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- Lead the Way: Graduate Studies at 大象传媒 in Canada for Fall 2025 & Spring 2026
- Why Grad Studies at 大象传媒?
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- Individualized Interdisciplinary Studies in Graduate Studies
Graduate Student Orientation
Graduate student orientation is available both through an online canvas course and an in-person with event on the lead up to and during Welcome Week.
Friday, August 29, 2025 | In-Person, 大象传媒 Burnaby campus
大象传媒 Grad School Essentials
Join us and our 大象传媒 partners in person to learn how to take advantage of the resources available to you as a grad student at 大象传媒. Listen to panelists sharing their own grad school journeys, talk about the supervisory experience, share insights into research and more!
See last year's sessions below for a sense of what to expect this year.
We look forward to welcoming you soon!
more details to come...
We invite incoming students to use the Canvas platform to meet new students across all our academic disciplines, to build a base of support as they enter grad school, and to connect with our service units that will support them throughout their graduate career ahead of the in-person events during Welcome Week.
Some main features found within the Canvas platform are:
- Welcome messages from key community members
- Various information on a range of topics, hosted by different groups across 大象传媒, including: funding, career services, health and counselling, research, writing, teaching and learning, as well as Indigenous and International student support and services
- Review materials in your own time and return to them throughout your time in grad school
- A wide range of service providers to support academics, professional development, well-being, and transition into the 大象传媒 community
- Pages for different graduate programs with links and resources, contact information, and other tools to help you get started
Questions about orientation?
Contact Charity Slobod at grad_prod@sfu.ca
Professional Development & Student Experience Manager
| 8:15鈥�9:00补.尘. | Check-in. Location: Outside BLU 10901, right beside door from the main 大象传媒 Bus Loop. | |
| 9:15鈥�9:45补.尘. | Opening Address | |
| 10:00鈥�11:00补.尘. | Concurrent Sessions #1 (Select one)
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| 11:15a.m.鈥�12:15 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions #2 (Select one)
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| 12:15鈥�1:15 p.m. | Lunch | |
| 1:15-2:15 p.m. | Getting to know you - social activity International student Panel and activity |
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| 2:15鈥�3:15 p.m. | Burnaby Campus Tour | |
| 3:30鈥�6:00 p.m. | GSS Social | |
Building your research and writing toolkit
Julie Jones (Research Commons Librarian) and Julia Lane (Writing Services Coordinator)
TA Essentials - What You Need to Know
Melissa Radford (Organizer, TSSU) and Megan Robertson (Educational Developer, Curriculum & Instruction Division, Centre for Educational Excellence)
Graduate Studies: Funding & Awards
Rachel Dawson (Associate Director, Training & Awards, Faculty of Graduate Studies) & Stephanie Santosos (Graduate Awards Manager, Faculty of Graduate Studies)
鈥淚 wish I knew about this when I was just starting鈥︹�� In the library, we hear this sentence a lot from graduate students when we introduce them to writing, research, and thesis-support resources and strategies. Guess what? You are just starting. In this 60 minute session, Nicole White (Head of the Research Commons) and Julia Lane (Writing Services Coordinator) will introduce key tools, supports, spaces, and services for you to put in your research and writing toolkit.
The Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) is dedicated to improving working conditions for teaching assistants (TAs) and many other workers on 大象传媒鈥檚 campuses. We are here to support you by helping you understand and stand up for your rights, whether that鈥檚 understanding the Collective Agreement, your TA contract, your benefits, your rights as a TA, and more!
Graduate Studies award staff will provide an overview of funding sources, related resources, tips and tricks on how to use our Graduate Awards System and Document Library. We鈥檒l also cover and answer any questions related to Tri-agency and other major competitions, award processing and payments.
Navigating the Student-Supervisor Relationship in Grad School
Hannah Buteau (Academic Graduate Student Support Specialist, Faculty of Graduate Studies) and Dr. Malcolm Kennett (Associate Dean, Student Affairs, Faculty of Graduate Studies)
The Graduate Student Society: Building Community and Advocacy
Harjap Grewal (Advocate and Policy Advisor, The Graduate Student Society) and Ravi Soni (Director of Student Life, GSS)
Indigenous Students: Learning the Lay of the Land
Dr. Dorothy Cucw-la7 Christian (On Leave - Associate Director, Indigenous Policy & Pedagogy, Graduate Studies)
In this session, we will discuss the student-supervisor relationship, a major component of your graduate school experience. You'll learn best practices for building a productive and supportive partnership, understand important policies and regulations that guide these relationships, and have the opportunity to ask questions to ensure you're set up for success. This session will provide you with the tools and insights needed to thrive in your graduate school journey.
At this session you will learn more about the GSS services (Health, Dental, UPass, & more) as well as our advocacy work for individual students and through collective campaigns. You can also find out about getting involved either from within your department or directly with the GSS and its committees. As a member driven organization, we hope to build community among graduate students through events, socials and our collective work with the society. Join us!
Come and visit. Talk to and meet the Indigenous person who will be sending you informative emails during your time at the university. Learn some of the significant places and resources that can make your pathway at 大象传媒 more enjoyable and easier to navigate.