AUTHOR

White, Brian

Use your Employee Benefits for a Graduate Education

February 22, 2018 by White, Brian

The Graduate School will conduct an information session Mar. 28 from 12-1 for University employees who hold a baccalaureate degree and wish to pursue their graduate education. Enrollment counselors will explain the easy application process, answer program questions and distribute HR information for the tuition waiver and free textbook rental programs. The session will be held in Cato 248.

Full-time employees can take three classes per year, tuition free. Additionally, employees can apply easily for admission as a graduate certificate or post-baccalaureate (non-degree) student without standardized tests, transcripts or recommendation requirements. To reserve your seat, complete the registration.

Recruiting Event Mar. 28 in Columbia

February 21, 2018 by White, Brian

Columbia College will host a Grad School Fair Wednesday, Mar. 28. The event will draw undergraduate students from the Columbia metropolitan area.

The Fair will be in the Columbia College Student Dining Hall, 1301 Columbia College Drive, Columbia, SC 29203. Registration and parking are free.

To register go to the Columbia College Grad School Fair registration page. For more information, contact Nigel Smith, (nsmith@columbiasc.edu), Coordinator of Career Coaching, (803) 786-3604.

Social Work Virtual Recruiting Event Apr. 18

February 20, 2018 by White, Brian

A virtual event planned for Apr. 18 will connect students interested in graduate programs in social work with interested graduate school educators without the usual transportation expense.

Learn more by visiting the Social Work Grad School Virtual Fair web site.

Apr. 6 Recruiting Opportunity at Livingstone

February 15, 2018 by White, Brian

Livingstone College in Salisbury, N.C. will host a Graduate School / Career Fair Friday, Apr. 6 from 11-2 p.m. The cost of the fair $75.00. To register visit Livingstone College’s registration site.

New Course Scheduler Coming Mar. 5

February 14, 2018 by White, Brian

Schedule Wizard is a schedule building tool for students that allows for a simple and less cumbersome course scheduling process to support the goal of degree completion. Students easily select preferred classes, block off breaks/personal commitments, and generate possible schedules for registration.

Schedule Wizard will be available on the student view of my.uncc.edu under Quick Links beginning Mar. 5. While the tool will be helpful to undergraduates with many course options, it is also available to graduate students. For more information about the program, visit the Schedule Wizard page of the Office of the Registrar website.

Advisor Open Swims:

Thursday, February 22, 10:00 – 11:00 AM, CHHS 370
Monday, February 26, 2:00 – 3:00 PM, CHHS 370

Salem College Recruiting Event Mar. 8

February 13, 2018 by White, Brian

The Salem College Spring 2018 Career Fair, Mar. 8, 12-3 p.m., is an opportunity for exposure to bright, motivated and capable students interested in graduate education.

The Graduate School has a table registered for the Expo and invites all interested to register for a table. Registrations will go fast. If you are interested in attending, please go to Salem College, event registration.

For more information, contact Maryanne Maree-Sams, Graduate Enrollment Counselor, 704-687-7243.

Spring Dissertation Writing Retreat Registration Open

February 12, 2018 by White, Brian

The spring Dissertation Writing Retreat Mar. 5-8 gives doctoral students an opportunity to advance their dissertation work. More information is available from the Center for Graduate Life.

Graduate Life Fellow Applications Open

February 12, 2018 by White, Brian

Students may apply to join the Graduate School’s Graduate Life Fellows (GLF) program through Mar. 19.

GLFs have an opportunity to build leadership skills by helping build awareness of opportunities and resources, and providing support for graduate students from orientation through graduation.

For more information, please visit the Center for Graduate Life’s GLF page.

Fall ’18 Grad Student Funding Developments

February 06, 2018 by White, Brian

As the Graduate School engages in the application and student funding process this term, we need to prepare our funding profile for fall 2018. We’re not certain what that profile will look like, but we know it will be driven by two primary factors:

The amount of funds that will be available for graduate student support in the fall; and
Actual fall graduate student enrollment.

