IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
1. Graduate Honor System Seeking Faculty Panelists
2. Webinar: Recruitment Strategies to Address Today’s Challenges
3. Diversity Scholars Information Sessions
4. Co-Authorship with Graduate Students: A Workshop for Faculty
5. From Admit to Arrival: The Immigration Process for Graduate International Students
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
1. Graduate School Funded Fellowship Nominations-Spring 2024
Policy Updates
Administrative Announcements
1. Survey on VT Shared Governance System
2. Cranwell Staffing Announcement
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
- Graduate Honor System Seeking Faculty Panelists
Tuesday, October 24, 12:00-1:00 p.m., in GLC Room D; lunch provided
The Graduate Honor System relies on trained faculty and graduate students to review academic integrity violation cases. It takes a one-hour training to become a panelist, after which you can serve on preliminary review and review panels. Become a panelist to help review cases and actively contribute to the ongoing conversation about standards of academic integrity in graduate education. Please indicate your interest in attending either of the upcoming trainings by completing this short registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfm0Y93Xd-yaShDS-fc62wjuoAjDTVC47kbs8WHw2FYfh7jMQ/viewform.
- Webinar: Recruitment Strategies to Address Today’s Challenges
The Graduate School has partnered with ETS to provide a webinar to our graduate programs on prospective student recruitment strategies. In this session, you’ll get information about the current state of graduate enrollment in the U.S. and some predictions for the year ahead. You’ll also learn about recruitment strategies and tools that have worked for our experts in their own experiences in academia. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, October 25th at 2:00 p.m. EST at https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/81017030720.
- Diversity Scholars Information Sessions
Virtual info sessions will be held on Monday, October 30th 2 p.m.-3 p.m. and Tuesday, October 31st noon-1 p.m. Diversity Scholars propose, design, and implement projects that enhance the quality of life at Virginia Tech. They are graduate students who specialize in and advocate for the awareness, knowledge, and skills associated with diversity and inclusion in the Graduate School and greater community. These projects can take many forms and can be specific to a particular curriculum or department, or it can be more global. To learn more about the program and the application process, please register for one of our virtual information sessions: https://virginiatech.questionpro.com/DiversityScholarsInfoSession2023. For additional information, email the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Strategic Partnerships at DISP@vt.edu.
- Co-Authorship with Graduate Students: A Workshop for Faculty
When: Thursday, November 2, 2023 (9:30-11:30 a.m.)
Where: The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center, Solitude Room
Co-authorship with graduate students is important and rewarding work. We want our graduate students to learn to write and publish. We know that they need strong writing skills in order to complete their degrees and thrive in their careers. And, our own research programs may rely on our students’ successful completion of their papers, theses, and dissertations.
At the same time, co-authorship can be time-consuming and often overwhelming. For many of us, it seems like no one really taught us how to do it well, so we act out of habit or replicate how we were taught. We also wonder if there’s a better way.
In this workshop, we’ll discuss strategies for managing your time, giving feedback that students will actually use, and teaching co-authorship as an essential professional skill.
All Virginia Tech instructional faculty (tenured or tenure-track, collegiate, continued appointment or continued appointment track, research, extension, clinical, instructors, adjuncts) are invited to participate.
Applications will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. Once the workshop is full, a waitlist will be in effect to fill additional spots.
Questions? Contact Monique Dufour at msdufour@vt.edu
Registration link: https://forms.gle/izYJooEThp2igJJ48
- From Admit to Arrival: The Immigration Process for Graduate International Students
October 30, 2023 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Zoom Register
During this Zoom workshop for VT faculty and staff, representatives from Cranwell International Center will go over the process for newly admitted international graduate students to receive their immigration document from Cranwell International Center (including financial documentation needed), apply for a visa, and items students need to complete upon arrival to the U.S.
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
- Graduate School Funded Fellowship Nominations-Spring 2024
The Graduate School is now accepting nominations for the following two fellowships for the Spring semester:
*David & Lillian Francis Research Fellowship- includes $12,000 stipend and in-state tuition *Joseph Frank Hunkler Memorial Fellowship- $17,500 stipend
Requirements for these fellowships can be found on the Graduate School website, https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/funding-sponsored-by-the-graduate-school.html. Nominations should be submitted by the department through the google form by Nov 15, 2023, https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScQQ9jxOnAtBwIkVqz5ukyjtdKp65aFstK0JV01g2GWIH6v_Q/viewform.
Policy Updates
Administrative Announcements
- Survey on VT Shared Governance System
The University Council Cabinet would appreciate your feedback through our online survey about Virginia Tech’s shared governance system. Your input will be used to help gauge how informed the university community is about what is happening in the governance system and whether our students, faculty, and staff feel they know how to become involved in one of the shared governance bodies or to make their voices heard by communicating ideas or concerns to the appropriate office or governance body. All responses will remain confidential and secure. Survey results will be reported to the cabinet in the aggregate without any personally identifying information. We have contracted with QuestionPro, an independent research firm, to field your confidential survey responses. Please click on this link to complete the survey: https://virginiatech.questionpro.com/t/AXO8nZxoYb by October 16. Thank you in advance for your valuable insights.
- Cranwell Staffing Announcement
Lauren Oliver will serve as the interim Director for the Cranwell International Center. Lauren holds a master’s degree in Higher Education & Student Development from Taylor University and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Gordon College; she currently serves as the Associate Director of Living-Learning Programs where she has helped lead that department to become one of the top 20 living learning programs in the country (U.S. News & World Report, 2021, 2022, 2023). Lauren will serve in this role while we continue our national search for the next permanent director. The Cranwell Director search is being led by Spelman Johnson Executive Search firm.
Vivian Yamoah current Associate Director for International Student Services will be leaving Cranwell International Center. She will be joining Georgetown University as their Associate Director, International Student Services. Her last day in the office October 31st.
Danielle Davis has been promoted to the Associate Director for International Student Services in the Cranwell International Center. Danielle holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Southern Connecticut State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of South Florida. Prior to serving as the Assistant Director for International Student Services (Blacksburg) here at Virginia Tech, she worked in international student services at Radford University and Hollins University.