IN THIS BULLETIN:
Did You Know?
Did you know the Graduate School has published its Academic Plan for fall 2020?
Did you know the Graduate Academy for Teaching Excellence has developed recommendations to support GTAs? You can find them here: http://vtgrate.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Guidelines-for-supporting-Graduate-Teaching-Assistants_Final.pdf
Did you know we have virtual tours on our Visit Us page? Share the link with prospective students. https://graduateschool.vt.edu/admissions/visit-us.html
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
1. Hokie Mentorship Connect: Digital Networking
2. Graduate Assistant Employee Zoom Session
3. Diversity: Inclusion for the Modern Workplace Student Requirement
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
August 18: GTA Workshop
Policy Updates
1. New Procedures for Requesting Reduced Comprehensive Fees
2. New Version of the Plan of Study Change Form
3. International Student Advisor Assignments
4. Inclusion and Diversity Requirement for Graduate Students: Reminder to Develop Plans
Administrative Announcements
1. Message from Karen DePauw to All Graduate Students at All Campus Locations
2. Controller’s Office Guidance Regarding Teleworking from Outside of Virginia
3. Invitation to Submit Department Recruitment Fair Information
4. Graduate School Visit Us Page is Live!
5. Immigration Check-In Online for New International Students
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
1. Hokie Mentorship Connect: Digital Networking
The Graduate School invites you to join: Jigsaw Connect! Join us on Thursday, August 20th at 11am ET featuring Joy Capers, Assistant Director, Mentorship Program, Career and Professional Development. Register at https://virginiatech.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMrf-2spzoqHNC5eGwvwzVCFVI9PP9LGQIA and feel free to invite others in your unit who may find this information useful. For more information, please email shernita@vt.edu.
2. Graduate Assistant Employee Zoom Sessions
On Friday, August 21 from 3:00 – 4:00 pm, HR will be hosting an employee zoom session for students with assistantships to discuss the upcoming semester and address any concerns. Zoom details are still pending – look for them on VT Daily and please encourage GTAs, GRAs, and GAs to save this time on their schedule.
3. Diversity: Inclusion for the Modern Workplace Student Requirement
Diversity and Inclusion in the Modern Workplace module is required for all new graduate and professional students (it replaced DiversityEdu). More info is found at https://students.vt.edu/onlineprograms.html. Students will receive the link directly and should complete the 45-min module by October to avoid a hold on their account. The focus of the course is identifying how to create a more respectful and inclusive workplace. Topics include identity definitions, identity conflicts, being an ally, invisible disabilities, power and inequality, political correctness, language diversity, intersectionality, stereotypes, and more. If you are interested in additional questions or activities to engage students in deeper conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice, please contact Alicia Cohen at acohen@vt.edu.
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
August 18: GTA Workshop
The synchronous portion of the Fall 2020 GTA workshop will begin at 8:55 on Tuesday, August 18. Students can access the workshop via Canvas, which will also alert them to additional, asynchronous sessions and allow access to all session recordings. More details and a schedule for the live session are available here: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/gta-workshop/Message2attendees_fall2020.pdf
Policy Updates
1. New Procedures for Requesting Reduced Comprehensive Fees
In recognition of students living and studying away from the Blacksburg campus, comprehensive fees may be reduced for students enrolled in an all virtual schedule or who have only research hours/ independent study not located on campus. Students must certify that they will reside more than 50 miles from the Blacksburg campus for the entire semester. More information can be found on the Bursar website. The request form must be submitted by the last day to add courses each semester, which is Aug 28 this fall.
2. New Version of the Plan of Study Change Form
The Graduate School has updated the Plan of Study Change form. Please use this new form for change requests. https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/GAAPforms/plan-of-study-change-fillable-072920.pdf
3. International Student Advisor Assignments
Effective August 24, 2020, Cranwell International Center will assign international student services and immigration casework based on a portfolio model. Each International Student Advisor will provide a full range of immigration and support services for both undergraduate and graduate international students within an assigned portfolio of colleges/schools/departments, while also serving as the primary liaison to faculty, staff, and administrators in the assigned colleges/schools/departments.
You can find out who your assigned International Student Advisor is by going to https://international.vt.edu/immigration_services.html and searching for your college/school/department (NOTE: Undergraduate University Studies majors are considered “Interdisciplinary”).
For more details and context, you may also review the related memorandum at https://international.vt.edu/content/dam/international_vt_edu/memos-2020/Portfolio%20Assignments%20Memo.pdf.
4. Inclusion and Diversity Requirement for Graduate Students: Reminder to Develop Plans
The Commission on Graduate Studies and Policy approved a new requirement for students pursuing graduate degrees at Virginia Tech: an inclusion and diversity education component as part of their studies. This requirement aligns with the Graduate School’s goal of providing all students with an affirming, inclusive, and diverse education program that helps prepare them for the challenges they will meet in their post-graduation careers. Each program, department, or college may develop its own plan for meeting the requirement, and all plans must be approved by the Graduate School after submission by the unit’s Graduate Program Director or its equivalent. For more information about the requirement, including whom to contact for assistance and questions, please visit the Graduate School’s Inclusion and Diversity Requirement webpage at: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/faculty-and-staff-resources/inclusion-diversity-requirement.htmlor email shernita@vt.edu.
Administrative Announcements
1. Message from Karen DePauw to All Graduate Students at All Campus Locations
An email message was sent to all graduate students on Friday, Aug 14 regarding the principles that guide our decision-making and resources available to graduate students. Review the message at https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/grad-student-life/Dean_message_Fall2020.pdf.
2. Controller’s Office Guidance Regarding Teleworking from Outside of Virginia
The Controller’s Office issued guidance about restrictions on teleworking from outside of Virginia, including from outside the United States. The guidance addresses the hiring of U.S. citizen and foreign national employees as well as students, and the monetary implications for hiring departments.
3. Invitation to Submit Department Recruitment Fair Information
The Office of Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion (ORD), along with your departments, are preparing for recruitment. We are collecting information about departments upcoming recruitment events on behalf of Virginia Tech. We appreciate your response to our Department Recruitment Fair Submission form at https://bit.ly/VTGradDeptRecruitmentForm. The information collected will be shared through our website, https://graduateschool.vt.edu so that prospective students, faculty, and staff will know where members of the VT community will be traveling to talk more about graduate education. For more information about recruitment, please visit https://graduateschool.vt.edu/recruitment.html.
4. Graduate School Visit Us Page is Live!
Thank you all for your patience as we worked to capture and organize virtual components to accommodate prospective students. If you visit https://graduateschool.vt.edu/admissions/visit-us.html, you will find a virtual tour and other virtual resources to explore the GLC and Blacksburg campus, along with a link for prospective students to meet with the Office of Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion and get individualized info- irrespective of the campus. If you have any questions, please email Shernita Lee at shernita@vt.edu
5. Immigration Check-In Online for New International Students
New international students must check-in with the Cranwell International Center for immigration purposes after they arrive in the US and secure permanent housing in Blacksburg. This process is completed online. There is no need for students to visit the Cranwell International Center in person. Due to the COVID pandemic, Cranwell International Center is not receiving walk-ins in the office except in emergency situations. All immigration advising, casework, and related services are available via various online platforms. Once students complete the online check-in, their immigration information will be reviewed and approved by an International Student Advisor. Students who have secured an on-campus position (assistantship or wage) may then apply for a Social Security number. Additional information about the check-in process is available at https://international.vt.edu/immigration_services/graduate-student-immigration-services/new-student-guide/mandatory-check-in.html. Students may register for classes, get their Hokie Passport, and take care of other items even before they complete the online check-in.