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Graduate student lounge announced

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="380"] Courtesy of nj.com[/caption] Graduate students now have a place of their own on campus. The Curriculum Resource Center, located across from the Dunkin’ Donuts entrance of the library, will turn into a supportive resource center for graduate students Monday through Thursday from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. for the first 11 weeks of the semester. There are two Mac computers, a projector, white boards and group seating available in the room. In this joint initiative, Stillman School of Business’s Dean Joyce Strawser, College of Education and Human Services’ Dean Grace May, University Library deans and other academic deans have prepared a place where graduate students can go for basic services that were previously lacking on campus. Julianne Cherian is in her first year of the graduate school in the B.S. + M.S. Physician Assistant Program, which requires three years each of undergraduate and graduate school. Cherian said she never had a go-to spot when she lived on campus her first three years and she “struggled a lot” before she would find a space in the library or The Cove. “I like having a little bit of background noise,” she said. “This room is great because it separates (me) from the chaos of the library.” According to a description released by John Buschman, Dean of University Libraries, the room will be staffed by trained graduate students who can provide basic information regarding resources on campus,” including the ID process, course registration, parking, career services, among other things. There will also feature “guest presenters with information on campus resources,” according to a flyer for the room. The support staff is provided by the College of Education and Human Services, the College of Nursing and the Stillman School of Business, according to Dr. May. In the press release, Dean Buschman said, “This space provides support for the range of needs and issues that graduate students face: quiet space, group study space, research and IT support, presentation practice/equipment and an opportunity to connect with other graduate students.” So far, Cherian has not seen any students that she knows are graduate assistants telling students about resources on campus. During the times that she used the room, there were only a few students she did not recognize. On one night alone in its first week, as many as 20 graduate students visited the room, according to Dr. May. “Hopefully, through word of mouth, more graduate students will see this as a great resource for those new to campus as well as for those already established here,” she said. Dr. May described the lounge as “a designated space for graduate students to meet and learn about essential resources on campus.” “We have a thriving graduate student population at Seton Hall representing a broad range of study. However, we did not have a special place, just for them, to study, meet for project work or receive information about resources,” she said. There are about 4,300 graduate students in over 120 programs spanning all Colleges at Seton Hall, according to SHU’s website. Emily Balan can be reached at Emily.balan@student.shu.edu.

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