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Society of Graduate Students (SOGS)

Society of Graduate Students (SOGS)

Your Graduate Student Advocacy Organization and Government at Western University

  • ABOUT
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  • FINANCIAL AID
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westernsogs

The graduate student union, advocacy organization, and government at Western University. Local 47 of CFS. W: Sogs.ca

On Friday, October 9th, SOGS members we emailed a On Friday, October 9th, SOGS members we emailed a balloting link regarding the 2026-27 Board of Directors by-election confidence vote. The ballot closed on Saturday, October 10th at 11:59 p.m.

We are thrilled to announce that ADEPOJU ADEOLA, MHSc Global Health Systems, will serve as our Director for the remainder of the 2026-27 year! 🥳 Congratulations, Adepoju!

🗳️Voting turnout: 66 (0.93%) of 7,100 electors voted in this ballot. 
2 voters abstained from choosing a candidate.
1 voter was not confident (voted "NO").
63 voters were confident (voted "YES").

For those interested, 2027-28 Board of Director elections will align with the Presidential election in March. Notification for nominations will be released in the Winter 2027 Term. 

#GradLife #WesternU #BoardofDirectors #Byelection
Join us for another check-in and workshop about th Join us for another check-in and workshop about the United Nations' Sustainability Development Goals (SDG) hosted by our Sustainability Committee @sogs.sustainability.

📆 Tuesday, November 10th
🕰 6-7:30 pm
📍Middlesex College, Room 17 (across the hall from the SOGS office)
🍽 Light refreshments served
🧠 Head over to Grad Club trivia down the hall afterwards!

Register at the link in our bio, or visit sogs.ca/events. 

Questions: sustainability.committee@sogs.ca.
Join the SOGS Gender Equity Commission for a Hallo Join the SOGS Gender Equity Commission for a Halloween Harm Reduction workshop this October.

📆 Tuesday, October 27th
⏰ 12:30 pm to 3 pm
📍Labatt Health Sciences Building, Room 11
🍕 Attendees will be provided with a free pizza lunch! 

This event is in collaboration with Western's Wellness and Wellbeing, the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL), and Student Emergency Response Team (SERT) to provide harm reduction education to graduate students before Halloween.

This workshop will include:
-gender-based sexual violence bystander training related to substance use and partying, 
-racial sensitivity and cultural appropriation training, and 
-overdose and narcan administration training.

Questions or concerns? Reach out to gender.equity@sogs.ca.
The SOGS Board of Directors has one (1) vacancy an The SOGS Board of Directors has one (1) vacancy and requires a by-election. 

📝 We have received one (1) nomination for the vacant role, which requires a CONFIDENCE VOTE from the membership. 

🗳️ Balloting will take place between Friday, October 9th at 11 a.m. and Saturday, October 10th at 11:59 p.m. 

⚠️ SOGS members received a voting link via mass email today at their uwo.ca email accounts. Kindly check your accounts.

CANDIDATE INFORMATION:
👤 ADEPOJU ADEOLA, MHSc Global Health Systems
👓 Read Adepoju's candidate statement (🔗 link in bio)

#gradlife #westernu #boardofdirectors #byelection2026
Apply now for the Peggy Collins Memorial Award! 🎓💜 Apply now for the Peggy Collins Memorial Award! 🎓💜

This award honours Peggy Collins, a long-time Western employee, and her unending efforts to support others as they balance family, career, and personal development. 🌸

🎓 Awarded to a part-time graduate student in a part-time designated graduate program
💼 Preference given to applicants who work full-time, have family commitments, and/or are involved in the Western or wider community
💰 Value: $2,900 (1 award)
📝 Based on a one-page statement describing your commitments to work, family, and community involvement
📆 Deadline: November 1st, 2026

Recipients are selected by the SOGS Health Plan Committee in consultation with the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

📄 Find the application on our Documents page (link in bio) and email it to services@sogs.ca
Join the SOGS Orientation and Social Committee for Join the SOGS Orientation and Social Committee for our annual HALLOWEEN COSTUME PARTY at the Grad Club!

