Graduate School student services area closed for walk-ins on Tuesday, Sep 18




The Graduate School student services and advising area (120 GLC) will undergo some changes on Tuesday, Sep 18, requiring that we close the service area to walk-in traffic. We ask all students to try to avoid visiting the Graduate School on this day unless they need urgent in-person assistance. Email and phone services will be uninterrupted and accommodations will be made to see students in the Graduate School lobby as needed. Please stop by to see us after Tuesday to see our new, more student-friendly layout!

Electronic Signature System Launched for Final Examinations and ETD Submission

I’m pleased to announce the launch of the Electronic Signature Approval system for final examinations and Electronic Thesis/Dissertations. This system allows for the scheduling of final examinations, signing of the final examination card and upload of the ETD using the VT PID and password.  Now that we have achieved the goal of a "secure" electronic signature and "secure" process, the Graduate School will be moving toward greater use of electronic processes.

Effective Monday, September 17, 2012, all final non-thesis and thesis/dissertation oral examinations must be scheduled through this Electronic Signature Approval system. Students will sign into the Electronic Signature Approval system to request their final examination and upload their ETD (if a thesis/dissertation student). Advisory committee members will sign into the Electronic Signature Approval system to approve the final examination request as well as electronically sign the examination card (notification sent to the @vt.edu email address).

Students who have already requested the scheduling of their final examination using the paper form will not need to resubmit through the Electronic Signature Approval system. Final examinations for students on Defending Student Status will still be requested using the paper form. Preliminary examinations will still be requested using the paper form.

As you are aware, the final examination request must be submitted at least 2 weeks prior to the examination date and the Electronic Signature System (ESS) was set up accordingly.  The ESS does not allow a student to request an exam date less than two weeks from the examination request submission date.  It is important that students plan in advance with their advisory committee to ensure that all advisory committee members can attend the examination for the date/time requested.  If any member of the advisory committee does not approve the final examination request the student will need resubmit with a new date/time.  Requesting a room in the examination request does not reserve the room; students must reserve the room through the building room coordinator.

Once an examination request is approved by the advisory committee and the Graduate School, an email confirmation will be sent to the student, advisory committee and department staff coordinator with notification of the official examination scheduling. An examination should not be held without receipt of the notification email from the Graduate School. Please contact the Graduate School before the examination if you have not received a scheduling notification email.

The Electronic Signature Approval system can be accessed online at https://gradexam.stl.vt.edu/pages/login.php <blocked::https://gradexam.stl.vt.edu/pages/login.php> .

An Electronic Signature Approval system guide can be found online at https://secure.graduateschool.vt.edu/GSITWiki/Wiki.jsp?page=UniversityTools <blocked::https://secure.graduateschool.vt.edu/GSITWiki/Wiki.jsp?page=UniversityTools> .

Questions regarding the use of the Electronic Signature Approval system should be directed to Graduate Admissions and Academic Progress (540-231-8636; gradappl@vt.edu).

Karen P. DePauw, Ph.D.
Vice President and Dean for Graduate Education Virginia Tech Graduate Life Center 235 Blacksburg, VA 24061
540.231.7581 (phone)
540.231.1670 (fax)
http://www.graduateschool.vt.edu/ <blocked::http://www.graduateschool.vt.edu/>

https://blogs.lt.vt.edu/kpdtge/ <blocked::https://blogs.lt.vt.edu/kpdtge/>
https://blogs.lt.vt.edu/globalperspectives/ <blocked::https://blogs.lt.vt.edu/globalperspectives/>