AUTHOR

White, Brian

GradSchoolMatch Aims to Improve Prospect Targeting

GradSchoolMatch from ETS is an online platform to help prospective students find the best fit for a graduate school and help recruiters stand out among top prospects.
For a $195 registration fee, GradSchoolMatch allows programs to create a profile to showcase unique strengths, then sends notifications when prospects express interest and provides a site to cultivate personal connections.

For more information and to register, please visit GradSchoolMatch and select For Recruiters.

CGLL to Host JELD-WEN on Professional Communications

Students can learn how to develop and improve effective communication in the workplace from a JELD-WEN subject matter expert Oct. 1. The session, part of the Accelerate to Industry (A2I) series, runs from 11-12:30 via Zoom.

As part of the session, participants can practice skills in breakout rooms with a JELD-WEN representative.

The Center for Graduate Life and Learning will provide JELD-WEN with a resume book of those in attendance.

More information and a link to apply is available from the Center for Graduate Life and Learning.

Nominations Open for Outstanding Master's Thesis

Faculty may nominate students for the Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award through Oct. 8, 2021.

The Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award is a part of the Graduate School’s focus on enhancing research skills.

Nomination information, fields of competition and more is available from the Graduate School.

If you have questions, please contact Julie Green, jhgreen@uncc.edu, Graduate Student Services and Fellowship Specialist.

ETS Webinar: Recruitment Strategies for a Reopening World

As we begin to move past the global pandemic, “returning to normal” doesn’t necessarily mean returning to pre-COVID conditions. In this session, we’ll share the latest graduate enrollment and student flow trends, lessons learned during the last 18 months and tools for finding and connecting with prospective candidates.

Join recruitment expert Ayo Strange Wednesday, Sept. 22, 1 p.m. ET for this informative, complimentary webinar where we’ll explore:

  • The current state of college enrollment
  • Trends in international student flows
  • Changes made due to COVID–19 that are worth keeping
  • Tools, including the GRE® Search Service and the GradSchoolMatch™ platform, that can help programs find and build relationships with prospective candidates

For more information and to register, please visit the ETS Registration site.

 

CGLL Offers Support for Dissertation Work

The Center for Graduate Life and Learning (CGLL) offers dissertation support to UNC Charlotte students at all stages of the dissertation process.

Through the CGLL, writers can learn tailored strategies for managing the dissertation process, as well as how to:

  • Plan, draft, revise, and edit their dissertation writing
  • Work more effectively with dissertation chairs and committee members
  • Create strong writing habits and set reasonable writing goals
  • Manage their time and be more productive
  • Deal with barriers to writing, such as writer’s block and procrastination

Students may email Dr. Lisa Russell-Pinson, lpinson@uncc.edu, Assistant Teaching Professor of Writing in the Graduate School, to schedule an appointment.

Dissertation Writing Group
Wednesdays 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

The Dissertation Writing Group (DWG) meets Wednesdays, 10-12:30 p.m. and provides a supportive, virtual forum to help dissertation writers:

  • Form or refine productive writing and work habits
  • Break isolation and build community
  • Take advantage of structured writing time

The first DWG session begins Wednesday, Sept. 29.  The group is facilitated by Dr. Lisa Russell-Pinson, Assistant Teaching Professor of Writing in the Graduate School.

To be eligible to participate in this group, writers must be doctoral students who are actively working on their dissertation and able to commit to attending each 2.5-hour session for eight weeks.

Please visit the DWG registration site to join this group.

Research & Econ. Dev. Announces Change in F&A Distribution

New F&A distribution guidelines announced recently by Research and Economic Development include funds for colleges and centers to help support strategic research initiatives.

Starting with FY2022 (July 1 2021-June 30, 2022) receipts, 4% of the generated F&A will be returned to the investigator’s college. If the project is also affiliated with a center or institute, these funds will be split evenly  (50/50) between the college and the center/institute. Over time, the plan is to increase the allocation to faculty/staff and departments.

The original announcement from Dr. Rick Tankersley, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development, is available for download.  Also available for download is the full policy statement.

 

Ventureprise Launches Student-Focused Campaign

With a goal to engage many students across all colleges, Ventureprise is looking to work with faculty, staff and campus organizations to highlight student opportunities, ideas and research. This semester’s 49er Impact will include panels, workshops, mentoring and conclude with a pitch competition during Global Entrepreneurship Week, November 8-12. We aim to provide students with experiences, professional development and co-curricular activities in a variety of forms. We are looking for faculty and campus support in a few ways; check out the ways you can be involved and have students sign up through September 23. Email Laura Smailes, lsmailes@uncc.edu, with any questions or recommendations.

