Graduate School News

CGLL’s Weekend Write Set Jan. 28

The Center for Graduate Life and Learning (CGLL) will host Weekend Write Jan. 28, 9-Noon for graduate students working on dissertations, preparing to defend a thesis, writing a term paper or just looking for a productive writing environment.  

The online event provides structured writing time, goal-setting and accountability to enhance motivation.

For more information and to register, please visit the CGLL.

Graduate Admissions to Host Virtual Office Hours on Graduate Student Recruitment

Graduate Admissions Counselors are hosting bi-monthly virtual office hours where Graduate Program Directors and Coordinators can drop in to ask questions, give updates, and collaborate with the Graduate Recruitment Team. 

Jump in for a few minutes or stay for a full hour. There is no formal presentation, just an opportunity to connect! To register, visit Graduate Admissions.

Charlotte Recruiting Fairs Planned

The Career Center  will host two fairs this spring in the Student Activity Center (SAC). STEM Fair – Feb. 10, in person, 10am-2pm. info and reg: https://charlotte-csm.symplicity.com/events/stem23Spring Fair – March 9, in person, 10am-2pm. Info and reg: https://charlotte-csm.symplicity.com/events/scif23

For more information about possibly reserving a table for your program, please contact Brooke.Brown@uncc.edu.

For more information please visit the Career Center.  If you have questions for Graduate Admissions about the fair contact MaryanneMaree-Sams@uncc.edu.

Graduate Education Summit Planned Feb. 10

The Graduate School staff and guests will share information about new initiatives and opportunities for graduate programs, as well as general information.

February 10, 2023 – 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Halton Reading Room – Atkins Library

Topics will include:

  • Highlights of the Graduate School’s Strategic Plan
  • Updates on the Academic Integrity Process
  • The U.S. Supreme Court Ruling that could end Affirmative Action Policies in Admissions
  • An Overview from the Office of Research
  • Graduate School Updates
  • Q & A

Coffee and tea will be available at 9:00 a.m. We encourage you to wear green or UNC Charlotte gear in true Niner spirit!

Please share this event with people in your area who might find this session helpful or interesting. 

Yale Ciencia Academy (YCA) for Professional Development Open for Applications

The Yale Ciencia Academy (YCA) for Professional Development has issued a call for applications.

YCA is an NIH-funded (R25GM114000) initiative that has recently been modified to equip doctoral students interested in biological, biomedical or behavioral research and who are in the final 1-2 years of their programs with the knowledge, skills, and networks they need to find great postdoctoral positions that will further their academic interests and career goals. The program supports students who identify as being from an underrepresented background in science, as defined by the NIH. The application period closes March 1, 2023, and the program runs from June 2023 to June 2024.

A brochure on the program is available for download.

For more information, contact Jill Huerta (jhuerta2@uncc.edu) in the Center for Graduate Life and Learning.

Women in Data Science Conference Set for March

The Charlotte Women in Data Science (WiDS) Conference is an event hosted and sponsored by UNC Charlotte’s School of Data Science and Lowe’s, prior to our full-day Analytics Frontiers Conference. It will be held at the UNC Charlotte Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. The conference aims to inspire, educate, and engage current and future data scientists in the Carolinas, regardless of gender, and to support women in the field by providing training, networking, and mentoring opportunities.

More information and register at Women in Data Science Charlotte.

CGLL Workshop: Connecting with Alumni

Dr. Suzanne Voigt, Program Manager for Career Readiness Design, University Career Center, leads this session examining the strategic process and etiquette of connecting with alumni.

Workshop held in Atkins 146, 11 a.m., Jan. 25. Visit the Center for Graduate Life and Learning for more information and to register.

Register International Teaching Assistants for English Language Assessment

From Nicole Lanieri, Director of UNC Charlotte’s English Language Training (ELTI) Institute: Please remember to have international teaching assistants (ITAs) sign up for an English language assessment.  ITAs who have previously earned a passing score on the UNCC assessment do not have to be evaluated again. As a reminder, this is required by state law. 

All international teaching  assistants who are paid from Teaching Assistant funds, regardless of assigned duties, are required to attend an English language assessment session. This requirement is specified in the TA contract. Neither length of time in the U.S. nor prior attendance or employment at a U.S. institution exempts ITAs from this requirement. ITAs who do not pass the assessment may be enrolled in ELTI’s ITA Communication Course to support their language development. This course is free to ITAs and is non-credit bearing.

Program directors were sent the following survey to distribute to their students. If you did not receive it, it means you were not on our list. If that is the case, please email Patricia Chukwueke at pchukwue@uncc.edu  so that we can update our lists. You may access the survey link here.

If you have any questions about the general process for ITA testing, please contact Patricia. ITAs with questions about the testing process and other queries should email itasupport@uncc.edu.

Final Transcripts Due Mar.15 from New Spring Students

New students (admitted and enrolled for 2023 spring) have until March 15, 2023 to submit their final, official transcripts.  Information and directions are being emailed to students.

If you have questions, please contact Kathy Giddings, KathyGiddings@uncc.edu.

