Graduate School News

From the Research & Economic Development: Consistent with the UNC System’s directive to reduce campus population density, faculty, staff, and students are strongly encouraged to work remotely and to engage in social distancing practices when conducting on-campus research.  As of Mar. 17, access to campus research facilities, including laboratories and buildings, are restricted to authorized personnel with key or card-swipe access. In anticipation, PIs are asked to develop and implement research continuity plans that limit on-campus activities to those who are critical to maintaining vital research assets, experiments, and data collections. Plans should be filed with the supervising department or unit and should focus on preserving and advancing existing lines of research, keeping research team members safe, and ensuring facilities and resources are secure. PIs are encouraged to consider the following questions when developng their plan.  For more information, please visit Research & Economic Development.  For questions, call the RED Hotline at 704-687-8428.

Graduate Program Directors:

With the guidance provided by the UNC System Office and our Chancellor, the Graduate School will offer many of our services in a remote capacity as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus. Rest assured, we are operational virtually with our staff fully supporting prospective and current graduate students as well as our faculty. Our senior leadership team will meet regularly to reevaluate the situation with the intent to return to normal operations as soon as practical.

Following is information assembled by Graduate School staff to provide guidance and assistance during this event.  This information will be updated regularly, so I urge you to visit this site frequently. Also, take advantage of the feedback window at the bottom of each posting to let us know additional questions or concerns.

Thank you,

Tom

Graduate Admissions

With closures to many testing centers around the world, particularly in China, we encourage holistic review of available application materials for 2020 summer and fall applicants. In light of required English language proficiency and testing center closures abroad, Graduate Admissions is investigating the possibility of using a Remote English Proficiency Assessment tool on an interim basis. Stay tuned on more information.

Of utmost importance is the timely review of application materials for applicants so they may be nominated for graduate assistantships and funding prior to the April 15th National Signing Day. If you need assistance with the review process, please contact Graduate Admissions.

With your help, we can enroll the 2020 fall class. If you don’t already, please consider the following:

1. Communicate regularly with your applicants and enrolled students
2. Help new and continuing students connect to your program in multiple ways (FacebookLive events, emails, chats, WebEx, phone calls)
3. Encourage all students who are ‘eligible to enroll’ to do just that~
4. Offer virtual Information Sessions for prospective students as well as applicants offered admission (Graduate Admissions can help!)
5. Explore resources to support Graduate Enrollment Management online at: https://egem.charlotte.edu
6. Make timely recommendations for admission, funding, and assistantships
7. Support continuing students in new, creative ways, as necessary

Graduate Student Funding

Existing contracts for GAs should not be shortened or reduced in hours except under the most extreme circumstances. If a program wishes to change a contract for any reason, they should contact the Graduate School at gradassist@uncc.edu first to discuss. As a reminder, under this special circumstance only, GAs are eligible for Paid Administrative Leave as long as they remain on their current contract. It is critical to keep a student’s contract in place to ensure no disruption in the students’ pay.  The Graduate School monitors any change or cancellation of a graduate assistantship.

Graduate Academic Affairs

Social distancing measures related to the Coronavirus may prevent a thesis or dissertation committee from meeting face-to-face.  When illness or caution prevent someone on the committee from attending the defense, remote participation is appropriate.

The Graduate School will be very flexible regarding defenses.  Committee chairs and students should agree on the best method for a given defense. ALL committee members must participate in the defense, whether in person or virtually. This flexibility extends to students who need to defend remotely.

It is the chair’s responsibility to ensure that all committee members sign-off on the final defense form. Scanned signatures are allowed and additional time will be extended so that a form can be signed by all members. When this is not possible, we will accept the defense form with the chair’s signature, accompanied by emails from each committee member stating their approval.

Please remember that milestone forms are needed in order for the Graduate School to clear students for graduation.  Please do your best to send the forms electronically as soon as possible following a defense. 

Final and proposal defense thesis forms should be sent to Julie Green (jhgreen@uncc.edu) and final and proposal defense dissertation forms should be sent to Aura Young (Aura.Young@uncc.edu).

This flexible interpretation of our policy will remain in effect for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester.

Deadlines: In most cases, deadlines will remain in effect. However, the Graduate School will consider exceptions when circumstances support the request. Requests for exceptions should go to the appropriate Associate Dean – –  Johnna Watson, Enrollment Management and Funding, or Katherine Hall-Hertel, Graduate Academic and Student Affairs.

Graduate Student Affairs

The Center for Graduate Life is working to convert some workshops and all courses so that they can be delivered virtually. The CGL space will not be open, beginning Monday, March 16th, but most services and all staff will be available via email, phone or WebEx, as appropriate.  They have confirmed the following virtual services for UNC Charlotte graduate students with more to come:

• Writing Assistance from University Writing Center
• What Employers Want (3/26/2020)
• Formatting workshops (dates coming soon)

Contact Us:

Graduate School inquiries can be made via email to our subject matter boxes.  

• • Prospective Graduate Student Inquiries: gradcounselor@uncc.edu
  • Assistantship/eGA Inquiries: gradassist@uncc.edu
  • Center for Graduate Life Inquiries: gradlifecenter@uncc.edu
  • Graduate School Communications:  grad-comm@uncc.edu
  • Graduation and Degree Progress Inquiries: gradgraduation@uncc.edu

See our Staff Directory

Helpful Weblinks

• Emergency Management most up-to-date information on campus Advisories.
• NinerNotice archives and subscribe to NinerAlerts.
• Remote Work Technology Tips from OneIT.
• Center for Teaching and Learning

Please submit your comments and questions in the window below.  We will closely monitor this feedback and route, as need be, to the most appropriate department.

ETS announced this week they are implementing a secure online GRE and TOEFL® testing solution to allow students in some areas affected by the coronavirus outbreak to take the test from home until test centers reopen.

In a related move, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) has published  a list of testing centers that have been temporarily closed and is encouraging students who are ill to stay away.

ETS said, in a published statement, “We are targeting this solution to be introduced by the end of March in selected locations outside Mainland China. ETS is also working closely with the relevant government agencies in Mainland China on ways to launch this solution there as soon as possible.”

For updates on testing, visit IELTS or check “Important Updates” on the ETS website.