IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
1. Graduate Program Director’s Meeting
2. Virtual Recruitment: Where Do I Begin? (2nd posting)
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
July 1: Graduate Application Review Process Information Needed (2nd posting)
Policy Updates
1. Graduate Students May Use SSDE for Preliminary Exams in Summer 2020 (2nd posting)
2. Application Fee Waiver Codes and Process Updates (2nd posting)
3. Managing Assistantship Offer for New International Students (2nd posting)
Administrative Announcements
1. Graduate Assistantship Stipend Scale for AY 2020-21
2. International Student Late Arrival for Fall 2020
3. Immigration Services Merger with Cranwell International Center (2nd posting)
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
1. Graduate Program Directors Summer 2020 Meeting
Thursday, Jun 18, 11:00-12:30, Zoom
(accurate start time is 11:00 in spite of 10:30 showing in registration link)
Register for the meeting at https://gs.vt.edu/gpdsummer2020. Following President Sands’ announcement about Fall opening, it is important that we discuss specifics related to graduate education and graduate students. There’s a lot to discuss. Here’s a link to Karen DePauw’s message that went out Monday afternoon that addresses some points but definitely not all: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/dean-message-fall2020.html. The primary agenda item for the meeting is to discuss Fall Opening specifically to answer your questions and to hear your concerns. And of course, we engage in discussions on any and all topics. Please spread the word.
2. Virtual Recruitment: Where Do I Begin? (2nd posting)
The Graduate School is excited to launch: Jigsaw Connect! Jigsaw Connect is a bi-monthly discussion series focused on recruitment and retention support for graduate programs. Join us for our first session on Tuesday, June 23rd at 10AM ET featuring Amanda Covey, SBES Graduate Coordinator & BEAM REU Coordinator. Register at https://virginiatech.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUoc-6orzwiGdcyP4GP8qqgSEHjqP6XPTxH and feel free to invite others in your unit who may find this information useful. For more information, please email shernita@vt.edu. Flyer is available here.
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
July 1: Graduate Application Review Process Information Needed (2nd posting)
Please complete this short online Google form to provide the Graduate School with information regarding your department’s graduate admission application review process. This information will help us set up the application reader section of Slate, our new application system. Please respond by Wednesday, July 1, 2020. Questions regarding this form should be directed to Janice Austin at jema@vt.edu.
Policy Updates
1. Graduate Students May Use SSDE for Preliminary Exams in Summer 2020 (2nd posting)
Graduate students who will take their preliminary examination this summer may utilize the Start of Semester Defense Exception (SSDE) form. The SSDE form should be submitted to the Graduate School no later than 3 weeks before the desired examination date to allow time for registering you and then submitting your examination request in the Electronic Signature System (ESS). Once SSDE is approved, the Graduate School will register you for the 1 credit hour registration. The SSDE form is available here.
2. Application Fee Waiver Codes and Process Updates (2nd posting)
As the Graduate School prepares to transition to the Slate application system, we are streamlining administrative processes related to Application Fee Waivers. As a result, all reusable fee waiver codes have been deactivated effective immediately. In order to request a new application fee waiver code, please complete the Application Fee Waiver Request Form. Application fee waiver codes are issued M-F, 8 am – 5 pm. If requests are made by a department on behalf of an applicant, you will be billed quarterly for the number of code uses. Please email gradfinance@vt.edu wit any questions.
3. Managing Assistantship Offer for New International Students (2nd posting)
If an international student is unable to request a visa interview by July 15 (with an interview date before the fall semester begins), the hiring department may rescind the assistantship offer and extend it to another student. The hiring department must:
- notify the student that the offer has been withdrawn due to the student’s inability to arrive in the U.S. for the fall semester, and work with the student on potentially deferring admission and assistantship offer to a future term
- request the termination of the assistantship contract at https://sites.google.com/vt.edu/gradschoolresources/funding-requests/contract-termination
- notify International Graduate Student Services by emailing to igss@vt.eduregarding the termination of the contract and potential deferral of admission, so that the student’s SEVIS record can be updated.
Administrative Announcements
1. Graduate Assistantship Stipend Scale for AY 2020-21
The updated Graduate Assistantship Stipend Scale is now available for AY 2020-21. Access it here: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/assistantships_and_funding/2020-21StipendTable.pdf
2. International Student Late Arrival for Fall 2020
International students who are unable to secure a visa and arrive in the U.S. before the fall semester begins may arrive as late as Friday, Aug 28, the last day to add classes, to join the fall 2020 semester in Blacksburg. If applicable, students and departments should negotiate modified assistantship duties or a delayed start of the assistantship contract in cases of late arrival.
3. Immigration Services Merger with Cranwell International Center (2nd posting)
Starting July 1, 2020, the Cranwell International Center at Harper Hall will provide all international student services, including immigration advising, for both undergraduate and graduate international students. The three current full-time immigration advisors you are used to working with, Mark Dennis, Christina Lapel, and Karen Wills, will join the Cranwell International Center team and will continue to assist you, along with other immigration advisors in the Cranwell International Center who will be fully trained on graduate student matters as well. The immigration contact information will remain the same (email: igss@vt.edu; phone: (540) 231-8486). You can learn more about the Cranwell International Center at https://international.vt.edu/