GLOSS

Department of Linguistics Student Organization

Since its founding in the year 2000 by a coalition of linguistics graduate students, GLOSS has pursued a threefold mission of providing for the academic, professional and social development of its members. Our activities focus on the promotion of linguistic research and events at the University of Oregon in general, the provision for professional representation of graduate linguists and undergraduate linguistics majors, and the fostering of a welcoming atmosphere for the broader UO linguistics community. Membership in GLOSS is open to all members of the UO community.

With an expanding membership base and growing support from the Department of Linguistics, the Associated Students of the University of Oregon (ASUO), Yamada Language Center and the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), the scale of GLOSS activities has grown steadily. An overview of our activities, responsibilities and accomplishments to date:

1. Linguistics Colloquium: GLOSS organizes weekly colloquia. GLOSS members who wish to gain experience organizing for conferences are able to design a particular colloquium series according to a theme. Recent themes have included Functional Phonology, Endangered Languages/Language Revitalization, and Cognitive Linguistics.
   
   Invited speakers have included  Farrell Ackerman (San Diego), John Ohala (Berkeley), Diana Archangeli (Arizona), Harvey Sussman (Texas), Margaret Florey (Monash), Marc Miyake (Hawai'i), Marianne Mithun (Santa Barbara), Akira Yamamoto (Kansas) and numerous others.  A screening of the documentary "The Linguits" was held as well.
    
2. Workshops: In association with the colloquium series, GLOSS organizes additional workshops with our invited speakers. For information on current workshops and colloquia, click here. 
3. The Tom Givón Library: Following Professor Givón's retirement to Emeritus status, GLOSS successfully lobbied for a large contribution of his personal library to form the cornerstone of a Linguistics Department Library. Currently housed in the old computer lab in Straub Hall, the library has been catalogued. GLOSS volunteers. Click for more info.
4. Publications: Members of GLOSS are in the process of putting together a series of working papers. 
5. Yearly incoming graduate student orientation
   
6. Representation on non-evaluative faculty meetings
   
7. Beer for Linguists!! …"every" Friday, or when we're feeling up to it...

GLOSS is represented by an Executive Board consisting of a Chair (or Co-Chairs), Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer, has elections to these positions every fall term, as well as other temporary positions, and has a Constitution on file with the Linguistics Department and the ASUO.

All incoming Linguistics Graduate students and supporting members of the UO community are warmly encouraged to join GLOSS and to participate at all levels. See you at our meetings!

To contact us, e-mail Natalie Toogood, 2009-2010 GLOSS Secretary, at ntoogood@uoregon.edu.

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