Author: jhazelwood4

GRADUATE SCHOOL BULLETIN   

A publication of the Graduate School for Graduate Program Directors and Coordinators   

Postings are distributed to the Graduate Program Directors and Coordinators listservs on the 1st and the 16th of the month and are also available on our public blog: https://monthlymemo.graduateschool.vt.edu/   

October 1, 2025 

IN THIS BULLETIN:    

Meetings, Workshops, & Events   

1. GPD/GC Meeting on October 8th at 2:00pm 

Deadlines & Dates to Remember        

None at this time. 

Policy Updates   

None at this time. 

Administrative Announcements   

2. Graduate Alumni Achievement Award: Call for Nominations 

3. CSGS Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award: Call for Nominations 

4. CSGS Faculty Awards: Call for Nominations 

Announcements for Distribution to Students 

5. Graduate and Professional School Fair (GPSF) 

6. Graduate School Workshops 

7. Community of Practice for GTA Instructors of Record  

Meetings, Workshops, & Events 

1. GPD/GC Meeting

October 8, 2:00-3:00pm, Zoom

This is a reminder of the upcoming monthly Graduate Program Director and Graduate Coordinator meeting on Wednesday, October 8th at 2:00pm. If you are not currently included on the calendar invitation, please contact jhazelwood4@vt.edu to have this updated.  

Administrative Announcements 

2. Graduate Alumni Achievement Award: Call for Nominations 

The Graduate School is accepting nominations for the Graduate Alumni Achievement Award. This award recognizes outstanding national and/or international achievement and exemplary contributions by the winner to their profession, discipline, community, or society. Nominees must be engaged in efforts that enhance the reputation of Virginia Tech to a national and/or international audience. Only alumni who have obtained a graduate degree from Virginia Tech are eligible. The submission deadline is Friday, October 31, at 5:00pm. For more information on nomination requirements and to submit a nomination, visit: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/about/awards/alumni.html

3. CSGS Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award: Call for Nominations 

The Conference of Southern Graduate Schools (CSGS) is accepting nominations for Outstanding Master’s Thesis Awards, one each in the following categories: (1) Social Sciences, Business and Education; (2) Life Sciences; and (3) Non-traditional Thesis/Project Award. Consider nominating your students who were considered for our Graduate Education Week outstanding thesis awards if they also meet CSGS nomination criteria. Nomination deadline: November 3, 2025. For more information about eligibility, nomination materials, selection process, and prizes, visit https://www.csgs.org/awards. 

4. CSGS Faculty Awards: Call for Nominations 

The Conference of Southern Graduate Schools (CSGS) is accepting nominations for two faculty awards: (1) Outstanding Mentor Award; (2) Outstanding Contributions Award. Consider nominating your faculty, including from the ranks of those who have been recognized during Graduate Education Week 2025 or through our Faculty Mentor of the Month awards (https://graduateschool.vt.edu/about/awards/outstanding-mentor-award/Mentor_of_the_Month.html). Nomination deadline: November 3, 2025. For more information about eligibility, nomination materials, selection process, and prizes, visit https://www.csgs.org/awards. 

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.  

5. Graduate and Professional School Fair (GPSF) 

October 6, 2025, 11:00am-3:00pm, Commonwealth Ballroom, Squires Student Center 

Are you considering med school, vet school, nursing, law school, an MPH, MBA, MEng, MS, PhD, or another advanced degree? Take the next step in your academic and professional journey at the Graduate and Professional School Fair (GPSF). Held every fall semester, GPSF connects Hokies with admissions representatives from a wide variety of graduate and professional programs—many of which offer application fee waivers exclusively for fair attendees. Alongside Virginia Tech, this year’s fair will feature representatives from over 100 programs at public and private institutions, including Cornell, MIT, Johns Hopkins, Texas A&M, Carnegie Mellon, NYU, Duke, UVA, UNC–Chapel Hill, GMU, and many others. Sponsored by the Graduate and Professional Student Senate. Register here: https://forms.office.com/r/XX31fHaUEz

6. Graduate School Workshops 

The Graduate School invites your students to take part in these upcoming workshops:  

• All-Day Writing Retreats – Structured and flexible sessions to support your writing. Wednesday, October 7, 9:00am-4:00pm. Register here
• GearUp! Building and Maintaining Healthy Mentor Relationships – Join us for a discussion on building and maintaining positive mentor relationships, with strategies for navigating challenges along the way. October 8, 2:00-3:30pm, Gilbert 2101. Open to all. 
• Global Change in Science and Technology – Join us for a program that brings together food, dialogue, and ideas at the intersection of STEM, society, and policy. Featuring a talk by Dr. Luis Escobar’s lab and a debate by Dr. Todd Schenk and Dr. Saul Halfon. Open to all. October 10, 12:00-2:00pm, GLC MPR. 