New Grade Mode Introduced for Doctoral Dissertation and Master’s Thesis Research

Last Spring the Faculty Council approved a new grade mode option for graduate research credit.  Beginning Fall 2021 the default grade mode for Doctoral Dissertation Research and Master’s Thesis Research will be Satisfactory Progress /Unsatisfactory Progress (SP/UP).

Programs that offer a MASTER’ S THESIS option may request that a Standard Letter grade (A, B, C, U) be assigned instead of SP/UP grades by contacting the Graduate School no later than October 1, 2021.

You will find the Grade of SP/UP (Satisfactory Progress/ Unsatisfactory Progress) Option in the 2021-22 Graduate Catalog under Degree Requirements and Academic Policies/ Grading and Related Policies.

You will find more information specific to Master’s Thesis Research under Degree Requirements and Academic Policies/ Master’s Degree Requirements.

If you have questions, please contact Sandra.Krause@uncc.edu

GPD Summit Recording Available

The GPD Summit on Sept. 10 covered a range of topics from policy updates to research authorship, funding and fall enrollment.

A full recording of the event is available and the PowerPoint presentation is available for download.

 

Tips for Successful Recruitment

GPDNet has Tips for Successful Graduate Recruitment and associated resources that can help you jumpstart your recruitment plan. Here’s a quick overview:

  • Maintain an up-to-date website
  • Communicate regularly with prospective students and applicants
  • Host an information session
  • Participate in a graduate recruitment fair
  • Buy GRE Search and/or TOEFL Search records
  • Recruit your undergraduates and alumni
  • Network with other institutions and faculty
  • Leverage academic events
  • Advertise in professional journals and conferences
  • Develop promotional materials

Check out the Graduate School’s recruitment event listings for 2021-22, as well as archived workshops and training materials for:

  • Graduate School Recruitment
  • Recruiting Students from Feeder Schools
  • Early Entry: Recruiting the Best from UNC Charlotte
  • Establishing Prospective Student Pipelines at HBCUs
  • Social Media Recruitment 101

For more information, please contact Maryanne Maree-Sams, MaryanneMaree-Sams@uncc.edu, Director of Graduate Recruitment.

 

Graduate School Offers Expert Assistance for NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

Graduate School Director of Funding and Fellowships Julie Goodliffe is conducting an outreach to potentially eligible candidates to apply for an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.

Dr. Goodliffe, an experienced NSF reviewer at the national level, offers live information sessions and assistance in completing the Fellowship application.

For more information, contact Julie Goodliffe, jmgoodli@uncc.edu.

Graduate Admissions System Migration Delayed

Important Information  – Graduate Admissions System Migration Status

Due to an unforeseen technical issue, the UNC Charlotte Graduate School is delaying migration to a new graduate admissions system. Once the new platform is ready to launch, additional information will be provided to prospective students, recommenders, graduate program directors and affiliated administrators, and the University community. Thank you for your patience as we continue to improve the user experience.

3-Minute Thesis Competition Open for Registration

The Center for Graduate Life and Learning (CGLL) is now accepting registrations for this year’s 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.
3MT provides an opportunity for researchers to sharpen public speaking skills and practice sharing research to outside audiences.  The top winner this year will receive a cash award of $750 and a trip to represent the University at the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools’ (CSGS) Annual Meeting in Raleigh.

To register, please visit the CGLL’s Registration site. More details are available from the CGLL.

Ventureprise Launch Applications Due Sept. 9

Applications are due Sept. 9 for the fall 2021 Ventureprise Launch National Science Foundation I-Corps Virtual Cohort.

The Ventureprise Launch program provides UNC Charlotte faculty, staff and students with commercialization training and new NSF funding up to $5,000 for a research or business idea.

This virtual cohort is designed with a tiered approach, launching on September 15.  The next stage is a six-month $50,000 NSF I-Corps Teams grant.

Applications are reviewed as they are submitted, closing on Sept. 9. More information and the application form can be found on the NSF I-Corps webpage.

For questions, contact Devin Collins or Laura Smailes.

Alliance will Fund Research on COVID-19's Impact on Women and Girls

The Women + Girls Research Alliance (W+GRA) announced it will provide seed funding for new or ongoing research efforts that highlight the issues that women and girls face in the workforce as a result of, or exacerbated by, COVID-19’s impact on the economy and society.