Consequently, the Graduate School will stop making continuous awards on April 1 and place new nominations from Program Directors in a “waiting pool.” Then on April 15, the Graduate School will begin making limited awards to those in the “waiting pool” based on funds made available as a result of declined offers. Nominations received after April 15 will move into that “waiting pool.” That’s when available funding will determine distribution of funds.

For GASP funding support, make sure that when you nominate a student for GASP that you are also providing that student with a college/department-funded assistantship. Award of that assistantship is a prerequisite for receiving matching contributions from the Graduate School in the form of tuition support.

For more information on the funding process for fall 2018, visit Student Support on the Graduate School’s Faculty and Staff section.

Nominate A Veteran for an Assistantship

February 01, 2018 by White, Brian

The deadline for nominations for up to three annual Veteran Graduate Assistantships is March 16. All that is required for eligible candidates is that the applicant be accepted into your program and that the Graduate Program Director make the nomination. Email Alan Freitag in the Graduate School with your nominations.

This program reflects the Graduate School’s efforts to recruit exceptionally talented military veterans to our graduate programs. These Veteran Graduate Assistantships provide a graduate assistantship (teaching or research) for two academic years, resident tuition support and health insurance (if needed, based on the candidate’s veteran benefit status), to three newly admitted graduate students (doctoral or master’s).

For more information, visit the Graduate School‘s web site.

To date, eight outstanding veterans have benefited from this program:

LaKeysha Sawyer, Social Work Master’s
Tracy Valero, Health Administration Master’s
Nathan Lambert, Mechanical Engineering Master’s
Magin Day, Health Psychology Ph.D.
Frank Thompson, Counseling Master’s
Tyler Crone, Mathematical Finance Master’s
Taryn Greene, Health Psychology Ph.D.
Charles Williams, Social Work Master’s

Here are details concerning these awards:

Open to military veterans from any branch of service with an Honorable Discharge admitted to any Master’s or Doctoral degree program.
Student must be newly admitted to a graduate program at UNC Charlotte but not yet enrolled (first-year student).
Award begins with the fall semester.
Assistantship is served with the recipient’s home department.
Up to three competitive awards will be made each year.
For doctoral students the funding will be $18,000 for 9 months, and for master’s students $12,000 for 9 months.
Recipients are eligible to receive tuition awards for resident tuition support plus health insurance if needed (the Graduate School and Veteran Services Office will work with each recipient to align the award with VA benefits to ensure the best combination for the student).
Students must register for a minimum of 6 graduate credit hours in each term the assistantship is in effect and maintain satisfactory progress toward the degree to remain eligible.
The assistantship will be in place for two years, after which the department or program of study must provide funding as necessary. A third year for a master’s student may be negotiated if needed to complete the degree. After the second year, doctoral programs are expected to provide continuing support (assistantship or fellowship) to the recipient as long as the student is making satisfactory progress toward the degree (full-time enrollment with a minimum grade point average of 3.00). The Graduate School will commit to continuing resident tuition and health insurance awards for an additional three years.
Graduate Program Director recommends veteran student for award after student has been accepted into the program; Graduate School committee reviews applicants and selects up to three recipients each year

New Doctoral Hooding Ceremony Launches with May Commencement

February 01, 2018 by White, Brian

Beginning with the May Commencement, UNC Charlotte graduating doctoral students will be recognized in a separate ceremony, which will include hooding by their advisor. This new Graduate Hooding Ceremony is May 10 at Halton Arena of the Student Activity Center.

The inaugural event will feature Chancellor Philip L. Dubois as keynote speaker.

“The hooding ceremony is in addition to and does not replace commencement,” said Dr. Tom Reynolds, dean of the Graduate School. “The ceremony is a special recognition of our doctoral students’ significant achievements. The stand-alone event will place greater emphasis on each doctoral recipient.”

