Author: sjkass

IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
3. FALL GRADUATE DIRECTOR’S MEETING
2. HOW TO USE iTHENTICATE – TRAINING SESSION

Administrative Announcements:
5. FACULTY PANELISTS NEEDED FOR GRADUATE HONOR SYSTEM

Deadlines/Dates to Remember:
OCT 4 – Fall break; no classes
OCT 8 – Last day to drop classes
OCT 15 – Web course request opens for Spring 2020

Meetings/Workshops/Events:
3. FALL GRADUATE DIRECTOR’S MEETING
Thursday, October 17, 10:00am, Graduate Life Center Room F.
Topics will include Plans of Study and Timeliness, Graduate Catalog, Slate, and Graduate Program Faculty Approvals.

2. HOW TO USE iTHENTICATE – TRAINING SESSION
Multiple dates and times; registration requested. All sessions via Zoom (Meeting ID: 5402318316)
The Graduate School is offering a training session on how graduate students will use iThenticate to review the originality of documents, ensure accurate attribution to other authors, and eliminate occurrences of potential plagiarism. Registration at https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu/ by searching for “iThenticate” in the search box.

Wednesday, October 16 at 10:00am
Wednesday, October 16 at 7:00pm
Tuesday, November 19 at 11:00am
Tuesday, December 3 at 7:00pm
Thursday, December 5 at 2:00pm

Administrative Announcements:
5. FACULTY PANELISTS NEEDED FOR GRADUATE HONOR SYSTEM
The Graduate Honor System is seeking new faculty members to serve as panelists to review evidence and determine the outcome of GHS cases. Time commitment is about 3-4 hours a year based on the number of cases and availability to participate in scheduled hearings, in addition to a 30-45 minute training session. If you are interested in serving, contact GHS Chair Anurag Mantha (ghs@vt.edu), to set up a brief meeting to discuss the role. If multiple faculty volunteer from one department, a departmental training can be arranged as well.

IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. SLATE IMPLEMENTATION – TRAINING SESSION on General Overview and Queries
2. HOW TO USE iTHENTICATE – TRAINING SESSION
3. FALL GRADUATE DIRECTORS’ MEETING

Administrative Announcements:
4. GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP POLICY UPDATE
5. GRADUATE SCHOOL PLANNERS ARE AVAILABLE
6. FACULTY PANELISTS NEEDED FOR GRADUATE HONOR SYSTEM
7. ADVISOR SERVICE REPORT AVAILABLE
8. GRADUATE SCHOOL REQUEST INFORMATION URL UPDATED

Deadlines/Dates to Remember:
OCT 4 – Fall break; no classes.
OCT 8 – Last day to drop classes
OCT 17 – Fall Graduate Directors’ Meeting

Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. SLATE IMPLEMENTATION – TRAINING SESSION on General Overview and Queries
The Graduate School is implementing Slate for recruitment communications. Each training is on the Slate product overall as well as the Queries function within Slate. All sessions are via Zoom (Meeting ID: 5402318316). Registration is not required.
Thursday, September 19 at 3:00pm
Monday, September 23 at 3:00pm

2. HOW TO USE iTHENTICATE – TRAINING SESSION
Multiple dates and times; registration requested. All sessions via Zoom (Meeting ID: 5402318316)
The Graduate School is offering a training session on how graduate students will use iThenticate to review the originality of documents, ensure accurate attribution to other authors, and eliminate occurrences of potential plagiarism. Registration at https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu/ by searching for “iThenticate” in the search box.

