IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. GRADUATE PROGRAM DIRECTORS MEETING
Administrative Announcements:
2. 20TH ANNUAL GRADUATE EDUCATION WEEK MARCH 23-27
3. VT CALL FOR FACULTY PROFILES: HBCU/MSI SUMMIT
4. CALL FOR JUDGES FOR GRADUATE STUDENT ASSEMBLY RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM ON MARCH 25
5. MCNAIR GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP
6. DEAN’S DIVERSITY ASSISTANTSHIP
7. POWELL FELLOWSHIP
8. VT CALL FOR FACULTY PROFILES: HBCU/MSI Summit
9. COVES FELLOWSHIP ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
10. REMINDER FOR ADMISSION APPLICATION DECISIONS
Deadlines/Dates to Remember:
MAR 7-15 – Spring Break
MAR 19 – GRADUATE PROGRAM DIRECTORS MEETING
MAR 23-27 – Graduate Education Week
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. GRADUATE PROGRAM DIRECTORS MEETING
Thursday, March 19, 10-11:30, GLC Room F and Zoom
Topics will include: Innovation Campus and immigration services updates; Slate implementation; HBCU summit, master’s pathway program for international students; 20th Graduate Education Week and announcements. Zoom details will be provided in the next Graduate School Bulletin.
2. 20th ANNUAL GRADUATE EDUCATION WEEK MARCH 23-27
Join our celebration of the 20th annual Graduate Education Week at Virginia Tech: attend and help us promote to graduate students these special events, including:
– Charting Your Career: Panel discussion with Award Winning Graduate Alumni
Monday, 3/23, 12:00-1:30, GLC Multipurpose Room
Tuesday, 3/24, 5:30-7:00pm, GLC Multipurpose Room
Friday, 3/27, 12:00-1:30, GLC Multipurpose Room
– Establishing and Maintaining a Healthy Advisor/Advisee Relationship
Monday, 3/23, 2:00, GLC Room C
– VT GrATE Teach In: VT Goes Global
Tuesday, 3/24 2:30-6:00, GLC Room F
– GSA Research Symposium and Exposition
Wednesday, 3/25 all day, GLC Multipurpose Room and break out rooms
– Research Symposium Keynote: Adam W. Morgan
Wednesday, 3/25, 6:15, GLC Auditorium
– Big Cook Out
Friday, 3/27, 4:30-6:30pm, Graduate School Lawn
Check our website for more details: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/student-life/graduate-education-week.html.
Administrative Announcements:
VT CALL FOR FACULTY PROFILES: HBCU/MSI SUMMIT
Are you interested in collaboration with faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) or other minority-serving institutions (MSIs)? The HBCU/MSI Research Summit is an opportunity to build direct inter-institutional partnerships between faculty at Virginia Tech and faculty at HBCUs and MSIs. The annual summit held every October, brings several guests, students and faculty, from various HBCUs and MSIs to Virginia Tech.
If interest in being listed in our directory, please complete a brief Faculty Interest Survey at https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_514e3ol0X1Bq4nj. The purpose of the survey is to collect information about interested faculty and their work at Virginia Tech to build a database of faculty profiles to facilitate collaborations with HBCUs and MSIs.
2. CALL FOR JUDGES FOR GRADUATE STUDENT ASSEMBLY RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM ON MARCH 25
Faculty and postdocs are invited to participate as judges for the GSA Research Symposium to provide graduate and undergraduate students rigorous feedback on their research presentation efforts. Consider sparing one or more hours or even most of the day to act as judges for this event. Rubrics, score sheets, and expectations will be provided and transparency will be maintained within the program. Refreshments are provided during the day, and judges are invited to the reception, keynote, and awards presentation ceremonies. Individuals with terminal degrees are preferred. Cash awards will be provided to winners of oral presentations, five-minute flash talks, poster presentations, and installations. Indicate your interest in participating at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_MHDwKZePCRmmrFDJrpmebdrhG7X5VcUENiLYdOTK9y8m-g/viewform. The website for the event is here.
3. MCNAIR GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP
Applications are currently being accepted for the Ronald E. McNair Graduate Assistantship program.. For eligibility and nomination information please visit https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/types-of-funding/funding-sponsored-by-the-graduate-school/mcnair-assistantship.html.
Nominations are due by March 13. Please contact Shernita Lee at shernita@vt.edu with questions or concerns.
4. DEAN’S DIVERSITY ASSISTANTSHIP
Applications are currently being accepted for the Dean’s Diversity Assistantship program. For eligibility and nomination information please visit https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/types-of-funding/funding-sponsored-by-the-graduate-school/dean-s-diversity-assistantships0.html. Nominations are due by March 6. Please contact Shernita Lee at shernita@vt.edu with questions or concerns.
5. 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 are due by April 3, 2020. Please contact Shernita Lee at shernita@vt.edu with questions or concerns.
6. VT CALL FOR FACULTY PROFILES: HBCU/MSI SUMMIT
Are you interested in collaboration with faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) or other minority-serving institutions (MSIs)? The HBCU/MSI Research Summit is an opportunity to build direct inter-institutional partnerships between faculty at Virginia Tech and faculty at HBCUs and MSIs. The annual summit held every October, brings several guests, students and faculty, from various HBCUs and MSIs to Virginia Tech. If interest in being listed in our directory, please complete a brief Faculty Interest Survey at https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_514e3ol0X1Bq4nj. The purpose of the survey is to collect information about interested faculty and their work at Virginia Tech to build a database of faculty profiles to facilitate collaborations with HBCUs and MSIs.
8. COVES FELLOWSHIP ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
The Commonwealth of Virginia Engineering and Science (COVES) Fellowship is a 12-week fellowship program of the Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine (VASEM). Graduate student fellows will serve as science advisors in a variety of possible placements, including legislative offices, executive agencies, or prominent companies and nonprofits in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Fellows will gain experience by serving their host office and performing tasks such as researching, drafting, and revising policies in areas related to their expertise. Fellows will also be paired with a VASEM member who will serve as an experienced science policy mentor throughout the fellowship. For more information and the application, please go to the following link: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/types-of-funding/funding-opportunities.html
10. REMINDER FOR ADMISSION APPLICATION DECISIONS
The Office of Export and Secure Research Compliance (OESRC) and the Graduate School developed procedures to identify graduate students with a high risk of export control, sanctions, or security concerns and provide guidance to the departments for compliance with these regulations. An automated screening method identifies international graduate students who intersect with three high risk areas: sanctioned country citizenship, prior or current foreign military affiliation, and affiliation with restricted parties or embargoed organizations. These applicants are reviewed by OESRC and guidance will be provided to the departments, if necessary. In most cases, OESRC will complete the review within 3 business days. In rare circumstances, additional time will be required to adjudicate cases, and departments will be notified within 3 business days if additional processing time is needed.
In order to ensure that the automated screening process occurs for all applicants recommended for admission, it is imperative that departments mark students recommended for admission in HokieSpa as Accept in GSAPP as well. To note the recommendation for admission in GSAPP, go to Actions –> Department Recommend –> Accept & Save.
This will set the application in GSAPP as Accept in your status list which initiates the OESRC review process. You must still submit the Online Admissions Analysis form in HokieSpa as the official decision. Admission recommendations in HokieSpa will not be processed by the Graduate School until the OESRC screening process in GSAPP has been completed. Questions regarding setting the application status to Accept in GSAPP may be addressed to Janice Austin at jema@vt.edu.