7. 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

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 18^th 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 

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. 

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/   

August 15, 2025 

IN THIS BULLETIN:    

Meetings, Workshops, & Events  

1. Implementation Plan for PATH, the New Course Registration System 

2. New GPD/GC Orientation Sessions 

Deadlines & Dates to Remember 

None at this time. 

Policy Updates  

None at this time.  

Administrative Announcements  

3. Update on M365 Storage for Graduate Students 

4. New Cybersecurity Training Requirement for Student Employees 

5. Dashboard for Tracking International Student Visa Attainment 

6. Updated Guidance for Generative AI 

7. Raising Awareness of the Graduate School Ombuds 

Announcements for Distribution to Students

None at this time. 

Meetings, Workshops, & Events

_____________________________________________

1. 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. 

Faculty and staff can register online now for one of eight training sessions—four offered in a hybrid format and four via Zoom only. Please register at least 24 hours in advance to receive your Zoom link. 

In late September, three office hour sessions (no registration required) will provide time for follow-up questions after you’ve explored and tested PATH. Save the dates for these sessions: 

• September 8, 3:00-4:00pm 
• September 19, 9:00-10:00am 
• September 23, 10:00-11:00am 

Link for registration: click here

2. New GPD/GC Orientation Sessions

Thursday, Aug 14, 2:00-3:00pm 

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 

Administrative Announcements

____________________________________________

3. 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. 

While this is great news, we also want to underscore that, 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. 

**Please note that we mistakenly stated the storage should increase from 10G to 100G in our initial email. The correct quota will be from 10G to 50G

4. 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.

5. Dashboard for Tracking International Student Visa Attainment

The Cranwell International Center reports that as of July 16, 482 graduate students received their visas out of a total 3,464 admitted students. The pool of admitted students includes those who may not have completed the immigration intake process and will not attend. 

If you would like to see more granular details, you may request access to the Cranwell International Center dashboard by completing this request form: https://forms.office.com/r/eukCJ7sdNN, so that you may run a report for your specific department. Visa issuance varies by country and from discipline to discipline, so some colleges may be more impacted than others. For more information contact the Cranwell International Center at international@vt.edu. 

6. Updated Guidance for Generative AI

There has been much discussion about the potential appropriate uses of generative AI by graduate students and how faculty may proactively address it. TLOS provides some general guidelines on their website at https://tlos.vt.edu/resources/generative-ai.html, and we have added an updated Graduate School statement to it: https://tlos.vt.edu/resources/generative-ai/graduate-school-statement.html. Please visit these sites as you prepare for the 2025-26 academic year and discuss program-level standards and expectations with faculty and graduate students. 

7. Raising Awareness of the Graduate School Ombuds

Connecting face-to-face with students and the faculty they work with is one of the best ways for individuals to learn about the services the Ombuds Office offers. A 10-minute presentation during your orientation program for first-year students is sufficient to introduce this service to your students, including an introduction to the role, the types of support available, and current initiatives of the office. Longer sessions may include skill-building topics such as managing difficult conversations or working successfully in teams are also a possibility. The Ombuds is also available to speak during a faculty meeting. If you would like to schedule a session or discuss other opportunities to connect with your students and faculty, please contact Bryan Hanson at bryanh76@vt.edu. 

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/   

July 1, 2025 

IN THIS BULLETIN:    

Meetings, Workshops, & Events  

1. Summer GPD Meeting: July 2nd, 2025 2:00pm 

Deadlines & Dates to Remember 

None at this time. 

Policy Updates  

None at this time.  

Administrative Announcements  

2. GPSS Senators Needed for 2025-26   

3. University Federal Guidance Webpage  

Announcements for Distribution to Students

None at this time. 

Meetings, Workshops, & Events

___________________________________________

1. Summer GPD Meeting 

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025, 2:00pm, Zoom: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/84003562432 

Join if you are able to catch up on timely updates regarding graduate education. Find meeting agendas and notes at Graduate Program Directors Resources | General | Microsoft Teams. 

