There will be a friendly and informal meeting of the PhD society on Thursday 20th November, 7pm at the MacRobert foyer / cafe. This will be an opportunity for existing members to make contact with new or returning PhD students who feel they might be interested in becoming involved.

As you may know the PhD society fulfills a valuable social function for its otherwise isolated members. It is the only University society exclusively for PhD students, it is not currently SUSA affiliated (so our funds are entirely within our control), and we have a reasonable pot of money to play with. These three facts alone make us uniquely placed to meet the needs of our members.

We all know that the success of any society is dependent upon an active and interested membership. So, get involved and help to deliver the kind of society you want. Why not come to the meeting and make a few new friends outside your department or regular circle? Why not come and make suggestions on the kind of events or activities you'd like to see organised? One possibility we are considering is a subsidised trip into town for a meal towards the end of this semester. Whether you have a better idea, or like the sound of ours, come along to the meeting and let us know.

The society webpages are being brought up to date and we will have our e-mailbox open again soon. Meanwhile, if you have any comments or queries in advance of the gathering please ask (a.j.sneddon@stir.ac.uk). If you are interested in the society but cannot come to the gathering please let me know. Similarly, if you know people who may be interested please help us by making sure they know about it too. Andrew