Policies and Plans

New University Policy on Authorship

September 28, 2021 by White, Brian

The following is a message from Tom Reynolds, Dean of Graduate School, to University leadership:

Dear Colleagues,

I’m writing to share information with you about a Graduate School initiative to support a culture of research integrity through good authorship practices at UNC Charlotte.

When we surveyed UNC Charlotte faculty and graduate student researchers, we found a number of issues related to authorship in collaborative research. For example, faculty and student respondents reported issues with ghost and gift authorship, and fewer than 50% of respondents reported that authorship was discussed at the beginning of projects. Responses also indicated a desire for additional authorship guidance from the University.

One result of this work is University Policy 318, “Authorship Policy and Resolution Procedures,” approved in May 2021 by the University Faculty Council and the Provost.

The policy’s purpose is not to require a single set of authorship practices. Instead, it highlights significant areas of consensus, advances healthy authorship practices, and sets out institutional policies should disputes arise.

I invite you to watch Provost Joan Lorden’s introduction to the policy below for more information, or read the policy here. More information about authorship can also be found on the Graduate School’s Responsible Research page.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvbGL9pyoHY

Graduate Program Directors, please forward this email to your graduate students.

Sincerely,

Tom

Thomas L. Reynolds, Ph.D.
Associate Provost for Graduate Programs
Dean of the Graduate School

Reminder Issued for Doctoral Candidates

September 27, 2021 by White, Brian

All doctoral candidates must submit their dissertation to iThenticate and share the resulting similarity report with their entire committee prior to the final defense. Please remind your candidates that all of the Graduate School’s requirements for defense and submission can be found in the Doctoral Checklist (master’s requirements can be found in the Master’s Thesis Checklist).

Please send questions to Aura Young, aura.young@uncc.edu.

Research & Econ. Dev. Announces Change in F&A Distribution

September 13, 2021 by White, Brian

New F&A distribution guidelines announced recently by Research and Economic Development include funds for colleges and centers to help support strategic research initiatives.

Starting with FY2022 (July 1 2021-June 30, 2022) receipts, 4% of the generated F&A will be returned to the investigator’s college. If the project is also affiliated with a center or institute, these funds will be split evenly (50/50) between the college and the center/institute. Over time, the plan is to increase the allocation to faculty/staff and departments.

The original announcement from Dr. Rick Tankersley, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development, is available for download. Also available for download is the full policy statement.

Programs to Determine Testing Requirements

August 31, 2021 by White, Brian

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.

RED Announces Updated GA Compensation Policy

July 14, 2021 by White, Brian

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.

Key Considerations to Prepare for Fall Semester

June 09, 2021 by White, Brian

Following are some tips to help prepare for a successful start of the fall semester:

Catalog Update Petitions

Students must wait to submit 2021-22 Catalog Update petitions until the fall 2021 semester begins. Catalog Update petitions are automatically processed under the term in which they were submitted. This means that if you submit a Catalog Update petition during the Summer 2021 term, the student’s catalog will reflect the current 2020-21 catalog. To update a student’s catalog to the upcoming 2021-22 catalog, the petition will need to be submitted after the first day of fall classes, Aug. 23.

Advanced Standing Track Requests for Doctoral Programs

Doctoral students who enter with a relevant master’s degree may be admitted to an Advanced Standing track in some doctoral programs. In those programs offering this option, the Graduate Program Director must recommend admission to the Advanced Standing track for the term in which the student begins their graduate study. Please send these requests to Sandra.Krause@uncc.edu.

Incomplete Grades that will Default to Unsatisfactory

If you have a student that has been assigned an Incomplete grade (I) that will default to Unsatisfactory (U) at the end of the summer semester, the grade must be assigned and submitted no later than August 16, 2021 to avoid suspension or termination. The Graduate School will communicate with individual instructors as well.

New Program Offers Alternative Path to STEM Doctoral Degree

March 11, 2021 by White, Brian

A project of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science (MEES) is providing an additional path to a doctoral degree for STEM students, allowing patentable projects to be developed to meet capstone requirements in addition to publication of original research.

The program, Pathways to Entrepreneurship (PAtENT) expands the opportunity to earn a doctoral degree, possibly spurring graduation rates and encouraging technological innovation. Funded by a National Science Foundation Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) award received last fall, the program provides each faculty-student team with $5,000 to support research.

“The central goal of the project is to develop an alternate roadmap for STEM PhD students that is scalable and reflects the rapidly evolving workforce needs,” said Dr. Terry Xu, Professor and Associate Chair for Graduate Programs, MEES.

A Project Description and PowerPoint Presentation describing the program are available for download. For more information and to participate, contact the principal investigator: Praveen Ramaprabhu, praveen.ramaprabhu@uncc.edu, Professor, MEES.

New Niner Research System to Launch

March 10, 2021 by White, Brian

Reseach and Economic Research (RED) will launch a new research administration system called Niner Research in the fall, replacing today’s NORM system.

The new system will provide proposal and contract administration, conflict of interest management, the use of laboratory animals, biosafety, and human subject research. The new system will be in service by Sept. 30.

Over the next few weeks, RED and college research office staff will host a series of instructor-led training sessions on the new system.

More information is available in a memo from Rick Tankersley, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development, which is available for download.

Master's Forms Move to DocuSign

November 23, 2020 by White, Brian

The Graduate School will be transitioning Master’s forms to DocuSign during the first week of December to align with the Doctoral form procedure. DocuSign, a University-supported digital system, allows for the secure collection of signatures and proper electronic routing. These forms can be accessed on the Graduate School Forms website.

Scanned paper forms will still be accepted throughout the Spring 2021 semester.

Important: To ensure proper routing, please use the Graduate School’s form series and NOT a form previously developed by an academic unit or others. In addition, DocuSign recognizes only the UNC Charlotte NinerNet username email address and NOT an alias email address (use format: jdoe@uncc.edu, NOT jane.doe@uncc.edu).

Please refer to the university’s FAQ website for more information about DocuSign.

Legal Symposium Updates Government, UNC System Requirements

November 16, 2020 by White, Brian

Academic Affairs and other UNC Charlotte leaders hosted a webinar addressing the interplay between SACSCOC, U.S. Department of Education and UNC System requirements and their impact upon the approval of new academic programs and changes to existing ones.

The session covered recent changes to the course and curriculum review process, the basics of “substantial change,” how “significant departure” is determined, and considerations for establishing new off-campus instructional sites.

The slide deck used in the presentation is available for download.

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.

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.

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.

Residency Determination Cut-Off Date Extended

June 26, 2020 by White, Brian

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.

Encourage Admitted Students to Submit Official Transcript

June 22, 2020 by White, Brian

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.