The Winter Edition of the U.S. Commercial Service International Education Connection includes several opportunities to reach potential graduate students in countries worldwide.
A copy of the publication in pdf format is available for download.
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Spring Enrollment on Track to Top Goal
Graduate enrollment is trending ahead of the number of students enrolled at this time last year, suggesting we could exceed the goal of 5,012 students for spring.
“It will be vitally important for programs to encourage every eligible but not registered student to enroll,” said Johnna Watson, Associate Dean for Graduate Enrollment Management and Funding. Watson encouraged GPDs to
- make recommendations on ready-for-review applications
- encourage new students to enroll, and
- encourage continuing students to register for classes
The full Spring 2020 enrollment report is available on GPDNet’s Graduate School Data page.
Funding Team Proposes GA Definitions
The Graduate Funding Committee is inviting comment on proposed new standard definitions for Graduate Assistant, Teaching Assistant and Administrative Assistant roles.
The Committee was established to assess and implement recommendations made by the Graduate Student Funding Task Force in 1017-18. Creating standard definitions for these roles was among those recommendations.
The draft definitions are available in this shared Google document. Comments are welcome in the document or below.
The Funding Committee’s work also can be followed on Canvas. All Program Directors should have received an invitation to join the project course. If you did not receive an invitation, contact Julie Goodliffe, jmgoodli@uncc.edu, in the Graduate School.
For more information, contact Dr. Manuel A. Pérez-Quiñones, Faculty Fellow, Graduate School, and Chair of the Graduate Funding Committee, Perez.Quinones@uncc.edu.
CLAS Offers Marketing Tips
A new resource developed by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) helps program directors cut through the clutter to reach student prospects.
Developed by CLAS Director of Communications Lynn Roberson, the downloadable presentation focuses on understanding prospective student audiences and shares best practices on how to reach them. The presentation includes a checklist of what to include on a program website.
The presentation is available for download. For more information, contact Lynn at 704-687-0082, lynnroberson@uncc.edu.
Deadline Set for Course and Curriculum Changes
If you’re looking to make changes to the Undergraduate or Graduate Catalog, please note that December 31 is the deadline for course and curriculum proposals to be launched and approved by the Originator via Curriculog (Course and Curriculum Deadlines). The earlier you start, the more likely the proposal will reach final approval in time for Fall 2020 implementation, registration, and publication in the 2020-2021 Catalogs.
The working drafts for the 2020-2021 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs are available online for preview to help with planning your course and curriculum changes for the 2020-2021 academic year. These previews should reflect any course and curriculum changes that have gone through the full approval process within Curriculog. Any proposals that have not yet gone through the full approval process will not yet appear. Future changes will be added to these working drafts of the catalogs as proposals have completed the FULL approval cycle within Curriculog.
An Open Swim Curriculog Training Session will be held on Friday, December 13 from 2:30-3:45 p.m. in Colvard 4103. This open swim training is where you can work on Curriculog proposals and/or bring questions. Matt Wyse, the Curriculog Administrator, will be there to help you navigate Curriculog and answer your questions. Register here. To learn more about Curriculog, visit the Curriculog Training page of the Faculty Governance website.
Dec. 4 Deadline for Withdrawal for Extenuating Circumstances
Students who meet the criteria to withdraw due to Extenuating Circumstances for the CURRENT term must submit their request to the Office of Student Assistance and Support Services no later than Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019.
The Extenuating Circumstances Committee meets monthly during the academic school year. For their application to be heard, students must have had their consultation with the Assistant Director for Withdrawal Services and submitted all documentation by 5:00 p.m., Dec. 4, 2019.
More information on withdrawal is available on the Withdrawal Services website.
Info on Student Holds, Errors Available
Niner Central has a great online resource to help students with registration holds and error messages.
Visit Niner Central for more information.
Financial Certification Report Available
Categories: Admissions
A Financial Certification
Program Directors can use this information to gauge international enrollments. Visit the Graduate School Data site on GPDNet for the report.
New Leadership, Career Prep Classes Coming to CGL
A new course on Leadership and a graduate certificate in Workplace Competencies will join the spring lineup at the Center for Graduate Life (CGL).
GRAD 6000/8000, Leadership Essentials, focuses on developing a personal leadership plan and executing it with power.
