GRADUATE SCHOOL BULLETIN
A publication of the Graduate School for Graduate Program Directors and Coordinators
Postings are distributed on the Graduate Program Directors and Coordinators listservs on the 1st and the 16th of the month and are also available in a blog for public viewing here: https://monthlymemo.graduateschool.vt.edu/
September 2, 2025
IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
1. Training Opportunity on Net Natives, a Digital Advertising Platform for Graduate Enrollment Marketing
2. Implementation Plan for PATH, the New Course Registration System
3. New GPD/GC Orientation Sessions
4. Information Sessions for International Graduate Student Supervisors, Program Directors, Coordinators, and Advisors
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
None at this time.
Policy Updates
None at this time.
Administrative Announcements
5. Process for Graduate Catalog Correction Requests
6. Update on M365 Storage for Graduate Students
7. New Cybersecurity Training Requirement for Student Employees
Announcements for Distribution to Students
8. Community of Practice for GTA Instructors of Record
9. Graduate Student Resource Fair
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
_____________________________________________
1. Training Opportunity on Net Natives, a Digital Advertising Platform for Graduate Enrollment Marketing
Thursday, September 4, 11:00am-12:00pm, Cascades Room at The Inn
As part of Hokie Brand Camp, a breakout session will be offered on the use of Net Natives in graduate enrollment marketing as part of the Enrollment Management strategy for PGP degrees. Net Natives — the university’s new agency of record for digital advertising — will share enrollment marketing and advertising best practices designed specifically for colleges and universities navigating an age of AI, shifting student expectations, and fierce digital competition. Detailed information about the event and registration are available at https://brand.vt.edu/resources/brand-camp.html. Please share with your colleagues who may benefit from this learning opportunity.
2. Implementation Plan for PATH, the New Course Registration System
The University is launching a new course registration system, PATH, on October 8, 2025. Join the Office of the University Registrar and Academic Advising Initiatives to learn how students will use PATH to submit Course Requests and Add/Drop courses during the registration period.
Please register at least 24 hours in advance to receive your Zoom link. The remaining sessions will be held:
- September 4, 9:00-10:00am
- September 5, 3:00-4:00pm
Link for registration: click here
3. New GPD/GC Orientation Sessions
Thursday, Sep 11, 2:00-3:00pm
Join members of the Grad School team and fellow GPDs and graduate coordinators to receive an introduction to a variety of resources available to you in your new role and review the various tasks that may be expected of you. Discussion topics will include a review of faculty/staff resources; GPD role and faculty management; data-informed decision-making, and an open forum for discussion. Two virtual sessions will be offered to accommodate different schedules. Please complete this form to register to attend: click here
4. Information Sessions for International Graduate Student Supervisors, Program Directors, Coordinators, and Advisors
Join us for an informative session designed for faculty, staff, and graduate program directors focused on effectively supporting our international graduate students. This session will cover essential federal requirements, institutional policies, and procedures that impact international students, along with culturally aware mentoring strategies to foster a supportive academic environment. Learn about the resources available on campus to help international students succeed both academically and personally. Hear from representatives from Cranwell International Center, the Graduate School, and individual international students who will provide information and answer questions. Whether you’re new to working with international students or looking to enhance your current practices, this session will provide valuable insights and practical tools.
September 10th 9:00am-11:00am https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/82071296794 (no registration required).
Please join us for a follow-up conversation over breakfast at the Inn on September 15th from 8:30am-10:00am. Connect with colleagues from Cranwell International Center, the Graduate School, and academic units across campus to further discuss these topics, ask questions, and share resources.
Registration required: https://forms.office.com/r/3AzgyGVcfZ
Administrative Announcements
____________________________________________
5. Process for Graduate Catalog Correction Requests
To allow us to properly track the reason for any catalog updates, especially after the update-submission deadline, catalog content corrections should be requested by completing the Graduate Catalog 2025-26 Program Updates and Entries questionnaire at https://gs.vt.edu/2025catalog. Graduate program directors and certificate program leaders (or their designees) may review their catalog entries at https://catalog.vt.edu/graduate/
Although it’s preferred that all update requests about a program are submitted in a single survey entry, the form can be completed multiple times as needed, if you discover new corrections or if GPD name/contact or program URL change. If you have any questions about corrections to your catalog entries, please email Monika Gibson, gibsonm@vt.edu or Bill Huckle, wrhuckle@vt.edu
6. Update on M365 Storage for Graduate Students
The Division of IT (DoIT) has been engaged with graduate students via the Graduate and Professional Student Senate and the Graduate School to identify a way to improve cloud storage availability in the M365 service (e.g.: OneDrive). A path to increase storage for graduate students has been identified and the DoIT is hoping to implement the increase on August 29, 2025. That increase will be from 10G to 50G of storage, which is in line with employee storage allocations. Look for announcements in the VT Daily News Email.
For shared work, graduate students are encouraged to work with their faculty to identify/create departmental shared resources, such as Microsoft Teams, to house and maintain their data. This would also ease the transition of data over time, which is a common need for research data.
7. New Cybersecurity Training Requirement for Student Employees
We are sharing this information from the IT Security Office Team to increase your awareness and ask that you help ensure that your graduate student employees (whether on assistantship or wage) complete the required training. You can review the full announcement at https://news.vt.edu/notices/2025/08/it-cybersecurity-training-student-employees.html. The student training-compliance dashboard shows whether your student employees have completed their required cybersecurity training: https://metrics.iso.vt.edu/studentSecurityTraining. Current FERPA training is required to access the student dashboard. Please contact the IT Security Office at itso@vt.edu with questions about the training, dashboard functionality, or dashboard request link.
Announcements for Distribution to Students
The notice(s) in this section have been shared with graduate students through the Graduate School’s channels, but we ask that you consider sharing it with individual students or student groups as you see fit.
____________________________________________
8. Community of Practice for GTA Instructors of Record
The Graduate School and the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning co-host a GTA Instructor of Record Community of Practice (CoP) to provide opportunities for GTA-IORs to connect and learn from guest speakers and/or each other while discussing best practices, opportunities, and challenges related to effective teaching as a GTA instructor of record. Being an official IOR is not a prerequisite for joining. Please share this opportunity with your advanced GTAs who may benefit from it. Interested students may register at: click here
9. Graduate Student Resource Fair
Drop in to the Fall Graduate Student Resource Fair on Sept. 11th, 3-5pm, in the GLC Multipurpose Room! More than 25 VT organizations will be sharing resources for graduate students. Pizza will be provided by Cranwell International Center and cookies and coffee provided by the Graduate School. Also, come play Bingo to win one of many raffle prizes! Link to the flyer: (click here)
This event is organized by the BOV Graduate and Professional Student Rep and the Graduate and Professional Student Senate.