Graduate Employees Organization
The GEO is the officially recognized union for graduate students at UIUC. In the past, the GEO has made great strides to obtain a contract with benefits for grad students, although currently only TA’s and GA’s are part of the officially recognized bargaining unit. The GEO has events throughout the year to foster inter-departmental collegiality and is always looking for people to help out with organizing. Their office is located in the McKinley Foundation.
History Graduate Student Association
The HGSA consists of graduate students organized to have a collective voice in the creation and implementation of department policy. It sets up programs to assist with new student and new TA orientations. Throughout the course of the semester, the HGSA also sponsors workshops on various topics such as prelim preparation and funding. The president and vice-president are members of the departmental Graduate Committee and observe faculty meetings.
International History Graduate Student Caucus.
The International Student Caucus is a formalized group dedicated to promoting international diversity in the Department of History. It offers assistance and guidance to first-year international graduate students. It is also an opportunity for networking, event-planning, and collaboration with HSGA through which international students can get more involved in the department and on campus. Meetings will be held regularly and focus on the interests and concerns of international students in the department. Contacts, 2017-18: Anca Mandru (mandru2@illinois.edu) and Jun Huang (huang094@illinois.edu).
Women’s and Gender History Symposium
History graduate students plan and execute an annual national conference in March to showcase graduate work in the fields of women’s and gender history and to honor Women’s History month. There are many committees to become involved in, and your involvement will unveil the mechanics of organizing a conference.