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3-Minute Thesis Competition Open for Registration

September 07, 2021 by White, Brian

The Center for Graduate Life and Learning (CGLL) is now accepting registrations for this year’s 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.

3MT provides an opportunity for researchers to sharpen public speaking skills and practice sharing research to outside audiences. The top winner this year will receive a cash award of $750 and a trip to represent the University at the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools’ (CSGS) Annual Meeting in Raleigh.

To register, please visit the CGLL’s Registration site. More details are available from the CGLL.

Ventureprise Launch Applications Due Sept. 9

September 07, 2021 by White, Brian

Applications are due Sept. 9 for the fall 2021 Ventureprise Launch National Science Foundation I-Corps Virtual Cohort.

The Ventureprise Launch program provides UNC Charlotte faculty, staff and students with commercialization training and new NSF funding up to $5,000 for a research or business idea.

This virtual cohort is designed with a tiered approach, launching on September 15. The next stage is a six-month $50,000 NSF I-Corps Teams grant.

Applications are reviewed as they are submitted, closing on Sept. 9. More information and the application form can be found on the NSF I-Corps webpage.

For questions, contact Devin Collins or Laura Smailes.

Alliance will Fund Research on COVID-19's Impact on Women and Girls

September 07, 2021 by White, Brian

The Women + Girls Research Alliance (W+GRA) announced it will provide seed funding for new or ongoing research efforts that highlight the issues that women and girls face in the workforce as a result of, or exacerbated by, COVID-19’s impact on the economy and society.

Issues may cover a variety of areas, such as:

exposure of gender-biased employment practices during COVID
disproportionate burden that the pandemic placed on single mothers
relationship between employment and housing security
over-representation of women of color in low-wage jobs, particularly front-line workers, and their increased exposure to the virus
lack of affordable childcare for working mothers

From Oct.1-15, 2021, W+GRA will accept proposals for funding in the amount of $1,000-$5,000 for projects that focus on one or both of the following:

Supporting an ongoing research project or a new research project that addresses the intersectional nature of the problem along the lines of race, class, gender, age, ability, immigrant status, language, location, access to helpful resources, and income.
Tangible projects that will support the work of the W+GRA such as conference presentations, workshops, research papers, training, or programs that address the “she-cession” and women missing from the workplace.

More details are available from the Women + Girls Research Alliance.

de Silva, First Citizen Awards Nominees Sought

September 03, 2021 by White, Brian

The Graduate School currently seeks nominations for the 2022 First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal and Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award.

Awarded since 1988, the First Citizens Medal recognizes a senior full-time faculty member for outstanding scholarship, creativity, and/or research. Nominations may come from any UNC Charlotte faculty member. Last year’s honoree was Dr. Akinwumi Ogundiran, Department of Africana Studies.

The award includes a cash prize, framed citation and a medal. It will be presented in the spring semester at a ceremony and reception presided over by the Chancellor, officials of First Citizens Bank, the Dean of the Graduate School, and University officers.

Information on this year’s First Citizens award can be found in the Graduate School. The deadline for nominations is 5:00 pm, Nov. 13, 2021.

The 2022 Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award, established in memory of the noted professor of biology, recognizes a full-time member of the graduate faculty who evinces outstanding graduate mentoring. Nominations should come from a chair of the academic department.

The award comes with a crystal obelisk, a framed citation, and a cash prize and will be presented in the spring semester at a ceremony and reception presided over by the Chancellor, the Dean of the Graduate School, and University officers.

Information on this year’s competition can be found in the Graduate School. The deadline for nominations is 5:00 pm November 5, 2021

CGLL to Host Atkins Library Series

September 02, 2021 by White, Brian

The Center for Graduate Life and Learning (CGLL) will host an Atkins Library Workshop Series this semester to build student awareness of the library’s spaces and resources.

It began with a Grad Student Open House Sept.1 that will be followed by two virtual workshops in September:

Atkins Library Research Fundamentals for Graduate Student Success Sept. 9 and
Atkins Library Area 49 Workshop Sept.15.