Wednesday, October 16 at 10:00am
Wednesday, October 16 at 7:00pm
Tuesday, November 19 at 11:00am
Tuesday, December 3 at 7:00pm
Thursday, December 5 at 2:00pm

3. FALL GRADUATE DIRECTOR’S MEETING
Thursday, October 17, 10:00am, Graduate Life Center Room F.
Topics will include vPlans of Study and Timeliness, Graduate Catalog, Slate, and Graduate Program Faculty Approvals. A final agenda will be available with the next Graduate School Bulletin.
Administrative Announcements:
4. GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP POLICY UPDATE
Graduate assistantship policies and procedures have been compiled in a single document and approved as university policy No. 6210 by the Board of Visitors at its August meeting. The policy includes two updates to previous practices:
1. Proration of tuition-obligation:
Hiring departments must provide in-state tuition and mandatory E&G fees remission in proportion to the assistantship FTE for fall and spring semesters. The remission of in-state tuition and E&G fees is  calculated in four-week increments, with each quarter of tuition earned by the completion of four full weeks of work and full remission earned only if the student completes the assistantship (16 full weeks or more within the standard assistantship start and end dates in a semester).
2. Personal/sick leave for GAs, GTAs and GRAs:
Graduate students should work with their supervisors to schedule their work hours. Absences (either sick or personal) should be accommodated when possible and the work schedule adjusted to enable the graduate student to complete their academic and assistantship work commitments. The new policy addresses university holidays, work-life grants, jury duty and military leave as well.
The Graduate School is responsible for administering the policy and procedures related to assistantships and tuition remission, in conjunction with the Bursar’s Office and the Controller’s Office. For more information about the policy and how it may impact your area, review the full policy at https://policies.vt.edu/6210.pdf or contact the Graduate School at 540-231-9564.

5. GRADUATE SCHOOL PLANNERS ARE AVAILABLE
Due to delays on the publishers’ end, graduate school planners were not delivered until after New Graduate Student Orientation. If you would like planners delivered to your office for dissemination to graduate students, please email Lauren Surface at lkeister@vt.edu with the number planners you would like and your mail code.

6. FACULTY PANELISTS NEEDED FOR GRADUATE HONOR SYSTEM
The Graduate Honor System is seeking new faculty members to serve as panelists to review evidence and determine the outcome of GHS cases. Time commitment is about 3-4 hours a year based on the number of cases and availability to participate in scheduled hearings, in addition to a 30-45 minute training session. If you are interested in serving, contact GHS Chair Anurag Mantha (ghs@vt.edu), to set up a brief meeting to discuss the role. If multiple faculty volunteer from one department, a departmental training can be arranged as well.

7. ADVISOR SERVICE REPORT AVAILABLE
The Graduate School has worked with the Banner Reporting Team to create an advisor service report that pulls a list of a faculty member’s advising service from SGAADVR in Banner. The report contains from and to term as well as the student name, degree, major, status, and graduation term. To request this report for your academic program, submit a TeamDynamix request online (http://www.es.vt.edu and click Submit a Service Request ==> Academic Services ==> Academic Analysis & Reporting ==> Request Support) indicating you want the Advisor_Service to be run and provide a list of faculty ID numbers.

8. GRADUATE SCHOOL REQUEST INFORMATION URL UPDATED
The Graduate School has transitioned to Slate for recruitment. There is a new URL for prospective students to request information. If you have linked to our previous request for information link on your department website or in your department communications, please update the URL to https://testapplyto.graduateschool.vt.edu/register/GradSchoolInterestForm. You can also use this URL at recruitment events to have prospective students sign up for more information.

IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. HOW TO USE iTHENTICATE – TRAINING SESSION

Administrative Announcements:
2. ADVISOR SERVICE REPORT AVAILABLE
3. GRADUATE SCHOOL REQUEST INFORMATION URL UPDATED
4. RAISING AWARENESS OF THE OMBUDSPERSON

Deadlines/Dates to Remember:
SEP 2 – Labor Day; no classes, university closed
SEP 9 – Last day to submit the start-of-semester defense exception form for fall

Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. HOW TO USE iTHENTICATE – TRAINING SESSION
Multiple dates and times; registration requested. All sessions via Zoom (Meeting ID: 5402318316)
The Graduate School is offering a training session on how graduate students will use iThenticate to review the originality of documents, ensure accurate attribution to other authors, and eliminate occurrences of potential plagiarism. Registration at https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu/ by searching for “iThenticate” in the search box.
Monday, September 16 at 2:00pm
Wednesday, October 16 at 10:00am
Wednesday, October 16 at 7:00pm
Tuesday, November 19 at 11:00am
Tuesday, December 3 at 7:00pm
Thursday, December 5 at 2:00pm

