IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
- Jigsaw Connect with ETS: Recruitment Strategies to Address Today’s Challenges
- Graduate Orientation and New Student Events
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
- Late Arrival Arrangements for International Students
Policy Updates
Administrative Announcements
- Professional Development Resources for Graduate Students (Brief Survey)
- Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) at Departmental Orientations
- Graduate School Forms and Website Updated
- Update: University’s Requirement of “Diversity: Inclusion in the Modern Workplace Module”
- Immigration Check-In
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
- Jigsaw Connect with ETS: Recruitment Strategies to Address Today’s Challenges: September 20th at 11:00 a.m. *Virtual*
A series focused on Recruitment and Retention Support for Graduate Programs. The next session is entitled “Recruitment Strategies to Address Today’s Challenges” with Carlos Grijalva, Emeritus Professor, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Former Associate Dean, UCLA and ETS. Registration required at (https://virginiatech.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0sd-isqzIpHdS4RTXGP4niX_0YdM8MSJCL). All are welcome to attend! If you have any questions, please email shernita@vt.edu.
- Graduate Orientation and New Student Events
The Graduate School’s orientation will be held on Friday, August 19 at 9 a.m. in the GLC Auditorium, with breakfast refreshments in the GLC Multipurpose Room from 8:30 a.m.-9:00 a.m. Orientation is not mandatory but encouraged. Students can sign-up here: https://applyto.graduateschool.vt.edu/register/?id=83089947-91fc-418f-ad2e-3b764d4bece3 . Please help us spread the word about orientation as well as our new student events, found here: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/student-life/events.html. This list will continue to be updated over the next few weeks. If you have questions, please email Lauren Surface at lkeister@vt.edu.
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
- Late Arrival Arrangements for International Students
International students who are unable to arrive in the US by August 15 (the start date listed on all students I-20 immigration documents), should contact Cranwell International Center to request updated immigration documents. The latest new international students may arrive in the US to begin studies for fall 2022 is August 26*. After this date, students will need to defer their admission to spring 2023 or fall 2023. *Exception: Iranian students. For questions, please contact Cranwell International Center at international@vt.edu or 1- 6527.
*******Please note that students may not begin working on assistantship duties while outside the United States.
Policy Updates
Administrative Announcements
- Professional Development Resources for Graduate Students (Brief Survey)
Virginia Tech was recently admitted to a national network aiming to maximize professional development opportunities for graduate students. As part of this national network, one of our goals is to complete an environmental scan of existing programs at Virginia Tech. Please fill out this survey to help us out: https://bit.ly/VTGradResources. If you know of others who could also add valuable insight, please feel free to share this survey with them. If you have questions, please email shernita@vt.edu .
- Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) at Departmental Orientations
GPSS would love to have representatives at your departmental orientation to talk to new students about what GPSS does, the programs they offer, and upcoming events. The ideal person to speak at the orientation would be the department’s GPSS senator. If you do not know who your senator is, please email gpss@vt.edu with the subject “Request for Department Senator Contact.” GPSS will either connect you with your department’s senator or if your department does not have a senator then a GPSS executive board member will speak at the orientation. All questions should go to gpss@vt.edu.
- Graduate School Forms and Website Updated
This summer we have reviewed and updated all of our paper-based and pdf forms, introducing a new design, streamlining content, and providing a single form-submission portal (http://tiny.cc/VTgradforms) for all forms. All pdf forms are now in fillable format allowing electronic signatures. The redesigned forms website at (https://graduateschool.vt.edu/forms.html) provides an easier-to-navigate structure for all of the forms, as well as short descriptions of the function of each form. Students and graduate programs are asked to delete all previously used bookmarks to old versions of Graduate School forms and start using the new forms effective immediately. Feedback and recommendations for corrections on any of the forms may be submitted online (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfsxSNrC4b2yXKd3IcaQBmEMzgRtr9_yy53OraqdReptPrsxg/viewform?usp=sf_link).
- Update: University’s Requirement of “Diversity: Inclusion in the Modern Workplace Module”
Graduate and professional students are NO longer required to complete the “Diversity: Inclusion in the Modern Workplace module” which was managed by the Office of Inclusion and Diversity. Since the inclusion and diversity requirement is in place and in full implementation stage, all graduate and professional students will receive the appropriate training as outlined in the policy and approved departmental plans. More information to follow. If you have questions, email shernita@vt.edu.
- Immigration Check-In
New international students need to complete the Pre-Arrival Immigration Orientation on Canvas and submit the Immigration Check-In e-form through Intl Hokies (online immigration services portal for international students). In person check-in is not required. If students have an assistantship, they will also need to submit the Social Security Number Letter Request e-form through Intl Hokies. Questions, please contact Cranwell International Center at international@vt.edu or 1- 6527.