📅 Friday, October 30th
📍The Grad Club (Middlesex College, Room 19)
⏰8 p.m. - 11 p.m.

👻 Costume party - dress in your funniest, scariest, or sassiest costume
🪎 Costume contest: 1st place - $100, 2nd place - $75, 3rd place - $50 
💵 Costume prizes are paid in Grad Club gift certificates
🎶 Music provided by Hawkins Music 
🎟️ $5 per person, but we will give you a $5 Grad Club gift card to make it FREE!
⚠️19+ Event; must show ID at the door

Get your partners, friends, colleagues, and peers in costume and out at the Grad Club for our annual Halloween costume party!

Buy your tickets at the link in our bio, or visit sogs.ca/events!
Curious about tarot but not sure where to start? J Curious about tarot but not sure where to start? Join us for a very special 🔮 Tarot or Wellness: A Beginner Workshop!

Join Dr. Caroline Diezyn for a hands-on introduction to tarot as a tool for reflection and self-check-ins. You will learn how the deck is organized, how to read a card from its imagery and your own reactions, how to ask open-ended questions, and how to try a few simple spreads with a partner. No experience or deck needed; cards are provided to share, and you will take home a handout set to keep practising. Come with an open mind and leave with a new way to pause and check in with yourself.

Register at the link in our bio! 

Dr. Caroline Diezyn holds a PhD in English from Western University, where their dissertation examined how American literature has rewritten Giles Corey and the Salem witch trials. Their research also covers Pamela Colman Smith, the artist behind the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck, and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. They work in digital media and communications at SOGS, teach communications and writing at Fanshawe College, and run Moon of Retribvtion, an independent art shop with occult, witchy, and gothic-inspired prints, stickers, pins, and zines. Tarot is also part of their own reflection practice.
🍂✨ WELLNESS WEEK 2026 IS COMING! ✨🍂 Join the Grad 🍂✨ WELLNESS WEEK 2026 IS COMING! ✨🍂

Join the Graduate Peer Support Committee and friends for a full week of events made for grad students, October 19–25. Swipe through to see everything on the schedule! 👉

📆 MONDAY, OCTOBER 19

💰 Financial Wellness with Sumeet Khullar, CPA | 2 p.m. | MC Room 17 | FREE

🔮 Tarot for Wellness: A Beginner Workshop | 5–6:30 p.m. | WIRB 1120 | $5

📆 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20

📚 Prosperous PhD Workshop | 10–11 a.m. | Virtual | FREE

🛍️ Fall Makers Market | 2–6 p.m. | IGAB Atrium | FREE

📆 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21

✍️ Study Hall: Abstract Writing | 10 a.m.–12 p.m. | Grad Club | FREE

🩺 Health Plan 101 with Student VIP | 5–6 p.m. | MC 105B | FREE

🎲 Board Game Night | 7–9 p.m. | Grad Club | FREE

📆 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22

🧘 Restorative Class at &asanas | 8:15–9:15 a.m. | $10

🕊️ Spiritual Connections for Grads | 5–7 p.m. | UCC Room 38B | FREE

📆 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23

🐴 Horseback Riding at Circle R Ranch | 12:45–5:15 p.m. | $60

📆 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24

🏚️ Abandoned Village at Fanshawe Pioneer Village | 7–10:30 p.m. | $35

📆 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25

🧗 Rock Climbing at Junction Climbing Centre | 3–5 p.m. | $25

🎟️ Tickets, registration, and full details at sogs.ca/wellness-week. Link in bio, too! 💜