Administrative Announcements

____________________________________________ 

2. University Federal Guidance webpage 

Virginia Tech published a Federal Guidance webpage to provide information and resources regarding emerging governmental guidance. The page provides links to messages, support, and resources for the university community. The page can be found here: https://www.vt.edu/federal-guidance.html 

3. GPSS Senators Needed for 2025-26   

The Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) is seeking dedicated graduate students to serve as Senators for the 2025–26 academic year and we need your help! Please send the names of up to two interested students from your department to gpss@vt.edu. Senators may be elected through your departmental graduate student organization or nominated directly. Feel free to reach out to the same email address if you have any questions. 

GRADUATE SCHOOL BULLETIN   

A publication of the GraduateSchool 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/   

June 2, 2025

IN THIS BULLETIN:    

Meetings, Workshops, & Events  

1. Summer GPD Meeting: June 4, 2025 2:00pm 

Deadlines & Dates to Remember 

2. 2025 National Name Exchange Program 

Policy Updates  

None at this time.  

Administrative Announcements  

3. 2025-26 Graduate Catalog Updates Due by Jun 30  

4. Doctoral Candidacy Status Tuition Discount Process Update   

5. Call For Nominations for CGS ProQuest Dissertation Award 

Announcements for Distribution to Students

 None at this time.  

Meetings, Workshops, & Events

1. Summer GPD Meeting 

Wednesday, June 4, 2025, 2:00pm, Zoom: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/84003562432 

Join if you are able, to catch up on timely updates regarding graduate education. The summer schedule includes three GPD meetings on June 4, July 2 and August 6. At the June 4 meeting we’ll share updates regarding federal funding, international students and a report from the June BOV meeting. Find meeting agendas and notes at Graduate Program Directors Resources | General | Microsoft Teams. 

Deadlines & Dates to Remember  

_______________________________________________   

 2. 2025 National Name Exchange Program 

The NNE program aims to help underrepresented undergraduate and master’s students learn about, apply to, and matriculate into graduate programs. The students considered “underrepresented” by NNE are racial and ethnic minorities, first-generation students, veterans, women in STEM fields, rural students, students with disabilities, and students from low-income backgrounds. 

Students are nominated to participate by their current institution, but they need to take the steps to accept the invitation. The benefit for students is to support them in their process of considering and applying to graduateschool.  In full transparency, the benefit for Virginia Tech is that once two students from VT have enrolled, VT gains access to the entire list of students and can participate in targeted recruitment. The benefit for those applying to GraduateSchool at Virginia Tech is that the application fee will be waived, saving applicants $60-75.  

The link for students to use to enroll is: https://cgsnet.org/national-name-exchange-for-students-enrollment-form#/webform/nne-profile 

Administrative Announcements

____________________________________________ 

3.  2025-26 Graduate Catalog Updates Due by Jun 30  

The update process for the 2025-26 edition of the Graduate Catalog is underway. Graduate program directors and certificate program leaders (or their designees) are asked to review their current catalog listings at https://catalog.vt.edu/graduate/ and complete this survey to either confirm the accuracy of the current content or provide the details about necessary updates: https://gs.vt.edu/2025catalog . Submissions are due by June 30. If you have any difficulty completing the survey or have any questions about the process, please contact Bill Huckle at wrhuckle@vt.edu or Monika Gibson at gibsonm@vt.edu. 

4. Doctoral Candidacy Status Tuition Discount Process Update 

Effective Fall 2025, the doctoral candidacy status tuition discount request will become an opt-out process. The Graduate School will automatically add the doctoral candidacy status tuition discount for any doctoral student who has passed their preliminary examination and meets all qualifications for the status as well as remove the discount for any doctoral student not meeting all qualifications for the status. Any doctoral student qualifying who does not wish to utilize the tuition discount may submit the Candidacy Status Tuition Discount Opt-Out form no later than the last day to add course registration for the semester. Questions regarding this change in process can be directed to the Graduate School at grads@vt.edu. 

5. Call for nominations for CGS ProQuest Dissertation Award 

The ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards are made annually to individuals nominated by a member institution, who have completed dissertations representing original work that makes an unusually significant contribution to the discipline.  The fields of competition in 2025 are:  

• Biological Sciences 
• Humanities and Fine Arts 

CGS Deadline for submissions: July 3, 2025. Send nominations for the distinguished dissertation awards by June 15 to Monika Gibson, gibsonm@vt.edu. One nomination can be submitted for each category.

