AUTHOR

White, Brian

New Non-Resident Grad Students Sent Residency Guidelines

Newly admitted non-resident graduate students recently were sent information from Residency Compliance Manager Brenda Sawyer outlining steps needed to qualify as a resident for tuition purposes.

A sample of the Residency message is available for download.

Questions on residency should be directed to the Residency Determination Service (RDS) at 844-319-3640, rdsinfo@ncresidency.org or to Brenda Sawyer, Brenda.Sawyer@uncc.edu

ISSO Issues Guidance on Federal Customs Policy Change

The International Student and Scholar Office (ISSO) issued new guidance for international students after ICE/SEVP rescinded policies issued July 6 governing participation in online classes.

The full text of the ISSO statement sent to students via email is available for download.

Online Workshop Focuses on Effective Online Courses

The UNC System Office will host an online workshop on Designing Effective Online Courses July 20. The workshop is free, but space is limited, and registration is required. Learn more and register.

The material will be aimed at instructors who have minimal proficiency leading online learning environments, but experienced instructors will also find new tips, hot topics, and useful activities.

The two-week session begins on July 20. Participants can finish the work at their own pace, but are encouraged to complete the program by July 31.

Learn More: The syllabus provides additional detail. Visit the Digital Learning Initiative website to register.

Please forward questions to Dr. Jim Ptaszynski, Vice President for Digital Learning.

Undergrad Research Programs Offer Potential Early Entry Candidates

The Office of Undergraduate Research is recruiting faculty to participate in the OUR Scholars and Federal Work Study (FWS) Research Assistant Program through July 24.

The two programs provide research experience, mentorship and professional development. Faculty are invited to submit a research project to be paired with an undergraduate student for the 2020-2021 Academic Year.

The OUR scholars program will include eight OUR scholars each in the fall and spring semester. There is no cap on the FWS Research projects. Projects will be selected based on faculty members’ mentorship record and breadth of research experience that will be provided to the students.

To get involved, please complete the form for 2020-2021 Call for OUR Academic Year Research Opportunities.

For more information, please contact Erin R. Banks, ebanks10@uncc.edu.

Grad Certificates Are the Topic of Upcoming Webinar

UNC Charlotte graduate admissions staff will host online sessions in July to explain the basics about applying for a graduate certificate. Scheduled July 15 and July 28, the webinar will provide a general overview of funding, fellowships, financial aid, and assistantships..

Included in the session will be information on one of the newest graduate certificates, Workplace Competencies.

A graduate certificate provides specialized training in a particular academic and/or occupational area and can augment professional skills to help advance the career. See the range of graduate certificates on the Graduate School’s Programs web page.

 Webinar Dates:

July 15, 2020 1:00-2:00 pm EST WebEx

July 28, 2020 12:00-1:00 pm EST WebEx

CGS Expresses Concern with Guidance on F-1 Students

The Council on Graduate Schools (CGS) released a statement expressing concern with the recent guidance from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program regarding international students’ participation in online courses.

Read the full statement from the CGS.

 

ISSO Addresses Federal Guidance on F-1 Students

In a memo to UNC Charlotte leaders, the International Student and Scholar Office (ISSO) addressed guidance for F-1 students from the the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) issued by news release July 6.

 

The ISSO memo is available for download.

The original SEVP news release is available from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Check Summer Graduates' Degree Requirements

We have started summer graduation pre-clearance. Please review DegreeWorks to ensure your summer graduates have satisfied all degree requirements.

Resources for Planning for Fall 2020 Reopening

Resources for planning for the Fall 2020 reopening are available on the Office of the Provost website. This includes new information about faculty training and classroom technology upgrades, as well as FAQs related to course delivery.

Ombuds Report: Student Issues Increasingly Complex

In the 2019-2020 report from the Graduate Ombuds, the challenges students face are changing and growing more complex.

Bruce Taylor, Ph.D., serves as the Graduate Student Ombuds.  In his report to the Graduate School, Taylor noted that the per student time spent in consultation increased slightly over the previous year owing to increased complexity of consultations.  He said the more complex situations involve interpersonal challenges among students or between a student and a faculty member. This type of situation represents 44 percent of the cases in the past year.

“The COVID-19 pandemic brought some new concerns—access to campus services and labs, changing expectations for graduate assistantships and changes to the content and format of dissertations,” Taylor said. “However, many of the concerns continued to center around relationships with faculty mentors and programs.”

A summary of the Ombuds Report is available for download.

Distance Ed Introduces New Out of NC Tuition Rate

Distance Education has introduced a new tuition and fee structure for out of North Carolina non-resident students.