Some events have limited spots, so grab yours early! 🏃‍♀️

#WellnessWeek #GradLifeWesternU #WesternU #SOGS #GradStudents LondonOntario
The wait is over. I.M. Well has evolved into a new The wait is over.
I.M. Well has evolved into a new, more connected student wellness experience designed around real student life.
Whether you're managing stress, budgeting your money, navigating a legal question, improving your nutrition, or looking after your physical health, support is now available in one place.
✅ Personalized support
✅ Easy online access
✅ Self-guided wellness tools
✅ Professional services when you need them
Because wellness isn't just one thing.
Welcome to the new I.M. Well.
Visit imwell.ca for more details.
On Saturday, September 26th, SOGS attended the Wes On Saturday, September 26th, SOGS attended the Western Alumni Awards Celebration. Several of this year's honourees are former graduate students, including former SOGS members Natasha Burke, PhD'13, and Lehana Thabane, PhD'98. Across the evening's speeches, honourees spoke about advocating for women in STEM and finance, accessibility and inclusion in music education, and the new beginnings their graduate programs at Western made possible. SOGS is proud to celebrate the achievements of Western alumni and to keep supporting graduate students well beyond graduation. Pictured: SOGS President Matheus Sanita Lima, Vice-President Academic Maris Schneider, and Kevin Fontyn.

@westernalumni
ACCUTE’s Creative Writing Collective is sharing ou ACCUTE’s Creative Writing Collective is sharing our 2027 Graduate Student Creative Writing Contest call!

The contest is open to graduate students in any discipline or major at a Canadian institution. Winners will receive $200 and publication in The Angle, with two $50 honourable mentions. The deadline to submit is January 15, 2027.

What can be submitted:
📖 One piece of short prose in the prose category (up to 2,500 words of fiction or creative nonfiction)
🪶 One poem in the poetry category (up to 500 words)

Questions and entries can be sent to: accutecwcontest@gmail.com
🩺The SOGS Health & Dental plan is administered by 🩺The SOGS Health & Dental plan is administered by StudentVIP and insured by Simply Benefits (policy #62250). 

📅The deadline to submit Change of Coverage* requests to StudentVIP for the 2026-2027 academic year is October 1, 2026.

*CHANGE OF COVERAGE requests include:

🔵Opt-In spouse and/or children
(NOTE: dependants must be enrolled/re-enrolled in the SOGS Health and Dental Plan every Fall for insurance coverage.)

🔵Opt-out because you already have an equivalent health & dental plan from another insurance company.
(NOTE: It is mandatory for Western graduate students to have an equivalent health & dental plan; OHIP, UHIP or other provincial coverage is not applicable.)

🔵Modify the policy coverage to the basic plan (e.g. downgrade from enhanced to basic plan.)

⚠️ The SOGS office CANNOT remove a student from the health plan or remove the fee from the tuition bill.

All health plan change of coverage requests and proof of alternate coverage must be submitted DIRECTLY TO STUDENT VIP through their Change of Coverage portal. The link is in our bio, or you can visit: http://studentvip.ca/sogs
October 1 Deadline Approaching! 📣 Need funding su October 1 Deadline Approaching!

📣 Need funding support to pay for hosting an academic conference or research-related event?

Get up to $1,000 in financial support!

The Academic Joint Fund is generously supported by Western Research and Western Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

🎤 What Types of Events Are Considered?

✅Research Promotion Events
✅On-Campus Conferences
✅Online Speaker Webinars
✅On-Campus Lectures

Note: The AJF is not intended to fund the individual conference or research travel of SOGS members. Apply to the SOGS Financial Support Subsidy instead!

💰Successful Applications Can Receive Up to $1,000!

📅 How and When Can We Apply?

Head over to sogs.ca/academic-joint-fund to learn more about the application form and adjudication process.

Timeline:

For events taking place between May 1 and June 30, the application must be submitted on or before April 1, and funding decisions will be shared in April.

For events taking place between July 1 and August 31, the application must be submitted on or before June 1, and funding decisions will be shared in June.

For events taking place between September 1 and October 31, the application must be submitted on or before August 1, and funding decisions will be shared in August.

For events taking place between November 1 and December 31, the application must be submitted on or before October 1, and funding decisions will be shared in October.

For events taking place between January 1 and February 28, the application must be submitted on or before December 1, and funding decisions will be shared in December.

For events taking place between March 1 and April 30, the application must be submitted on or before February 1, and funding decisions will be shared in February.

❓If you have any questions about the fund, contact academic@sogs.ca
New semester. New schedule. New challenges. The g New semester. New schedule. New challenges.