Administrative Announcements:
2. ADVISOR SERVICE REPORT AVAILABLE
The Graduate School has worked with the Banner Reporting Team to create an advisor service report that pulls a list of a faculty member’s advising service from SGAADVR in Banner. The report contains from and to term as well as the student name, degree, major, status, and graduation term. To request this report for your academic program, submit a TeamDynamix request online (http://www.es.vt.edu and click Submit a Service Request à Academic Services à Academic Analysis & Reporting à Request Support) indicating you want the Advisor_Sevice to be run and provide a list of faculty ID numbers.

3. GRADUATE SCHOOL REQUEST INFORMATION URL UPDATED
The Graduate School has transitioned to Slate for recruitment. There is a new URL for prospective students to request information. If you have linked to our previous request for information link on your department website or in your department communications, please update the URL to https://testapplyto.graduateschool.vt.edu/register/GradSchoolInterestForm. You can also use this URL at recruitment events to have prospective students sign up for more information.

4. RAISING AWARENESS OF THE OMBUDSPERSON
Connecting face-to-face with students and the faculty they work with is one of the best ways for individuals to learn about the resource the Ombuds office can provide. One way to do this is to allow 10 minutes for a short presentation during your orientation programs for first year students. These conversations will cover an intro to the role, the types of support available, and certain initiatives that the office is working on. I also enjoy providing longer sessions built around specific skill-building topics (Working through conflict, expectations conversations, giving and receiving feedback, etc…) during first year seminar courses. Speaking during a faculty meeting would be another way to increase awareness of the role with those that work directly with students on a daily basis. 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.

IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. SLATE IMPLEMENTATION – TRAINING SESSION on Queries
2. REGISTER TODAY: GRADUATE SCHOOL RECRUITMENT, PROGRAMMING, AND CLIMATE WORKSHOP
3. UNDERREPRESENTED AND MINORITIZED (URM) GRADUATE STUDENT LUNCHEON
4. HOW TO USE iTHENTICATE – TRAINING SESSION

Administrative Announcements:
5. GRADUATE SCHOOL REQUEST INFORMATION URL UPDATED
6. NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
7. IMMIGRATION CHECK-IN ONLINE FOR NEW INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
8. RAISING AWARENESS OF THE OMBUDSPERSON
9. ASSISTANTSHIP BANNER ENTRY INFORMATION AND DEADLINES
10. NEW REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS PURSUING GRAD DEGREES AT VT

Deadlines/Dates to Remember:
AUG 26 – First Day of Classes
AUG 30 – Last day to add classes

Click here for more information on each posting

IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. REGISTER TODAY: GRADUATE SCHOOL RECRUITMENT, PROGRAMMING, AND CLIMATE WORKSHOP
2. UNDERREPRESENTED AND MINORITIZED (URM) GRADUATE STUDENT LUNCHEON

Administrative Announcements:
3. NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
4. IMMIGRATION CHECK-IN ONLINE FOR NEW INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
5. RAISING AWARENESS OF THE OMBUDSPERSON
6. ASSISTANTSHIP BANNER ENTRY INFORMATION AND DEADLINES
7. REGISTRATION OPEN FOR FALL 2019 GTA WORKSHOP – RESTRICTIONS APPLY
8. NEW REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS PURSUING GRAD DEGREES AT VT

Deadlines/Dates to Remember:
AUG 5 Web Drop/Add for Fall 2019 opens
AUG 16 Last day to defend for Summer II

Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. REGISTER TODAY: GRADUATE SCHOOL RECRUITMENT, PROGRAMMING, AND CLIMATE WORKSHOP
Thursday, August 22, 9:00am-12:00pm, Newman Library-Multipurpose Room 101
The Graduate School is hosting this interactive workshop to share information from our various offices with you as well as discuss how we can support you and your unit. Please RSVP by August 15 at https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_008MW4XdcXeDqzr. If questions, please contact us at ORDI@vt.edu.

