GPD LEAD
Leadership Enhancement for Graduate Program Directors
GPD LEAD is a professional development and support program for Graduate Program Directors and staff offered by The Graduate School. Workshops and discussion sessions offered twice monthly during the academic year on a variety of topics of common concern run by the Graduate School in collaboration with a variety of offices on campus.
The objectives of GPD LEAD include:
- Dissemination of key policies and procedures governing graduate education
- Skill building in leading and evaluating graduate programs and graduate student success
- Community building, support and practical advice from peers on managing the challenges of graduate education in your program
- Best practices in admissions, annual reviews, mentoring, and fostering cultures of excellence and inclusivity.
All GPD LEAD session will be 12:00 - 1:00 pm on Zoom.
Zoom sessions will be recorded and all resources from the sessions are available in a OneDrive folder.
Click here for access to “Template for Graduate Degree Handbooks”.
Additional resources available in the OneDrive Folder can be found in the Table of Contents. If you need access to the folder please email grad-communications [at] grad [dot] umass [dot] edu (grad-communications[at]grad[dot]umass[dot]edu).
2025 Spring Events
Friday Mar. 28 12:00 – 1:00pm: Understanding Leaves of Absence, Extensions to the Statute of Limitations, and Graduate Milestones
On Zoom
Kate Woodmansee, Graduate Registrar, Graduate Student Service Center
Sheilagh Hanley, Director of Finance & Administration
In this session, Kate Woodmansee and Sheilagh Hanley will explain the policies for graduate milestones, leaves of absence, and extensions to the statute of limitations.
Register Here
Friday April 11 12:00 – 1:00pm: Graduate School Ask Me Anything
On Zoom
Jacqueline Urla, Graduate School Dean
Kate Woodmansee, Graduate Registrar, Graduate Student Service Center
Sheilagh Hanley, Director of Finance & Administration
The Graduate School is rolling out online forms for degree eligibility, non-working
fellowships, and grants-in-aid. This session is an opportunity for you to ask questions about these and other policies and procedures.
Register Here
GPD LEAD Session that have passed
Friday, Sept. 13 8:45 - 11:00am: Welcome Back Breakfast & Workshop
Room 163 at the Campus Center
8:45-9:00 am
Check-in and Grab Light Breakfast
9:00-9:15 am
Welcome to GPD LEAD
Jacqueline Urla, Graduate Dean
Fouad Abd-El-Khalick, Provost
9:15-9:40 am
Graduate School Offices Panel
Beth Jakob, Associate Dean, Student Success
Sofiya Alhassan, Associate Dean, Office of Inclusion & Engagement
Kate Woodmansee, Senior Associate Registrar, Graduate Student Service Center
Sheilagh Hanley, Director of Finance & Administration, Dean's Office
9:40-10:05 am
Campus Offices Panel
Ken Reade, Executive Director of Immigration Services, International Programs Office
Summer Cable, International Student and Scholar Success Advisor, International Programs Office
Patricia Cardoso-Erase, Interim Dean of Students, Dean of Students Office
John Arigbede, President, Graduate Student Senate
Jules Purnell, Title IX Training Specialist, Equal Opportunity & Access Office
10:05-10:10 am
Break
10:10-11:00 am
Workshop: GPDs & the Office of Professional Development
Shana Passonno, Assistant Dean, Office of Professional Development
Heidi Bauer-Clapp, Associate Director, Office of Professional Development
Bryan Monesson-Olson, Associate Director, Office of Professional Development
Johanna Yunker, Associate Director, Office of Professional Development
Friday Sept. 27 12:00 - 1:00pm: Graduate Students as Employees - the GEO contract
On Zoom
Mark Preble, Academic Labor Relations, Provost’s Office
Friday, Oct. 11 12:00 - 1:00pm: Graduate School Funding
On Zoom
Sheilagh Hanley, Director of Finance
Heidi Bauer-Clapp, Associate Director, OPD
Friday, Oct. 25 12:00 - 1:00pm: Graduate Appointments
On Zoom
Sheilagh Hanley, Director of Finance
Friday, Nov. 8 12:00 - 1:00: Admissions, Deferrals, Application Fee Waivers, SLATE questions
On Zoom
Kate Woodmansee, Graduate Registrar, Graduate Student Service Center
Lindsay De Santis, Director Graduate Admissions, GSSC
Friday, Nov. 22 12:00 - 1:00pm: Flagship Analytics: Data gathering on your graduate program.
On Zoom
Krisztina Filep, Director Operational Analytics
Friday Feb. 7 12:00 – 1:00pm: Supporting International Graduate Students - Implications of Potential New Immigration Policies
On Zoom
Ken Reade, Executive Director of Immigration Services in the Office of Global Affairs, will provide an update on possible and potential executive actions toward immigration and how they may impact the UMass international student and scholar community.
Friday Feb. 14 12:00 – 1:00pm: Generative AI and its Potential for Impacting Graduate Education
On Zoom
Michelle Trim, Director, CICS Junior Year Writing
This active presentation will guide participants through an accessible introduction to generative AI (GAI) technologies. With a high-level focus on what GAI is, how it works, and its limitations, this session seeks to establish a shared foundational understanding of GAI on our campus in order for participants to engage their departments in further discussion. Such discussions might lead to communicated expectations that address (for example) supervised research with research assistants/research staff, writing related to major graduate education milestones (theses/dissertations/comps/quals), examination policies at the academic program level, and research development/methods (e.g. protocols, tools, and other features of research that *might* show up on an IRB or be addressed by a sponsor or publisher policy on GAI).
Friday Feb. 28 12:00 – 1:00pm: Creating Community to Build a Sense of Belonging for All Graduate Students
On Zoom
Sofiya Alhassan, Associate Dean for Inclusion and Engagement, Graduate School
Lara Roach, Director of Graduate Student & Postdoc Success and Diversity, College of Natural Sciences
Summer Cable, International Student & Scholar Success Advisor, Office of Global Affairs
Once you have recruited a diverse pool of talented graduate students into your program, how can you ensure a welcoming and inclusive environment that supports their success? In this panel discussion, Sofiya Alhassan, Lara Roach and Summer Cable will discuss strategies to build community and a sense of belonging to support the retention of all graduate students, especially those from traditionally underrepresented groups.