Doctoral candidates will receive details of the ceremony when they apply to graduate.

For more information, please visit the Commencement site.

See the following FAQs for assistance in responding to student questions on this change:

Q: Will I receive my diploma at the Hooding Ceremony or at Commencement?

Doctoral students will receive the Diploma at the Hooding ceremony as well as be hooded.

Q: Will I also be hooded at Commencement?

A: No, but you will walk across the stage and be recognized along with the other graduates at Commencement.

Q: Do I have to attend both in order to graduate?

A: No, but we hope you will take the opportunity to participate in both the Hooding ceremony and Commencement to allow us to celebrate your achievement.

Feb. 9 Conference: Beyond Academia Careers for Ph.D.’s

January 30, 2018 by White, Brian

Beyond Academia, scheduled Feb. 9 beginning at 11:30 a.m. at the Harris Alumni Center, is a half-day conference designed to help doctoral students understand employment options outside of college and university settings, and how to find them. Students will meet and hear from experts in industry and government sectors, take advantage of one-on-one resume writing help, and network with professionals who can offer real-world advice. Registration is required.

For more information, visit the Center for Graduate Life.

Family Friendly Library Room Open to Students

January 30, 2018 by White, Brian

If you are teaching students who have children or dependents, please make them aware that OASES has partnered with the Atkins Library and the ANSWER Scholarship program to build the ANSWER Scholarship Family-Friendly Library Room in Atkins 209. This is a space where parents can bring their children and study, complete with computers, and early literacy computer, books, toys, a TV, and much more. A convenient and beneficial student resource for adults who are juggling time management with school and family. You must register in advance to have access to the room. For more information and to register, visit the Family Friendly Room site.

If you’re interested in contributing to the construction of a second Family Friendly Room, contact Leana Zona, lzona@uncc.edu.

Graduate Admissions Application Portal Gets a Makeover

January 26, 2018 by White, Brian

Beginning Monday, Jan. 29, visitors to the Graduate School’s student application portal will find a redesigned site with simpler navigation that is more mobile-friendly.

The change also replaces the unique user name with the applicant’s email address and sends a confirmation message to that address for validation as part of the registration process. Note: Existing users will need to use their old user name the first time they sign on to the new system.

The application portal allows prospects and applicants to:

Submit information
RSVP to an event
Ask questions
View emails
Apply for admission or re-admission
Monitor application status
View the decision letter
Confirm intent to enroll

For more information on Admissions, visit the Graduate School’s Recruitment and Admissions page.

Engagement Survey Opens Jan. 29

January 25, 2018 by White, Brian

A UNC System Employee Engagement Survey launches Monday, January 29. Feedback from all employees is sought in a continuing effort to enhance workplace culture.

Employees will receive an email from ModernThink that will contain a link to the survey. Each link is unique and should not be shared with others. All survey responses are anonymous.

The survey should take about 20 minutes. The University is offering a chance for prizes to those who participate. For more information, visit the Chancellor’s Office website.

ComSciCon Workshop Applications Open

January 24, 2018 by White, Brian

Applications are now open for ComSciCon 2018, the 6th annual Communicating Science workshop, to be held in Boston, MA on June 14-16th 2017. Graduate students at U.S. and Canadian institutions in all fields of science, technology, engineering, health, mathematics, and related fields are encouraged to apply. The application will close on March 1st.

Acceptance to the workshop is competitive; attendance is free and travel support and lodging will be provided to accepted applicants.

Participants will build the communication skills that scientists and other technical professionals need to express complex ideas to the general public, experts in other fields, and their peers. In additional to panel discussions (on topics such as Creative Storytelling, Science Journalism, Diversity/Inclusivity, and a Case Study on Scicomm in Medicine), ample time is allotted for networking with science communication experts and developing science outreach collaborations with fellow graduate students.

For more information and to apply, visit ComSciCon.