The CGL’s Graduate Certificate in Workplace Competencies, a 12-credit certificate program, kicks off in the spring.
More information on these and other career and professional development opportunities is available from the Center for Graduate Life.
Holistic Admissions Guide Available
Categories: Admissions
ETS GRE has collected best practices for holistic graduate admissions to consider applicants fairly and improve applicant success.
For more information and to review the ETS GRE guide to best practices, please visit Holistic Admissions.
Nanoscale Science Presentation Wins 3MT Competition
Categories: Student Affairs
For decades, the color blue has been a significant focus of research into improvements in digital display technology. The images we see on our laptop, phone and flat-screen TV today come from light-emitting materials comprising three colors – red, green and blue.
“The colors red and green are very easy to obtain but the color blue has been the bane of display technology,” said Abhishek Shibu, Ph.D. in Nanoscale Science whose presentation, “Let There Be ‘BLUE’ Light!,” took both the 1st Place and People’s Choice awards in this year’s 3-Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition. The issue, it appears, is that the material used to produce blue is not quite as cooperative as the others.
“My research is focused on creating a new class of blue-emitting materials to make these displays more energy efficient, cost effective and environmentally friendly,” he said.
The Walter Research Group in the Department of Chemistry has created a library of crystals in the quest to improve the blue which, Shibu believes, “will be paradigm shifting candidates in the world of display technology.”
3MT® is a key element in preparing graduate students to communicate for success in their chosen career pursuits. Students who take on 3MT® also have an opportunity to participate in personal coaching and instruction on public presentations through the Center for Graduate Life. The CGL course, Communicating Your Research to a Non-Expert Audience, is tailored to help students create a favorable first impression on the job.
Taking 2nd Place in this year’s 3MT® was Nicole Stott, Ph.D. in Biology, Cellular and Molecular Biology for her presentation, “Lung Cancer Progression.”
Stott’s research assesses how the drug Metformin – commonly used to treat diabetes – can also reduce lung cancer tumor burden while maintaining skeletal muscle health. Stott’s work holds promise for improving the welfare and recovery time for lung cancer patients.
Mukulika Bose, Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, received the 3rd Place award for her presentation on “Targeting Pancreatic Cancer with a Specific Antibody.”
Current treatment for pancreatic cancer often kills normal cells as well as the tumor. Bose’ research focuses on identifying biomarkers of cancerous cells to better target treatment.
For more information on 3MT®, visit the Center for Graduate Life.
Student Funding Nominations Must Go Through New eGPS System
Effective Dec. 19, all student funding nominations MUST be completed in eGPS, the Graduate School’s new student funding system. eGPS allows Graduate Program Directors (GPDs) to view, nominate, see decisions, and track the complete funding package for students.
Access to eGPS is provided upon completion of in-person or online Canvas training.
After Dec. 19, funding nominations may no longer be submitted through eGA, the online “electronic graduate assistantship” application platform. eGA will continue to be used for generating student contracts and transmitting contract information to Human Resources and Payroll.
GPDs and administrative staff interested in gaining access to eGPS or in learning more may participate in an informational ‘open-swim’ drop-in session in Denny 101, Dec. 16, 17, and 18 from 2-4 p.m. each day.
UNC Charlotte Hosts Expert Panel on International Recruitment Opportunities
UNC Charlotte recently hosted a panel discussion on the topic Strategies for Internationalization, Recruitment and Retention, featuring recruiting experts from Queens University, UNC Greensboro, the U.S. Commercial Service, Sannam S4 and UNC Charlotte’s Graduate School.
The panel shared best practices, opportunities and considered what the future holds in the international higher education market.
Education service exports ranked 5th among service exports in 2018, according to the U.S. Commercial Service, a division of the Department of Commerce. For the 2017/2018 academic year, U.S. schools hosted over one million students and reported $45.3 billion in education exports, supporting over 455,000 U.S. jobs. [1] These numbers have been slowly trending downward, yet China, India and South Korea remain lucrative pools to cultivate for recruiting purposes. China alone has 28 million university students, many of whom seek a western education to “top-off” their academic career.
The panel said competition worldwide for students at the graduate and undergraduate levels is intensifying. Some drivers behind that trend include:
- Many countries are developing programs such as industry partnerships and guaranteed work placement post-graduation to entice their student population to stay in-country.
