GPD Only

Fall 2020 Students Targeted with NC Residency Message

September 07, 2020 by White, Brian

A message informing new graduate students of the process to apply for North Carolina residency was sent recently, targeting those admitted for Fall 2020 who are classified as nonresidents.

Should your students have questions about residency, please direct them to the centralized Residency Determination Service (RDS):

Phone: 844-319-3640

Email: rdsinfo@ncresidency. org

Website: www.NCresidency.org

Faculty with questions may contact Brenda.Sawyer@uncc.edu, 704-687-5122.

For more information on residency, please visit https://ncresidency.uncc.edu/.

ISSO Reviews International Student Enrollment Requirements

September 03, 2020 by White, Brian

The International Student and Scholar Office (ISSO) recently distributed guidelines for enrollment of international students. Newly admitted F-1 international students (excluding transfers from other U.S. institutions and those changing degree levels) will need to meet the following requirements to maintain legal status in the United States:

Pursue a full course load (12 credits for undergrad and 9 credits for graduate)
Register for at least ONE hybrid course that counts towards the full time enrollment.

The ISSO is cross-referencing several data sets (including student self-reports) through Sept. 14 to identify potentially affected students. That information will be shared with the Chair of the appropriate department to assist them in their course registration. So far, the process has identified few students in this situation.

Instructors need to fulfill their in-person or hybrid components as planned starting Oct.1 unless the university moves to 100% online before that date.

If you have questions, please contact ISSO.

Provost Approval Required for Student Employment

September 02, 2020 by White, Brian

Because of the current UNC system-wide hiring freeze, all TA and RA positions must be approved by the Provost before Human Resources will approve. Please obtain approval from the Provost’s office, and enter the date of the approval in eGA in the Notes section. If we don’t see an approval note in eGA, we or HR will send the eGA back to the initiator. The start date of the eGA must not be before the date of the Provost’s approval.

Please send questions to Julie Goodliffe, jmgoodli@uncc.edu, Director of Funding and Fellowships.

Learn to Convert PDFs Into Dynamic Web Content

August 31, 2020 by Stanchina, Karla

NC State’s second annual Extreme Makeover: PDF Edition will be held Monday, Sept. 21 to Friday, Oct. 16. This year, they are inviting other institutions of higher education to participate.

Sponsored by the NC State IT Accessibility Office, the event aims to make websites accessible by eliminating inaccessible portable document format (PDF) files, which can be a barrier to individuals with disabilities. Learn more and register by 9/14/2020 at NC State.

ISSO Assistance with New International Students

August 31, 2020 by Stanchina, Karla

As a special exception due to COVID-19, the U.S. government is allowing international continuing students to pursue 100% of their coursework online for the fall 2020 semester. This exception has not been applied to newly admitted international students, who must register for and attend at least one class with an in-person component in order to maintain their legal status in the U.S.

The International Student Scholars Office is advising colleges and academic departments anticipating newly admitted international students, to consider ways to provide flexibility for these students to meet the in-person component requirement as soon after September 7^th as possible. They recommend that academic departments consider the following strategies to incorporate an in-person component to a course:

Independent study, topics or research courses with a limited number of in-person meetings;
If a faculty member intends to teach a virtual course from an on-campus classroom setting, permitting a limited number of international students to participate in class in an appropriately socially distant manner for one or two sessions;
Minimal faculty engagement in a laboratory setting.

For additional assistance, contact the staff at ISSO

NEW Process to Readmit Students to Fall 2020 after Last Minute Visa Issuance

August 18, 2020 by Stanchina, Karla

Consulates in India are granting emergency visa appointments to some students to enroll at UNC Charlotte for the Fall 2020 semester. Because many of these students had already requested their fall admission be deferred to 2021, the ISSO and Graduate Admissions developed the following process for students to follow that includes having written support from Graduate Program Directors to (re)admit students to the Fall 2020 semester. The following information was shared with new international students at the ISSO Town Hall on Monday, August 17th, and via email as requested:

Dear Student,

Thanks for letting us know that you have secured an expedited visa appointment for Fall 2020. In order to be considered for admission to UNC Charlotte for Fall 2020, you must provide copies of the following items to the University:

