Policies and Plans

Courses to be Dropped Where Prerequisites Not Met

May 13, 2019 by White, Brian

Beginning May 16, courses for which students did not meet prerequisites will be dropped by the Registrar’s office. The course drop includes any summer or fall registrations.

A list of students identified as not having met prerequisites will be distributed to faculty May 15. The report will include a report filter to help identify affected students. An email notification of the drop will be distributed to affected students on May 16 and they will be encouraged to contact their advisor with questions.

Going forward, the advance notice will be eliminated; the courses will be dropped each term and a list of affected students will be distributed to faculty.

Residency Application Cut-Off Date Extended

March 26, 2019 by White, Brian

The cut-off date for students seeking classification as an in-state resident for tuition purposes or state grant eligibility has been extended.

Previously set at 10 days from the start of term, the Residency Determination Service (RDS) extended the application cut-off date to 30 days for Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 semesters as part of a pilot to allow for adjustments to Census day reporting to the System Office. New determinations, or any changes to determinations, beyond the 30-day cut-off date would be effective the next enrolling term.

The 30-day window should be prorated for sessions shorter than 16 weeks.

Students receive ONE residency determination which can be shared with all schools to which the student applies.

More information on NC residency requirements is available from the Residency Determine Service (RDS).

Graduate Certificate Renewal Procedures Updated

February 20, 2019 by White, Brian

Graduate Certificate Renewal procedures were recently updated and available on GPDNet.

Graduate certificate programs are established for a five-year period and may be renewed. Renewal is conducted through Curriculog.

Policy Updated On Dissertation Embargo

February 07, 2019 by White, Brian

UNC Charlotte’s policy regarding access to dissertations uploaded to ProQuest, an online repository, has been revised to add more definition of circumstances that warrant embargoing publication.

The policy revisions, approved Feb. 5 by the Graduate Council, will be included in the 2019-20 University Catalog.

Download a copy of the policy language.

Prepare Students for Dec 5 Spring Bill Due Date & Payment Plan Changes

November 28, 2018 by White, Brian

Students who have registered for spring classes have begun receiving their spring bills. Please review this information carefully as there are some significant changes that you should be aware of when talking to students. It is important for you to understand these changes to discuss with students if needed.

For details, please visit Niner Central.

Bill Due Date, Payment Plan Changes Coming

September 26, 2018 by White, Brian

Beginning November 12, students will begin receiving their spring bills. Please review the below information carefully as there are some significant changes that you should be aware of when talking to students.

Reason for the changes

For the past year, a committee from Academic Affairs and Business Affairs has reviewed barriers to student success and progression related to registration holds, cancellation processes, and payment plans.

On average, every semester, 845 students have their courses cancelled for non-payment during the first cancellation process, and only 56.8% of the students cancelled re-register for that term.

Based on survey results, data studies, comparison to other UNC system schools, and student feedback, the below changes will be made for the spring billing cycle in order to improve student retention.

Students will be notified of these changes in October. It is important for you to understand these changes to discuss with students if need be.

New spring bill due date: December 5

In past years, the bills for spring were due in the first week of January.
Beginning this year, the new spring bill due date is December 5.
We realize that moving the due date a few weeks earlier is a significant change, so we are providing students with advance notice of this change and giving them more time to make payments.

New payment plan splits amount due into 5 payments

Beginning with their spring bill, the optional payment plan divides their account balance into 5 payments.
This 5-payment plan allows students to pay smaller payments each month!
If students choose to sign up for the plan instead of paying their bill in full, they must do so by December 5 to avoid cancellation of classes.
A $55 setup fee is required when they opt-in to the plan.

This new 5-payment plan does NOT require a 10% down payment like the old plan.
The first payment for this plan is due December 31. The remaining payments are due Jan 31, Feb 28, Mar 31, and Apr 30.

Action date: December 5

By December 5, students need to either pay their balance in full or sign up for the payment plan.
At 11:59 p.m. on December 5, their classes will be cancelled if they haven’t paid their balance in full or signed up for a payment plan.

