IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. GRADUATE EDUCATION WEEK 2019
2. HOW TO USE iTHENTICATE – TRAINING SESSIONS
Administrative Announcements:
3. NEW PROCEDURES FOR NEW INTERNATIONAL STUDENT IMMIGRATION DOCUMENT REQUESTS
4. POWELL FELLOWSHIP
5. NEW REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS PURSUING GRAD DEGREES AT VT
Deadlines/Dates to Remember:
MAR 25-29: Graduate Education Week
MAR 28: PhD/EdD last day to defend to participate in commencement
APR 11: PhD/EdD ETD submission deadline to participate in spring commencement
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. GRADUATE EDUCATION WEEK 2019
Celebrate Graduate Education Week 2019, March 25-29, which highlights the contributions and achievements of graduate students and the importance of graduate education to Virginia Tech. See our website at https://graduateschool.vt.edu/student-life/graduate-education-week.html for more information on the various events that will be taking place during the week and encourage your students to participate. If you would like to list your departmental or program-level GEW events in our master calendar, please email the details to Lauren Surface at lkeister@vt.edu.
2. HOW TO USE iTHENTICATE – TRAINING SESSIONS
Multiple dates, times, and locations; registration requested
The Graduate School is offering training sessions on how graduate students will use iThenticate, a newly available software system, to review the originality of documents, ensure accurate attribution to other authors, and eliminate occurrences of potential plagiarism. Please attend only one session if you are interested; registration at https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu/ by searching for “iThenticate” in the search box.
– Thursday, March 28, 10:00am-11:00am in GLC C
– Tuesday, April 9, 7:00pm-8:00pm via Zoom Room 5402318316
– Tuesday, April 16, 3:00pm-4:00pm in GLC C
Administrative Announcements:
3. NEW PROCEDURES FOR NEW INTERNATIONAL STUDENT IMMIGRATION DOCUMENT REQUESTS
Effective immediately, newly admitted international graduate students are asked to upload their financial and immigration documents in the IntlHokies portal. This replaces the previous method of submitting them through the admission application portal, by fax or in person. Document upload through the IntlHokies portal will reduce processing time so that students may receive their I-20 or DS-2019 form faster. We encourage Graduate Coordinators to review the details about the new process available at https://graduateschool.vt.edu/student-life/immigration-services/new-student-guide.html. Please make sure to refer new student inquiries to this website. If you have any questions about this new process, contact Monika Gibson at gibsonm@vt.edu; 231-9564.
4. POWELL FELLOWSHIP
Applications are currently being accepted for the Powell Fellowship. For eligibility and nomination information please visit https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/types-of-funding/funding-sponsored-by-the-graduate-school/powell-fellowship.html. Nominations due by April 2, 2019. Please contact Shernita Lee at shernita@vt.edu with questions or concerns.
5. NEW REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS PURSUING GRAD DEGREES AT VT
The Commission on Graduate Studies and Policy recently approved a new requirement for students pursuing graduate degrees at Virginia Tech: an inclusion and diversity education component as part of their studies. This requirement aligns with the Graduate School’s goal of providing all students with an affirming, inclusive, and diverse education program that helps prepare them for the challenges they will meet in their post-graduation careers. Four topics must be included in the plans: the University’s Principles of Community; the impact of personal actions and words; avenues of redress and shared responsibility as active bystanders to recognize and disrupt bullying; and a process of individual introspection and reflection leading to awareness of one’s own words and language. Other topics also may be included. Each program, department, or college may develop its own plan for meeting the requirement, and all plans must be approved by the Graduate School after submission by the unit’s Graduate Program Director or its equivalent. For more information about the requirement, including whom to contact for assistance and questions, please visit the Graduate School’s Inclusion and Diversity Requirement webpage at: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/faculty-and-staff-resources/inclusion-diversity-requirement.html.