ACRIDAT (Albany Consortium for Research in Instructional Design and Theory)

ACRIDAT seeks to build a collaborative community of scholars dedicated to understanding and improving instruction and training across a variety of settings, subject matters, and methods of learning facilitation. It sponsors a weekly forum of graduate students and professors who meet to discuss theory, research, and practice related to instruction, educational technology, learning, and instructional design. Students are especially encouraged to practice professional presentations and test ideas for master’s and doctoral research. Faculty also lead discussions on their own research; teaching or curriculum development projects; or critical issues in instruction, instructional design, or instructional technology. ACRIDAT is open to anyone interested in the improvement of instructional practice through scholarly activity.

GSO (Graduate Student Organization)

All graduate students who pay the student activity fee are GSO members. The Graduate Student Organization (GSO) is a student-run group that creates programs designed to facilitate and enhance the academic and extracurricular experience of graduate students at the University at Albany, SUNY. The programs and services (listed below) offered by the GSO are funded by the graduate student activity fee that appears on their tuition bill – you pay the fee, you are a member and you are entitled to all the privileges of being a member.

Grants for research and travel (as much as $500 per student, per funding period) are available. Funding is awarded by the Grant Committee for each of three funding periods (Fall, Spring, and Summer). Additionally, if you are interested in gaining valuable experience in reviewing and writing proposals, the Grant Committee is perfect for you.

GSO Programs, Services and Opportunities:

S.C.O.R.O. (Standing Committee for the Oversight of Recognized Organizations)
This committee determines allocations to graduate student groups that are subdivisions of the GSO. Any group whose budget and constitution have been approved may receive as much as $2,000 for the year.

The Multicultural Committee conducts workshops to enhance awareness of issues surrounding racial and ethnic diversity. The Multicultural Committee also maintains an affirmative action policy for the GSO.

The GSO Newsletter is a periodic publication distributed to inform not only GSO members but all graduate students of pertinent issues. Like many of the services of the GSO, the newsletter comes from the students.

The Social Issues Committee speaks to the needs of graduate students focusing on their role as employees of the University. The issues addressed by this committee are often economic in nature and include tuition, health insurance, the transportation fee, and the technology fee.