Misconduct Case Takes Toll on Research Program

August 14, 2018 by Stanchina, Karla

Earlier this year, important cancer research findings were retracted and the lead researcher was forced out of his job at Ohio State University after an investigation discovered evidence of falsified data in eight papers spanning as many years.*

At UNC Charlotte we have solid policies governing the conduct of researchers and an educational program to ensure research teams understand those policies. We also have instituted a Research Integrity Office to coordinate investigations into cases of possible research misconduct.

Headed by Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate School Tom Reynolds, the Office is responsible for investigating allegations of plagiarism, falsification, and fabrication of research materials.

“Fortunately, we see few cases of suspected misconduct,” Reynolds said. “And the ones we investigate we often can resolve without damaging the reputation of our researchers or hampering progress of the research. Still, we must be vigilant to avoid even the appearance of misconduct.”

Information on how to safely and confidentially raise questions or report possible research misconduct is located on the Graduate School’s website.

* https://news.osu.edu/news/2018/03/30/misconduct-investigation/

Academic Policies Updated for 2018-19

March 21, 2018 by White, Brian

The Graduate Council recently approved several changes to academic policies affecting graduate students. The update will appear in the 2018/19 version of the Graduate Catalog.

The new polices affect

Course Time Limits and Revalidation
Transfer of Credit
“C” grades and graduation
Advanced Standing tracks for Ph.D. programs

Until the 2018/19 Graduate Catalog is published, you can download a preview of the policy changes from the Graduate School’s Academics page.

Have Standardized Tests Run Their Course?

March 14, 2018 by White, Brian

In a recent round of meetings of the Graduate School and academic program leaders at UNC Charlotte, a question surfaced that is being debated broadly in academic circles: Are standardized test scores like the GRE still a valid tool for determining readiness for graduate education?

An article in online magazine OZY last October, suggests maybe not. The article details a number of GRE shortcomings and lists a number of colleges and universities that are relying less on standardized testing. “Research from Yale and Vanderbilt shows that the test is only a modest predictor of success for first-year grad students,” the article said. “Other studies reveal huge gender- and race-related disparities.”

An earlier downloadable study published by researchers from the University of Wisconsin and Detroit’s Wayne State University Law School in 2014 takes a contrarian view: “…since the year 2000, in particular, total enrollment growth has been stronger for minorities than for whites, and stronger for women than for men. This would not occur were the GRE selectively suppressing the admission of women and minorities.”

Finally, in a downloadable report published in 2016 entitled Holistic Review in College Admissions, the Council of Graduate Schools recommends relying less on quantitative scores and more on “a broad range of candidate qualities including “noncognitive” or personal attributes.”

What do you think? Start the conversation: Share your experience with standardized test scores below.

Graduate Council Approves Doctoral Fast Track, Time Limit

December 12, 2017 by White, Brian

The Graduate Council this month approved changes to the academic policy that allows some programs to create an accelerated track to PhD for students who enter the program with a master’s degree. The Council action also sets an eight-year time limit for coursework toward a doctoral degree.

The Council’s action was communicated recently in a memo to Graduate Program Directors from Dr. Katherine Hall-Hertel, Associate Dean for Graduate Academic and Students Affairs for the Graduate School. “Some PhD programs do not require a master’s degree for admission,” Hall-Hertel said, noting that programs commonly transfer in up to 30 credit hours for students with a master’s degree. “Beginning the 2018-19 academic year, those programs will have an option to create an accelerated track” for those students.

The accelerated track is optional, and the Graduate School will continue to accept up to 30 hours of transfer credit. However, course credits older than eight years no longer will be accepted.

Proposals for accelerated track should be added to Curriculog by Feb. 1, 2018. For more information, download the Changes to Transfer Credit proposal. For questions, please contact James Birkett.

How to Use GRAD Full-time Course

September 21, 2017 by White, Brian

The Graduate Council recently approved the establishment of a new course, GRAD 7800/9800 – Full-time Enrollment for Research. This course is now an option for graduate students completing their thesis or dissertation research. Students who have completed all required credit and passed all milestones except the defense are eligible to enroll.

This 3-credit course can be used to elevate the qualifying student to full-time enrollment. Not all graduate students need full-time status, but some do for financial aid purposes or for visa purposes. Tuition and fees paid for this course more accurately reflect the resources students access during this phase of research.

