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White, Brian

Raleigh Meteorologist Greg Fishel to Address Climate Change

Greg Fishel, weather forecaster for Raleigh television station WRAL, will present “Climate Change: My Journey from Ideology to Science,” Nov. 11 at the Raleigh Convention Center.

The presentation, sponsored by the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, examines the scientific, political and religious sides of the climate change debate and explores why a divide exists between scientists and the public.

To register, please visit Sigma Xi.

Sigma Xi also will be sponsoring a Student Research Conference at the event, featuring a poster competition and career development sessions on science communication.

 

 

 

80+ Attend Grad Ed Summit

More than 80 members of UNC Charlotte’s Graduate Education community participated in the September 8 Grad Ed Summit. Program Directors, Department Chairs and other administrators heard from Graduate School staff and shared ideas and questions in the Halton Reading Room of the Atkins Library.

Following introductory remarks by Graduate School Dean Tom Reynolds and Graduate Council Chair Christine Haynes, Graduate School staff formally introduced GPDNet, the new on-line portal for Graduate Program Directors. Katherine Hall-Hertel then updated attendees on DegreeWorks and CGL activities. Johnna Watson discussed admissions developments, and Alan Freitag explained the Graduate School’s restructured approach to strategic communication in support of graduate education and outreach efforts to the military/veteran population.

Open discussion followed, covering topics from recruiting to student funding processes. The Summit concluded with the announcement that beginning in May 2018, doctoral students will be recognized in a separate hooding ceremony apart from the traditional commencement exercises.

If you attended the event, the Graduate School staff would very much appreciate your assessment to help us make future events even better. Please use the comment section below to share your insights.

 

Future Faculty Enrollment Open

NC State’s Building Future Faculty (BFF) Program is accepting applications for the 2018 Program through Nov. 12, 2017.

The all-expenses paid workshop in Raleigh Mar. 14-16, 2018, is designed for diverse graduate students and post-doctoral students who are seeking a career as a faculty member. Workshop topics explore what to expect as a faculty member, a discussion of the wealth of resources available to faculty for teaching and expectations of productivity for faculty engaged in research. Participants will spend time with current faculty and department chairs in their discipline discussing effective strategies to prepare for an academic career.

For more information and to apply, please visit the Building Future Faculty website.

 

 

Assessment Needed for International TAs

The Office of International Programs recently sent a reminder to international teaching assistants calling attention to the requirement to attend an English language assessment and to complete an I-9 form that is available from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

For more information, visit the Center for Graduate Life Teaching Assistants.

 

Assistantships Now on Hire-A-Niner

Hire-A-Niner, the online system that provides students easy access to jobs, internships, and co-ops now is a source for Graduate Assistantship opportunities too.

“A graduate assistant position has been added to the types of jobs listed on Hire-A-Niner,” said Julie Goodliffe, Director of Funding and Fellowships for the Graduate School.  “Now, any department looking for a graduate assistant can easily create the position in Hire-A-Niner and view all the applications in one place.”

Goodliffe said the Hire-A-Niner portal permits greater control over when and how an opportunity is posted and on who can apply.  The portal also archives job postings so re-posting a job is easy.

Students can search and save their searches and get updates by email.  The system features a resume creator, resource library, hire reporting and online career tools.

For more information or to register and post a graduate assistantship opportunity, visit Hire-A-Niner and select the Employer option.

Key Registration Deadlines Coming Up

Categories: Policies and Plans

Students who are not registered must do so by the published deadline to enroll in classes this fall semester.  Once the add/drop deadline has passed, students who are not on the class roster should not be allowed to continue in the class.

Here are some key deadlines:

Monday, Aug. 28, 11:59 pm, Second Cancellation for non-payment:  The second and final class schedule cancellation is Monday, Aug. 28.  The Office of Student Accounts regularly notifies students of cancellation, and the Graduate Admissions staff emails the rosters of students to GPDs to ensure timely payment and prevent schedule cancellation.

Monday, Aug. 28, Deadline to Add/Drop/Register for a Class: Late adds after the Census date (Sept. 1) will be approved only if 1) a student is already enrolled in classes, and 2) faculty can attest that the student can catch up the missed work. Late adds should be submitted through the Graduate Academic Petition.

Tuesday, Aug 29, Deadline to Submit Residency for Tuition Status Application:  The due date for graduate students to submit the N.C. Residence and Tuition Status Application with all required documentation is 5:00 pm on Tuesday, Aug. 29.  For more information on residency determination requirements, please contact the Residency Determination Office.