The Distance Education Out-of-NC Non-Resident Tuition Rate Fact Sheet is available for download.

More on Distance Education Tuition and Fees can be found at Niner Central.

Webinar Addresses Test Requirements for Summer/Fall 2021 Applicants

At the outset of the pandemic, with testing centers closed around the world, Graduate Program Directors were given autonomy to waive testing requirements for summer/fall 2020 applicants. Given the ongoing challenge for people to access physical testing centers, and/or the lack of personal equipment and settings to sit for an online test, coupled with significant financial challenges, many programs are considering waiving the standardized test requirement for 2021 applicants.

To address these challenges and opportunities and brainstorm viable alternatives, join Associate Dean Johnna Watson and Director of Graduate Admissions Kathy Giddings for a Zoom meeting on:  Wednesday, July 8, at 11 AM.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/97671625105?pwd=c0pQQ2p6SVRTWGNMaWtGZHAyVVNwQT09

Meeting ID: 976 7162 5105
Password: 6vywP3

Read more on the issue at ScienceMag.org.

8-Week Career Lab's Focus Is Career Competencies

The Center for Graduate Life’s GRAD 8320/6320, Developing Core Career Competencies, can help improve the personal brand, articulate a career path, connect to targeted industries and communicate across diverse populations.
Career Lab is an 8-week part-of-term format during the first part of fall, in a hybrid asynchronous format (i.e., half the class will attend on Tuesdays and half on Thursdays).
Register at my.uncc.edu.

Residency Determination Cut-Off Date Extended

The required cut-off date for applying any RDS determination has been extended from 30 to 45 days from the start of term for fall 2020 through spring 2021. The change was made to allow for adjustments to Census Day reporting in the wake of COVID-19.

 

The changes were outlined in a letter from Kimberly van Noort, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer for the UNC System. The letter is available for download.

Students Who Defer to Spring Can Keep GASP or Master's Merit Awards


As students defer to Spring 2021, any with current GASP or Master’s Merit Awards can keep them for Spring. Please revise the eGA, add Melissa Peterson to the approval queue, and note that the student currently has GASP or a Master’s Merit Award.
For questions, please contact Julie Goodliffe (jmgoodli@uncc.edu).

GRE Program Offers Guide to Holistic Admissions

ETS and GRE® Program have developed a step-by-step guide to implementing a holistic admissions process aligned with program and institution goals.

Visit ETS to view the guide, Navigating Holistic Admissions.

Help Prospects Learn About Your Program

A virtual information session for prospective students provides an opportunity to engage directly with a Graduate Program Director and currently enrolled students to learn about admission requirements and the application process, opportunities for student engagement, and determine if a graduate program is a good fit.

Graduate Admissions utilizes the AdmissionPros Event Management System to schedule the information sessions, manage RSVPs, and promote the event on our websites and social media accounts. Downstream, we can track participants to determine those who apply, are admitted, and ultimately enroll. A Graduate Admissions staff member will participate in the information session and lead you every step of the way.
Contact Maryanne Maree-Sams (MaryanneMaree-Sams@uncc.edu) or Ellie Ivey (efeely@uncc.edu) to plan a virtual information session for your graduate program, or to chat about any questions you may have related to the process. We suggest that you allow at least four weeks to advertise the offering, so it’s never too early to begin the process.

ETS Guide to Preparing for Admissions

ETS and the GRE® Program recently released a discussion guide that poses questions faculty and administrators should consider in preparing for, collecting and accepting applications.

The guide is available for download.

 

Encourage Admitted Students to Submit Official Transcript

Applicants offered admission are required to submit a final official transcript from the college or university where the bachelor’s degree was earned prior to registering for the  second semester in the Graduate School at UNC Charlotte.

Final transcripts for spring 2021 admits are due Aug. 15. Fall semester transcript submissions are due in October. Final transcripts can be mailed to the Graduate School or sent electronically directly from the College or University to gradcounselor@uncc.edu.

Special Call for COVID-19 Research Proposals

The School of Data Science and Research and Economic Development issued a call through the Ignite Planning Grants Program for proposals associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Faculty and staff teams can apply for one-time Flash Grants of between $5,000-$10,000 for 3-6 months. Teams that engage with one of our University Business Partners will be eligible for an additional $5,000, for a total of up to $15,000.

By encouraging collaboration among researches from different colleges and other institutions, the program aims to position research teams to respond to more external funding opportunities related to COVID-19.

Complete submission details are available for download.  For questions, contact Lesley Brown, Director of the Center for Research Excellence.