The good news? You don't have to navigate everything alone.
I.M. Well gives students access to wellness resources, professional support, and practical tools designed for the realities of campus life.
Because asking for support should be simple.
✅ Activate your benefits at imwell.alli.io/signup
✅ Register with your student email
✅ Set up using Microsoft or Google Authenticator
✅ Start using your benefits
We are excited to announce the launch of the SOGS We are excited to announce the launch of the SOGS Little Library in Middlesex College, brought to you by @sogs.sustainability!

The SOGS Little Library is a community-driven initiative that promotes reading, knowledge sharing, and sustainability through the donation, exchange, and adoption of books. As we begin building our collection, we are inviting donations of fiction and non-fiction books in good condition.

Donated books can be dropped off at the SOGS Office (Middlesex College, Room 8) from Monday to Friday, between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Your contributions will help promote reading, extend the life of books, reduce waste, and make educational resources more accessible to our community.

Thank you for your support, and happy reading!
The SOGS office and the @uwogradclub are both on t The SOGS office and the @uwogradclub are both on the lower level of beautiful Middlesex College! Come visit us in the SOGS office (Room 8) to get your Grad Club sticker and get 10% off your purchase at the Grad Club! 

More information and restrictions at https://www.uwogradclub.ca/member-discount
📣 Need funding support to pay for hosting an acade 📣 Need funding support to pay for hosting an academic conference or research-related event?

Get up to $1,000 in financial support!

The Academic Joint Fund is generously supported by Western Research and Western Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

🎤 What Types of Events Are Considered?

✅Research Promotion Events
✅On-Campus Conferences
✅Online Speaker Webinars
✅On-Campus Lectures

Note: The AJF is not intended to fund the individual conference or research travel of SOGS members. Apply to the SOGS Financial Support Subsidy instead!

💰Successful Applications Can Receive Up to $1,000!

📅 How and When Can We Apply?

Head over to sogs.ca/academic-joint-fund to learn more about the application form and adjudication process.

Timeline:

For events taking place between May 1 and June 30, the application must be submitted on or before April 1, and funding decisions will be shared in April.

For events taking place between July 1 and August 31, the application must be submitted on or before June 1, and funding decisions will be shared in June.

For events taking place between September 1 and October 31, the application must be submitted on or before August 1, and funding decisions will be shared in August.

For events taking place between November 1 and December 31, the application must be submitted on or before October 1, and funding decisions will be shared in October.

For events taking place between January 1 and February 28, the application must be submitted on or before December 1, and funding decisions will be shared in December.

For events taking place between March 1 and April 30, the application must be submitted on or before February 1, and funding decisions will be shared in February.

❓If you have any questions about the fund, contact academic@sogs.ca
The wait is over. I.M. Well has evolved into a new The wait is over.
I.M. Well has evolved into a new, more connected student wellness experience designed around real student life.
Whether you're managing stress, budgeting your money, navigating a legal question, improving your nutrition, or looking after your physical health, support is now available in one place.
✅ Personalized support
✅ Easy online access
✅ Self-guided wellness tools
✅ Professional services when you need them
Because wellness isn't just one thing.
Welcome to the new I.M. Well.
Visit imwell.ca for more details.
Road trip, flight home, or a week in a different t Road trip, flight home, or a week in a different time zone? Your travel coverage comes with you. Before you go ✈️ Check your travel coverage limits and trip-length maximums.
studentvip.ca/SOGS
Participants needed: Researchers at OISE, Univers Participants needed:

Researchers at OISE, University of Toronto are conducting a study examining how mental health stigma and self-concept may shape students’ university experiences, plans for the future, and well-being.

We are seeking participants who:
-	Are 18-29 years old
-	Have a diagnosed mental health condition (by a qualified health professional)
-	Are currently enrolled in a Canadian post-secondary institution
-	Are fluent in English

Participation involves a 30–50 minute online survey. Participants can optionally enter a draw to win one of 10 $50 Amazon e-gift cards.

Interested? Scan the QR code on the poster or contact talia.vacca@mail.utoronto.ca for more information.
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The SOGS Office is located in Middlesex College, Room 8 (lower level).
SOGS Office Hours:

Monday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Tuesday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Wednesday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Thursday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Friday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

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