Indian nationals are further strongly advised to refrain from travelling to China, Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, France, Spain, and Germany.
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:
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:
Contact Us:
Graduate School inquiries can be made via email to our subject matter boxes.
See our Staff Directory
Helpful Weblinks
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.
These workshops focus on WebEx and Canvas for instruction and general communication with students.
Please visit the CTL for more information.
The Center for Graduate Life is working to convert some workshops and all courses so that they can be delivered virtually. The CGL space is currently closed, 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:
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.
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.
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:
The Center for Teaching and Learning has developed an extensive resources to help faculty remain productive during crisis.
Included are a worksheet to help develop a continuity plan for courses and tips for staying productive while working remotely.
Learn more by visiting the CTL’s website
In the coming days, the UNC System and our Chancellor will be issuing guidance as to how various units work through the coronavirus pandemic. We do plan to operate under the guidance provided.
Please know that GPDNet will be an active resource for the most up-to-date information regarding Graduate School process and policy. Our goal is to be as flexible as possible with graduate students and faculty when it comes to graduate enrollment management, graduate academic affairs and graduate student affairs. Next week we will launch an FAQ here on GPDNet as a new resource. We will also send out email blasts to our GPD/C audience as warranted by changes and updates. Once again, please bookmark GPDNet, and use the Comments box below if you have questions you’d like answered by Graduate School staff.
The Research and Economic Development department’s 2020 Catalyst Boot Camp will focus on success in applying for grants from state and federal agencies, foundations and nonprofits. The goal of the program is to enhance the research and creative capacity of the University and institutionalize systemic support for the advancement and success of early- and mid-career faculty.
The Catalyst Boot Camp program will feature two tracks that will run concurrently: Catalyst for STEM+ and Catalyst for the Arts and Humanities.
Full details can be found in the Catalyst Program Description. The deadline for applications to the 2020 Catalyst Boot Camp is Friday, March 13, 2020, by 5:00 pm. For questions about the application process, please contact Lesley Brown, Director, Center for Research Excellence at labrown@uncc.edu.
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.
The Center for Graduate Life (CGL) will host human resources consultant Ivanna Garibaldi Campbell for a presentation on “Working Smarter on Diverse Teams” Mar. 19.
The presentation is scheduled 12:30-1:45 p.m. at the CGL, Cone 268. To reserve a seat, visit the Center for Graduate Life.
Concerns over the spread of coronavirus has delayed the annual convention of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), originally planned for San Antonio in late-March. The event will be rescheduled.
Another recruiting opportunity will be available when the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) holds its annual conference in September. The conference will be held at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando Sept. 21-24.
For updates on both conferences, please visit NSBE and NOBCChE.
The US Department of Labor recently issued new Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidance to colleges and universities, effective July 1, 2020, that will affect how the role of graduate assistants is defined for compensation purposes.
The new guidance was shared with UNC Charlotte leadership by Gary Stinnet, Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources.
In a memo distributed broadly on campus, Stinnet said the guidance pertains to teachers, coaches and student employees. Specfically, his memo noted, the guidance includes:
Graduate Teaching Assistants (TA): Graduate teaching assistants whose primary duty is teaching are exempt. Because they qualify for the teacher exemption, they are not subject to the salary basis and salary level tests (currently $35,568).
Research Assistants (RA): Generally, an educational relationship exists when a graduate or undergraduate student performs research under a faculty member’s supervision while obtaining a degree. Under these circumstances, the Department does not assert that an employment relationship exists with either the school or any grantor funding the student’s research. This is true even though the student may receive a stipend for performing the research.
Student Residential Assistants: Students enrolled in bona fide educational programs who serve as residential assistants and receive reduced room and board or tuition credits are not generally considered as employees under the FLSA. Therefore, they are not entitled to minimum wages and overtime compensation.
“To ensure current/future compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the University will distinguish graduate administrative assistants from graduate teaching/research assistants moving forward – designating these jobs as FLSA non exempt roles and paid on an hourly basis,” Stinnet said. “While these roles are of no less significance in educational/experiential value than graduate teaching and research assistants, they are not covered as exempt under current FLSA guidance.”
He noted that University will no longer offer graduate administrative assistantships via the eGA system. These roles will be filled through the ePAF process and time accounting will be managed through Banner Web Time Entry.
The changes are included in a review of graduate assistant definitions under way by the Graduate Funding Committee led by Manuel Perez-Quinones, Professor of Software and Information Systems and Graduate Faculty Fellow.
Please forward FLSA questions to Kieffer M.Gaddis, kgaddis@uncc.edu, 7-0654, and student employment questions to Teresa Shook, tshook4@uncc.edu, 7-0671.
ETS GRE is keeping you up-to-date with the latest information and initiatives to aid prospective students impacted by test postponements in China and worldwide. Learn more.
The series of Graduate Mentor Training sessions offered by the Graduate School will continue this year, with sessions scheduled Mar. 2 and May 12.
The training for graduate faculty is intended for faculty who want to improve mentoring skills. The effort is part of the Graduate School’s commitment to improve research climate on campus. The training is derived from the evidence-based practices of the CIMER Institute (Center for Improved Mentoring Experiences in Research) at the University of Wisconsin.
While the March session is full, seats are available for May. To register, visit the Graduate School Calendar.
For more information, check the Graduate School’s Mentoring Training and Mentoring and Advising pages.
In its recent Spring 2020 Open Forum presentation, the Office of the Registrar outlined changes coming for the summer term in the following images:
For more information, visit the Office of the Registrar.
This four-hour workshop gives students the opportunity to present solutions to campus, community or global problems. This is the first-stage of the annual Charlotte Venture Challenge. Teams will be given a list of problems and brainstorm on innovative ways to solve them.
ChangeMaker Kickoff: Breaking Ground
March 17, 202 4:00pm-9:00pm
Register to Attend
Increasingly, admissions professionals are favoring a comprehensive look at applicants, not just their test scores.
By looking at softer measures like personality traits and soft skills — in addition to test scores — proponents believe the holistic approach better assesses the whole applicant and serves as a better predictor of future success. The approach also has been credited with building stronger cohorts that are more diverse not only in race, ethnicity and gender, but also in experience, socioeconomic status and perspective.
ETS recently released a new report examining the future of holistic admissions. A copy of that report is available for download.
The Graduate School will conduct an information session March 18th from 12-1 pm for University employees who wish to pursue their graduate education. Graduate School staff will explain the easy application process, and share information about the tuition waiver and free textbook rental programs. The session will be held in Cato 248.
Full-time employees can take three classes per year, tuition free. Additionally, employees can apply easily apply for admission as a post-baccalaureate (non-degree) student, without standardized tests, transcripts, or recommendation requirements.
To reserve your seat, complete the online registration.