2. UNDERREPRESENTED AND MINORITIZED (URM) GRADUATE STUDENT LUNCHEON
Wednesday, Aug 28, at 12:00pm, Graduate Life Center Multipurpose Room
The Office of Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion invites you to attend our graduate student luncheon. This event hosts new and returning students, faculty, and staff members. Please register at https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_39n9xQfTkTgQwm1 and feel free to share with others!  If you have any questions, please email us at ORDI@vt.edu.

Administrative Announcements:

3. NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
The Graduate School offers an online guide for new students (see https://graduateschool.vt.edu/admissions/getting-started-as-a-student.html), as well as a variety of events and activities to help their transition to graduate school. The list of programs and events is available at: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/student-life/events.html. Welcome week from August 19-23 provides a daily information fair in the GLC lobby and ends with new student orientation on Friday, August 23, 9:00-11:30am. Please encourage your students to stop by and gather information about campus and area resources and participate in informational and social events. A mass email was sent to new students in Blacksburg on Aug 1 about the student guide and orientation.

4. IMMIGRATION CHECK-IN ONLINE FOR NEW INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
New international students must check in online with our International Graduate Student Services (IGSS) for immigration purposes after they arrive in the U.S. and secure permanent housing in Blacksburg. Their check-in will be reviewed and approved by an immigration advisor within 3-5 days; after that, students may apply for a social security number if they secured an on-campus job (assistantship or wage). Review the process at https://graduateschool.vt.edu/student-life/immigration-services/new-student-guide/mandatory-check-in.html.  Students may register for classes, get their Hokie Passport, and take care of other items on the new student checklist (https://graduateschool.vt.edu/admissions/getting-started-as-a-student/new-student-checklist.html) before they complete the online check-in.

5. RAISING AWARENESS OF THE OMBUDSPERSON
Connecting face-to-face with students and the faculty they work with is one of the best ways for individuals to learn about the resource the Ombuds office can provide. One way to do this is to allow 10 minutes for a short presentation during your orientation programs for first year students. These conversations will cover an intro to the role, the types of support available, and certain initiatives that the office is working on. I also enjoy providing longer sessions built around specific skill-building topics (Working through conflict, expectations conversations, giving and receiving feedback, etc…) during first year seminar courses. Speaking during a faculty meeting would be another way to increase awareness of the role with those that work directly with students on a daily basis. 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.

6. ASSISTANTSHIP BANNER ENTRY INFORMATION AND DEADLINES
Please ensure that your department’s 2019-20 assistantship and fellowship PAFs are entered as soon as possible. The early entry of appointments and corresponding tuition awards will ensure that the student can:
* Have the out-of-state differential waiver applied to the bill prior to the August 12 payment due date;
* Open subsidy link for those who purchase the student medical insurance;
* Sign up for the Comprehensive Fee Payment Plan prior to the first deduction.

7. REGISTRATION OPEN FOR FALL 2019 GTA WORKSHOP – RESTRICTIONS APPLY
Registration site (https://secure.graduateschool.vt.edu/gtaworkshop/) for Fall 2019  GTA workshop (GRAD 5004) is now open. All new GTAs are required to take this course and should be registered by dept. graduate coordinators (they cannot register themselves). Coordinators please register your students using the above site by August 6, 2019.  Please be aware of a special situation – Squires is not available this fall for the Phase I fall workshop. Therefore, the Phase I workshop will be held in the GLC, with capacity limited slightly vs. past fall sessions. If you have a student for whom it would be nice to take GRAD 5004 this fall, but not essential, please consider registering that student for the spring 2020 GRAD 5004 course. GTA workshop sessions focus on themes important for new GTAs, including oral presentation skills, ethics, pedagogical techniques and skills, conflict resolution, threat assessment, handling student personal information, using campus research tools, and computer security. Phase I is held on a single day, Tuesday, August 20, 2019 between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm; ALL REGISTERED STUDENTS MUST ATTEND THIS FULL-DAY WORKSHOP IN ORDER TO PASS THE COURSE.

