GRADUATE SCHOOL BULLETIN
A publication of the Graduate School for Graduate Program Directors and Coordinators
The Graduate School communicates through semi-monthly postings distributed on the Graduate Program Directors and Coordinators listservs. Postings are distributed on the 1st and the 16th of the month and are posted to a blog for public viewing here: https://webapps.graduateschool.vt.edu/monthlymemo/
June 16, 2023
IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
- Half-time GTA Opening for GTA Workshop
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
Policy Updates
- 2023-24 Compensation for Graduate Assistantships
Administrative Announcements
- Annual Review of Online Application Supplemental Forms
- Graduate School Summer Walk-in Hours
- Annual Progress Report for Graduate Students
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
- Half-time GTA Opening for GTA Workshop
GTA Position for GRAD 5004, GTA Workshop
GTA Workshop is in need of a half-time GTA for the 2023-2024 academic year. The successful candidate will work with a full-time GTA and with Dr. Edgar to manage the course, including scheduling sessions, taking attendance at sessions, helping with advance planning, and grading. Previous GTA experience and completion of GRAD 5004 are essential. Please contact Dr. Edgar (kjedgar@vt.edu) with an up-to-date CV by June 30 if you have interest.
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
Policy Updates
- 2023-24 Compensation for Graduate Assistantships
The Board of Visitors has approved the graduate compensation package for 2023-24, implementing a 5% stipend increase effective August 10th. To recognize the significant efforts of graduate assistants in an increasingly competitive market, the University has increased the minimum monthly stipend for a full-time appointment to $2,420 (step 12 after the 5% stipend increase). Steps 1-11 should only be used when supplemented by a fellowship or scholarship with a combined total monthly support equaling or exceeding the minimum stipend rate of $2,420. If contracts for 2023-24 were issued with the previous year’s rates, it is not necessary to issue a new contract provided that returning students’ stipend rates are adjusted to include the approved increase of 5%. The new rate can be communicated with the student and the changes made in Banner. For new students, as long as the department is comfortable with the step and it meets the minimum requirement, no change is needed. However, if the previous contract was within steps 1-11, a new contract should be issued to update the stipend level to at least the new minimum of step 12.
Administrative Announcements
- Annual Review of Online Application Supplemental Forms
An annual review of our online application supplemental forms for changes, updates, and improvements is important to help ensure that your program’s information is being accurately reflected in the online version of the Virginia Tech Graduate School application. To review your departmental program information page and supplemental page (questions specific to your program), please first log into Slate using your VT credentials for the login. Once in Slate, navigate to the 2023 Application Review folder. From this location you can use the “Search Forms…” option located on the upper right-hand side of the page to find forms specific to your program(s). To view a form, first click on the line item to open a landing page and then select “Edit Form” on the upper right-hand side to access the form contents. For the purposes of this audit, do not comment on the deadlines as they exist on your Program Information page. Deadlines are managed through the Program Maintenance Form and are not the focus of this review. Carefully review the language and links and provide feedback following the instructions below.
Any changes to your department supplemental should be submitted through the Slate Assistance Request Form and selecting the Annual Supplemental Review assistance item. You may choose to free text comment in the form, pdf print the supplemental pages, and make notes via “sticky note” (Ctrl + 6) and “Highlight” or “Cross-out” text (Tools > Comment & Markup > Highlight Text / Cross-Out Text) features using Adobe, or you may print off the pages and with clear/neat handwriting print your changes, then scan to pdf and upload in the form. The review and confirmation of the application supplemental needs to be completed no later than Friday, July 7, 2023. Questions should be directed to Janice Austin at jema@vt.edu.
- Graduate School Summer Walk-in Hours
The Graduate School’s Support Hub of Inclusive Practices (SHIP/120 GLC) will be operating on summer hours from June 1-July 31. Walk-in hours will be held on Mondays and Thursdays, 9 am-4 pm. Staff will still be available by phone or email from 9 am-4 pm on days that SHIP is closed: grads@vt.edu/231-8636.
- Annual Progress Report for Graduate Students
Graduate education policy requires that all graduate students have an Annual Review of Progress at least once a year by their Advisory Committees. Students who do not yet have a Plan of Study or an Advisory Committee should be reviewed by the Graduate Program Director or a departmental Graduate Committee (see Graduate Catalog-Satisfactory Progress Toward a Graduate Degree). We are working on establishing some standards, a timeline, and a convenient submission method for this review process and will seek departmental input in the fall. In the meantime, please upload your completed annual evaluations in our form submission portal at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjrNXTmzLlagnZBctWkEAmYA8b7aRmmRlJmAp1l70G6Bo2SQ/viewform selecting the “Annual Evaluation/Progress to Degree” form type. Your annual progress review provides important guidance to our graduate students and we appreciate your efforts to this end.