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.
GPD Only
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.
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:
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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.
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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
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.
Spring/Summer 2021 Graduation Statistics
Spring/Summer 2021 Graduation Statistics
The Graduate School is pleased to announce the following statistics for Spring/Summer 2021 graduation:
Spring 2021:
Docs – 99
Masters – 981
Certs – 322
Total – 1402
Summer 2021:
Docs – 43
Masters – 203
Certs – 62
Total – 308
Congratulations to our hard-working faculty and staff for moving the class through during these difficult times.
EducationUSA Global Guide Now Available
The 2021 EducationUSA Global Guide and COVID supplement are available on the EducationUSA website and are also uploaded to GPDNet.
The Global Guide provides detailed information on current recruitment trends, country highlights and government scholarships written by experts on the ground. The Global Guide also provides statistics on in-person and virtual outreach, along with tips on the best means of communication with students from the region.
EducationUSA has also published a supplement to the Global Guide which offers guidance to higher education institutions formulating recruitment plans and developing strategies to engage prospective international students in light of the ongoing global health crisis.
Access the EducationUSA Global Guide and COVID supplement from EducationUSA and on GPDNet under the Graduate School Data tab.
2021-22 Recruiting Events Listed
Graduate Admissions staff participate in several recruiting fairs each year and maintain a list of high quality events that provide great opportunities to connect with prospective students.
For more information, download a copy of the spreadsheet of current opportunities and contact MaryanneMaree-Sams@uncc.edu for more information.
Hanover Research Publishes Recruiting, Engagement Practices
Consulting firm Hanover Research has published a study of best practices for recruiting and engaging adult learners.
Download a copy of Effective Strategies for Recruiting and Engaging Adult Learners.
Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Accepting Applications
The Office of International Programs invites qualified candidates to submit program applications for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program prior to the Wednesday, Sept. 15, deadline. Note that U.S. citizenship is required. Click here to search all awards available in the 2022-23 competition or connect with UNC Charlotte’s Fulbright Scholar liaison.
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, July 28, 2021 at 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.
RED Announces Updated GA Compensation Policy
Research and Economic Development (RED) recently announced changes to the policy governing how tuition and other forms of compensation for graduate assistants (GAs) are charged to sponsored awards (Policy 50.5). Following is the text of that announcement:
To be allowable costs, tuition and other forms of compensation for GAs must meet the following conditions:
- The individual is conducting activities necessary to the award
- Tuition remission and other support are provided in accordance with the established policy of the department/program and consistently provided in a like manner to students in return for similar activities conducted under sponsored awards as well as other activities
- During the academic period, the student is enrolled in an advanced degree program at the university and the activities of the student in relation to the award are related to the degree program
- The tuition or other payments are reasonable compensation for the work performed and are conditioned explicitly upon the performance of necessary work
- The program/department’s practice is to similarly compensate students under sponsored awards as well as other activities.
A recent review of campus practices indicated that compensation packages provided to graduate assistants, including teaching assistants (TAs) and research assistants (RAs) enrolled in the same graduate program often vary, making it unlikely that conditions #2 and #5 are being met. Moreover, the current version of Policy 50.5 requires that sponsored awards cover costs such as fees that are not typically provided to similar GAs supported on institutional or State funds. These forms of compensation are not allowable costs unless they are generally provided to comparable students (e.g., students enrolled in the same graduate program) supported on GAs, regardless of the source of the funds.
The revision of Policy 50.5 aims to establish consistent compensation packages for GAs within individual programs and aligns our university policy with the requirements for Federal awards outlined in the Uniform Guidance.
Although the policy will go into effect on July 15, 2021, we have worked with the college leadership to develop a phased approach (outlined below) that minimizes the impact on existing awards and provides time for programs to establish standard compensation packages for GAs. The FAQs address some of the most common questions we received over the past 18 months as we worked to update the policy.
