Introduction

Service is a catch-all term used to describe as contributions to the university and community that are not directly related to publication or teaching in the classroom. Tenure-track faculty are expected to contribute through department or school committees, student advisement, or community outreach. While service is unpaid, and can be cumbersome or bureaucratic, it can also be a rewarding aspect of work within the university structure. 

At the Humanities Center, we recognize that there is a growing expectation that junior scholars in tenure-track and non-tenure-track positions demonstrate service experience when applying for jobs and other opportunities. We try to take a critical approach to the idea of “service” by providing graduate students with opportunities to strengthen their service experience, such as the Graduate Liaison Network (GLN). 

Graduate Liaison Network

The GLN was started in 2019 in order for students to share common concerns across the School of Humanities. Student representatives were invited to serve by their departments. In 2022, the GLN changed to an advisory committee format, and are given a modest research fund in recognition of their leadership. Previous events organized by the GLN are listed below:

• Planning Your Summer: Research, Writing, and All the Things (May 2025)
• Public-Facing Scholarship: What, How, Why (Nov. 2024)
• Knowing Your Rights and Mediating Conflict as a Student Worker (Feb. 2023)
• Navigating the Academic Job Market (June 2023)

2023-2024 Cohort