to upload to the listserv. If you do not check this email account regularly, I suggest you have the account forwarded to the account that you check most often. This is easily set up under the Forwarding tab of Settings on your GW email account. Email is our primary means of communication with you and we want to be sure that you are receiving all information transmitted in this manner.

MSPM: In the Know, August 21, 2013

MSPM: In the Know

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3: 		Fall 2013 Registration Schedule 
Fall 2013 MSPM Scholarship Recipient
Upcoming Networking and Educational Events

Dear MSPM Students,

Welcome back! And a special welcome to the 50+ new students beginning this fall! I hope that everyone had a great summer and that you are ready to start the fall semester. Looking for a refresher on your fellow MSPM classmates? Visit the bio books under the Resources tab of www.gwprojectmanagement.org, connect via Blackboard once the professors activate the classes (may not be until 1st day of class), or locate your classmates using the directory on my.gwu.edu.

The top 3 items you need to know this week:

Fall 2013 Registration Schedule

Classes begin the week of August 26, 2013. Register via the GWeb Info Systems site through August 25 to avoid late registration fees. Late registration fees ($80) go into effect August 26. September 20 is the last day to drop a course without academic penalty, however you should be aware of the refund schedule. Courses dropped beginning the first day of classes are subject to the university refund schedule.

Fall 2013 MSPM Scholarship Recipient

Thank you to everyone who applied for the scholarships available to current MSPM students in the fall semester. We received a large number of applications, however we were only able to issue one award for each scholarship. Congratulations to John Tapia, PMP, who received the MSPM Scholarship worth $4,000. John is a project manager on the MaRIE Project at Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico.

Upcoming Networking and Educational Events

Wednesday, August 21, 5:30-7:30pm – PMIWDC and GW PMA Professional Networking Event at Tonic in DC

Wednesday, August 28, 11:30am-1pm – PMIWDC Washington Circle Luncheon at GWSB in DC

Thursday, September 19, 6-7:30pm – GW Graduate School of Business 2013-2014 Kick-off! at The Reef in DC

MSPM: In the Know, August 13, 2013

MSPM: In the Know

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3:		 GW Tech Alumni Virtual Networking Event, 20 Aug
Volunteer Needed for MSPM Orientation, 16 Aug
Updated Fall 2013 Textbook List

Dear MSPM Students,

The top 3 items you need to know this week:

GW Tech Alumni Virtual Networking Event, 20 Aug

The GW School of Busines invites you to join us for this virtual networking event focused on alumni and students interested in technology. The online networking enables you to speed-network from wherever you are: home, office, library, even on the road. Register today!

Volunteer Needed for MSPM Orientation, 16 Aug

One volunteer is needed to assist with the bridge game at the MSPM Orientation on Friday, 16 Aug. Remember the fun you had as an incoming MSPM student at orientation? Now is your chance to participate from the other side! The game is scheduled for Friday, 16 Aug, 3-5:15pm on campus. Contact Cambria Happ at chapp@gwu.edu immediately if you are able to assist on Friday.

Updated Fall 2013 Textbook List

We have issued a minor revision to the textbook list for fall 2013 courses. The custom text created for the DNSC 6290 Project Mgt & Organizational Context course was created from the book used in the DNSC 6261 Introduction Project Mgt course (Project Management: A Managerial Approach, 8th edition). If you already own this textbook, you are not required to purchase the custom textbook for DNSC 6290 Project Mgt & Organizational Context.

MSPM: In the Know, August 1, 2013

MSPM: In the Know

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3: 		GWSB 2013-2014 Kickoff Event, Sep 19
Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) Needed for Fall
Fall 2013 Scholarship Deadline, Aug 9

Dear MSPM Students,

The top 3 items you need to know this week:

GWSB 2013-2014 Kickoff Event, Sep 19

All GW School of Business graduate students are invited to attend the September 19 event, scheduled for 6-7:30pm. Attendance is free, but registration is required. Location information to be confirmed by the organizers. Students, alumni, and guests are invited. Register today! 

Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) Needed for Fall

Students interested in serving as a GTA for MSPM courses in the fall 2013 term are encouraged to contact an MSPM professor directly or the MSPM program office. Interested in assisting a specific professor or for a specific course? Contact the professor assigned for the fall courses immediately (see the Schedule of Classes from the Office of the Registrar). If you are not sure who to contact, please contact the MSPM program office and we will direct you to the correct person. More information on the GTA program is available online. 

Fall 2013 Scholarship Deadline, Aug 9

Per the original announcement on July 10, funding was made available to current MSPM students in the fall 2013 semester. We have two scholarships, each in the amount of $4,000, to be awarded per the scholarship criteria and guidelines outlined in the applications on www.gwprojectmanagement.org. Applications must be submitted on or before August 9, 2013. Late applications will not be accepted. Good luck!

MSPM: In the Know, July 25, 2013

MSPM: In the Know

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3: 		PMIWDC and GW PMA Professional Networking Event, Aug 21
Volunteers Needed for PMIWDC PM Symposium, Sep 13
11 Convenient Sites for Cheap Textbooks

Dear MSPM Students,

The top 3 items you need to know this week:

PMIWDC and GW PMA Professional Networking Event, Aug 21

The GW PMA has teamed up with the PMI Washington DC Chapter to host a networking event on Wednesday, August 21, from 5:30-7:30pm at Tonic (2016 G St, NW). The event is open to MSPM students, GW MSPM alumni, PMIWDC members, and non-members alike. Preregister for the event and save!

Volunteers Needed for PMIWDC PM Symposium, Sep 13

PMIWDC is looking for 3 volunteers to help secure sponsorships for their Project Management Symposium, scheduled for September 13. Weekly responsibilities require approximately 5 hours/week of your time, but includes free registration for the PM Symposium. Earn PDUs for your volunteer efforts! Contact Tom Simonson at thomas.simonson@pmiwdc.org for more information.

11 Convenient Sites for Cheap Textbooks

Mashable recently compiled a listing of 11 sites for cheap textbooks. We hope to have the fall 2013 textbook list available in the next 2 weeks for the MSPM courses so that you can test their services for yourselves. As always, students with .edu email addresses are eligible for 6 months free of Amazon Prime.