Welcome to a new academic year and to another opportunity to shape your graduate experience!
Whether you are new to JMU or returning, may this be a year in which you celebrate who you're becoming, ask bold questions, leverage resources and opportunities, seek support without hesitation, and make space for both growth and connection. I hope we remember that success is not only measured by what we accomplish individually but also by the community we create along the way. Let’s make it a year we do not simply get through but genuinely grow through together.

Can't wait to meet you!

Join the Graduate Student Association (GSA) for events and meetings!

Every graduate student is considered a part of the GSA. There are no fees. Take advantage of a great opportunity to further your graduate school life, professional careers, and your participation within the JMU community.

Take the lead and join the GSA Executive Team! We have an opening for a program liaison representative. See a description of each role. Please reach out to gsa@dukes.edu for questions.

Upcoming Events

Checkout the GSA webpage. 

Fall 2026 Professional Development Workshops (through The Graduate School):

Stress and Anxiety Management Workshop: Tuesday, September 15^th from 4-5pm in Student
Success Center Room 3240 or via zoom, Register for Stress and Anxiety workshop by September 9^th

Write on Track: Forming and Maintaining Writing Habits: Monday, September 21^st from 4-5pm in Student Success Center Room 1160 or via zoom, Register for Write on Track workshop by September 16^th

Techniques for Improving your Public Speaking: Process, Delivery, and Managing Anxiety: Tuesday, September 29^th from 1-2pm in Student Success Center Room 1075 or via zoom, Register for Public Speaking workshop by September 24^th

Graduate Student Writing Accountability Group: Every Friday from 10am-12pm in Holland Yates Hall Room 4010 or via zoom, Registration Now Open for Writing Accountability Group Snacks and coffee will be provided!

Check out the professional development webpage for a full description of each workshop.

You could win a JMU Graduate School T-shirt! At the end of the semester, we will have a random drawing to select a winner of The JMU Graduate School T-shirt. You will earn an entry into the drawing for every workshop you attend. In other words, the more workshops you attend, the better your chances!

Take Advantage of one of Libraries' resources:

New Workshop: Organize Your Sources and Write Faster with Zotero - Staff, faculty, and students are invited to a new workshop that will help streamline the research and writing process with Zotero, a free citation management tool.

• This one-hour introductory workshop will cover how to:

  • collect and organize sources,
  • manage research efficiently, and
  • automatically generate bibliographies.

  Sign up for a session on Monday, September 7 or Wednesday, September 9, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Rose Library, room 3313. Questions: Please contact workshop facilitators Elizabeth Price (Business Librarian) or Kathryn Shenk (Science & Math Librarian).

Free access to New York Times and more. Did you know you have access to the New York Times and Wall Street Journal for free through JMU Libraries subscriptions? See our full list of news-related databases or learn more about Libraries services for grad students.

Read the Chronical of Higher Education for Free! Looking for a source for higher education news, trends and job openings? Subscribe today.

Research Guides: These subject-specific online guides were created by your liaison librarians to help you find relevant resources related to specific topics or even courses! Watch this brief tutorial video to learn more.

Do You Speak Multiple Languages?: JMU Libraries is happy to offer books, videos, and other resources in a variety of languages. We also provide a Library Search tool that can be used in 20 different languages to access all our materials. Learn more.

JMU-specific AI resources: JMU provides an Artificial Intelligence at JMU website. JMU Libraries offers a variety of ways to learn more about AI, critically interrogate it, and use it appropriately in a variety of work tasks. Contact Ivan Guadarrama, with any questions about these AI workshops.

