Author: chameleo

The Graduate School student services and advising area (120 GLC) will undergo some changes on Tuesday, Sep 18, requiring that we close the service area to walk-in traffic. We ask all students to try to avoid visiting the Graduate School on this day unless they need urgent in-person assistance. Email and phone services will be uninterrupted and accommodations will be made to see students in the Graduate School lobby as needed. Please stop by to see us after Tuesday to see our new, more student-friendly layout!

I’m pleased to announce the launch of the Electronic Signature Approval system for final examinations and Electronic Thesis/Dissertations. This system allows for the scheduling of final examinations, signing of the final examination card and upload of the ETD using the VT PID and password.  Now that we have achieved the goal of a "secure" electronic signature and "secure" process, the Graduate School will be moving toward greater use of electronic processes.

Effective Monday, September 17, 2012, all final non-thesis and thesis/dissertation oral examinations must be scheduled through this Electronic Signature Approval system. Students will sign into the Electronic Signature Approval system to request their final examination and upload their ETD (if a thesis/dissertation student). Advisory committee members will sign into the Electronic Signature Approval system to approve the final examination request as well as electronically sign the examination card (notification sent to the @vt.edu email address).

Students who have already requested the scheduling of their final examination using the paper form will not need to resubmit through the Electronic Signature Approval system. Final examinations for students on Defending Student Status will still be requested using the paper form. Preliminary examinations will still be requested using the paper form.

As you are aware, the final examination request must be submitted at least 2 weeks prior to the examination date and the Electronic Signature System (ESS) was set up accordingly.  The ESS does not allow a student to request an exam date less than two weeks from the examination request submission date.  It is important that students plan in advance with their advisory committee to ensure that all advisory committee members can attend the examination for the date/time requested.  If any member of the advisory committee does not approve the final examination request the student will need resubmit with a new date/time.  Requesting a room in the examination request does not reserve the room; students must reserve the room through the building room coordinator.

Once an examination request is approved by the advisory committee and the Graduate School, an email confirmation will be sent to the student, advisory committee and department staff coordinator with notification of the official examination scheduling. An examination should not be held without receipt of the notification email from the Graduate School. Please contact the Graduate School before the examination if you have not received a scheduling notification email.

The Electronic Signature Approval system can be accessed online at https://gradexam.stl.vt.edu/pages/login.php <blocked::https://gradexam.stl.vt.edu/pages/login.php> .

An Electronic Signature Approval system guide can be found online at https://secure.graduateschool.vt.edu/GSITWiki/Wiki.jsp?page=UniversityTools <blocked::https://secure.graduateschool.vt.edu/GSITWiki/Wiki.jsp?page=UniversityTools> .

Questions regarding the use of the Electronic Signature Approval system should be directed to Graduate Admissions and Academic Progress (540-231-8636; gradappl@vt.edu).

Karen P. DePauw, Ph.D.
Vice President and Dean for Graduate Education Virginia Tech Graduate Life Center 235 Blacksburg, VA 24061
540.231.7581 (phone)
540.231.1670 (fax)
http://www.graduateschool.vt.edu/ <blocked::http://www.graduateschool.vt.edu/>

https://blogs.lt.vt.edu/kpdtge/ <blocked::https://blogs.lt.vt.edu/kpdtge/>
https://blogs.lt.vt.edu/globalperspectives/ <blocked::https://blogs.lt.vt.edu/globalperspectives/>

 
P.E.O. is announcing the highly competitive $15,000 P.E.O. Scholar Award program for women doctoral students for 2013/2014 academic year.   P.E.O. is a philanthropic educational organization (www.peointernational.org), which provides financial aid for the education of women.  The three Blacksburg P.E.O. Chapters coordinate efforts to identify and nominate up to three candidates. Successful chapter nominees will be asked to submit more detailed award application materials by P.E.O. International in early winter and will have 45 days to complete their applications. Award recipients will be announced by May 1, 2013.
 
Eligibility:
A woman is eligible for nomination by a local P.E.O. chapter if she:
·         is a citizen of the U.S. or Canada at the time of her nomination;
·         will complete her doctoral degree between April 2014 and August 2015
·         doctorial students in a “Medical Scholars Program” pursuing both an M.D. and a Ph.D. are also eligible;
·         is enrolled in her program at an accredited college or university. She can be part-time at the time of nomination, but must be a full-time student during the year of the award.
A woman is not eligible for Scholar Awards support for a:
·         master’s degree
·         certificate program
·         residency, fellowship, specialization, postdoctoral research position, etc.
A woman is not eligible for a Scholar Award if she will be employed full-time during the year of her award.
The applications of individuals who satisfy these eligibility criteria will be evaluated on a nondiscriminatory basis without consideration of race, age, national origin, religious affiliation, disability or P.E.O. connection.
 
