Graduate School News

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.

3MT Winners Named

Louie Alexander, M.S. in Bioinformatics student, was selected as the first-place winner in the 2022 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition on Nov. 18 for the presentation titled “Identifying Sorghum Plant Genes to Improve Biofuel Production.”

Read more from the Graduate School.

CGLL Spring Academic Courses Cover Communication, Leadership and More

The spring line-up of for-credit academic courses offered through the Center for Graduate Life and Learning (CGLL) cover a host of important topics, from Workplace Communications and Leadership to Responsible Conduct of Research. 

Read more at the CGLL Academics page and view details on the spring semester courses.

Recruitment Offers Repeat of Best Practices Roundtable

The Graduate School is hosting another in person session on Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. for Graduate Program Directors and Coordinators to participate in an update on best practices and a discussion with Graduate Admission Counselors on strategies to recruit new and retain current students. The session also will include efforts Graduate Admissions is making to engage prospective students and applicants and share a few simple things programs can do to deepen that engagement.

Following a brief presentation by Graduate Admissions, Program Directors and Coordinators will be encouraged to share what they are doing to recruit and retain students. A summary of ideas shared will be distributed to participants following the session.

For more information and to register, please visit Graduate Admissions.

****This is a repeat of the session that was offered on Nov. 18.

Charlotte Participating in National Name Exchange for High Performing Minority Students

The Graduate School participates in the National Name Exchange (NNE), now hosted by the Council of Graduate Schools. The NNE is a coalition of approximately 60 universities nationwide whose goal is to inform high performing underrepresented minority undergraduate students about opportunities available in graduate school.

If you are interested in accessing the list of students enrolled in the NNE from all participating institutions, please contact Ellie Ivey (efeely@uncc.edu).

Effective Mentor Training Set for Jan. 13

This training incorporates the curriculum from the Center for the Improvement of the Mentored Experience in Research (CIMER), which uses empirical research to inform practices.  This session will be offered face-to-face and will include a working lunch.  It is limited to 20 attendees. 

More information is available from the Graduate School. To register, please use this online form.

Deadline Approaches for Diversity Forum Applications

Please encourage graduate students whose research focuses on DEI-related issues to participate in the first Diversity Scholars Forum. The deadline for applications is Dec. 16. 

Participants will receive a small stipend to support their research.  The Forum will bring together community partners and student researchers to showcase this important work.

More information and registration form are available from the Graduate School.

GradSchoolMatch Targets Prospective Students

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.  

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.