UNC Charlotte to Host NC STRIVE

January 23, 2018 by White, Brian

UNC Charlotte hosts more than 800 veteran students on campus, and our university’s origin was as an institution serving returning World War II veterans. So outreach to and support for veterans and their family members is a significant component of our identity. That’s why we’re proud to be hosting the April 18 regional conference of NC STRIVE – the Governor’s agency promoting veteran support among our state’s 2- and 4-year institutions.

The all-day conference (8 a.m.-4 p.m.) is aimed at regional college and university administrators, faculty and staff as well as veteran service providers, behavioral health advocates and government agencies. The event is free, including lunch sponsored by Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, but registration is required. Here’s where you can register: NC STRIVE REGISTRATION.

Slated for McKnight Hall in the Cone Conference Center as well as break-out rooms on the second floor of Cone, the event begins with a keynote address by Bruce Capehart, MD, a psychiatrist and Medical Director for the OEF/OIF Program at the VA Medical Center at Durham. OEF and OIF refer to military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and Dr. Capehart is an Army veteran of both those conflicts.

There will be individual panel presentations by Charlotte region business leaders, current veteran students and college/university administrators. Break-out sessions will address topics such as “Green Zone” training, suicide prevention, military transfer credit, mentoring the non-traditional student and additional topics designed to equip administrators, faculty and staff in higher education with information, resources, and networking that will enhance the experience and success of student veterans in their pursuit of certificates and degrees.

Registration is capped at 150, and all area colleges and universities are invited, so please register soon. Contact Dr. Alan Freitag in the Graduate School (x77312, arfreita@uncc.edu) for more information.

Effectively Recruit McNair Scholars

January 23, 2018 by White, Brian

The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program helps prepare eligible participants for doctoral studies through involvement in research and scholarly projects. Participants are typically from disadvantaged backgrounds, generally from underrepresented segments of society, and have strong academic potential.

Staff in the Office of Graduate Admissions actively recruits McNair Scholars at the McNair regional conference each summer, and routinely waives their application fees. Note that the fee waiver must be requested by the applicant prior to submitting the application for admission. Applicants should contact Maryanne Maree-Sams at MaryanneMaree-Sams@uncc.edu or 704-687-7243 to request the fee waiver; they must also email her a letter of participation as a McNair Scholar.

Maryanne Maree-Sams also has access to the McNair Scholars database of participants. If you are interested in recruiting exemplary students to your graduate program, please contact Maryanne directly.

Catalog Review Shifts from Email to Curriculog

January 22, 2018 by White, Brian

Colleges and Academic Departments will not receive their catalog description sections for review in a Word document via email as they have in the past. Instead, these edits must be processed via Curriculog.

Changes to Degree Programs must be done via the Program Revision form.
Changes to Courses must be done via the Course Revision form.
Changes to College/Department descriptions must be done via the new Non-Curricular Catalog Section Revision form.

Instructions to preview and make edits to catalog sections pertaining to College/Department descriptions are available on the Faculty Governance website. Please note that at this time, only colleges and their respective academic departments should submit their description edits via this new Curriculog form. Other campus departments will be given instructions via email at a later date on how to make changes to their non-curricular catalog content.

Deadlines for the 2018-2019 Catalogs

01/31/18 – All program and course proposals launched and approved by the Originator via Curriculog
03/31/18 – All college and academic department descriptive text launched and approved by the Originator via Curriculog

Census Day Looms: Check Students' Status

January 12, 2018 by White, Brian

Monday, January 22, is Census Day – a most important milestone in the semester. It is critical that graduate faculty make certain that students :

are officially enrolled and registered; and that those planning to graduate
are registered for at least one class.

Students not officially enrolled but taking a class are benefitting from resources for which they are not paying. Students planning to graduate MUST be registered for at least one class in the term in which they wish to graduate; that could include GRAD 9999, GRAD 7999 or equivalent courses.

Please share this important information with you graduate faculty. For further information contact the Graduate School at 704-687-5503.