IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. iTHENTICATE TRAINING
2. CELEBRATE GRADUATE EDUCATION WEEK 2018
3. ETD WORKSHOP DURING GRADUATE EDUCATION WEEK
4. DISRUPTING ACADEMIC BULLYING – A DISCUSSION WITH DEPARTMENTAL LEADERS
Policy Updates:
5. ASSISTANTSHIP ACCEPTANCE DEADLINE FOR NEW STUDENTS
Administrative Announcements:
6. PARTICIPATION IN COUNCIL OF GRADUATE SCHOOLS’ SURVEY REQUESTED
7. TAKE YOUR STUDENTS TO LUNCH DURING GRADUATE EDUCATION WEEK
8. ATTENTION! GRADUATE CATALOG EDITORS
9. ADMISSIONS AND RECRUITMENT TRENDS
10. POWELL GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS
Deadlines/Dates to Remember:
MARCH 21: iThenticate Training
MARCH 22: PHD/EdD last day to defend to participate in commencement
MARCH 26-30: Graduate Education Week
APRIL 6: PhD/EdD ETD submission deadline to participate in spring commencement
APRIL 15: Assistantship Acceptance deadline (See #3 for details).
MAY 31: Deadline to submit edits to Graduate Catalog (see #5)
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. iTHENTICATE TRAINING
Wednesday, Mar 21, 8:30/10:00/12:45/2:15/3:45, GLC
As you are aware, we will begin using iThenticate software for ETD review beginning summer I and it is critical that the Graduate Program Directors are trained about the effective use of the tool. Additional training sessions will be offered in the Fall and we will need your involvement in helping to educate graduate students and faculty in your department. To register,
* Go to NLI: https://app.nli.tlos.vt.edu/ .
* Search for iThenticate (search box is 2/3 up the screen on the left).
* You should see the five sessions listed (Title is ‘iThenticate User Training’).
* Click on the session (anywhere in that row) you wish to attend. You should see some additional detail show up including an ‘Enroll’ button.
* Note: if the ‘Enroll’ button has a lock icon to the right of it, you need to sign-in. Click Login (top right of screen) to sign in using your PID / pw.
* Click on the ‘Enroll’ button and you are in
2. CELEBRATE GRADUATE EDUCATION WEEK 2018
We will celebrate Graduate Education Week 2018 between March 26-30 with a series of events and activities, and invite and encourage all departments and graduate programs to host their own GEW events as well. For a complete list of events visit https://graduateschool.vt.edu/student-life/graduate-education-week.html. You may invite your students to the Student Appreciation Lunch, our official kick-off of Graduate Education Week 2018, on Monday, March 26. By advance reservation only; seating is limited –see our flyer with more information: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/glc-events/2018_GEW_appreciation_lunch_form.pdf.
3. ETD WORKSHOP DURING GRADUATE EDUCATION WEEK
Tuesday, Mar 27, 7:00pm, GLC Multipurpose Room (WebEx access also – see below)
Graduate Admissions and Academic Progress staff will offer an ETD workshop to graduate students as well as through WebEx (Meeting Access code: 643 479 162). Students will learn how to format their Electronic Thesis/Dissertation (ETD), what Graduate School staff members look for in the ETD review, and what happens to an ETD after it is submitted to the Graduate School. Students may bring their laptop and PDF copy of the ETD for individual review. Please encourage your thesis and dissertation students to attend this workshop.
4. DISRUPTING ACADEMIC BULLYING – A DISCUSSION WITH DEPARTMENTAL LEADERS
Thursday, Apr 5, 10:00-11:00am, GLC Room F
As shared in the most recent Graduate Program Directors meeting, the Graduate School is increasing efforts to raise awareness about academic bullying. We would like to engage each of you as programmatic leaders in a conversation about academic bullying. The hope is to further improve the relational dynamics within your offices, classrooms, and labs. Please plan to attend this conversation on Apr 5 at 10:00am and you will have the opportunity to discuss what academic bullying is and why it is in our interests to disrupt and eliminate it in our settings. If you have any questions, please contact Bryan Hanson, Ombudsperson for the Graduate School, at bryanh76@vt.edu.
Policy Updates:
5. ASSISTANTSHIP ACCEPTANCE DEADLINE FOR NEW STUDENTS
The Council of Graduate Schools established April 15 as the earliest deadline schools may set for the acceptance of an offer of financial support (such as assistantship or fellowship) for the next academic year by a prospective graduate student. You may encourage but not require newly accepted students to respond to an assistantship or fellowship/scholarship offer before April 15. Our International Graduate Student Support office started issuing immigration documents to new international students in February to allow students sufficient time for the visa application process.
Administrative Announcements:
6. PARTICIPATION IN COUNCIL OF GRADUATE SCHOOLS’ SURVEY REQUESTED
We encourage you to complete a survey that is a key component of a new project by the Council of Graduate Schools, Master’s Admission Attributes: Current Status and Missing Evidence, to identify desired attributes of master’s degree candidates and to assess the effectiveness of the current evidence used to evaluate those attributes. This project has the potential to help universities and programs to clarify the goals and expected outcomes of master’s education, to better identify students who are likely to succeed in various types of master’s degree programs, and ultimately, to better align the curriculum to support master’s student degree completion and success. Nothing that you share in this survey will be attributable to either yourself or our institution. To begin the survey go to the following link: https://cgs.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_09hqBb3EYbnfwDr. If you have questions about the project, please contact Robert M. Augustine, Senior Vice President, Council of Graduate Schools raugustine@cgs.nche.edu or 202-461-3854. For technical questions about the survey, please contact research@cgs.nche.edu.
7. TAKE YOUR STUDENTS TO LUNCH DURING GRADUATE EDUCATION WEEK
We invite and encourage all departments and graduate programs to host their own GEW events as well, or invite their students to the Student Appreciation Lunch, our official kick-off of Graduate Education Week 2018, on Monday, March 26. By advance reservation only; seating is limited – go here to see a flyer with more information: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/glc-events/2018_GEW_appreciation_lunch_form.pdf.
8. ATTENTION! GRADUATE CATALOG EDITORS
The cycle to edit for catalog year 2018-2019 will start at the beginning of April. Please be sure to review and edit your program and certificate content. Regardless of whether you have changes or not, content must be reviewed and submitted. This is your affirmation that content is up-to-date. The deadline to submit May 31, 2018. Note the deadline is earlier this year.
9. GRAD APPLICATION DATA FROM GRAD PROGRAM DIRECTOR’S MEETING NOW AVAILABLE
The application trend data that was presented at the Graduate Program Director’s meeting on February 22, 2018 is now available at https://graduateschool.vt.edu/about/numbers/gpd_admissions.html. If you have any questions, or would like to discuss this data further for your department or specific degree program, please contact Kacy Lawrence at klawr5@vt.edu.
10. POWELL GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS
Now accepting nominations for Powell Graduate Fellowships. Eligibility requirements include: (1) Master’s and doctoral-level students who are long-term Virginia residents (attended high school in Virginia), (2) Must demonstrate financial need by submitting a FAFSA, (3) Students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents entering their first year of graduate study. Funding includes: (1) $20,000 stipend, (2) In-state tuition for one year, and (3) Students must pay their own comprehensive fees. Two awards are granted each academic year. One nomination allowed per department. Please note that faculty are encouraged to nominate prospective students who add to the diversity of the department, such as students who are traditionally underrepresented in your field/discipline. This may include first generation, low income, racial/ethnic minorities, and women in STEM. Nominations due April 2, 2018. Link to nomination form: https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5iJE76h93HWzdxb. For more information, contact Christian Matheis at matheisc@vt.edu.