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://monthlymemo.graduateschool.vt.edu/
August 1, 2024
IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
- New Graduate Student Orientation and Welcome Events
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
- GTA Workshop: Tuesday, Aug 20
- New Graduate Student Orientation: Friday, Aug 23
Policy Updates
None at this time.
Administrative Announcements
- Input Sought Regarding Assistantship Stipend Table
- Reminder about GTA Workshop Registration
- Annual Progress Report for Graduate Students
- Request for Samples of Annual Progress Report departmental form
- Performance Management for Graduate Assistants
- Addition to Available Application Fee Waivers
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Meetings, Workshops, & Events
1. New Graduate Student Orientation and Welcome Events
Friday, August 23 at 9:00am in the Graduate Life Center Auditorium
The Graduate School will host this general orientation for all new graduate students. Please encourage your new students to attend! More information about orientation can be found at https://graduateschool.vt.edu/admissions/orientation.html. The Graduate School is planning several events and activities for new students that will occur before and after the semester starts. Please help us spread the word! More info here: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/student-services/events.html
Administrative Announcements
- Input Sought Regarding Assistantship Stipend Table
Since 2004, standard assistantship compensation has included a 50-step stipend table that also defined the minimum and maximum allowable monthly stipend. Within the stipend table and the recently defined minimum of step 14, assistantship providers have maximum flexibility to choose the stipend amount they wish to pay. Based on recent questions by the BOV and data analysis by the Graduate School, we are evaluating the practice of using a 50-step stipend table and invite your input in this process. Please share your insights and recommendations by completing this short survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-6a54zj_Z15s0F1EBBA0PNN3YwbuJRaB7MjMr1kSJKryRFQ/viewform. If you have any questions, contact Monika Gibson, gibsonm@vt.edu. - Reminder about GTA Workshop Registration
As you know, new GTAs are required to register for GRAD 5004, GTA workshop, for the first available semester. Please remind your GTAs who have not yet completed this requirement to register for the course now. Students register for GRAD 5004 just as they would for any other class. There are two sections; one (86109) is for students on the Blacksburg campus, while the other (86110) is for students outside of Blacksburg. The course begins with the required half-day Phase I session at the Moss Arts Center, 8:00am-12:30pm, Tuesday, Aug 20. Contact Associate Dean Kevin Edgar at kjedgar@vt.edu with any questions. - 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 and our Annual Review Good Practices website at https://graduateschool.vt.edu/faculty-and-staff-resources/annual_review_good_practices.html). 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. - Request for Samples of Annual Progress Report departmental form
The Graduate School is collecting a copy of each department’s annual progress review form as we work to establish standards, a timeline, and a convenient submission method for this review process. Please send a blank copy (pdf, word, screenshot) of your department’s annual program review form to Janice Austin (jema@vt.edu) by Friday, September 16, 2024. Thank you for your help with this project! - Performance Management for Graduate Assistants
Graduate assistants (GAs, GTAs, and GRAs) perform valuable work in support of teaching, research, and administrative tasks around the university, and it is very important that they receive clear guidelines for and support in carrying out their duties. Assistantship supervisors are expected to define and clearly communicate duties and performance expectations to their graduate assistants and provide regular feedback, including a performance evaluation at least once a year, but preferably each semester. Guidelines for managing assistantship performance are available in the Assistantship Management Guide at https://sites.google.com/vt.edu/gradschoolresources/graduate-student-funding/performance-management (login with VT Google credentials is required for access), including simple templates for documenting expectations and evaluating performance. - Addition to Available Application Fee Waivers
The Graduate School is now able to offer fee waivers for applicants who have/will earn a degree from any HBCU from the accredited HBCU List (https://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/). For information on the Graduate School’s fee waiver process, please visit: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/admissions/tuition-and-costs/Application_Fees.html.