Students working toward their defense should use this course and not the 1-credit residency course, GRAD 7999/9999. That course (GRAD 7999/9999) should be requested only when a student misses the deadline to defend the thesis/dissertation in one semester and must defend in the first four weeks of the next semester to graduate. That student is using few university resources and simply needs to be registered to graduate. When more thesis or dissertation work is needed, the new GRAD 7800/9800 course is appropriate.

When considering whether to request a permit for GRAD 7999/9999, Graduate Program Directors should work with the student to determine whether he or she can schedule a realistic defense date in the first four weeks of the semester. If not, the student should register for GRAD 7800/9800.

Permits are required for both GRAD 7800/9800 and GRAD 7999/9999. Catalog descriptions are available here: 2017/18 Graduate Catalog, GRAD Courses.

It’s difficult to anticipate all the consequences of instituting a policy change, so please help us by sharing your comments in the box below. We want to be sensitive to unique circumstances, but we also want tuition and fee structures to reflect accurately the investment our university is making in our graduate students.

Half-time Enrollment Definition Changed

September 20, 2017 by White, Brian

UNC Charlotte’s definition of graduate school half-time enrollment changed effective with the beginning of the Fall 2017 semester. To help you prepare for questions you may receive from students on the change, please review the following information.

New Definition of Half-Time Enrollment Hours

As of Fall 2017, to be considered enrolled half-time, graduate students must take at least 4.5 credit hours, which essentially means 5 or more credit hours for UNC Charlotte. This has increased from the previous half-time definition of 3 credit hours.
The U.S. Department of Education offers low-interest loans to eligible students to help cover educational costs. Financial need is not required for graduate students to be considered for a Direct Unsubsidized Loan or Direct PLUS Loan, but they must enroll at least half-time.
Note: The definition of full-time graduate enrollment has not changed. To be considered full-time, graduate students must enroll in at least 9 credit hours.

How this will affect some students:

Federal Financial Aid Eligibility

To receive financial aid from the university, a graduate student must enroll in a master’s, doctoral or certificate program at least half-time.
The Financial Aid office will review applicants’ enrollment prior to awarding financial aid. If they are enrolled in fewer than 5 credit hours, they will not receive federal loans.
In Spring 2017, there are more than 350 graduate students with a federal loan who are enrolled in fewer than 5 credit hours.

Loan Repayment/Deferment

If a student has federal loans in deferment, encourage them to review the terms and conditions of their repayment to consider whether the new half-time enrollment policy will affect them.
Generally, federal loans begin requiring repayment 6 months from the date enrollment drops below half-time, from the date of graduation, or the date a student withdraws from school.

Options Available to Students

They may enroll in at least 5 hours of graduate credit to be eligible for a federal loan (and defer payments on existing federal loans)
They may enroll in the University’s installment Payment Plan
They may apply for an Alternative Loan with private lenders through the Office of Financial Aid

Students with questions may contact the Office of Financial Aid at 704-687-5504 or email their question. Graduate Program Directors may contact Johnna Watson in the Graduate School by email or at 704-687-7231.

Update Enrollment Projections by Nov. 1

September 19, 2017 by White, Brian

Graduate projections for Fall 2018, 2019, and 2020 should be completed in GPDNet by Nov. 1, including the enrollment management plan to achieve those projections.

Base your enrollment and graduate projections and plans on your college’s strategic plan.

To access projections and plans in GPDNet, select PROGRAM DASHBOARD at the top of the page, click on your program, and select from the appropriate tabs to view and enter data, or you may download the spreadsheet Fall 2017 9-8-2017 Official Census Enrollment by Program.

Open Swims will be held in Cato 248 according to the schedule shown below to support planning and respond to questions. If you have questions or need individual assistance, please contact Johnna Watson. To register, please visit the Enrollment Management Planning registration page.

Open Swim Schedule
Graduate School Conference Room, Cato Hall, #248

Wednesday, September 27th, 1-2:30 pm

Friday, October 6th, 1:30 – 3 pm

Thursday, October 12th, 11:30 am-1 pm

Wednesday, October 18th, 10:30 am – noon

Key Registration Deadlines Coming Up

August 25, 2017 by White, Brian

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.

Immigration Updates

July 10, 2017 by White, Brian

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