IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. DISRUPTING ACADEMIC BULLYING – A DISCUSSION WITH DEPARTMENTAL LEADERS
Policy Updates:
2. iTHENTICATE ACCESS AND TRAINING VIDEOS AVAILABLE
Administrative Announcements:
3. ASSISTANCE WITH TLOS SURVEY REQUESTED
4. OPEN POSITION: ASSOCIATE DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
5. PARTICIPATION IN COUNCIL OF GRADUATE SCHOOLS’ SURVEY REQUESTED
6. ATTENTION! GRADUATE CATALOG EDITORS
7. ADMISSIONS AND RECRUITMENT TRENDS
8. POWELL GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS
Deadlines/Dates to Remember:
APRIL 6: PhD/EdD ETD submission deadline to participate in spring commencement
APRIL 15: Assistantship Acceptance deadline
MAY 31: Deadline to submit edits to Graduate Catalog (see #6)
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. 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. The presentation will be available remotely if you are unable to attend in person. Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/3429120142 Or Telephone: 1-669-900-6833 with
Meeting ID: 342 912 0142. If you have any questions, please contact Bryan Hanson, Ombudsperson for the Graduate School, at bryanh76@vt.edu.
Policy Updates:
2. iTHENTICATE ACCESS AND TRAINING VIDEOS AVAILABLE
The Graduate School is pleased to announce the launch of the use of iThenticate to verify originality of documents prepared by VT graduate students and faculty. Access to iThenticate is granted to graduate students and faculty effective immediately. Although the tool isn’t difficult to use, it is very important that you view the videos about accessing and using the tool, and especially interpreting the similarity report. Videos and a link to the iThenticate website are located here:
https://graduateschool.vt.edu/faculty-and-staff-resources/ithenticate.html
We will be posting the link on the Graduate School listserv next Monday, April 9. Additional training will be available in April to assist with the roll-out of the ETD requirement beginning Summer I.
Administrative Announcements:
3. ASSISTANCE WITH TLOS SURVEY REQUESTED
Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS) at Virginia Tech is reaching out to Graduate Programs to identify the persons who support distance learning in some capacity other than faculty who are teaching the courses. Our purpose in learning more about management of distance learning is to improve support, coordinate and share information, and bring together persons in similar roles in professional communities so that we can learn from each other. We are asking Graduate Program Directors or Coordinators to forward the survey invitation and link below to individuals in their units who provide support or service to distance learning (either online using Canvas, WebEx, or through connected classrooms). Please complete the survey within the next week at https://tinyurl.com/VTGradDLSupportSurvey. If you have any questions, please contact Nannette Gordon at njimenez@vt.edu or Lujean Baab at lbaab@vt.edu. Thank you.
4. OPEN POSITION: ASSOCIATE DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
The Graduate School invites nominations and applications from Virginia Tech faculty for the position of Associate Dean of the Graduate School. This is a senior-level position reporting directly to the Vice President and Dean for Graduate Education. This position is a 50% calendar-year renewable appointment to be held concurrently with a Virginia Tech tenured associate professor or professor appointment. The expected starting date is no later than August 1, 2018. The associate dean is expected to work closely with the Vice President and Dean for Graduate Education and other associate deans and staff of the Graduate School as well as with Virginia Tech faculty and administrators to ensure excellence in graduate education, support graduate programs, support graduate school initiatives, provide support for policy and governance, and promote diversity and inclusion. For more information or to apply, please visit: https://listings.jobs.vt.edu/postings/84805
5. 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. The purpose of Master’s Admission Attributes: Current Status and Missing Evidence is 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.
6.ATTENTION! GRADUATE CATALOG EDITORS
The Graduate Catalog system has begun notifying those defined with edit responsibilities. 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. The deadline to submit is May 31, 2018.
7. 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.
8. 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 today, 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.