Issues may cover a variety of areas, such as:

  • exposure of gender-biased employment practices during COVID
  • disproportionate burden that the pandemic placed on single mothers
  • relationship between employment and housing security
  • over-representation of women of color in low-wage jobs, particularly front-line workers, and their increased exposure to the virus
  • lack of affordable childcare for working mothers

From Oct.1-15, 2021, W+GRA will accept proposals for funding in the amount of $1,000-$5,000 for projects that focus on one or both of the following:

  • Supporting an ongoing research project or a new research project that addresses the intersectional nature of the problem along the lines of race, class, gender, age, ability, immigrant status, language, location, access to helpful resources, and income.

  • Tangible projects that will support the work of the W+GRA such as conference presentations, workshops, research papers, training, or programs that address the “she-cession” and women missing from the workplace.

More details are available from the Women + Girls Research Alliance.

de Silva, First Citizen Awards Nominees Sought

The Graduate School currently seeks nominations for the 2022 First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal and Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award.

Awarded since 1988, the First Citizens Medal recognizes a senior full-time faculty member for outstanding scholarship, creativity, and/or research. Nominations may come from any UNC Charlotte faculty member.  Last year’s honoree was Dr. Akinwumi Ogundiran, Department of Africana Studies.

The award includes a cash prize, framed citation and a medal.  It will be presented in the spring semester at a ceremony and reception presided over by the Chancellor, officials of First Citizens Bank, the Dean of the Graduate School, and University officers.

Information on this year’s First Citizens award can be found in the Graduate School.  The deadline for nominations is 5:00 pm, Nov. 13, 2021.

The 2022 Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award, established in memory of the noted professor of biology, recognizes a full-time member of the graduate faculty who evinces outstanding graduate mentoring.  Nominations should come from a chair of the academic department.

The award comes with a crystal obelisk, a framed citation, and a cash prize and will be presented in the spring semester at a ceremony and reception presided over by the Chancellor, the Dean of the Graduate School, and University officers.

Information on this year’s competition can be found in the Graduate School.  The deadline for nominations is 5:00 pm November 5, 2021

CGLL to Host Atkins Library Series

The Center for Graduate Life and Learning (CGLL) will host an Atkins Library Workshop Series this semester to build student awareness of the library’s spaces and resources.
It began with a Grad Student Open House Sept.1 that will be followed by two virtual workshops in September:

The CGLL also will  host Atkins Library for two workshops on How to Use Endnote Citation Management Software, a face-to-face session Sept. 15 and a virtual session Sept. 21.

Programs to Determine Testing Requirements

The Graduate Council voted unanimously on Mar. 9 to eliminate the standardized test requirement for applicants to graduate programs, beginning with the 2022 application cycle. Subsequently, on April 29, 2021, the Faculty Council also voted to support the proposal. Accordingly, graduate programs may choose to require the GRE, MAT, GMAT, MCAT, PAEP or other types of tests as part of their admission application requirements but a test is not required by the Graduate School. Additional information, including standardized test procedures and what program directors may need to consider and/or do in light of this change, is available for download.

Admissions Application and eGRAD Unavailable Sept. 8-15

Graduate Admissions is transitioning to a new recruitment and admissions system (Slate) on September 15th, and mygradschool.uncc.edu AND eGRAD will be brought down on September 7th at 11:59 pm. Prospective students are being encouraged to submit their application and supporting materials on or before September 7th, else they can submit materials in the new Slate system beginning September 15th. Similarly, Graduate Program Directors are encouraged to make recommendations on all Ready for Review applications prior to September 8th or wait until  after the Slate go-live on September 15th. Slate training will be available beginning September 13th, so stay tuned to GPDNet for additional details.

Between September 8th – 15th, applications and supporting materials will be migrated to Slate and prospective students for 2022 will be emailed new system credentials to access the new system on or around September 15th. Similarly, recommendation providers are being encouraged to submit references by September 7th at 11:59 pm; otherwise, they will be provided new system and login credentials for Slate on or around September 15th.

Some Doctoral Students May Get Advanced Standing

Doctoral students who enter with a relevant master’s degree may be admitted to an Advanced Standing track in some doctoral programs.

In those programs offering this option, the Graduate Program Director must recommend  admission to the Advanced Standing track for the term in which the student begins their graduate study.

Please send these requests to Sandra.Krause@uncc.edu.