Postgraduate Education and Social Work Student Association (PESSA)

PESSA represents postgraduate students in the Faculty of Education & Social Work

We welcome you to the Faculty of Education & Social Work and encourage you to visit our new interactive website for further information and support with your postgraduate learning experience:

http://lrnlab.edfac.usyd.edu.au:8200/groups/pessa

The Postgraduate Education Social Work Student Association (PESSA) was formed in October 1994 and its Constitution was approved at a meeting of postgraduate students in May 1995. PESA arose from a perception among Faculty of Education postgraduates that an Association more attuned to their needs would better support their learning experience. In 2004, the renamed group PESSA (The Postgraduate Education and Social Work Students Association) extended its work and brief to incorporate research students in the newly formed Faculty of Education and Social Work.

We are a group of dedicated research students who have a commitment to developing a culture of research, scholarship and inquiry amongst postgraduates in the Faculty.

President
Deborah Hart
Email: d.hart@edfac.usyd.edu.au
Tel: 9351 2281

Secretary
Paul Kearney
Email: pkea3650@mail.usyd.edu.au
Tel: 9036 5001

Treasurer
Hannah Newman
Email: h.newman@edfac.usyd.edu.au
Tel: 9036 7143

International Coordinator
Xingkui Zhang
Email: xzha4213@usyd.edu.au
Tel: 9351 6378


We invite you to contact any of us on the Executive Committee for further support with your postgraduate learning experience. We look forward to working with and getting to know you over the next few years

In 2007, the Executive aim to further develop provisions and support for postgraduate students within the Faculty. Current initiatives include an online survey of research higher degree student needs in the Faculty. You will find an online questionnaire at: http://lrnlab.edfac.usyd.edu.au:8200/groups/pessa

As many postgraduates in the Faculty are part-time students, PESSA hope to ensure that postgraduate study is not a solitary experience. We will continue to develop our role of bringing together postgraduate students into a scholarly community of learners via our twice-yearly research forums (please consult the website for regular updates) and aim to extend this community via our interactive website.

All postgraduate students have an opportunity to showcase their research at PESSA Research Forums held every semester. It is a requirement that research students present their work at a conference or research forum at least twice during their candidature. Many students find that presenting at one of PESSA’s biannual forums is a welcoming first opportunity to present their work within the comfort of their home university. The forum is a chance to engage with leading academics and scholars, to receive critical feedback and to practise talking about research in front of peers. Postgraduates should look out for email notification of a call for papers. The second semester forum also hosts PESSA's Annual General Meeting (AGM) and gives postgraduates an opportunity to nominate themselves to sit on the PESSA Executive Committee - or to provide the Committee with feedback.

Semester 1, 2007

There was a great and energized atmosphere at the last PESSA forum with over 90 staff and students in attendance.

Here’s what some people said:

“I have never missed a PESSA Forum since I began my (research degree) ..... I find it a great opportunity to meet and learn about what others are doing...... Gabrielle's talk was excellent. It was stimulating as well as reassuring....”

“I presented at the forum and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was wonderful having people come to listen to my research in progress and equally satisfying to listen to others.”

“It was a great opportunity to meet other students and to get new ideas and inspiration for my own research.”

“Gabrielle provided a useful map of the (research higher degree) experience and put the nightmares into perspective”

lastly, and very importantly “the food was really good too”

You can download a copy of the PESSA program from May 2007 (including abstracts) by clicking here

Semester 2, 2007

This semester’s PESSA forum will be held in conjunction with the Faculty of Education and Social Work’s inaugural Research Festival to be held 22 – 26 October 2007. For further information about the Research Festival, please click here.

We’re excited with the prospect of having a larger and more diverse audience than usual, as well as our usual high quality and engaging presentations.

When/Where:
Date: Thursday 25 October
Time: 3:30pm (registrations), Education Building A35

Program
To be advised.

Cost
Free to Faculty of Education and Social Work students

Further Information
Go to: http://lrnlab.edfac.usyd.edu.au:8200/groups/pessa

Email: Deborah Hart, President of PESSA

Outstanding Research Student Award
In order to encourage new researchers in education and social work, the Division of Graduate Studies is introducing an Outstanding Research Student Award from this semester onwards. The award, for excellence in writing up a piece of education and/or social work research, consists of a certificate and a book voucher to the value of $250 and will be presented at the PESSA Forum. Entry for the Outstanding Research Student Award is by submission of a 5,000 word written paper for presentation at the Bi-annual PESSA Forum.

For further information about the award, please click here.

To download a copy of the application form, please click here.

Applications close end of business Wednesday 10 October.
Suin Jung must receive your completed and signed application form, with 4 copies (stapled) of the full paper by this time.

If you have any queries, or are experiencing difficulties in downloading either of the above documents, please email .

New postgraduate students can find out about the Faculty through the Higher Research Degree Induction Program held at the beginning of each semester. The program covers everything a new postgraduate student needs to know about academic study within the Faculty including information about research groups, library facilities and research supervision to more practical matters such as using the photocopier and getting stationary. PESSA continues to work with the Faculty to enhance the Induction Program so that it continues to meet the needs of new postgraduate students.

Detailed information about University and Faculty Services and Education Research Associations can also be found in the Research Students' Guide. Take advantage of the many hyperlinks that appear in this guide by saving it on your desktop to refer to when needed. (You will also be helping the environment.)

Semester 2, 2007
Induction Seminar 1
Being a Research Student in the Faculty of Education and Social Work
Date: Friday 31 August
Time: 4:00 to 6:00pm

Induction Seminar 2
Panel Discussion: Managing Your Supervisor-Student Relations
Date: Friday 14 September
Time: 4:00 to 5:30pm

For queries and to register, please email .

Postgraduate student representation on departmental, Faculty and University committees is central to PESSA's advocacy role. Currently, postgraduate students sit on the Faculty's Graduate Studies Committee. There are always a number of vacancies for postgraduate student representation - given the Faculty and University commitment for adequate student representation. Please contact the Executive Committee should this part of PESSA's work be of interest to you.

PESSA works closely with the Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association (SUPRA) to ensure that its voice is heard across the entire University postgraduate community. SUPRA offers a number of services relevant to postgraduate students (thesis manuals, thesis editing service, social events etc). SUPRA also funds groups of postgraduate students to run events and activities. Further information is available at the SUPRA website - http://www.usyd.edu.au/supra/. Contact the PESSA Executives for ideas and collaboration.

PESSA communicates with students through:

• Postgraduate Student Noticeboards - on Level 5 next to Room 519, on Level 4 next to the staircase opposite Room 458, and on Level 3 opposite the staff directory.
• PESSA Newsletters - PESSA puts out three newsletters per year, full of useful information and important announcements for Research Postgraduate students in the Faculty. These newsletters are free to download from PESSA's interactive website: http://lrnlab.edfac.usyd.edu.au:8200/groups/pessa/newsletter
• Faculty Bulletin Board - To receive information posted on the Faculty Bulletin Board, please sign up on PESSA's interactive website: http://lrnlab.edfac.usyd.edu.au:8200/groups/pessa/forum/bulletinboard. You can login using your unikey and password. Then add your details via the Forum section.

SUPRA (Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association):
http://www.usyd.edu.au/supra/
**as above

CAPA (Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations):
http://www.capa.edu.au/