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/   

June 16, 2025 

IN THIS BULLETIN:   

Meetings, Workshops, & Events  

1. Summer GPD Meeting: July 2nd, 2025 2:00pm 

2. Early Registration Open for the Graduate and Professional School Fair 

Deadlines & Dates to Remember 

3. 2025 National Name Exchange Program 

Policy Updates  

None at this time.  

Administrative Announcements  

4. 2025-26 Graduate Catalog Updates Due by Jun 30  

5. University Federal Guidance Webpage 

6. GPSS Senators Needed for 2025-26 

Announcements for Distribution to Students

7. Half-time GTA Position Available for GRAD 5004 

Meetings, Workshops, & Events

______________________________________________

1. Summer GPD Meeting 

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025, 2:00pm, Zoom: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/84003562432 

Join if you are able to catch up on timely updates regarding graduate education. Find meeting agendas and notes at Graduate Program Directors Resources | General | Microsoft Teams. 

2. Early Registration Open for the Graduate and Professional School Fair   

The annual Graduate and Professional School Fair brings together hundreds of motivated Hokies seeking advanced degrees across disciplines. It is an excellent opportunity for Virginia Tech departments to showcase their graduate programs and connect directly with high-achieving undergraduates and graduate students exploring their next academic steps. 

The Early Registration Event is now open at the following link: https://forms.office.com/r/HjL53jjEJR. The early registration period will remain open through June 30. 

For full event details, please visit: https://gpss.vt.edu/events/gpsf.html 

Deadlines & Dates to Remember  

_______________________________________________   

 3. 2025 National Name Exchange Program 

The NNE program aims to help underrepresented undergraduate and master’s students learn about, apply to, and matriculate into graduate programs. The students considered “underrepresented” by NNE are racial and ethnic minorities, first-generation students, veterans, women in STEM fields, rural students, students with disabilities, and students from low-income backgrounds. 

Students are nominated to participate by their current institution, but they need to take the steps to accept the invitation. The benefit for students is to support them in their process of considering and applying to graduate school.  In full transparency, the benefit for Virginia Tech is that once two students from VT have enrolled, VT gains access to the entire list of students and can participate in targeted recruitment. The benefit for those applying to Graduate School at Virginia Tech is that the application fee will be waived, saving applicants $60-75.  

The link for students to use to enroll is: https://cgsnet.org/national-name-exchange-for-students-enrollment-form#/webform/nne-profile 

Administrative Announcements

____________________________________________ 

4.  2025-26 Graduate Catalog Updates Due by Jun 30  

The update process for the 2025-26 edition of the Graduate Catalog is underway. Graduate program directors and certificate program leaders (or their designees) are asked to review their current catalog listings at https://catalog.vt.edu/graduate/ and complete this survey to either confirm the accuracy of the current content or provide the details about necessary updates: https://gs.vt.edu/2025catalog 

Submissions are due by June 30. If you have any difficulty completing the survey or have any questions about the process, please contact Bill Huckle at wrhuckle@vt.edu or Monika Gibson at gibsonm@vt.edu. 

5. University Federal Guidance webpage 

Virginia Tech published a Federal Guidance webpage to provide information and resources regarding emerging governmental guidance. The page provides links to messages, support, and resources for the university community. The page can be found here: https://www.vt.edu/federal-guidance.html 

6. GPSS Senators Needed for 2025-26   

The Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) is seeking dedicated graduate students to serve as Senators for the 2025–26 academic year and we need your help! Please send the names of up to two interested students from your department to gpss@vt.edu. Senators may be elected through your departmental graduate student organization or nominated directly. Feel free to reach out to the same email address if you have any questions. 

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.  

____________________________________________ 

7. Half-time GTA Position Available for GRAD 5004 

GTA Workshop, GRAD 5004, is seeking a half-time GTA for the course, starting in fall semester, 2025 (student selected will work with a full-time GTA). Duties: scheduling and taking attendance for sessions, grading, communicating with students, participating in planning sessions, helping with Phase I workshop. Qualifications: Taken and passed GRAD 5004, well-organized, diligent, multi-tasking, strong communication skills, strong judgment, GTA experience helpful. Start August 2025; possibility to serve for full academic year, possibly beyond. Apply using the following form: https://gs.vt.edu/grad   

Application deadline: June 25, 5 pm EDT. 

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/   

May 16^th, 2025 

IN THIS BULLETIN:    

Meetings, Workshops, & Events   

None at this time. 

Deadlines & Dates to Remember        

1. 2025 National Name Exchange Program 

Policy Updates   

None at this time.  