8. NEW REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS PURSUING GRAD DEGREES AT VT
The Commission on Graduate Studies and Policy recently 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. Four topics must be included in the plans: the University’s Principles of Community; the impact of personal actions and words; avenues of redress and shared responsibility as active bystanders to recognize and disrupt bullying; and a process of individual introspection and reflection leading to awareness of one’s own words and language. Other topics also may be included. 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.html.

IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. SLATE IMPLEMENTATION – TRAINING SESSIONS (7/22, 7/24, 7/25)
2. GRADUATE COORDINATORS MEETING (7/25)
3. SAVE THE DATE: GRADUATE SCHOOL RECRUITMENT, PROGRAMMING, AND CLIMATE WORKSHOP (8/22)

Administrative Announcements:
4. ASSISTANTSHIP BANNER ENTRY INFORMATION AND DEADLINES
5. REGISTRATION OPEN FOR FALL 2019 GTA WORKSHOP – RESTRICTIONS APPLY
6. NEW REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS PURSUING GRAD DEGREES AT VT

Deadlines/Dates to Remember:
AUG 2 Tuition Awards entry deadline to avoid late fees
AUG 4 Web Drop/Add for Fall 2019 opens

Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. SLATE IMPLEMENTATION – TRAINING SESSION
The Graduate School is migrating from Connect to Slate for recruitment communications by August 1. We are offering training sessions on how to use Slate for recruitment and departments migrating any existing communications in Connect to Slate. This session is for any program that has communications to prospective students in Connect as well as any program that would like to start using Slate to send recruitment communications. Register at https://doodle.com/poll/6uq67wyueaw7rx5v; a confirmation email will be sent to you closer to the training date with Zoom room information.
Monday, July 22 10:00am-11:30am via Zoom
Wednesday, July 24 3:00pm-4:30pm via Zoom
Thursday, July 25 1:00-2:30pm via Zoom

2. GRADUATE COORDINATORS MEETING
Thursday, Jul 25, 10:00-11:00am, GLC Room F
Topics include:
* Review of graduate student orientation and activities schedule
* Fall contract and assistantship updates
* GSA representative to discuss GSA events and recruiting GSA volunteers
* Register at https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_79QzC4qGZKTjdOJ if you are planning to attend. This meeting will also be available on Zoom. You will receive Zoom information upon registration.

3. SAVE THE DATE: GRADUATE SCHOOL RECRUITMENT, PROGRAMMING, AND CLIMATE WORKSHOP
Thursday, August 22, 9:00am-12:00pm, Newman Library-Multipurpose Room 101
The Graduate School is hosting an interactive workshop to share information from our various offices with you as well as discuss how we can support you and your unit.  RSVP at https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_008MW4XdcXeDqzr. Contact Shernita Lee at shernita@vt.edu with any questions.

Administrative Announcements:
4. ASSISTANTSHIP BANNER ENTRY INFORMATION AND DEADLINES
* Please ensure that your department’s 2019-20 assistantship and fellowship PAFs are entered as soon as possible. The early entry of appointments and corresponding tuition awards will ensure that the student can:
o Have the out-of-state differential waiver applied to the bill prior to the August 12 payment due date;
o Open subsidy link for those who purchase the student medical insurance;
o Sign up for the Comprehensive Fee Payment Plan prior to the first deduction.
* NEW THIS YEAR: Departments that would like assistance from the Office of the University Bursar in posting tuition awards based upon contract information should contact bursar@vt.edu and put Tuition Remission in the subject line. Please provide your department name and the org codes you want to posted. Contracts accepted no later than August 2 will be applied by the August 12 payment deadline. We encourage you to use this assistance to ensure more accurate billing.