The CGLL also will host Atkins Library for two workshops on How to Use Endnote Citation Management Software, a face-to-face session Sept. 15 and a virtual session Sept. 21.

Programs to Determine Testing Requirements

August 31, 2021 by White, Brian

The Graduate Council voted unanimously on Mar. 9 to eliminate the standardized test requirement for applicants to graduate programs, beginning with the 2022 application cycle. Subsequently, on April 29, 2021, the Faculty Council also voted to support the proposal. Accordingly, graduate programs may choose to require the GRE, MAT, GMAT, MCAT, PAEP or other types of tests as part of their admission application requirements but a test is not required by the Graduate School. Additional information, including standardized test procedures and what program directors may need to consider and/or do in light of this change, is available for download.

Admissions Application and eGRAD Unavailable Sept. 8-15

August 24, 2021 by White, Brian

Graduate Admissions is transitioning to a new recruitment and admissions system (Slate) on September 15th, and mygradschool.uncc.edu AND eGRAD will be brought down on September 7th at 11:59 pm. Prospective students are being encouraged to submit their application and supporting materials on or before September 7th, else they can submit materials in the new Slate system beginning September 15th. Similarly, Graduate Program Directors are encouraged to make recommendations on all Ready for Review applications prior to September 8th or wait until after the Slate go-live on September 15th. Slate training will be available beginning September 13th, so stay tuned to GPDNet for additional details.

Between September 8th – 15th, applications and supporting materials will be migrated to Slate and prospective students for 2022 will be emailed new system credentials to access the new system on or around September 15th. Similarly, recommendation providers are being encouraged to submit references by September 7th at 11:59 pm; otherwise, they will be provided new system and login credentials for Slate on or around September 15th.

Some Doctoral Students May Get Advanced Standing

August 24, 2021 by White, Brian

Doctoral students who enter with a relevant master’s degree may be admitted to an Advanced Standing track in some doctoral programs.

In those programs offering this option, the Graduate Program Director must recommend admission to the Advanced Standing track for the term in which the student begins their graduate study.

Please send these requests to Sandra.Krause@uncc.edu.

Online Catalog Update Petitions Available

August 24, 2021 by White, Brian

Students may now submit 2021-22 catalog update requests through the Graduate Academic Petition system. As a reminder, Catalog Update petitions are automatically processed under the term in which they were submitted. This means that if you submit a Catalog Update petition during the Fall 2021 term, the student’s catalog will reflect the NEW 2021-22 catalog.

Spring/Summer 2021 Graduation Statistics

August 24, 2021 by White, Brian

Spring/Summer 2021 Graduation Statistics

The Graduate School is pleased to announce the following statistics for Spring/Summer 2021 graduation:

Spring 2021:

Docs – 99

Masters – 981

Certs – 322

Total – 1402

Summer 2021:

Docs – 43

Masters – 203

Certs – 62

Total – 308

Congratulations to our hard-working faculty and staff for moving the class through during these difficult times.

CGL Introduces New Name, Logo

August 24, 2021 by White, Brian

The Center for Graduate Life has changed its name to the Center for Graduate Life and Learning in order to better capture the breadth of our offerings. In recent years, we have expanded our professional development portfolio with new programs such as Accelerate to Industry, the Graduate School Teaching Fellowship, and the STEM Communication Fellows Program. We’ve also added several credit-bearing academic courses (under the GRAD prefix), including Leadership Essentials for Graduate Students, Navigating Graduate School, Topics in Diversity and Inclusion, and Making Dissertations Happen. Finally, we launched the Certificate in Workplace Competencies degree to help graduate students learn essential professional skills and demonstrate their career readiness to employers. Look for two new GRAD courses this spring on verbal communication and financial literacy!

Although our new name reflects a growing emphasis on professional development and academics, we’re still the same friendly, welcoming, community-building place that we’ve been since our creation in 2010! Graduate students can stop by anytime, Monday-Friday, 8:30-5:00 to ask questions, explore our programming, or just relax in our lounge. Later this semester we’ll be moving to a newly renovated space in Atkins Library, directly across from the University Career Center. You can follow construction updates on our Instagram, Linkedin, and Youtube accounts.