Administrative Announcements   

2. 2025-26 Graduate Catalog Update Process   

3. Doctoral Candidacy Status Tuition Discount Process Update   

4. Call For Nominations for CGS ProQuest Dissertation Award 

Announcements for Distribution to Students 

 None at this time.  

Deadlines & Dates to Remember   

_______________________________________________   

 1. 2025 National Name Exchange Program 

The NNE program aims to help underrepresented undergraduate and master’s students learn about, apply to, and matriculate into graduate programs. The students considered “underrepresented” by NNE are racial and ethnic minorities, first-generation students, veterans, women in STEM fields, rural students, students with disabilities, and students from low-income backgrounds. 

Students are nominated to participate by their current institution, but they need to take the steps to accept the invitation. The benefit for students is to support them in their process of considering and applying to graduate school.  In full transparency, the benefit for Virginia Tech is that once two students from VT have enrolled, VT gains access to the entire list of students and can participate in targeted recruitment. The benefit for those applying to Graduate School at Virginia Tech is that the application fee will be waived, saving applicants $60-75.  

The link for students to use to enroll is: https://cgsnet.org/national-name-exchange-for-students-enrollment-form#/webform/nne-profile 

Administrative Announcements 

____________________________________________ 

2. 2025-26 Graduate Catalog Update Process  

The update process for the 2025-26 edition of the Graduate Catalog is now under way. GPDs and faculty members responsible for certificate programs (or their designees) are asked to review their current catalog listings at https://catalog.vt.edu/graduate/ and complete this survey to either confirm the accuracy of the current content or provide the details about necessary updates: https://gs.vt.edu/2025catalog.   

Submissions are due by June 30. If you have any difficulty completing the survey or have any questions about the process, please contact Bill Huckle at wrhuckle@vt.edu or Monika Gibson at gibsonm@vt.edu. 

3. Doctoral Candidacy Status Tuition Discount Process Update 

Effective Fall 2025, the doctoral candidacy status tuition discount request will become an opt-out process. The Graduate School will automatically add the doctoral candidacy status tuition discount for any doctoral student who has passed their preliminary examination and meets all qualifications for the status as well as remove the discount for any doctoral student not meeting all qualifications for the status. Any doctoral student qualifying who does not wish to utilize the tuition discount may submit the Candidacy Status Tuition Discount Opt-Out form no later than the last day to add course registration for the semester. Questions regarding this change in process can be directed to the Graduate School at grads@vt.edu. 

4. Call for nominations for CGS ProQuest Dissertation Award 

The ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards are made annually to individuals nominated by a member institution, who have completed dissertations representing original work that makes an unusually significant contribution to the discipline.  The fields of competition in 2025 are:  

• Biological Sciences 

• Humanities and Fine Arts 

Deadline for submissions: July 3, 2025. Send nominations for the distinguished dissertation awards to Monika Gibson, gibsonm@vt.edu. One nomination can be submitted for each category.  

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/   

May 1st, 2025 

IN THIS BULLETIN:    

Meetings, Workshops, & Events  

1. Graduate Student Town Halls 

Deadlines & Dates to Remember 

None at this time. 

Policy Updates  

None at this time.  

Administrative Announcements  

2. Last Week for Students to Complete Climate Survey 

3. 2025-26 Graduate Catalog Update Process   

4. Doctoral Candidacy Status Tuition Discount Process Update   

5. Call For Nominations for CGS ProQuest Dissertation Award 

Announcements for Distribution to Students

 None at this time.  

Meetings, Workshops, & Events

___________________________________________

1. Graduate Student Town Halls 

Graduate School Dean, Aimée Surprenant, will host two town halls for graduate students on May 8: one in-person session in the Graduate Life Center Multipurpose Room at 1:00pm and one via Zoom at 6:30pm. Zoom webinar link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/83246568209  

If you have questions and/or concerns that you would like Dr. Surprenant to address during these meetings, please submit them here: https://gs.vt.edu/townhall    

The Dean will address as many questions/topics as she can during these sessions. Contact Lauren Surface if you have questions about these sessions: lkeister@vt.edu. 

Administrative Announcements

____________________________________________ 

2. Last Week for Students to Complete Climate Survey 

The Graduate Student Campus Climate Survey is set to close May 6th. However, to give students a little extra time during this busy time the survey will remain open through Reading Day, May 8th. Please encourage students to complete the survey which was sent to their VT email. For more information visit the FAQ: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/numbers/climate-survey-home/2025-climate-survey/2025-climate-survey-faqs.html or reach out to Kacy Lawrence at klawr5@vt.edu. 