A copy of your F-1 visa
Written support from your academic program director confirming that they support your readmission for Fall 2020 (see our suggested suggested email template for initiating your request)
Additional proof of funding equal to the UNC Charlotte estimated cost of attendance if your original University funding is no longer available
Documentation showing that you can arrive on-campus by September 10th

To read more about this process, see the ISSO New Student Town Hall Presentation slides and Recording for an overview of the Fall 2020 readmission process:

slide 12 – Last minute visa issuance AFTER withdrawing Fall 2020 admission
slide 13 – What if you obtain a visa but can’t arrive for Fall 2020?

Grad Ed Summit Set Sept. 2

July 29, 2020 by White, Brian

The Graduate School will host the annual Grad Ed Summit — this year a virtual meeting — on Sept. 2.

Topics at last year’s Summit included discussions on the role of the Graduate School, resources to manage programs and promote student success, student funding and the new GPD Recognition Award was introduced.

An agenda for this year’s meeting is forthcoming.

Mentor Training Sessions Scheduled

July 20, 2020 by White, Brian

Two online mentoring sessions set for August are already full.

Additional sessions have been scheduled for October 1 & 2 (9:30 – 12:30 each day) and January 13 & 14 (9:30 – 12:30 each day).

GPDs will receive an email invitation to register approximately four weeks prior to the training date.

For more information, contact Katherine Hall-Hertel, KHall-Hertel@uncc.edu.

CGL Introduces Onboarding Portal

July 17, 2020 by White, Brian

The Center for Graduate Life has introduced a New Graduate Student Onboarding Portal to help prepare incoming graduate students for their move to Charlotte and a successful transition to graduate school.

The site includes the basics they’ll need to get started, with information on everything from finding an apartment to parking passes to course selection. Additional information on academic tools and campus offices that support graduate student success will be added to the portal by mid-August.

Upcoming Recruitment Opportunities Listed

July 17, 2020 by White, Brian

Representatives from the UNC Charlotte Graduate School participate in several recruitment fairs each year. These fairs present great opportunities to connect with prospective students.

Graduate Admissions maintains a spreadsheet of current opportunities available to UNC Charlotte faculty and staff. Please contact MaryanneMaree-Sams@uncc.edu for more information.

Limited Number of Free Tickets Remain for Fall Career Fair

July 17, 2020 by White, Brian

The Career Center is hosting the Fall Career & Internship Fair: Regional Edition, a virtual event in early October that involves 13 colleges/universities from the surrounding area. The Career Center has provided 30 complimentary registrations for UNC Charlotte’s graduate programs.

For more information and to register, please visit the Career Center.

Please register for only one of the two fair days (if you would really like to attend both days, register for 1 day, but put a note in the comments box on the form that you would like to attend both if there’s space; once we’re a couple weeks out from the event, the Career Center will reach out if there’s space).

On the registration form, choose “check” as your payment method. The Career Center will comp your registration when it’s received. If you have questions about the event, email careerfairs@uncc.edu or call Brooke at 704-687-0789.

Online Classes Blocked for Embargoed Countries

July 17, 2020 by White, Brian

Admitted students physically located in embargoed countries like Iran may not be allowed to take fall semester classes online, according to John Jacob, Facility Security Officer and Export Control Officer in Research and Economic Development.

“The Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) considers (online courses) a service to that country/individual that requires a export license from OFAC for a student to take an online class from an embargoed country,” Jacobs said.

Additional information on the policies guiding delivery of online coursework will be shared as it becomes available.

New Non-Resident Grad Students Sent Residency Guidelines

July 15, 2020 by White, Brian

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

July 15, 2020 by White, Brian

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

July 14, 2020 by White, Brian

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

July 10, 2020 by White, Brian

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.

CGS Expresses Concern with Guidance on F-1 Students

July 07, 2020 by White, Brian

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

July 07, 2020 by White, Brian

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.

Distance Ed Introduces New Out of NC Tuition Rate

June 30, 2020 by White, Brian

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

June 30, 2020 by White, Brian

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.