Local Nomination Application Components:
One to two page single-spaced cover letter highlighting current work and career goals
Resume
Unofficial transcripts
One letter of reference
 
Application Deadline: September 30, 2012.
Mail or email complete applications to:
Rebecca Caldwell
345 Woods Lane
Newport, VA 24128
rebec.caldwell@gmail.com
 
Faculty are requested to identify outstanding eligible women doctoral students and encourage them to apply for the award. The Awards are extremely competitive but Virginia Tech has had over 20 awardees since 2000. For additional information on the P.E.O. Scholar Award, see: http://www.peointernational.org/peo-projectsphilanthropies or contact Rebecca Caldwell at rebec.caldwell@gmail.com or 540-544-4444.
 
 

Orientation Programs:
New graduate student orientation hosted by the Graduate School will be in the auditorium in the Graduate Life Center (GLC) on Friday, August 24, 9:00-11:00. Morning refreshments will be served 8:30-9:00 in the Multipurpose Room.

We also provide a variety of information sessions and activities to help new students get started in their graduate career, including an information fair in the GLC between August 20-24. The fair features more than 50 campus and community organizations and services. 

Detailed information about the orientation and Welcome Week activities>>

Getting Started as a Student:
An online guide is also available for new students to help them get started. The guide includes information and links to a variety of campus services, including student ID cards, class schedule and registration, tuition payment, policies, financial resources, health and wellness, campus life and more. Visit the online guide>> .

If you have any questions or concerns about getting started at Virginia Tech, please contact us by phone at 540.231.9561 or by email.

Effective: August 27, 2012

In order to better serve graduate students and academic units, the Graduate School is assigning a Graduate Admissions and Academic Progress (GAAP) Advisor to each College. The GAAP Advisor will serve as a liaison between the Graduate School and academic units and will work directly with students, faculty, graduate program directors and graduate coordinators in relation to graduate student advising and paperwork completion. The GAAP Advisor is not a replacement to the faculty advisor or graduate coordinator, rather the GAAP Advisor is a primary point of contact in the Graduate School who can provide immediate assistance to students and academic units. Should the primary GAAP advisor assigned to a student or academic unit be unavailable at any time, another GAAP Advisor will be able to provide immediate assistance.

The Graduate Admissions and Academic Progress Advisors are:

Holly Cromer (hcromer@vt.edu, 540-231-8636)
    Graduate Applications – all academic units

Gwen Ewing (ewinggf@vt.edu, 540-231-8636)
    Pamplin College of Business
    College of Engineering – Master degree students
    Interdisciplinary Degrees

Debbie Payne (payned@nvc.vt.edu; 703-538-8327)
    National Capital Region – all academic units

Danielle Tillilie (dmtill@nvc.vt.edu; 703-538-8327)
    National Capital Region – all academic units

Jodi Vandervort (jodilynn@vt.edu, 540-231-8636)
    College of Architecture and Urban Studies
    College of Science
    Graduate Studies (Commonwealth Campus, Non-degree, Certificates)

Nicholas Vaught (nvaught2@vt.edu, 540-231-8636)
    College of Liberal Arts & Human Sciences
    College of Natural Resources & Environments
    VA/MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine

Priscilla Wright (pkwright@vt.edu, 540-231-8636)
    College of Engineering – Doctoral degree students
    College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

We look forward to a great upcoming academic year working with all of you!

The Graduate School announces a call for nominations for the William Preston society Master’s Thesis Awards. Three awards will be selected, one from each of the following categories:

·         Math, Physical Sciences and Engineering

·         Humanities and Fine Arts

·         Innovation Application of Technology to Scholarship

Eligible students will have completed their master’s thesis in Summer 2011, Fall 2011 or Spring 2012. Winners will be recognized at the William Preston Society Annual Meeting in September 2012 and be submitted as a nominee for the awards selected by the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools.

For complete information about eligibility and nomination process, please see this link: graduateschool.vt.edu/academics/honors_awards/graduate_awards/index.html#preston

The deadline for submission of nominations is Friday August 10, 2012 at 5 pm.

Starting Monday, May 14, the Graduate School’s Blacksburg offices in the GLC will operate with summer hours, opening at 9:00am each day and closing at 4:00pm. The summer schedule will be in effect through Friday, July 27. Regular business hours (8-5) will resume on July 30. When the Graduate School is open but the GLC is closed, visitors may access Graduate School offices through the entrance door facing Squires Student Center.

The Graduate Life Center remains accessible 24/7 to all graduate students with a valid Hokie Passport.

The Graduate Honor System is searching for a new chief justice. Applicants must be graduate students in good standing, having been in residence for at least one semester, and be able to serve as Chief Justice for at least one year while enrolled full-time in Blacksburg. Application deadline: May 25. Submit a statement of purpose and a resume to gibsonm@vt.edu. The Chief Justice is selected by a committee and ratified by the GSA and CGSP before final appointment by the president of the university.

The Graduate Honor System invites all faculty and student panelists and anyone in the campus community with an interest in the GHS to an end-of-year breakfast and info session on Wednesday, May 9, 9:00-10:30, GLC Student Org suite across from ABP. Those interested in attending are asked to register here.