3. 2025-26 Graduate Catalog Update Process  

The update process for the 2025-26 edition of the Graduate Catalog is now under way. GPDs and faculty members responsible for certificate programs (or their designees) are asked to review their current catalog listings at https://catalog.vt.edu/graduate/ and complete this survey to either confirm the accuracy of the current content or provide the details about necessary updates: https://gs.vt.edu/2025catalog.   

Submissions are due by June 30. If you have any difficulty completing the survey or have any questions about the process, please contact Bill Huckle at wrhuckle@vt.edu or Monika Gibson at gibsonm@vt.edu. 

4. Doctoral Candidacy Status Tuition Discount Process Update 

Effective Fall 2025, the doctoral candidacy status tuition discount request will become an opt-out process. The Graduate School will automatically add the doctoral candidacy status tuition discount for any doctoral student who has passed their preliminary examination and meets all qualifications for the status as well as remove the discount for any doctoral student not meeting all qualifications for the status. Any doctoral student qualifying who does not wish to utilize the tuition discount may submit the Candidacy Status Tuition Discount Opt-Out form no later than the last day to add course registration for the semester. Questions regarding this change in process can be directed to the Graduate School at grads@vt.edu. 

5. Call for nominations for CGS ProQuest Dissertation Award 

The ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards are made annually to individuals nominated by a member institution, who have completed dissertations representing original work that makes an unusually significant contribution to the discipline.  The fields of competition in 2025 are:  

• Biological Sciences 
• Humanities and Fine Arts 

Deadline for submissions: July 3, 2025. Send nominations for the distinguished dissertation awards to Monika Gibson, gibsonm@vt.edu. One nomination can be submitted for each category. 

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/   

April 16th, 2025 

IN THIS BULLETIN:    

Meetings, Workshops, & Events  

1. Mentorship Workshop on April 29th 

Deadlines & Dates to Remember 

None at this time. 

Policy Updates  

None at this time.  

Administrative Announcements  

2. 2025-26 Graduate Catalog Update Process   

3. Doctoral Candidacy Status Tuition Discount Process Update   

4. Call For Nominations for CGS ProQuest Dissertation Award 

Announcements for Distribution to Students

 None at this time.  

Meetings, Workshops, & Events

____________________________________________

1. Mentorship Workshop on April 29th  

Mentorship training is invaluable to VT faculty members and postdocs, and the Graduate School is committed to enhancing mentorship training opportunities at VT. Towards that end, we are presenting a mentorship workshop on April 29th from 10:30am to 12:00 pm in Room C of the Graduate Life Center (GLC); lunch will be provided. We encourage interested early career faculty members and postdocs, especially, to sign up: https://gs.vt.edu/1o 

Administrative Announcements

____________________________________________ 

2. 2025-26 Graduate Catalog Update Process  

The update process for the 2025-26 edition of the Graduate Catalog is now under way. GPDs and faculty members responsible for certificate programs (or their designees) are asked to review their current catalog listings at https://catalog.vt.edu/graduate/ and complete this survey to either confirm the accuracy of the current content or provide the details about necessary updates: https://gs.vt.edu/2025catalog.   

Submissions are due by June 30. If you have any difficulty completing the survey or have any questions about the process, please contact Bill Huckle at wrhuckle@vt.edu or Monika Gibson at gibsonm@vt.edu. 

3. Doctoral candidacy status tuition discount process update 

Effective Fall 2025, the doctoral candidacy status tuition discount request will become an opt-out process. The Graduate School will automatically add the doctoral candidacy status tuition discount for any doctoral student who has passed their preliminary examination and meets all qualifications for the status as well as remove the discount for any doctoral student not meeting all qualifications for the status. Any doctoral student qualifying who does not wish to utilize the tuition discount may submit the Candidacy Status Tuition Discount Opt-Out form no later than the last day to add course registration for the semester. Questions regarding this change in process can be directed to the Graduate School at grads@vt.edu. 

4. Call for nominations for CGS ProQuest Dissertation Award 

The ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards are made annually to individuals nominated by a member institution, who have completed dissertations representing original work that makes an unusually significant contribution to the discipline.  The fields of competition in 2025 are:  

• Biological Sciences 
• Humanities and Fine Arts 

Deadline for submissions: July 3, 2025. Send nominations for the distinguished dissertation awards to Monika Gibson, gibsonm@vt.edu. One nomination can be submitted for each category.