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Urge Admitted Students to Attend Graduate School Information Session

November 10, 2021 by White, Brian

Graduate Admissions will offer an information session Nov. 17 at Noon to help admitted students who are undecided about accepting their offer of admission.

Graduate School staff and current graduate students will share information to help admitted students make a decision to continue their education at Charlotte. Graduate Admissions counselors will review the decision letter, connecting with the program, accepting admission, funding and more.

Please encourage your newly admitted students to register for this informative session. Registration for admitted students is available at mygradschool.uncc.edu..

2022 First Destination Survey Launched

November 09, 2021 by White, Brian

The 2022 First Destination Survey, designed to offer insight to shape future curriculum, has now launched.

Faculty is encouraged to promote the survey to graduating students and an example message is provided below:

Graduating this semester? Take the First Destination Survey at https://firstdestinationsurvey.uncc.edu to let us know what you plan to do with your UNC Charlotte degree! The survey will ask you about your plans for post-graduation employment or further academic study, your experiences in our academic programs and the resources you used while you were a student. Completing this survey enhances the value of your degree by supplying us with information to accurately tell the story of a UNC Charlotte education.

A series of reminders will be sent to students who do not complete the survey after the initial email. The first reminder email will go to students on their UNC Charlotte addresses on Dec. 17 (graduate students) and Dec. 18 (undergraduate students).

The spring 2022 survey will be distributed mid-March.

ISSO Details COVID Travel Rules to Incoming Students

November 02, 2021 by White, Brian

The International Student and Scholar Office (ISSO) recently reached out to new students who intend to enroll for the spring 2022 semester to explain new requirements relating to the COVID-10 pandemic.

Following is the text of the ISSO message:

As the Spring 2022 semester approaches, we look forward to welcoming you to UNC Charlotte. As you can expect, COVID-19 will impact your travel plans. Please review the information below BEFORE you commit to international travel. Obtain your COVID vaccine(s) before entering the U.S. After November 8, 2021, all foreign nationals, including F-1 and J-1 students wishing to enter the U.S. must show proof that they are FULLY VACCINATED against COVID-19. See the U.S. government’s October 12, 2021 announcement. In addition to proof of vaccination, travelers entering the U.S. must also show proof of a negative COVID test administered within the 3 days prior to travel to the U.S.

Documentation requirements: Your COVID vaccine must be FDA or WHO approved Your vaccine and COVID test documentation should be hard copy (not on your phone) and in English It is fine to carry back up electronic copies on your phone Your name on your records should match your name as listed on your passport. Note: ISSO staff are not healthcare professionals; you should research what works for you in consultation with your doctor or medical care provider.

What should NEWLY ADMITTED students consider when planning travel to the U.S.?
1. Complete the Financial Certification Form (FCF).
2. Apply for the F-1 or J-1 visa at a U.S. embassy/consulate.
3. Pay the SEVIS fee online 3-5 days before your visa appointment and print out the receipt.
4. Follow the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ CDC Requirement for Proof of a Negative COVID test before entering the U.S.
5. Upon entering the U.S., carefully follow the CDC ‘After International Travel’ instructions and obtain a COVID test 3-5 days after travel.
6. Arrive in Charlotte (Charlotte Douglas International Airport-CLT) by January 5th. Arriving by this date allows you to participate in international student orientation before classes begin on January 10th.
7. Follow UNC Charlotte On-Campus protocols, such as wearing a face covering while participating in UNC Charlotte indoor activities.

Check official websites for up to date information: COVID related travel requirements can change quickly. Therefore, be sure to check official websites for update to date information before you leave home. We hope you all are staying safe and well,

Updated U.S. Travel Policy Requires Vaccination

November 01, 2021 by White, Brian

On Oct. 25 the White House and Centers for Disease Control announced a new vaccination policy that will go into effect for international travelers to the United States on Nov. 8 at 12:01 a.m. EST. As of that date, foreign national air travelers will be required to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding a plane to the United States. The guidelines also include new protocols for testing. Exemptions will be made for noncitizens who are citizens of a foreign country where the availability of COVID-19 vaccination is limited. Details can be found on the U.S. Department of State’s website.

Admissions Application and eGRAD Unavailable Nov 16-21 for Slate Migration

November 01, 2021 by White, Brian

Graduate Admissions is transitioning to a new recruitment and admissions system (Slate) and mygradschool.uncc.edu AND eGRAD will be brought down on Nov. 16 at 12 am.

