Welcome to UMass Graduate School (WUGS)
To help you prepare for life as a graduate student, we’ve developed a series of programs and resources to Welcome you to UMass Graduate School (WUGS)!
The main event is WUGS, an in-person orientation experience for incoming students will be held right before the start of the fall semester. WUGS 2025 will be held on Friday, August 29th!
Continue to check this page and your email for updated information. The 2025 schedule is currently in the planning process, but please see below for a sample schedule for reference.
WUGS Sample Schedule
Randolph W. Bromery Center for the Arts Lobby
Check-In and Refreshments
8:45 am - 9:15 am
Join us at 8:45am to be sure you have time to check-in and grab your morning refreshments before the morning session begins. Check-in tables will be located outside the front entrance of the Randolph W. Bromery Center for the Arts.
Frederick C. Tillis Performance Hall at the Randolph W. Bromery Center for the Arts
Welcoming Remarks
9:30 am - 10:00 am
Land Acknowledgement
Jacqueline Urla, Dean, Graduate School
Javier Reyes, Chancellor
Wilmore Webley, Senior Vice Provost, Equity & Inclusion
Bryan Monesson-Olson, Associate Director, Office of Professional Development
Student Support Panel
10:00 am - 10:25 am
While our large campus offers many resources and opportunities, it can sometimes feel confusing to know where to go for what. This panel will introduce a team of offices here to support you in your graduate journey.
Student Support Panel Office Information
Graduate Student Senate
10:25 am - 10:30 am
John Arigbede, GSS President
Dean of Students Office
10:30 am – 10:50 am
Patricia Cardoso-Erase, Interim Dean of Students
Gretchen LaBonte, Sr. Associate Dean of Students
Jonathan Connary, Associate Dean of Students/Director Student Conduct
The Graduate Student Experience Panel
10:50 am – 11:50 am
Our panel of current graduate students will offer advice to help ease your transition to graduate school at UMass. What strategies did these students use to get to know UMass and the resources available to graduate students? How can you best position yourself for success? What are the most important things to do in your first year? We’ll cover all this and more to get your graduate career at UMass off to a strong start!
Mid-Day Break: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Take a break and grab some lunch. There are many options for lunch; dining commons, Campus Center and various cafes around campus.
Some departments/programs are hosting welcome lunches. Students will have received communications directly from their department/program.
List of hosting departments/programs
Murray D. Lincoln Campus Center 1st Floor Rooms
Concurrent Talks Session 1
2:00 pm - 2:50 pm
Students may choose one session to attend:
Adjusting to Life in the Amherst Community (Auditorium)
Are you new to Western Massachusetts? Welcome to the Amherst community! This panel will offer insight on how to navigate the local culture and geography, along with tips on local transportation, where to shop, and what to do for fun.
You Need a Five-Year Plan (Room 162)
Why did you come to grad school? In the midst of courses and other responsibilities, it is easy to overlook your long-term plans. Come hear tips for creating a multi-year plan for research, writing, and teaching that will propel you towards your professional goals.
Managing Your Mentoring Relationships: Working Effectively with Your Faculty Research Advisor (Room 168-170)
Students in a research-based graduate program work closely with a faculty advisor to plan, conduct and communicate their research. This session will highlight steps students can take to establish and maintain productive relationships with faculty advisors.
Cultivating Strong Relationships in Graduate School (Room 163)
While graduate school is symbolized by great personal achievement, success is not achieved alone. Graduate students rely on faculty, staff, peers, friends, professionals, and others for guidance, expertise, and support. In this session, panelists will talk about the importance of these relationships and the steps you can take to start building your own community of support.
First-Year Strategies: Setting Goals and Supporting Well-being (Room 174-176)
Having a plan helps students achieve more and stress less. Learn how goal setting and time management strategies can help you create an effective first-year plan that focuses on balance, productivity, and well-being
Concurrent Talks Session 2
3:00 pm - 3:50 pm
Students may choose one session to attend:
The Art of Introducing Yourself (Auditorium)
Whether the goal is to meet friends, impress faculty or simply survive a social event, many of us dread the idea of introducing ourselves. But the first step in building successful relationships is making yourself visible. This session will offer tips to help you introduce yourself with confidence.
Work/Life Balance (Room 163)
The transition to graduate school can be challenging for many reasons, particularly when grappling with your new academic schedule and responsibilities. Our panel of graduate students will share their experiences in striving to find work/life balance.
People of Color in Academia: Opportunities, Challenges and Resources (Room 162)
Panelists will discuss the campus environment for students of color, identify major resources and sources of community, and present solutions to common challenges.
Managing Your Mentoring Relationships: Working Effectively with Your Faculty Research Advisor (Room 168-170)
Students in a research-based graduate program work closely with a faculty advisor to plan, conduct and communicate their research. This session will highlight steps students can take to establish and maintain productive relationships with faculty advisors.
First-Year Strategies: Setting Goals and Supporting Well-being (Room 174-176)
Having a plan helps students achieve more and stress less. Learn how goal setting and time management strategies can help you create an effective first-year plan that focuses on balance, productivity, and well-being
Refreshment Break 3:50 pm - 4:15 pm
Murray D. Lincoln Campus Center Auditorium
Title IX: Building a Safe and Respectful Learning Environment
4:15 pm – 4:55 pm
The Office of Equal Opportunity and Access is here to provide you with support, options, and guidance. We promote an inclusive, equitable, and caring campus culture and oversee Title IX policy and processes prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education.
During this session we will be raffling off (10) $25 dining cards that can be used at any dining establishment on campus.
Goodell Lawn
Welcome Dinner and Resource Fair
5:15 pm - 7:00 pm
Start connecting with UMass! Join us on the Goodell Lawn (between the Old Chapel and Goodell) for a free dinner, co-sponsored by the International Programs Office and provided by our award-winning UMass Dining. Food will be served until 7:00pm. While you eat, connect with other first-year graduate students, and learn about the groups and other offices on campus that are looking to connect with you.
List of Confirmed Offices