Dear Sociology Majors and Minors,

I hope you are all having a good semester! The weather is starting to get a little warmer, and we are so close to spring break. Remember to stay on top of your assignments and work. We have SO much information for you, so take a look here for upcoming events and opportunities!

Upcoming Events & Programs

Gopher Grad’s Upcoming Workshop

Feb 13, 3:30-5pm | Show Up and Write Your Personal Statement

Use this time to hold yourself accountable for writing your personal statement or applications to research programs. Plus, this is a great time to get your questions answered about the best way to write your statements! There will be some tips and tricks for writing your personal statement(s) and will demonstrate the benefits of using the Pomodoro method and body doubling.

Click here to sign up for the workshop. Sign-up for workshop reminders as they are announced. 

Living in Possibility Student Leadership Workshop

Join the Leadership Minor & LeaderShape for the Living in Possibility Student Leadership Workshop. This free workshop is open to any U of M undergraduate to practice seeing possibilities and going beyond limitations to influence change. Food is provided throughout the workshop. Friday, 3/22 (1 PM – 6 PM) & Saturday, 3/23 (10 AM – 5 PM) in CMU President’s Room. Space is limited – register by March 1st!

Environment Sustainability Symposium

Don’t miss the Sustainability Symposium on April 12, 2024, hosted by the Institute on the Environment and Students for Climate Justice, with in-person presentations system-wide. We invite all U of M system-wide students and groups to showcase sustainability stories and research. Submit your proposal here! We invite staff, faculty, and community members to watch and engage in a day of celebration, networking, and inspiration! Sign up here to be invited and mark your calendars for this exciting event.

Want to share this event with your class, student group, or others? Share our slide!

2024 Health Disparities Round Table

We will be hosting the 2024 Health Disparities Roundtable on April 5, 2024, from 9:00 am-11:30 am at the Coffman Memorial Theater and will be available for onlie viewers via Zoom! This year’s event will focus on Preparing the Public Health Workforce to Address Health Equity Challenges. Experts Dr Bianca Frogner, Dr. JP Leider, and Commissioner Brooke Cunningham will discuss ways to equip attendees with tools and strategies to integrate health equity principles into their work effectively.This event is free and open to everyone. Registration is required. Register Here!

Summer Workshop In Qualitative Methods; UC Berkeley

The Center for Ethnographic Research (CER) Workshop provides mentorship, hands-on research experience, and advanced training in designing and executing a project using qualitative methods for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students.  The CER Workshop will provide students with six weeks of intensive accelerated methodological training in the design and practice of qualitative methods.

The six-week training course costs $1,400 per student. There are two scholarship spots for students from any college or university focusing on contemporary Native American issues. For details on the schedule and application form, please visit our website. 

Applications are considered on a rolling basis and space is limited. The first review date is March 11, and applicants who apply by that date will be notified by April 2. After that point, applicants will be notified within two weeks of applying.

Health Professional School Expo & Reapplicant Workshops

Reapplicant Renovation Workshops

Virtual: Thursday, March 14th from 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
In-person: Wednesday, April 10th from 2:30 – 4:00 pm
Register and learn more on the PHSRC website

The PHSRC will be hosting two Reapplicant Renovation workshops this spring! These are for students who have applied to a health professional program and have either not received an official admissions decision yet, been waitlisted, or have received an admissions decision (rejection). An event flier is attached.

Health Professional School Expo – March 26th

The PHSRC is looking forward to our fast-approaching Health Professional School Expo! Taking place in the Coffman Great Hall on March 26th from 12 – 3 p.m., the Expo gives pre-health students at the University of Minnesota the chance to network with admissions representatives from health professional schools and programs. 

Co-hosted by the PHSRC and the Interprofessional Pre-Health Students (IPPHS) group
Tuesday, March 26th, 2023 from 12 – 3pm
In-person in the Coffman Memorial Union Great Hall

Learn more and pre-register in Handshake

CLA Research & Creative Activities Showcase

We are pleased to announce the details for the 2024 CLA Research & Creative Activities Showcase. This year’s event will be held on Thursday, March 21 from 11 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in the Mississippi Room in Coffman Union.

The RCA Showcase is an opportunity for you to share the exciting research and creative activities underway in your unit or department. You’re welcome to highlight faculty research, research-oriented courses/opportunities for undergraduates, as well as more general information about how to pursue a major, minor, or certificate within your unit or department. This opportunity will be promoted heavily to first year students through FYE courses and throughout CLA more broadly.

Complete the Registration Form by Friday, March 1 to reserve a table at the event. Tables may be staffed by faculty, staff, departmental advisors &/or student staff. Exhibitors should arrive by 10:40 a.m. and have their table set up by 10:50 a.m. on the day of the event. Lunch and bottled water will be provided for exhibitors. 

AmeriCorps Opportunity Fair

Tuesday March 12 | Great Hall, Coffman Memorial Union

Join us for a fun, career fair-style event where you can learn about paid AmeriCorps opportunities! Explore ways to serve with AmeriCorps in your community via education, environment, public health, housing, and more. Learn about the special benefits of AmeriCorps, including career development, money for school, and pausing student loan payments. 

Stop by between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Coffman Memorial Union – Great Hall on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. Registration is through Handshake or Eventbrite!

Employment, Internship, Research, & Leadership Opportunities

MCAE is Hiring!

The Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence (MCAE) is currently hiring student staff for next year!