EducationUSA Global Guide Now Available

August 20, 2021 by White, Brian

The 2021 EducationUSA Global Guide and COVID supplement are available on the EducationUSA website and are also uploaded to GPDNet.

The Global Guide provides detailed information on current recruitment trends, country highlights and government scholarships written by experts on the ground. The Global Guide also provides statistics on in-person and virtual outreach, along with tips on the best means of communication with students from the region.

EducationUSA has also published a supplement to the Global Guide which offers guidance to higher education institutions formulating recruitment plans and developing strategies to engage prospective international students in light of the ongoing global health crisis.

Access the EducationUSA Global Guide and COVID supplement from EducationUSA and on GPDNet under the Graduate School Data tab.

New Admissions System Goes Live Sept. 15

August 10, 2021 by White, Brian

The Graduate Admissions team is busy designing and building Slate (by Technolutions), a new recruitment and admissions management system that is comprehensive, scalable, integrated and sustainable to help effectively recruit and enroll exemplary students to UNC Charlotte graduate programs.

Slate will replace eGRAD, and the anticipated go-live date is September 15, 2021.

Open forums were held in May and June to provide faculty and staff with a high level overview of the system’s functionality; if you missed them, please view the PowerPoint presentation in GPDNet (GPD News/Resources>Admissions, Recruitment, & Enrollment Management>Slate Info). We anticipate offering virtual and face-to-face training to graduate program directors and affiliates beginning Sept. 8.

Please direct any questions and/or suggestions to Johnna Watson.

2021-22 Recruiting Events Listed

August 10, 2021 by White, Brian

Graduate Admissions staff participate in several recruiting fairs each year and maintain a list of high quality events that provide great opportunities to connect with prospective students.

For more information, download a copy of the spreadsheet of current opportunities and contact MaryanneMaree-Sams@uncc.edu for more information.

Hanover Research Publishes Recruiting, Engagement Practices

July 30, 2021 by White, Brian

Consulting firm Hanover Research has published a study of best practices for recruiting and engaging adult learners.

Download a copy of Effective Strategies for Recruiting and Engaging Adult Learners.

Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Accepting Applications

July 29, 2021 by White, Brian

The Office of International Programs invites qualified candidates to submit program applications for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program prior to the Wednesday, Sept. 15, deadline. Note that U.S. citizenship is required. Click here to search all awards available in the 2022-23 competition or connect with UNC Charlotte’s Fulbright Scholar liaison.

HEERF III Grants Go to 2,717 Graduate Students

July 20, 2021 by White, Brian

The Graduate School worked with University officials to identify and provide grants to 2,717 eligible graduate students through The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III), to help defray expenses or losses incurred during the pandemic.

Authorized by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and signed into law on March 11, 2021, HEERF III provides funds to institutions of higher education to serve students and help ensure learning continues during the COVID-10 pandemic. UNC Charlotte’s Office of Student Financial Aid confirmed that international students are eligible to receive HEERF III funding with no negative impact to their immigration or visa status.

Awards were dispersed on July 13 to students’ bank accounts (or by check, if necessary), and the recipients were informed via email; grants ranged from $500 to $1,500. Students who did not receive grants but believe they may be eligible may submit a 2021-2022 Student Higher Education Emergency Fund Relief Application to request consideration for HEERF III funding.

Navigating Grad School as a First Generation Scholar

July 19, 2021 by White, Brian

GRAD 6000/8000, Navigating Graduate School as a First Generation Scholar

(CRN 16785/16787) is an 8-week, online course is designed to support graduate students navigating their academic and professional contexts as first generation scholars.

Students may register for the 2-credit course at my.uncc.edu

ETS Webinar: Recruitment Strategies for a Reopening World

July 19, 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, July 28, 2021 at 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.