Friday, Sept 1, Official Census:  UNC Charlotte loses state appropriations for any student who is added late to classes after the official census date.

Faculty may check their class roster through faculty self-service in Banner. Instructions are located on the Office of the Registrar site.

 

3MT® Competitions Slated for Nov. 3, Nov. 10

After an excellent first event in spring 2017, 3MT® returns to UNC Charlotte this fall. Developed by The University of Queensland, the 3MT® exercise cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills.

Preliminary competition for the UNC Charlotte event is Nov. 3, with finals following on Nov. 10.  Cash prizes are awarded for the first place, runner up, and People’s Choice presenters.  The first place presenter will advance to the Regional Conference of Southern Graduate Schools 3MT® competition in February.

For more information, videos, and rules, visit the 3MT® Competition page at the Center for Graduate Life.

Nominate Your Best Master Student Thesis

Oct. 9 is the deadline for nominating  students for the Graduate School’s 2018 Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award.  Faculty may nominate a student whose thesis has been accepted in partial fulfillment of master’s degree requirements during the past two academic years and/or summer sessions.

Winners may also be considered for the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools Master’s Thesis competition.

For more information, please visit Graduate Student Competitions at the Center for Graduate Life.

Graduate Council Launches 2017/18 Academic Year

Categories: Dean's Office

The Graduate Council’s first meeting of the 2017/18 academic year was held Aug. 22 in the Cato Building. Council Chair Christine Haynes, Department of History, thanked members for their willingness to serve and reviewed the Council’s roles and responsibilities. Graduate School Dean Tom Reynolds stressed the importance of the Council’s advice and counsel in advancing graduate education. Both the Dean and the Chair discussed the importance of Faculty Governance in the successful function of the university. Chair Haynes also encouraged Council members to bring their college graduate faculty concerns and issues to Council meetings for discussion and to convey to faculty the Council’s activities.

Graduate Recruitment Cited in Best Practices Study

UNC Charlotte’s graduate enrollment management strategy was highlighted as a best practice in a recently released national research report on enrollment trends.

The report, produced by Hanover Research, a firm that provides research and consulting services to corporate, education, and healthcare clients, is entitled “Best Practices in Graduate Student Recruitment.”  The report suggests the most effective steps college deans nationwide are taking to ensure continued strong enrollment in the face of increasing tuition rates and student debt.

UNC Charlotte was acknowledged for “harnessing the power of technology and data” through its enrollment management strategy to recruit students who are a good fit with the university.

“Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) looks at the larger context for an institution (its mission, goals, and view on the emerging needs for skills and abilities in its students),” the report says, “and builds those considerations into the enrollment process, coordinating student recruitment, marketing, tuition and financial aid, academic portfolio offerings, and student support services.”

The report goes on to say, “UNC Charlotte’s Graduate Enrollment Management (GEM) plan is designed as a collaborative process by an academically diverse group of representatives. Decisions are informed by data collection and analysis and aim to produce measurable improvements in recruitment, admissions, retention, funding, and graduation.”

Hanover’s research report can be downloaded here.

UNC Charlotte Ranks High for NSF Grants

UNC Charlotte has ranked fourth in North Carolina for the number of NSF Graduate Research Fellows since 2010, behind Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, and NC State.

You can help continue this success by encouraging your best students to apply for the NSF GRFP, which provides a $34,000 annual stipend for three years, and pays tuition and fees.

Deadlines are October 24th – 28th, depending on field of study.

For more information on student funding, visit the Graduate School’s Student Funding site.

GA Contracts Must Be Approved by Aug. 16

Categories: Student Funding

Students on TA/RA/AA from the first day of school must have their eGA contract approved by August 16 to be paid Aug. 31.

More information is available at the Recruitment and Hiring website.  Questions may be directed to Teresa Shook, Student Employment, tshook4@uncc.edu, Tamika Coleman, Temporary Staff Employment, tcolem20@uncc.edu, or Herlicia Blakely, I-9 Compliance, hblakel2@uncc.edu.

 

Master's Thesis Award Nominations Sought

Categories: Student Funding

The Graduate School is seeking nominations for the Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award through Oct. 9.

Faculty may nominate a student whose thesis has been accepted in partial fulfillment of master’s degree requirements during the past two academic and/or summer sessions.

For more information, fields of competition and criteria, download the Award leaflet here.

 

GPDs Suggest DegreeWorks Improvements

Categories: Academic Affairs

With DegreeWorks poised for deployment throughout UNC Charlotte this year, key users in the Graduate School who got a head start using the system the past year recently shared their views and suggestions for enhancements.