If you’re looking to be an MCAE Kick Off Leader, Office or LLC Intern, or Peer Tutor, go to mcae.umn.edu/student-jobs to apply! Check the application for a full list of open positions and all job details (eligibility, requirements, etc).

Applications are due by 11:59pm on March 3th, 2024!

If you have any questions, email us at mcae@umn.edu.

AmeriCorps Service Year OpporTUNITY

Hands of Hope AmeriCorps Members will serve these vulnerable children throughout a 12-month commitment, living in a private, gated community (at no cost) and receiving a living allowance. Hands of Hope AmeriCorps Members will work collaboratively with other AmeriCorps Members in the home to ensure that children’s physical, emotional, and mental needs are met. While the commitment to our organization is only one year, the impact AmeriCorps Members have on the children in their care is lifelong. In turn, the children’s strength, resilience, and love will also make a lifelong impact on them. I’ve included snapshots and insights from some of our current AmeriCorps Members to provide first-hand perspectives on the program.

We are currently accepting applications for the September 2024-August 2025 service year. Our application can be found at:  https://www.casahope.org/hands-of-hope-application 

For more information, please contact Darean Talmadge 713-529-0639 dtalmadge@casahope.org 

2024 Puffin Student Nation Writing Fellowship

There is a new student writing opportunity at The Nation. The Nation Fund is now accepting applications to our 2024 Student Writing Fellowship. Information and the application instructions are here.

Each fellow receives a $1,500 stipend and is published in The Nation. Applications will be accepted until noon EDT on March 17. All matriculating undergraduate students at all two and four-year schools in the US are eligible. We’d be grateful if you can help spread the word. Please let us know if you have any questions by emailing studentfellow@thenationfund.org. 

Summer Internship with the Office of U.S. Senator, Tina Smith

Here is a reminder to you of an internship opportunity this summer, which has an application deadline of March 15th. Students can find more information about the internship on Handshake or Senator Smith’s website here. 

Federal Law ENforcemenT Student Intern

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Minneapolis, MN, is offering a Summer 2024 internship opportunity for students interested in gaining meaningful experience in a federal law enforcement setting. The position has been posted on Handshake under “Federal Law Enforcement Student Intern” (Job #8718413). The application deadline is March 22, 2024.

Click here for the application and more information.

Sociology Major Mentor

Do you have sage advice collected from semesters of Sociology courses that you are ready to share? Or do you know a classmate who might?
If you answered yes to either of the above questions then CAPE’s Major Network might be the volunteer organization for you! The Major Network matches experienced upperclassmen mentors with exploring students to share a student perspective on classes, professors and internships. For exploring students, it’s a great way to connect to student community; for mentors, it can not only be that but also a low time commitment volunteer opportunity.


Applications for mentors and mentor nomination forms are open now! Go to:  https://cape.umn.edu/services/network to learn more or contact our student coordinator at majornet@umn.edu

fernbrook Family Center Internship Panel

Fernbrook Family Center is holding an online Internship Panel on Thursday, February 29th from 12-1PM for students to learn more about internship and employment opportunities at our agency’s southern Minnesota locations! Please share this flyer and information with your students. All are welcome to join in this discussion!

If you have questions about the panel, you can contact Annelies Hagemeister, PhD, MSW, at ahagemeister@fernbrook.org.

If you want to know more about our internships and employment opportunities, you can visit our website at www.fernbrook.org. Click “More” to see internships and open positions.

Pre-Law Peer Advisor

Pre-Law Services is hiring a new Peer Advisor!  Priority deadline is March 1, and the student could start as early as mid-April, to continue through summer and next academic year. First and second year students are especially encouraged to apply.

Interested students can attend a drop-in to meet with current peer advisor Mae Hyser (who is graduating this semester) to learn more about the role. Hours can be found here: https://prelaw.umn.edu/dropin (note: no drop-ins on Thursday 2/13 because we’ll be at the Major/Minor Expo)

To see the job posting and apply, go to the Student Jobs board here: https://hr.umn.edu/applicant-center/student-jobs/find-student-job Job ID 359745.

Resources & Other Opportunities

Institute on the Environment (IonE)

Want to apply your degree to help people and the planet? The Institute on the Environment wants you to know that there are many interdisciplinary courses to help you learn about and address environmental issues. We also have a program guide for students which includes events, internships, scholarships, and leadership development opportunities. Questions about these guides or want to learn other ways to get involved in the Institute? Email Christina Lundgren at lundg131@umn.edu or click here

Obama Voyager Scholarship

Applications for the 2024 Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarships are now open and are due on March 27.  This scholarship is open to students with demonstrated financial need and two years of full time study left to complete their undergraduate degree program.  Scholars will receive up to $25K for each of their two remaining years plus $10K to support a summer work/study/research experience in between.  Applicants must have a demonstrated commitment to a career of public service and must have US citizen, permanent resident, or DACA status.

The Obama Foundation will award 100 scholarships nationally.  This will be the third year for this scholarship and UMTC students have been recipients in each of the previous years.

ONIS is happy to consult with any students on their applications.

Student Survey

Please fill out this survey for a fellow student at Macalester College!

Hello, my name is Reece and I am an anthropology major at Macalester College looking for responses to a survey I am conducting. This is part of a research project regarding undergraduate student perceptions of HIV/AIDs. Link to survey.

That is All For Now!

Any Questions? Make an appointment or email us at socadvis@umn.edu