RED Announces Updated GA Compensation Policy

July 14, 2021 by White, Brian

Research and Economic Development (RED) recently announced changes to the policy governing how tuition and other forms of compensation for graduate assistants (GAs) are charged to sponsored awards (Policy 50.5). Following is the text of that announcement:

To be allowable costs, tuition and other forms of compensation for GAs must meet the following conditions:

The individual is conducting activities necessary to the award
Tuition remission and other support are provided in accordance with the established policy of the department/program and consistently provided in a like manner to students in return for similar activities conducted under sponsored awards as well as other activities
During the academic period, the student is enrolled in an advanced degree program at the university and the activities of the student in relation to the award are related to the degree program
The tuition or other payments are reasonable compensation for the work performed and are conditioned explicitly upon the performance of necessary work
The program/department’s practice is to similarly compensate students under sponsored awards as well as other activities.

A recent review of campus practices indicated that compensation packages provided to graduate assistants, including teaching assistants (TAs) and research assistants (RAs) enrolled in the same graduate program often vary, making it unlikely that conditions #2 and #5 are being met. Moreover, the current version of Policy 50.5 requires that sponsored awards cover costs such as fees that are not typically provided to similar GAs supported on institutional or State funds. These forms of compensation are not allowable costs unless they are generally provided to comparable students (e.g., students enrolled in the same graduate program) supported on GAs, regardless of the source of the funds.

The revision of Policy 50.5 aims to establish consistent compensation packages for GAs within individual programs and aligns our university policy with the requirements for Federal awards outlined in the Uniform Guidance.

Although the policy will go into effect on July 15, 2021, we have worked with the college leadership to develop a phased approach (outlined below) that minimizes the impact on existing awards and provides time for programs to establish standard compensation packages for GAs. The FAQs address some of the most common questions we received over the past 18 months as we worked to update the policy.

Implementation of Revision of Policy 50.5

Phase I: Onboarding of Early Adopters (2021-22 Academic Year)

The Associate Deans in the Colleges have identified 21 doctoral programs and 9 master’s programs that currently provide standard compensation packages to graduate assistants and are therefore already aligned with the updated policy. During the 2021-22 academic year, PIs wishing to support students enrolled in these graduate programs may charge up to 100% of the compensation package to an award. PIs wishing to support a student in a program that is not on the “early adopter list” may charge stipend or wages to the award during the 2021-22 academic year, but will not be permitted to charge other forms of compensation, such as tuition, fees, or health insurance. During this period, stipend levels can still be set by the program and may vary by funding source.

Additional details include:

The compensation charged to the award cannot exceed what is described in the standard package. Compensation less than the standard amount should be accompanied by a comparable decrease in effort.
Details of the compensation packages and the associated policies governing student eligibility should be communicated to Grants and Contracts Administration (GCA) prior to the submission of a Student Educational Award Form. Any changes to standard compensation packages must be reviewed and approved by Academic Affairs and reported to GCA for publication on the RED website.
When preparing proposals with start dates after July 15, 2021, PIs wishing to support students enrolled in programs with standard compensation packages must include all components of the package that are permitted by the sponsor, including stipend, tuition, and health insurance.
PIs with existing awards that include GA support should work with their grants administrators to re-budget costs that are no longer included in the standard compensation package or are no longer allowable.

Phase II: Full Implementation of Policy 50.5 (2022-2023 Academic Year)

Policy 50.5 will be fully implemented at the start of the 2022-2023 academic year. Only students enrolled in programs with approved standard compensation packages will be eligible to be supported on GAs from sponsored awards. PIs may charge up to 100 percent of the standard compensation package to an award and all components of the package that are permitted by the sponsor must be included in any request. Programs without standard compensation packages will no longer be allowed to charge any costs associated with GAs to an award.

Additional details include:

As outlined above, funds allocated for items, such as fees, that are not included in a standard compensation package may be re-budgeted to cover other allowable costs (with sponsor approval, if required).
Budgets for new projects with start dates after July 15, 2022 that include GA support should include costs associated with the current or anticipated standard compensation package.

For more information, please contact Rick Tankersley, rtankers@uncc.edu.