5. REGISTRATION OPEN FOR FALL 2019 GTA WORKSHOP – RESTRICTIONS APPLY
Registration site (https://secure.graduateschool.vt.edu/gtaworkshop/) for Fall 2019  GTA workshop (GRAD 5004) is now open. All new GTAs are required to take this course and should be registered by dept. graduate coordinators (they cannot register themselves). Coordinators please register your students using the above site by August 6, 2019.  Please be aware of a special situation – Squires is not available this fall for the Phase I fall workshop. Therefore, the Phase I workshop will be held in the GLC, with capacity limited slightly vs. past fall sessions. If you have a student for whom it would be nice to take GRAD 5004 this fall, but not essential, please consider registering that student for the spring 2020 GRAD 5004 course. GTA workshop sessions focus on themes important for new GTAs, including oral presentation skills, ethics, pedagogical techniques and skills, conflict resolution, threat assessment, handling student personal information, using campus research tools, and computer security. Phase I is held on a single day, Tuesday, August 20, 2019 between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm; ALL REGISTERED STUDENTS MUST ATTEND THIS FULL-DAY WORKSHOP IN ORDER TO PASS THE COURSE.

6. NEW REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS PURSUING GRAD DEGREES AT VT
The Commission on Graduate Studies and Policy recently 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. Four topics must be included in the plans: the University’s Principles of Community; the impact of personal actions and words; avenues of redress and shared responsibility as active bystanders to recognize and disrupt bullying; and a process of individual introspection and reflection leading to awareness of one’s own words and language. Other topics also may be included. 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.html.

IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. GRADUATE COORDINATORS MEETING
2. SAVE THE DATE: GRADUATE SCHOOL RECRUITMENT, PROGRAMMING, AND CLIMATE WORKSHOP

Administrative Announcements:
3. REGISTRATION OPEN FOR FALL 2019 GTA WORKSHOP – RESTRICTIONS APPLY
5. NEW REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS PURSUING GRAD DEGREES AT VT

Deadlines/Dates to Remember:
JUL 5: Summer I classes end; Graduate School closed
JUL 9: Summer II classes begin

Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. GRADUATE COORDINATORS MEETING
Thursday, Jul 25, 10:00-11:00am, GLC Room F
Topics include:
* Review of graduate student orientation and activities schedule
* Fall contract and assistantship updates
* GSA representative to discuss GSA events and recruiting GSA volunteers
* Register at https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_79QzC4qGZKTjdOJ if you are planning to attend. This meeting will also be available on Zoom. You will receive Zoom information upon registration.

2. SAVE THE DATE: GRADUATE SCHOOL RECRUITMENT, PROGRAMMING, AND CLIMATE WORKSHOP
Thursday, August 22, 9:00am-12:00pm, Newman Library-Multipurpose Room 101
The Graduate School is hosting an interactive workshop to share information from our various offices with you as well as discuss how we can support you and your unit.  RSVP at https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_008MW4XdcXeDqzr. Contact Shernita Lee at shernita@vt.edu with any questions.

Administrative Announcements:
3. REGISTRATION OPEN FOR FALL 2019 GTA WORKSHOP – RESTRICTIONS APPLY
Registration site (https://secure.graduateschool.vt.edu/gtaworkshop/) for Fall 2019  GTA workshop (GRAD 5004) is now open. All new GTAs are required to take this course and should be registered by dept. graduate coordinators (they cannot register themselves). Coordinators please register your students using the above site by August 6, 2019.  Please be aware of a special situation – Squires is not available this fall for the Phase I fall workshop. Therefore, the Phase I workshop will be held in the GLC, with capacity limited slightly vs. past fall sessions. If you have a student for whom it would be nice to take GRAD 5004 this fall, but not essential, please consider registering that student for the spring 2020 GRAD 5004 course. GTA workshop sessions focus on themes important for new GTAs, including oral presentation skills, ethics, pedagogical techniques and skills, conflict resolution, threat assessment, handling student personal information, using campus research tools, and computer security. Phase I is held on a single day, Tuesday, August 20, 2019 between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm; ALL REGISTERED STUDENTS MUST ATTEND THIS FULL-DAY WORKSHOP IN ORDER TO PASS THE COURSE.