Graduate Program Directors are encouraged to make recommendations on all Ready for Review applications prior to Nov. 16 or wait until after the Slate go-live on Nov. 22.

All current eGRAD users will have access to Slate as soon as the system is live; training documentation for decision makers and committee members will be provided online. Virtual and face-to-face Slate training will be available beginning the week of Nov 22. Details will be provided soon.

Prospective students are encouraged to submit their application and supporting materials (via mygradschool.uncc.edu) on or before Nov. 16, otherwise they can submit materials in Slate beginning Nov. 22. Similarly, recommendation providers who have not submitted a reference for a prospective student are encouraged to do so by Nov. 16. Otherwise, they will be sent a link to complete the recommendation in Slate.

Between Nov. 16-21:

Data and supporting documents in AdmissionPros will be migrated to Slate
Prospective students for 2022 will be emailed new system credentials to access the system
Recommendation providers who have not submitted a reference will be provided information to do so in Slate
Graduate Program Directors and admissions committee members will be emailed the link to access Slate.

Reports Out on Student Loan Debt, Enrollment and Degrees

October 26, 2021 by White, Brian

2020-2021 and 2019-2020 Graduate Loan Summary Report

This report, available for download, provides details on federal loan debt by students in graduate programs based on enrollment status by aid year. Have questions about the data? Insights into how the information should be considered and/or compiled for 2021-2021? Join the Graduate School for a Graduate Student Debt Question and Answer Workshop on Wednesday, October 27th, between 11 am and noon. Feel free to drop in (virtually!) anytime.

CGS/GRE 2020 Survey of Graduate Enrollment & Degrees
The downloadable document is the only national survey that annually collects data on first-time and total graduate enrollment across 1) all fields of study and 2) by degree level. The Fall 2020 survey was sent to 763 U.S. institutions and received a 73.1% response rate.

Message on Projections from Johnna Watson

October 26, 2021 by White, Brian

Dear Colleagues,

The Projections Manager, located in GPDNet, is now open for enrollment and graduation projection submissions. The information you provide is used to help guide efforts to effectively manage your graduate program enrollment; it’s also vital from a University perspective to better understand program capacity/delivery, future enrollments/graduations, and resources required to support graduate education.

Based on information provided last year, the Graduate School made a request for resources to help two programs grow enrollments, which Academic Affairs provided beginning fall 2021. Additionally, resources and training were strategically provided to support students and programs and aid work to increase recruitment and retention. Given the University’s strategic plan to enroll 7,613 graduate students by 2031, careful planning to achieve the goal is more important now than ever.

Similarly, affirming UNC Charlotte’s commitment to foster access, diversity, equity and inclusion in graduate education, please pay particular attention to ways your program enrollments might reflect a breadth of gender identities, races and ethnicities, nationalities, faith traditions, and other social categories and backgrounds. A new question has been added to better understand program efforts in this regard.

Four open swims are planned to help program directors establish projections and answer any questions related to program capacity and effective enrollment management. For details on the workshops as well as the projections process, please see the attached document. In advance, thank you for your strong support of graduate education and your participation in this year’s cycle to better understand opportunities and challenges in building and retaining the graduate class next year.

Warm regards,

Johnna Watson

P.S. – More details are available for download.

Important Deadlines for Spring

October 25, 2021 by White, Brian

Please note the following deadlines for spring semester:

November 23-Graduate Program Directors: Last day to recommend admission for an international applicant who resides outside the U.S. and requires a F or J visa.
December 1-Prospective Students: Last day to submit a degree or certificate application.
December 12-Newly Admitted International Students who reside outside the U.S. and require a F or J visa: Last day to submit a financial certificate form. (https://isso.charlotte.edu/future-students/newly-admitted-students/obtain-unc-charlotte-i-20).
December 22-Graduate Program Directors: Last day to recommend admission for applicants.
January 10-Prospective Students: Final date to submit a post-baccalaureate application.

Update Your "Apply Now" Links

October 25, 2021 by White, Brian

In preparation for the Graduate Admissions migration to Slate (go-live date TBD), please update all “Apply Now” links on your webpages, communications, and materials to the URL below.

https://gradadmissions.charlotte.edu/apply

Nationwide, Graduate Enrollment Projected to Grow less than 1% through 2029

October 18, 2021 by White, Brian

Nationwide, graduate enrollment is projected to grow by less than 1% from 2021-2029.