Find area events here: 

JMU Libraries (on campus): 

Organize Your Sources and Write Faster with Zotero - Monday 9/7, 12:30-1:30 p.m. in Rose Library room 3313 (23 seats left) or Wednesday 9/9, 12:30-1:30 p.m. in Rose 3313 (25 seats left)

Grand Reopening of Carrier Library - Thursday 9/10, 2 p.m. at the Centennial Fountain and McCormack Historic Entrance of Carrier Library

Intro to Audio Editing with Audacity - Tuesday 9/15, 2-3 p.m. on Zoom (4 seats left)

Crochet Basics - Thursday 9/17, 1:30-3 p.m. in The Makery in Carrier Library (get on the wait list) or
Tuesday 10/6, 1:30-3 p.m. in The Makery in Carrier (get on the wait list)

Exhibit Opening Reception: "Rhythm of Scripts" - Friday 9/18, 4-6 p.m. in the Music Library

Poll Everywhere Made Simple - Tuesday 9/22, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Zoom (299 seats left)

Shenandoah Valley Archives Fair - Wednesday 10/14, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in Carrier Library, Ground Floor (89 seats left)

Homecoming Book Talk—The Stories We Carry: An Evening with Author Rachel McRady ('11)
Hosted in partnership with JMU Alumni and Women for Madison - Thursday 10/15, 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Montpelier Room, East Campus Dining Hall

Forbes Center for the Performing Arts - JMU

Events - Harrisonburg

Explore Downtown Harrisonburg's Events, Dining, & Shopping | Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance

Looking for a Graduate Assistantship or a Campus Job? Depending on your full-or part-time status and program of study, graduate students may be eligible to apply for graduate assistantships, student positions, and staff/wage positions. Search JMU Jobs

Scholarships can be found on The Graduate School website.

No parking permit? No problem! If you need to pick up or drop off library items without a parking permit, you can use the 15-minute parking spots at JMU Libraries Express!

Who can use the laptops? JMU students, faculty, or staff can borrow a laptop for up to one month to support academic functions. These laptops are available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Looking for Something Fun to Read? Check out best-sellers, award winners, graphic novels, and more in the Fun Reads and Movies Guide from JMU Libraries.

24/7 Computer lab access: JMU offers three 24/7 study spaces with computers and printers, including one in Rose Library. 

Read Magazines for Free with Flipster! Explore 65 magazines online with Flipster—no subscriptions, physical copies, or recycling needed! Read entire magazines cover to cover, including images, ads, comics, and even crosswords. You can flip through, search for something specific, or even share content with others!

JMU X-Labs Open Lab! The Lab is an innovative space that ignites creativity. JMU students, faculty and staff are all empowered to bring their ideas to life in this design-thinking studio. Our collaborative atmosphere also allows for consulting and prototyping assistance, making it the perfect breeding ground for entrepreneurial endeavors. We’re ready to give you the support you need to make your ideas a reality. Unleash your potential at The Lab!

Keep abreast of Research Development Opportunities by subscribing to the JMU Research Development notice board. 

Places to study while Carrier Library is closed. While Carrier Library is closed for renovation and expansion, you still have four library locations to use, and dozens of buildings with study space all over campus! Check out this list of the top 15 places to study or work in JMU Libraries. There’s also a new JMU study spaces map that includes a wide range of buildings! Just select a pin to start reading about study spaces in each building.

Join the Graduate Student Association (GSA). All JMU graduate students are considered members of the GSA. The GSA promotes interdisciplinary unity among JMU graduate students through social events, career-building workshops and professional
development grants. For questions email gsa@jmu.edu.

University Career Liaison. The University Career Center's Graduate School liaison Alyssa Hawley is a great resource to assist you with resume review and career preparation. Check out University Career Services for Graduate Students or contact Alyssa for more information.

Campus and Community Student Resources. Campus and community resources available to
support students’ basic needs can be found at the Student Support Hub, a website that will connect you
to food, financial assistance, housing and other resources. These resources will help you thrive at JMU.

Military-Connected Students. JMU VALOR provides all military-connected students with
resources for success. More information

Need Food or Hygiene Items? Check out The Pantry in Taylor Down Under (The Union), room 112.
Shop in-person or place orders through The Pantry app, available in the Apple and Android stores. Use
the app to select the curbside pickup option or rapid pickup in The Pantry.
The Pantry is open Mon 12-6 pm and Tues-Thurs 12-5 pm. Available to all students, no questions asked!

Mental Health Resources. The JMU Counseling Center is available to all students and they have
made available TimelyCare, 24/7 access to mental health professionals. More Information