4. NEW REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS PURSUING GRAD DEGREES AT VT
The Commission on Graduate Studies and Policy recently 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. Four topics must be included in the plans: the University’s Principles of Community; the impact of personal actions and words; avenues of redress and shared responsibility as active bystanders to recognize and disrupt bullying; and a process of individual introspection and reflection leading to awareness of one’s own words and language. Other topics also may be included. 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.html.

IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. SLATE IMPLEMENTATION – TRAINING SESSION
2. ASSISTANTSHIP MANAGEMENT 101 TRAINING
3. SAVE THE DATE: GRADUATE SCHOOL RECRUITMENT, PROGRAMMING, AND CLIMATE WORKSHOP

Administrative Announcements:
4. REGISTRATION OPEN FOR FALL 2019 GTA WORKSHOP – RESTRICTIONS APPLY
5. NEW REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS PURSUING GRAD DEGREES AT VT

Deadlines/Dates to Remember:
JUL 5: Summer I classes end
JUL 9: Summer II classes begin

Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. SLATE IMPLEMENTATION – TRAINING SESSION
The Graduate School is migrating from Connect to Slate for recruitment communications by August 1. We are offering training sessions on how to use Slate for recruitment and migrating any existing communications in Connect to Slate. This session is for any program that has communications to prospective students in Connect as well as any program that would like to start using Slate to send recruitment communications. Register at https://doodle.com/poll/rsz2eprisyi94sit; a confirmation email will be sent to you closer to the training date with additional information.
Tuesday, June 18 10:30am-12:00pm in 238 GLC
Thursday, June 20 3:30pm-5:00pm in 238 GLC
Friday, June 21 10:00am-11:30am in Zoom

2. ASSISTANTSHIP MANAGEMENT 101 TRAINING
Tuesday, June 25, 10:00am-11:30am, GLC Room B
For anyone new to the assistantship process or for those who would like a refresher on the process. Will provide an overview of policies and technical details of various administrative stages of an assistantship and the responsibilities of departments, students, and the Graduate School from the time a position is offered through funding of the position. This training will also be made available on Zoom. To enroll, go to https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bf1KKCv4eELPpPL. If you have any questions, contact Sue Kass at sjkass@vt.edu or call (540) 231-4558.

3. SAVE THE DATE: GRADUATE SCHOOL RECRUITMENT, PROGRAMMING, AND CLIMATE WORKSHOP
Thursday, August 22, 9:00am-12:00pm, Newman Library-Multipurpose Room 101
The Graduate School is hosting an interactive workshop to share information from our various offices with you as well as discuss how we can support you and your unit.  RSVP at https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_008MW4XdcXeDqzr. Contact Shernita Lee at shernita@vt.edu with any questions.

Administrative Announcements:
4. REGISTRATION OPEN FOR FALL 2019 GTA WORKSHOP – RESTRICTIONS APPLY
Registration site (https://secure.graduateschool.vt.edu/gtaworkshop/) for Fall 2019  GTA workshop (GRAD 5004) is now open. All new GTAs are required to take this course and should be registered by dept. graduate coordinators (they cannot register themselves). Coordinators please register your students using the above site by August 6, 2019.  Please be aware of a special situation – Squires is not available this fall for the Phase I fall workshop. Therefore, the Phase I workshop will be held in the GLC, with capacity limited slightly vs. past fall sessions. If you have a student for whom it would be nice to take GRAD 5004 this fall, but not essential, please consider registering that student for the spring 2020 GRAD 5004 course. GTA workshop sessions focus on themes important for new GTAs, including oral presentation skills, ethics, pedagogical techniques and skills, conflict resolution, threat assessment, handling student personal information, using campus research tools, and computer security. Phase I is held on a single day, Tuesday, August 20, 2019 between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm; ALL REGISTERED STUDENTS MUST ATTEND THIS FULL-DAY WORKSHOP IN ORDER TO PASS THE COURSE.

