IN THIS BULLETIN:
Did You Know?
Welcome to Did You Know – a new section of the Bulletin for quick reminders of existing resources and other tiny updates
Did you know the Graduate School has published its Academic Plan for fall 2020?
Did you know Virginia Tech submitted a detailed fall semester plan to SCHEV?
Did you know Virginia Tech encourages students returning to campus in fall to get a COVID-19 test?
Did you know the Graduate School has fall 2020 guidelines for GAs, GTAs, and GRAs?
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
1. July Graduate Program Directors Meeting
2. Beyond Zoom: Resources to Stay Connected
3. Recruitment on a Budget: Affordable Ways to Attract Students to Your Program
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
Policy Updates
1. Office of the Dean Graduate Form Processing
2. International Student Advisor Assignments
3. Inclusion and Diversity Requirement for Graduate Students: Reminder to Develop Plans
4. Graduate Students May Use SSDE for Preliminary Exams in Summer 2020
Administrative Announcements
1. Invitation to Submit Department Recruitment Fair Information
2. Department Consultations Are Available!
3. SEVP and DHS Rescind July 6 Policy Regarding International Students
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
1. July Graduate Program Directors Meeting
Thursday, July 23, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Register for the upcoming GPD meeting here: https://gs.vt.edu/gpd
2. Beyond Zoom: Resources to Stay Connected
The Graduate School invites you to join: Jigsaw Connect! Jigsaw Connect is a bi-monthly discussion series focused on recruitment and retention support for graduate programs. Join us for our next session on July 16th at 2PM ET, featuring Larry Cox II, Instructional Designer, Learning Experience Design (LED) and Ph.D. Candidate, Instructional Design & Technology. Register at https://virginiatech.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAocu-przwtG9TQgMuNw0HE23rw6t9RTfba and feel free to invite others in your unit who may find this information useful. For more information, please email shernita@vt.edu.
3. Recruitment on a Budget: Affordable Ways to Attract Students to Your Program
The Graduate School invites you to join: Jigsaw Connect! Join us on Tuesday, July 28th at 10AM ET featuring the Office of Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion. Register at https://virginiatech.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJArduqgrj0pGNS21tcfYZ3AYTuRubiMvzf3 and feel free to invite others in your unit who may find this information useful. For more information, please email shernita@vt.edu.
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
Policy Updates
1. Office of the Dean Graduate Form Processing
In an effort to streamline form submission and processing, all forms requiring a signature from the Dean of Graduate Studies (or Associate Deans) can now be uploaded and submitted through this Google Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkjThbjJ_x4ESc67uCDNiSVEjR6DpwOmJi9QccPa5sdAym9A/viewform?usp=sf_link
Departments are encouraged to submit forms on behalf of students to prevent unnecessary delays that are sometimes created when forms are submitted via email or campus mail. Forms available for submission on the Google Form include:
– Conflict of Interest
– Course Justification
– Graduate Committee Service Approval
– Progress to Degree / Annual Student Evaluations
– Senior Citizen Waiver Form
– Special Studies Course Requests
– Withdrawal / Resignation
2. International Student Advisor Assignments
Effective August 24, 2020, Cranwell International Center will assign international student services and immigration casework based on a portfolio model. Each International Student Advisor will provide a full range of immigration and support services for both undergraduate and graduate international students within an assigned portfolio of colleges/schools/departments, while also serving as the primary liaison to faculty, staff, and administrators in the assigned colleges/schools/departments.
You can find out who your assigned International Student Advisor is by going to https://international.vt.edu/immigration_services.html and searching for your college/school/department (NOTE: Undergraduate University Studies majors are considered “Interdisciplinary”).
For more details and context, you may also review the related memorandum at https://international.vt.edu/content/dam/international_vt_edu/memos-2020/Portfolio%20Assignments%20Memo.pdf.
3. Inclusion and Diversity Requirement for Graduate Students: Reminder to Develop Plans
The Commission on Graduate Studies and Policy 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.
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.htmlor email shernita@vt.edu.
4. Graduate Students May Use SSDE for Preliminary Exams in Summer 2020
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.
Administrative Announcements
1. Invitation to Submit Department Recruitment Fair Information
The Office of Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion (ORD), along with your departments, are preparing for recruitment. We are collecting information about departments upcoming recruitment events on behalf of Virginia Tech. We appreciate your response to our Department Recruitment Fair Submission form at https://bit.ly/VTGradDeptRecruitmentForm.
The information collected will be shared through our website, https://graduateschool.vt.edu so that prospective students, faculty, and staff will know where members of the VT community will be traveling to talk more about graduate education. For more information about recruitment, please visit https://graduateschool.vt.edu/recruitment.html.
2. Department Consultations Are Available!
Are you looking to expand your recruitment and retention efforts? Request a consultation with a member of the Office of Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion for a personalized discussion at https://bit.ly/VTGradRecruitConsultation. For more information, please email jgrimes18@vt.edu.
3. SEVP and DHS Rescind July 6 Policy Regarding International Students
As a result of the July 14 decision by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) within the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to rescind their July 6 policy directive, the March 9 SEVP/DHS guidance and the March 13 addendum are controlling, effective immediately. An overview of what this means for international students at Virginia Tech is available at https://international.vt.edu/Impact-of-the-SEVP-DHS-March-9-and-March-13-Guidance-on-International-Students-at-Virginia-Tech.html