Graduate Program Directors (GPDs) and staff were interviewed over the summer months to gain their thoughts on how to get more out of the audit and graduation clearance tool.  In all, 65 faculty and staff participated in the interviews.  The suggested improvements fall into five categories:

  1. New reports on student progression, milestones and course demand to help in planning and keeping students on track
  2. Enhancements to the system’s audit capabilities, such as time limits and ensuring C and I grades get noticed
  3. Streamlining the petition process
  4. DegreeWorks training
  5. Improved search capabilities

Ideas for improvement will be prioritized based on greatest potential impact, and action plans will be built for the high priority needs.  More information on those plans will be shared soon.

“DegreeWorks has proven to increase transparency for students and advisors, while bringing graduation clearance into the 21st century,” said Katherine Hall-Hertel, Associate Dean for Graduate Student Affairs and the Center for Graduate Life. “We appreciate those who took the time to provide their feedback on the experience to help us continuously improve DegreeWorks as an advising tool.”

More information can be found on the DegreeWorks home page and FAQs.  For other questions, please send them to degreeworks@uncc.edu .

 

Balance Advisor and Mentor Roles

Categories: GPD Development

Understanding the difference between ‘advising’ and ‘mentoring’ – and applying just the right balance of the two – is a key to helping students successfully navigate graduate studies at UNC Charlotte.

Advising is often procedural, focused on policies, courses and in some cases, funding.  Mentoring is more personal and includes emotional support, career advice and role modeling to help students through graduate school and their postdoctoral training.  Graduate students need both.

Using University policy as a base, consider these important elements of student success:

  • Shared Values
    • Academic integrity and responsible research
    • Respect for others and for their differing view points
    • Expectations for professionalism
  • Shared Goals
    • A completion time line
    • Expectation for mastery of the content
    • Understanding career goals
  • Shared Responsibilities
    • Following University policy
    • Meeting deadlines
    • Communicating openly with one another

For more resources, visit the Graduate School’s Mentoring and Advising site and DegreeWorks for a useful advising tool.

 

New Grad Student Orientation Aug. 19

New graduate students will find the Graduate School Student Orientation packed with information designed to get their graduate education off to a strong start.

The program runs Aug. 19 from 10 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (registration begins at 9 a.m.). Sessions hosted by students and faculty will cover such topics as:

  • Advice on the transition from undergraduate to graduate education
  • How to build and strengthen relationships with peers and academic mentors
  • Understanding academic expectations
  • Making the most of library services and other campus resources
  • Living in Charlotte, including how to get around, living and socializing, and great opportunities for fun.

More information on orientation is located at the Center for Graduate Life’s New Graduate Student Orientation page.  Image courtesy of Aaron Cress.

UNC Charlotte Honors Heather Smith with de Silva Award

Categories: Dean's Office

University leaders gathered Mar. 30 to congratulate Dr. Heather Smith, professor of geography and earth sciences and director of the doctorate in Geography and Urban Regional Analysis, who received the 2017 Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award. For more information on the event, please visit the Graduate School’s website.

Showcasing Graduate Talent

Two of UNC Charlotte’s outstanding graduate students represented the university at the 2017 Graduate Education Day at the General Assembly in Raleigh, sponsored by the North Carolina Council of Graduate Schools.

The students met with several elected officials, including Rep. Linda Hunt Williams of Wake County, left, to discuss the impacts of their research.  Shown with UNC Graduate School Dean Tom Reynolds who hosted the visit, are from left: Rep. Williams, who also holds a Master’s of Public Administration degree from UNC Charlotte; Ben Gordon,  doctoral student in Biological Sciences and Kinesiology whose research is focused on lowering blood pressure through isometric exercise; and Nathan Lambert, Master’s student in Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science.  Nathan’s research encompasses machine vision, optical design, control systems design, and nanoscale precision engineering used in material testing to help maintain the nation’s nuclear weapon stockpile.

3-Article Dissertation Option Available

With the doctoral dissertation formatting deadline coming October 6, graduate students this fall have another formatting option to consider: The Three-Article dissertation.

While not a good fit for every situation, the three-article format may be of interest to graduate students whose field of study and research suggest the possibility of three, connected journal articles rather than the traditional dissertation.

“Students who choose the three-article approach have to pay particular attention to the formatting,” said Katherine Hall-Hertel, Associate Dean for Graduate Academic and Student Affairs, “The articles submitted must be coherent, with clear rationale for how the papers are grouped.”

Download the Three-Article-Dissertation-Guidelines.

Immigration Updates

The International Student Scholar Office (ISSO) maintains a website Read more…