5. NEW REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS PURSUING GRAD DEGREES AT VT
The Commission on Graduate Studies and Policy recently 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. Four topics must be included in the plans: the University’s Principles of Community; the impact of personal actions and words; avenues of redress and shared responsibility as active bystanders to recognize and disrupt bullying; and a process of individual introspection and reflection leading to awareness of one’s own words and language. Other topics also may be included. 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.html.

IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. SLATE IMPLEMENTATION – TRAINING SESSION
2. GRADUATE EDUCATION DRIVE-IN CONFERENCE IN THE GLC
3. ASSISTANTSHIP MANAGEMENT 101 TRAINING
4. SAVE THE DATE: GRADUATE SCHOOL RECRUITMENT, PROGRAMMING, AND CLIMATE WORKSHOP

Administrative Announcements:
5. NEW REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS PURSUING GRAD DEGREES AT VT

Deadlines/Dates to Remember:
JUL 5: Summer I classes end
JUL 9: Summer II classes begin Click here for more details on each posting

IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. ASSISTANTSHIP MANAGEMENT 101 TRAINING

Administrative Announcements:
2. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ONLINE APPLICATION SUPPLEMENTAL FORMS
3. ATTENTION! GRADUATE CATALOG EDITORS
4. NEW REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS PURSUING GRAD DEGREES AT VT

Deadlines/Dates to Remember:
MAY 15: Masters/Doctoral last day to defend to be a spring 2019 graduate
MAY 15: Departmental international admission recommendation deadline
MAY 16: Commencement – 2:30pm Cassell Coliseum
MAY 19: NCR graduate commencement ceremony
MAY 30: Spring 2019 ETD submission deadline

Meetings/Workshops/Events:
1. ASSISTANTSHIP MANAGEMENT 101 TRAINING
Tuesday, June 25, 10:30am-12:00pm, GLC Room B
For anyone new to the assistantship process or for those who would like a refresher on the process. Will provide an overview of policies and technical details of various administrative stages of an assistantship and the responsibilities of departments, students, and the Graduate School from the time a position is offered through funding of the position. This training will also be made available on Zoom. To enroll go to https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bf1KKCv4eELPpPL. If you have any questions, please contact Sue Kass at sjkass@vt.edu or call (540) 231-4558.

Administrative Announcements:
3. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ONLINE APPLICATION SUPPLEMENTAL FORMS
An annual review of our online application supplemental forms for changes, updates, and improvements is important to help ensure that your program’s information is being accurately reflected in the online version of the Virginia Tech Graduate School application. To review your department supplemental page (questions specific to your program) please login to GSAPP with your VT PID/Password.  Once logged in, select “Admin” then “Supplemental” in the top right of the screen. If you work with only one program, your program supplemental will be displayed. If you work with more than one program, you will first need to select which program you would like to review in the program drop-down menu before the supplemental will display. Please review your portion of the supplemental page that is between the two green “program specific section” bars. Any changes to your department supplemental should be sent to Janice Austin (jema@vt.edu) in pdf format. You may choose to pdf print the individual pages and make notes via “sticky note” (Ctrl+6) and “Highlight” or “Cross-out text” (Tools, Comment & Markup, Highlight Text or Cross-out Text) features using Adobe or you may print off the pages and with clear/neat handwriting print your changes; then scan to pdf and send to Janice electronically. The review and confirmation of the application supplemental needs to be completed no later than Friday, May 31, 2019.

4. ATTENTION! GRADUATE CATALOG EDITORS
The cycle to edit for catalog year 2019-2020 has begun. Those receiving notification from the system are responsible for content. You must review and submit content, even if the content will not be updated. The deadline to submit is Friday, May 31. If you have any questions, please contact Jeremy Sippel at jsippel@vt.edu.

5. NEW REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS PURSUING GRAD DEGREES AT VT
The Commission on Graduate Studies and Policy recently 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. Four topics must be included in the plans: the University’s Principles of Community; the impact of personal actions and words; avenues of redress and shared responsibility as active bystanders to recognize and disrupt bullying; and a process of individual introspection and reflection leading to awareness of one’s own words and language. Other topics also may be included. 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.html.