- Many U.S. institutions, such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Chicago, have placed entire programs in a host country like Hong Kong.
- A number of Asian countries (China, Japan and South Korea) that have traditionally been rich sources for student recruits are experiencing low birth rates. There’s just not enough student body to go around.
The panel also discussed what is working and what can be done even with dwindling budgets. Dr. Joël Gallegos, UNC Charlotte’s Assistant Provost for International Programs (OIP), described how the University is trying new ways to tap the market. His OIP division is currently recruiting a staff member to help bridge the geographical gap between the Charlotte campus and the world. Their duties will include greater outreach and UNC Charlotte presence in some of these countries.
Having an international student base broadens the institution’s diversity and enhances its culture. The top fields of study by international graduate students here at UNC Charlotte can be found in Computing & Informatics, Engineering and Liberal Arts and Sciences. There are over 1,300 international graduate students enrolled as of fall 2019.
[1] Data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis
Program Lowers Financial Barrier to GRE Test
Categories: Admissions
A GRE® Fee Reduction Program is available for students with a financial need and for underrepresented groups. The voucher may be used to reduce the regular GRE® Subject Test fee by 50 percent.
Test takers who receive a GRE General Test Fee Reduction voucher will also receive free access to GRE test preparation materials, including:
- POWERPREP PLUS® Online Practice Test 1
- POWERPREP PLUS® Online Practice Test 2
- ScoreItNow!™ Online Writing Practice
For more information and to apply, please visit the ETS GRE Fee Reduction Program website.
Grad Ambassadors Help Belk Connect with Prospects
A new program from Belk College of Business provides an easy way for prospective students to connect and get answer to questions.
Visit Belk College of Business to learn more.
Student Funding Program Gains National Attention
The Graduate School’s Fellowship Application Incentive Program (FAIP), which provides financial incentives for graduate students to apply for fellowships, is the subject of a upcoming national webinar.
For more information, please visit the Graduate School website.
3MT Final Round Nov. 15
Some of UNC Charlotte’s best graduate students will compete Nov. 15 before a panel of high profile judges for cash prizes and an opportunity to attend a regional 3MT® competition at the Conference of Southern Graduate School’s (CSGS) Annual Meeting in 2020.
The Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) program, offered by the Center for Graduate Life (CGL), challenges contestants to make their most compelling presentation of research to an audience that may not share the same expertise.
The event will be held Nov. 15 from 4-6 p.m. in the Halton Reading Room, J. Murrey Atkins Library.
2019 Finalists include:
- Sarah Abdellahi, Ph.D., Computing and Information Systems
- John Borek, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering
- Mukulika Bose, Ph.D., Biological Sciences
- Lenora Crabtree, Ph.D., Curriculum and Instruction, Urban Education
- Delfina Erochenko, M.A., Translation Studies
- Scott Gartlan, Ed.D., Educational Leadership
- Anu R Ginni, M.S., Bioinformatics
- Margaret Kocherga, Ph.D., Nanoscale Science
- Andrew McBride, Ph.D., Organizational Science
- Abhishek Shibu, Ph.D., Nanoscale Science
- Nicole Stott, Ph.D., Biology, Cellular and Molecular Biology
Judges will include:
- NC State Senator Natasha Marcus
- NC State Senator Mujtaba Mohammed
- WFAE’s Tommy Tomlinson
- Katherine Mooring, Senior Vice President, Charlotte Arts & Science Council
- Bobby Arnold, Global Vice President, Concentrix
For more information, visit the Center for Graduate Life.
Dean's Annual Review, Self-Assessment Published
Categories: Dean's Office
The 2018-19 Provost’s review of Graduate School Dean Tom Reynolds has been published for review, along with Dean Reynold’s Self-Assessment for that period.
Downloadable copies are available for both Dean Reynolds’ Annual Review and Dean Reynolds’ Self-Assessment.
International Tour Dates Announced
Linden Educational Services has announced it’s Spring Tour dates to support international recruitment goals.
More information is available from Linden Educational Services.
Perez Quinones Honored by the Association for Computing Machinery
Dr. Manuel Perez Quinones, College of Computing and Informatics (CCI) professor and Graduate School Faculty Fellow, was named a Distinguished Member by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) for his outstanding contributions to computing education.
For more information, please visit the College of Computing and Infomatics.