Q&A Sessions on Slate/Admissions Scheduled for Faculty and Staff

To learn more about Slate or Admissions, join an upcoming session hosted by Slate Captains:  Kathy Giddings, Director of Graduate Admissions and Ash Bowers, IT Analyst.  

Slate user guides are located in GPDNet.

Sessions offered at 3:00 p.m. EST via zoom each of the following dates:

January 30, 2023 (Monday)

February 27, 2023 (Monday)

March 28, 2023 (Tuesday)

April 24, 2023 (Monday)

Let us know if you are interested in a customized training session or would like to meet on a different day/time by submitting a Slate help ticket.

Requesting Letters of Recommendation

 Dr. Melanie Sorrell, Atkins Library Subject Librarian, will lead this enlightening session Jan. 18, 11:15-12:15, in Atkins 146.

The session, sponsored by the Center for Graduate Life and Learning, will focus on common challenges faced in requesting a letter of recommendation, potential solutions and developing a timeline to ensure you have what you need in time.

For more information and to register, please refer students to the Center for Graduate Life and Learning.

Graduate Admissions to Provide "Eligible to Register" List

Graduate Admissions is now providing GPDs with a list of new and continuing students in their program who are eligible to register but have not.  The report will be distributed weekly from start of registration until the close of registration for each term. .

Programs are encouraged to reach out to these students and urge them to register.

If you have questions, please contact Maryanne Maree-Sams, MaryanneMaree-Sams@uncc.edu.

Remind Students to Apply for Summer Fellowship Program

The Graduate School’s Summer Fellowship Program (GSSF) provides doctoral students funding to continue focus on research over the summer months.   

The program is available to new and repeat applicants.  Eligible applicants can receive $8,000 to support progress toward the degree.

The deadline to apply is Mar. 1.

“We are also in need of faculty reviewers, said Julie Goodliffe, Assistant Dean for Graduate Funding and Research. “This is a fun way to serve the University.”

To apply, please access the 2023 GSSF Application.

Jan. 12 Workshop Topic: Time Management

In this one-hour session, Rasheda Sykes, Associate Director of Learning Strategies and Instruction in the University Center for Academic Excellence, shares secrets to accomplishing more in a shorter period of time.

To attend this session in Atkins 146, register at the Center for Graduate Life and Learning.

GRAD Course Teaches Personal Finance

No matter the field of graduate study, graduate students will benefit from this series focusing on understanding how to make sound financial choices in life. This course guides students through both the key knowledge-based facts and concepts and a self-assessment of emotions, attitudes, experiences, culture, and motivations that tend to drive how we manage money. 

Topics in Graduate Professional Development: Personal Finance (GRAD 6000/8000) | 24460/24461 | 5:30 PM- 7:10 R | 2 credits | Online

Course Offers Juniors, Seniors Insight into Graduate Education Possibilities

COL 3401 – Graduate Educational Opportunities is a 1 credit-hour, first-half session course offered by the Graduate School in the spring semester for juniors and seniors to explore various aspects of graduate education. Now in its 12th year, the course was designed to provide talented students who affiliate with less represented groups a deep dive into graduate education, including what it is, admissions requirements, funding opportunities, and finding the right program. If you have undergraduate students you believe might be well-served by taking the course, please encourage them to enroll. [CRN: 24520, MW, 12-1:15 pm, 1st half-session, Fretwell 410]. For additional information, please contact Johnna Watson, Associate Dean of the Graduate School.

Join Graduate Admissions for Virtual Office Hours on Graduate Student Recruitment

Graduate Admissions Counselors are hosting bi-monthly virtual office hours where Graduate Program Directors and Coordinators can drop in to ask questions, give updates, and collaborate with the Graduate Recruitment Team. 

Jump in for a few minutes or stay for a full hour. There is no formal presentation, just an opportunity to connect! To register, visit Graduate Admissions.

Pinku Mukherjee Appointed Interim Associate Provost and Graduate School Dean

Pinku Mukherjee, Irwin Belk Distinguished Professor for Cancer Research and associate dean for research and graduate education in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, has been appointed interim associate provost and dean of the Graduate School effective Jan. 3, 2023, succeeding Tom Reynolds, who will retire after 40 years of service to the institution. 

Read more at Inside UNC Charlotte.

2023 Enrollment and Graduation Projections Due Friday, Dec. 9

The Projections Manager, located in GPDNet, is still open for enrollment and graduation projection
submissions. The information you provide is vital to help advance the university’s Strategic Plan to
expand post-baccalaureate education and enroll over 7,000 students within ten years.

Careful planning to achieve enrollment goals is more important now than ever. Programs should
maximize existing program capacities and provide context for additional resources needed to grow
enrollment only after careful analysis.

Top Master's Theses Awarded

An Anthropology major, a History major and a Meterology major each were honored for their Outstanding Master’s Thesis for 2022.

Sylvia Marshall, History, Alexandra Pando, Anthropology, and Eric Webb, Meteorology, were selected this year’s winners. Read more from the Graduate School.