The Education Advisory Board (EAB) compiled a downloadable white paper to help institutions better understand the future needs of adult learners and develop strategies to recruit, enroll and retain them. Charlotte’s graduate enrollment is projected to grow 20% over the next ten years, so the work to strategically serve this unique audience must begin now.

Take Action Soon on Catalog Changes

October 18, 2021 by White, Brian

If you need to make changes to next year’s Graduate Catalog for standardized test requirements/changes, please note that October 31 is the strongly recommended deadline for ‘Course Revision’ proposals to be launched and approved by the originator via Curriculog. The earlier you start, the more likely the proposal will reach final approval in time for Fall 2022 implementation, registration, and publication in the 2022-2023 Catalogs. See all Course and Curriculum Deadlines.

NCCGS Fall Conference is Virtual and Free

October 01, 2021 by White, Brian

The 2021 North Carolina Conference of Graduate Schools (NCCGS) all virtual annual conference will be held Oct. 28 and 29 from 9 a.m.-Noon with no registration nor fee required.

Sessions include Engaging Graduate Students in Wellness
and Campus Activities, Mindfulness versus the Anxious Brain, Graduate Student Organizations’ Best Practices and more. Faculty, students and staff are encouraged to attend.

The full conference agenda with links to each session is available for download. For more information, please visit the NCCGS conference site.

GRE Changes Testing for China, Iran

October 01, 2021 by White, Brian

The Educational Testing Service (ETS) made a recent, and sudden, decision to suspend the computer-based GRE and reintroduce the paper-based version of the exam in China, effective Oct. 1.

The test administration change is apparently in response to security breaches in China. According to a press release by ETS, an investigation uncovered numerous websites offering questions and answers from live versions of the computer-based GRE.

Also, according to the ETS website, although the GRE General Test at home is not available to test takers in Iran, it is available at testing centers in country.

At Home Testing

The GRE® General Test at home is a safe and convenient option for test takers who prefer to take their test at home rather than at a test center. It’s offered everywhere that the test is normally available, based on the country of your account address, except Mainland China and Iran.

Testing Locations

The GRE® General Test is a computer-delivered test that is offered both at test centers and at home.

Test Center Testing

The GRE General Test is administered in a secure testing environment at more than 1,000 ETS-authorized test centers in 160-plus countries.

In most regions of the world, the test is available on a continuous basis throughout the year.
In Mainland China; Hong Kong, China; Taiwan, China; and Korea, the test is available up to three times per month.

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.

Reynolds Leadership Award Nominations Accepted Through Jan. 28

September 27, 2021 by White, Brian

Honoring excellence in graduate program administration, the Thomas L. Reynolds Leadership Award recognizes excellent leadership and outstanding service by a Graduate Program Director or Coordinator. Nominations for 2021-22 will be accepted through 5 p.m., Jan. 28.

Graduate Program Directors and Coordinators are leadership positions for the University and play an important and pivotal role in the success of our graduate students. Graduate Program Directors and Coordinators must not only manage and shape the direction of their programs to ensure the academic success of their students, but must also serve as advocates for graduate education at all levels. Doing this well, deserves recognition and praise.

The recipient receives a cash award, an engraved plaque, and their name engraved on a perpetual trophy. For additional information and to submit a nomination visit the Reynolds Leadership Award web page.

GradSchoolMatch Aims to Improve Prospect Targeting

September 23, 2021 by White, Brian

GradSchoolMatch from ETS is an online platform to help prospective students find the best fit for a graduate school and help recruiters stand out among top prospects.

For a $195 registration fee, GradSchoolMatch allows programs to create a profile to showcase unique strengths, then sends notifications when prospects express interest and provides a site to cultivate personal connections.

For more information and to register, please visit GradSchoolMatch and select For Recruiters.

Nominations Open for Outstanding Master's Thesis

September 16, 2021 by White, Brian

Faculty may nominate students for the Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award through Oct. 8, 2021.

The Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award is a part of the Graduate School’s focus on enhancing research skills.

Nomination information, fields of competition and more is available from the Graduate School.

If you have questions, please contact Julie Green, jhgreen@uncc.edu, Graduate Student Services and Fellowship Specialist.

ETS Webinar: Recruitment Strategies for a Reopening World

September 15, 2021 by White, Brian

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, Sept. 22, 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.

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.