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 16, 2025
IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
1. Recording Available: International Graduate Student Journey Workshop
2. Doing Dissertation Research at Oak Ridge National Lab
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
None at this time.
Policy Updates
None at this time.
Administrative Announcements
3. Process for Graduate Catalog Correction Requests
Announcements for Distribution to Students
4. Writing Successful Student-Initiated Proposals Workshop
5. Graduate School Workshops
6. Community of Practice for GTA Instructors of Record
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
1. Recording Available: International Graduate Student Journey Workshop
On September 10th, the Graduate School and Cranwell co-hosted a session on the International Graduate Student Journey. The recording of the session and the slides will only be available for access until Friday, September 18th at 5:00pm, as details and current context are changing rapidly. You may view them here, in the last tab of the dropdown menu: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/faculty-and-staff-resources.html
2. Doing Dissertation Research at Oak Ridge National Lab
Thursday, September 25, 2:00-3:00pm, 310 Kelly Hall
Faculty and graduate students who are interested in carrying out research on the ORNL campus are invited to learn about the means by which graduate students can work toward their PhD at ORNL for months or years, including DOE-funded opportunities and ones that are supported by grants at VT and/or ORNL itself. Time will be allotted for Q&A and/or schedule appropriate follow up. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) near Knoxville, TN, is one of the world’s premier research centers, and Virginia Tech is a member of its Core Universities. ORNL’s mission includes biology and the environment; clean energy including fission and fusion; isotope production; basic physical sciences; national security in multiple contexts; neutron sciences; and supercomputing.
Administrative Announcements
3. 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 the GPD name/contact information or program URL changes. If you have any questions about corrections to your catalog entries, please email Monika Gibson, gibsonm@vt.edu or Bill Huckle, wrhuckle@vt.edu
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.
4. Writing Successful Student-Initiated Proposals Workshop
Monday, September 22, 10:00am-12:30pm, Graduate Life Center Multipurpose Room
Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are invited to a workshop designed to strengthen research proposal writing skills and prepare you to write student-initiated proposals for NSF GRFP, NIH, and several different humanities-oriented programs, as well as for other programs of your interest. This session is timed to support preparation for the upcoming GRFP deadlines (all in late October) and provide practical tools to enhance proposal success.
Lunch provided (bring your own bottle or beverage). The workshop will offer guidance on proposal development and breakout sessions, each of which addresses a specific type of proposal. Register here
5. Graduate School Workshops
The Graduate School invites your students to take part in these upcoming workshops:
- Academic Progress Session for Graduate Students – Practice your defense and receive feedback. September 19, September 25, October 6, October 22, November 11.Register here
- All-Day Writing Retreats – Structured and flexible sessions to support your writing. Wednesday, October 7, 9:00am-4:00pm. Register here
- Research Impact & Intelligence 2-Part Workshop – Learn how to make your research competitive and impactful. October 15, 3:00-5:00pm, November 13, 3:00-5:00pm. Register here
- Comprehensive, Qualifying, and Preliminary Exams Workshop – Information, preparation tips, and advice from students who have passed these milestones. October 16, 10:00-11:00am, November 21, 9:00-10:00am. Register here
6. Community of Practice for GTA Instructors of Record
Friday, October 10, 1:00–2:00pm, Zoom
Friday, November 14, 1:00–2:00pm, Zoom
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. Register here