Preview Weekend

It is time to start nominating candidates for Preview Weekend.

https://secure.graduateschool.vt.edu/preview_weekend/login.jsp

Nominations will be accepted through January 20, 2011. Please note that this program is designed to bring your top candidates to campus as an opportunity for the Graduate School and your department to highlight our offerings. 

Priority is given to students who have not already visited campus and who are underrepresented in your department.

Please contact me if you have questions.

Dannette Gomez Beane

Office of Graduate Recruiting and Diversity Initiatives

Virginia Tech

dannette@vt.edu

540-231-6529

Nominations requested for Graduate Student Awards

The Graduate School would like to encourage nominations for the following student awards:

  •          Outstanding Dissertation– two awards, one in math/science/engineering and one  in social sciences/business/humanities, $1000
  •          Graduate Student Teaching Excellence- $1000
  •          Graduate Student Service Excellence– $1000
  •          Graduate Man and Woman of the Year– $500
  •          Outstanding Graduate Student– one master’s and one doctoral student per college, $500
  •          Outstanding Interdisciplinary Program Student– $500
 All students will be recognized during the Graduate Education Week banquet in March as well as receive a plaque/certificate and monetary award. More information about criteria, forms, and process for nomination can be found on our web page at:
 
 

The deadline for the first four awards listed above is February 4, 2011 at 5 pm while the last two are due by February 18 at 5 pm.

AdvanceVT Grad Student Lunch Seminar

Graduate students interested in pursuing a faculty career and learning more about working at different types of institutions are invited to join a panel discussion of strategies for success. Panelists are Dr. Olga Pierrakos, Assistant Professor, Engineering, James Madison University; Dr. Morgan Wilson, Associate Professor and Head, Biology, Hollins University; and Dr. Julie Dunsmore, Associate Professor, Psychology, Virginia Tech.

AdvanceVT Graduate Student Lunch Seminars are designed to help graduate students prepare for careers in academe. All graduate students and postdocs are welcome, and lunch is provided. Register here by November 10.

Guidelines for New Graduate Course Proposals

Preparing a proposal for a new course? Find detailed guidelines for each section of the proposal plus two examples of recently approved proposals at
http://www.graduateschool.vt.edu/graduate_school/gcc/GCCguide.pdf.

After college approval, proposals are uploaded to Hokie CAPS by the college staff member who assists the college curriculum committee.

Questions? Kerry Redican, Graduate Curriculum Committee Chair, or Rosemary Blieszner, Associate Dean.

Invitation to GLC 5-Year Celebrations

The Graduate School invites graduate students, graduate alumni, faculty, staff, and other friends of the Graduate School to the 5-year celebration of the opening of the GLC on Friday, November 5, 2010, 2:00-4:00pm in the GLC Multipurpose Room. The program will include:

  • Displays depicting the first five years of the GLC
  • Cake and refreshments
  • Remarks by Dr. Karen DePauw
  • Presentation of awards

Learn more about our celebrations and the history of the GLC at our anniversary website. Although registration is not required for this event, we would appreciate if you would let us know about your intent to attend.

Call for Proposals

I’m pleased to announce an Call for Proposals for new Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Programs (IGEPs).   

In his review of the mid-term strategic plan, the Provost charged me “to explore how best to accelerate continued movement toward interdisciplinary graduate education” at Virginia Tech.  Based upon the results of numerous focused discussion groups, the recommendations of the VT Interdisciplinary Scholars in Life Sciences, and the results of the Interdisciplinary Summit held July 15, 2010, it appears that Virginia Tech is well situated to move aggressively toward enhancing interdisciplinary graduate education and research.   

As a result, the Graduate School in consultation with faculty has developed an initiative entitled Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program (IGEP).  The IGEPs will provide innovative graduate education programs at Virginia Tech, strengthen faculty collaborations within VT and with external partners, and significantly increase the opportunities to secure multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary grants.  Toward that end, we are seeking applications from groups of faculty who wish to submit a proposal for an Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program (IGEP).  Please see the Call for Proposals, http://grads.vt.edu/interdisciplinary

 Sincerely,

Karen P. DePauw, Ph.D.
Vice President and Dean for Graduate Education

QR Codes Around the Graduate School & GLC

During GEW 2010, the Graduate School began placing QR Codes around the GLC and office spaces.  We now have a tool that will allow you to generate a good number of types of QR Codes.  The types of data we currently offer to be encoded into a QR code are: URL, Email address, Geo Location, MeCard(/vCard), Text, SMS, Wireless Network.  The goal of this little application is to become a one stop shop for creating a QR code.  We are looking to add other items to the application as time goes on.  If you have suggestions for QR content around the GLC or for functionality of this app, please let us know.

I’d like to give kudos and thanks to Erdem Memisyaizci for getting this application together.

One-time Bonus for Returning Graduate Assistants

Graduate students on assistantship are eligible for the bonus if:

  • they were employed (GA, GRA, GTA, faculty, or staff) during the 2009-10 fiscal year, and
  • are contracted as a graduate assistant (GA, GRA, GTA) on December 1st, 2010.

The bonus will be 3% of the graduate student’s projected annual pay as of December 1st, 2010, based on an academic year or calendar year basis.  The graduate student’s 2009-10 employment history will determine an academic or calendar year appointment basis.  The bonus will be included in the December 1st, 2010 paycheck.  Applicable taxes and deductions will apply.
     
The fund source of the bonus will correspond to the fund source of the current year stipend. The  E&G support for the bonus will be provided to departments through a one-time budget allocation.  The Office of Budget and Financial Planning will be working with auxiliary enterprises to address the cost within existing resources.  Externally sponsored grants & contracts should also expect the cost; it is hoped that the planned stipend escalation factor will accommodate the one-time cost.

For questions please contact Tim Hodge in the Office of Budget and Financial Planning.