July 16, 2019

IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. SLATE IMPLEMENTATION – TRAINING SESSIONS (7/22, 7/24, 7/25)
2. GRADUATE COORDINATORS MEETING (7/25)
3. SAVE THE DATE: GRADUATE SCHOOL RECRUITMENT, PROGRAMMING, AND CLIMATE WORKSHOP (8/22)

Administrative Announcements:
4. ASSISTANTSHIP BANNER ENTRY INFORMATION AND DEADLINES
5. REGISTRATION OPEN FOR FALL 2019 GTA WORKSHOP – RESTRICTIONS APPLY
6. NEW REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS PURSUING GRAD DEGREES AT VT

Deadlines/Dates to Remember:
AUG 2 Tuition Awards entry deadline to avoid late fees
AUG 4 Web Drop/Add for Fall 2019 opens

Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. SLATE IMPLEMENTATION – TRAINING SESSION
The Graduate School is migrating from Connect to Slate for recruitment communications by August 1. We are offering training sessions on how to use Slate for recruitment and departments migrating any existing communications in Connect to Slate. This session is for any program that has communications to prospective students in Connect as well as any program that would like to start using Slate to send recruitment communications. Register at https://doodle.com/poll/6uq67wyueaw7rx5v; a confirmation email will be sent to you closer to the training date with Zoom room information.
Monday, July 22 10:00am-11:30am via Zoom
Wednesday, July 24 3:00pm-4:30pm via Zoom
Thursday, July 25 1:00-2:30pm via Zoom

2. GRADUATE COORDINATORS MEETING
Thursday, Jul 25, 10:00-11:00am, GLC Room F
Topics include:
* Review of graduate student orientation and activities schedule
* Fall contract and assistantship updates
* GSA representative to discuss GSA events and recruiting GSA volunteers
* Register at https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_79QzC4qGZKTjdOJ if you are planning to attend. This meeting will also be available on Zoom. You will receive Zoom information upon registration.

3. SAVE THE DATE: GRADUATE SCHOOL RECRUITMENT, PROGRAMMING, AND CLIMATE WORKSHOP
Thursday, August 22, 9:00am-12:00pm, Newman Library-Multipurpose Room 101
The Graduate School is hosting an interactive workshop to share information from our various offices with you as well as discuss how we can support you and your unit.  RSVP at https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_008MW4XdcXeDqzr. Contact Shernita Lee at shernita@vt.edu with any questions.

Administrative Announcements:
4. ASSISTANTSHIP BANNER ENTRY INFORMATION AND DEADLINES
* Please ensure that your department’s 2019-20 assistantship and fellowship PAFs are entered as soon as possible. The early entry of appointments and corresponding tuition awards will ensure that the student can:
o Have the out-of-state differential waiver applied to the bill prior to the August 12 payment due date;
o Open subsidy link for those who purchase the student medical insurance;
o Sign up for the Comprehensive Fee Payment Plan prior to the first deduction.
* NEW THIS YEAR: Departments that would like assistance from the Office of the University Bursar in posting tuition awards based upon contract information should contact bursar@vt.edu and put Tuition Remission in the subject line. Please provide your department name and the org codes you want to posted. Contracts accepted no later than August 2 will be applied by the August 12 payment deadline. We encourage you to use this assistance to ensure more accurate billing.

5. REGISTRATION OPEN FOR FALL 2019 GTA WORKSHOP – RESTRICTIONS APPLY
Registration site (https://secure.graduateschool.vt.edu/gtaworkshop/) for Fall 2019  GTA workshop (GRAD 5004) is now open. All new GTAs are required to take this course and should be registered by dept. graduate coordinators (they cannot register themselves). Coordinators please register your students using the above site by August 6, 2019.  Please be aware of a special situation – Squires is not available this fall for the Phase I fall workshop. Therefore, the Phase I workshop will be held in the GLC, with capacity limited slightly vs. past fall sessions. If you have a student for whom it would be nice to take GRAD 5004 this fall, but not essential, please consider registering that student for the spring 2020 GRAD 5004 course. GTA workshop sessions focus on themes important for new GTAs, including oral presentation skills, ethics, pedagogical techniques and skills, conflict resolution, threat assessment, handling student personal information, using campus research tools, and computer security. Phase I is held on a single day, Tuesday, August 20, 2019 between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm; ALL REGISTERED STUDENTS MUST ATTEND THIS FULL-DAY WORKSHOP IN ORDER TO PASS THE COURSE.

6. 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.

July 1, 2019

IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. GRADUATE COORDINATORS MEETING
2. SAVE THE DATE: GRADUATE SCHOOL RECRUITMENT, PROGRAMMING, AND CLIMATE WORKSHOP

Administrative Announcements:
3. REGISTRATION OPEN FOR FALL 2019 GTA WORKSHOP – RESTRICTIONS APPLY
5. NEW REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS PURSUING GRAD DEGREES AT VT

Deadlines/Dates to Remember:
JUL 5: Summer I classes end; Graduate School closed
JUL 9: Summer II classes begin

Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. GRADUATE COORDINATORS MEETING
Thursday, Jul 25, 10:00-11:00am, GLC Room F
Topics include:
* Review of graduate student orientation and activities schedule
* Fall contract and assistantship updates
* GSA representative to discuss GSA events and recruiting GSA volunteers
* Register at https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_79QzC4qGZKTjdOJ if you are planning to attend. This meeting will also be available on Zoom. You will receive Zoom information upon registration.

2. SAVE THE DATE: GRADUATE SCHOOL RECRUITMENT, PROGRAMMING, AND CLIMATE WORKSHOP
Thursday, August 22, 9:00am-12:00pm, Newman Library-Multipurpose Room 101
The Graduate School is hosting an interactive workshop to share information from our various offices with you as well as discuss how we can support you and your unit.  RSVP at https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_008MW4XdcXeDqzr. Contact Shernita Lee at shernita@vt.edu with any questions.

Administrative Announcements:
3. REGISTRATION OPEN FOR FALL 2019 GTA WORKSHOP – RESTRICTIONS APPLY
Registration site (https://secure.graduateschool.vt.edu/gtaworkshop/) for Fall 2019  GTA workshop (GRAD 5004) is now open. All new GTAs are required to take this course and should be registered by dept. graduate coordinators (they cannot register themselves). Coordinators please register your students using the above site by August 6, 2019.  Please be aware of a special situation – Squires is not available this fall for the Phase I fall workshop. Therefore, the Phase I workshop will be held in the GLC, with capacity limited slightly vs. past fall sessions. If you have a student for whom it would be nice to take GRAD 5004 this fall, but not essential, please consider registering that student for the spring 2020 GRAD 5004 course. GTA workshop sessions focus on themes important for new GTAs, including oral presentation skills, ethics, pedagogical techniques and skills, conflict resolution, threat assessment, handling student personal information, using campus research tools, and computer security. Phase I is held on a single day, Tuesday, August 20, 2019 between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm; ALL REGISTERED STUDENTS MUST ATTEND THIS FULL-DAY WORKSHOP IN ORDER TO PASS THE COURSE.

4. 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.