Implementation of Revision of Policy 50.5
Phase I: Onboarding of Early Adopters (2021-22 Academic Year)
The Associate Deans in the Colleges have identified 21 doctoral programs and 9 master’s programs that currently provide standard compensation packages to graduate assistants and are therefore already aligned with the updated policy. During the 2021-22 academic year, PIs wishing to support students enrolled in these graduate programs may charge up to 100% of the compensation package to an award. PIs wishing to support a student in a program that is not on the “early adopter list” may charge stipend or wages to the award during the 2021-22 academic year, but will not be permitted to charge other forms of compensation, such as tuition, fees, or health insurance. During this period, stipend levels can still be set by the program and may vary by funding source.
Additional details include:
- The compensation charged to the award cannot exceed what is described in the standard package. Compensation less than the standard amount should be accompanied by a comparable decrease in effort.
- Details of the compensation packages and the associated policies governing student eligibility should be communicated to Grants and Contracts Administration (GCA) prior to the submission of a Student Educational Award Form. Any changes to standard compensation packages must be reviewed and approved by Academic Affairs and reported to GCA for publication on the RED website.
- When preparing proposals with start dates after July 15, 2021, PIs wishing to support students enrolled in programs with standard compensation packages must include all components of the package that are permitted by the sponsor, including stipend, tuition, and health insurance.
- PIs with existing awards that include GA support should work with their grants administrators to re-budget costs that are no longer included in the standard compensation package or are no longer allowable.
Phase II: Full Implementation of Policy 50.5 (2022-2023 Academic Year)
Policy 50.5 will be fully implemented at the start of the 2022-2023 academic year. Only students enrolled in programs with approved standard compensation packages will be eligible to be supported on GAs from sponsored awards. PIs may charge up to 100 percent of the standard compensation package to an award and all components of the package that are permitted by the sponsor must be included in any request. Programs without standard compensation packages will no longer be allowed to charge any costs associated with GAs to an award.
Additional details include:
- As outlined above, funds allocated for items, such as fees, that are not included in a standard compensation package may be re-budgeted to cover other allowable costs (with sponsor approval, if required).
- Budgets for new projects with start dates after July 15, 2022 that include GA support should include costs associated with the current or anticipated standard compensation package.
For more information, please contact Rick Tankersley, rtankers@uncc.edu.
Graduate Life Ambassadors Sought
The Center for Graduate Life (CGL) is seeking volunteer Graduate Life Ambassadors (GLA) who assist with event planning, promotion, and suggest new initiatives.
The GLA experience offers:
- A chance to enrich the graduate student experience
- Service opportunities that bolster the resume/cv
- Free food and swag
- A positive, supportive and driven community
To register as a GLA, please visit the Center for Graduate Life.
Dissertation, Thesis Formatting Workshop Planned
The Center for Graduate Life (CGL) will host a workshop on Dissertation and Thesis formatting July 15, 5-6 pm.
The session will include answers to questions on formatting, defense and submission procedures.
To register, please visit the Center for Graduate Life.
Chronicle of Higher Ed Shares Notes on Diversifying the Grad Student Pipeline
The Chronicle of Higher Education recently distributed a summary of key take-aways from a the presentation Diversifying the Graduate-Student Pipeline hosted by the Chronicle and ETS.
The PDF format document is available for download.
Dean's Dissertation Award Goes to Carrier
Tyler Carrier, Ph.D., Biological Sciences, 2020, is the 2021 Graduate Dean’s Distinguished Dissertation Award winner in Biological Sciences/Life Sciences for his work on “Symbiosis Across Diet-Induced Phenotypes of Larval Sea Urchins.”
Read more at the Graduate School.
2021 Recruiting Events Listed
Graduate Admissions staff participate in several recruiting fairs each year and maintain a list of high quality events that provide great opportunities to connect with prospective students.
For more information, download a copy of the spreadsheet of current opportunities and contact MaryanneMaree-Sams@uncc.edu for more information.
Workplace Competencies Certificate Adds Final Touch to the Resume
The Graduate School’s Certificate in Workplace Competencies is an excellent way for students to add a an important credential to their resume, and it is ideal for GASP-funded doctoral students who are finished with coursework.
The certificate focuses on improved written and verbal communication, stronger online presence and creating effective presentations.
For more information and to apply, please visit the Center for Graduate Life.
