I am graduating in the fall, so I will not be returning.  I’ve held two positions with the PMSA: 2008-09 VP of Marketing and 2009-10 President.  As most of you know, I am a distance student, as are many of my fellow board members.  This year we’ve proven that it is possible to do almost everything from a distance but I’ll admit it isn’t easy.  Virtual management is always tricky but it’s more complicated in a school setting where most of the resources assume you’re on campus.

It is, however, very rewarding.  As the VP of Marketing, I had a chance to create marketing campaigns and explore various social marketing strategies.  As president, I’ve had an opportunity to make strong connections and work with a lot of people I would not have met otherwise.  The experience and connections I gained through serving have really added another dimension to my education here at GW.

If you’re interested in serving on next year’s board, I invite you to fill out our Board Member Application, on our site: http://bit.ly/bqqMbX  You must be a graduate student to serve on the board but you do not have to be in the MSPM program.

I do have two recommendations: first, the president usually speaks at orientation and, because it’s easier to start partnerships face-to-face, it’s a role best suited to someone who can come to campus once a semester.  Second, the role of VP of Events is probably best suited to a campus student because it involves coordinating local activities like finding rooms and venues.

We will accept applications until April 15, an easy to remember deadline.  If you have any questions about the responsibilities, please feel free to send me an email.

The PMSA is in a truly unique position to add value to the students, engage the alumni, and increase the visibility and prestige of the MSPM program.  I encourage you to consider serving on the board and taking the association in new directions.

Craig Baker
President,
GW PMSA

First, I’d like to welcome the 41 new students and wish all of you luck. The program you are entering is a challenging, yet rewarding one. You will meet a lot of talented people from a wide range of backgrounds, industries, and locations, making this an excellent way to increase your network. At the same time, you will undoubtedly learn something new regardless of how much experience you have in project management.

If you’re a student who has been in the program for a semester or more, you may be interested to know that orientation has changed somewhat. Anne has expanded the previously 1.5 day program to two full days and the first day now includes the Bridge Game from the Fundamental class, a change that allows distance students to participate.

Another thing you may not realize, especially if you are a distance student, is that the David Fowler Career Center has put together an impressive array of career tools accessible from anywhere. These new resources include resume assistance, salary information, tips on writing cover letters, virtual interviews that actually record you so you can see how you perform, and late night or weekend access to counselors. The Career Center has agreed to partner with the PMSA to offer webinars to students, the first of which will cover all of the new resources available. Future webinars could include resume tips, interview advice, or almost anything you as members might be interested in.

You may recall that we’ve decided to support the George Washington Cancer Institute this year. They have agreed to open an account for donations from the PMSA and to work with us in organizing various events such as the Marine Corps Marathon and an Avon Marathon Cheer Station. They will keep up apprised of their activities and we (the board) will pass the information along to you.

I also had a chance to meet with Russell, the president of the new MSPM Alumni Association. The alumni are finalizing the organizations structure and choosing leadership. For you distance students, the new organization includes representatives for both local and distant members. We will be working together in the months to come and if you’re graduating soon, I encourage you to contact Russell for more information.

Finally, I met with Elizabeth Panker from the DC PMI. We discussed options for webinars and future WDC-PMI collaboration, so look forward to that.

Well, that’s about all I have for now. I hope to add a blog post or two each week this semester, so please return or subscribe to our RSS feed. As always, we welcome your input!

Have a great semester,

Craig Baker

President,

GWU PMSA.