The Graduate Council recently approved several changes to academic policies affecting graduate students. The update will appear in the 2018/19 version of the Graduate Catalog.
The new polices affect
Until the 2018/19 Graduate Catalog is published, you can download a preview of the policy changes from the Graduate School’s Academics page.
NAGAP’s webinar “This is NOT a Test: Reaching International Graduate Students Through GRE/GMAT/TOEFL Search” is Wednesday, March 28, 1-2 p.m. Led by Raymond Allen Lutzky, Ph.D., Senior Director of Enrollment and Admissions at Cornell Tech, this webinar is open to anyone.
For more information, go to NYGAP’s webinar and registration site.
Members of the Graduate School’s funding department hosted an online webinar March 1st, to discuss the array of graduate student funding opportunities and use of the eGA, the Electronic Graduate Assistantship Application portal. Funding Director Julie Goodliffe, and Specialists Tequilla Bennett and Melissa Peterson, walked the over 20 attendees through the online portal, clarifying each step required to hire a teaching or research assistant, and nominate them for funding.
”We understand that most users of eGA use it once or twice per year, which makes it difficult to remember where to find things and how to use each box and button, explains the Graduate School’s Director of Funding Dr. Julie Goodliffe. “Due to periodic enhancements, the system and funding details change year to year, so the screens and information that the user is accustomed to, are often different from the last time they logged in.”
Graduate program directors, business officers, and departmental administrators, benefited by viewing the interactive workshop going through each step of eGA. The system uses a variety of screens to communicate with an integrated audience to ultimately ensure a graduate assistant is paid in a timely manner. With easy “drop-down” menu tabs, and step-by-step processes, eGA users can efficiently get this task done.
The Graduate School continues to add modifications to the current system, and many of the day’s participants suggested ideas. Additionally, the Graduate School will hold these webinars on a quarterly basis so informal feedback can be collected and shared.
For a copy of the recorded webinar, visit GPDNet or contact Julie Goodliffe.
eGA information, along with 2018-2019 funding programs, can be found on the Graduate School’s website, or for specific questions email gradassist@uncc.edu.
In a recent round of meetings of the Graduate School and academic program leaders at UNC Charlotte, a question surfaced that is being debated broadly in academic circles: Are standardized test scores like the GRE still a valid tool for determining readiness for graduate education?
An article in online magazine OZY last October, suggests maybe not. The article details a number of GRE shortcomings and lists a number of colleges and universities that are relying less on standardized testing. “Research from Yale and Vanderbilt shows that the test is only a modest predictor of success for first-year grad students,” the article said. “Other studies reveal huge gender- and race-related disparities.”
An earlier downloadable study published by researchers from the University of Wisconsin and Detroit’s Wayne State University Law School in 2014 takes a contrarian view: “…since the year 2000, in particular, total enrollment growth has been stronger for minorities than for whites, and stronger for women than for men. This would not occur were the GRE selectively suppressing the admission of women and minorities.”
Finally, in a downloadable report published in 2016 entitled Holistic Review in College Admissions, the Council of Graduate Schools recommends relying less on quantitative scores and more on “a broad range of candidate qualities including “noncognitive” or personal attributes.”
What do you think? Start the conversation: Share your experience with standardized test scores below.
|
Niner Central Student Services Center opens Tuesday, Mar. 13 online and in Cone University Center. Among the available services are financial aid/loans, billing/payments, registration/records and transcripts. For more information, visit NinerCentral.uncc.edu, or call 704-687-8622. |
A study in Nature Biotechnology and reported in Inside Higher Education suggests a higher risk for mental health issues than the general population. Read more at Inside Higher Education.
The deadline for nominations for the three competitive Veteran Graduate Assistantships is COB, Friday, Mar. 16. All that is required is an e-mail from the Program Director to Dr. Alan Freitag in the Graduate School (arfreita@uncc.edu) nominating the admitted student. Contact Dr. Freitag for details.
Education fairs are planned at North Carolina military installations in which colleges and departments may wish to participate. Camp Lejeune (on the coast near Jacksonville, NC) will host its Spring National Education Expo Apr. 18. Fort Bragg’s Training and Education Center (near Fayetteville, NC) hosts its Education Expo on May 15.
There is no cost for the Camp Lejeune event, but the Fort Bragg event has a $100 participation fee. Contact Dr. Alan Freitag in the Graduate School (arfreita@uncc.edu, x77312) for details.
Wingate University’s 2018 Spring Recruiting Fair is Mar. 20, 4:30-6 p.m. at Wingate’s Laverne Banquet Hall.
Reservation is free for the first two representatives. For more, visit Wingate’s registration page.
Campbell University’s 2018 Career Fair will host a multitude of employers and agencies from the public and private sectors interested in networking with students and alumni.
The event is Tuesday, Mar. 27 in Campbell’s John W. Pope Convocation Center from 11:30- 3:30 p.m.
Registration ($200 for corporate and $100 for non-profit and graduate programs) includes a dedicated table space, parking, lunch and refreshments for two representatives.
For more information and to register, visit Campbell University’s Career Fair site. For questions, contact careerfair@campbell.edu.
Several improvements recently were made in the way final documents and fees are submitted for completing dissertations and theses.
The downloadable form for Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) was simplified and reduced to a single page. The form should be scanned and emailed to aura.young@uncc.edu. Just as before, the committee chair’s signature is required for students’ work to be accepted into ProQuest. (In the case of an unsatisfactory defense, this document should be withheld and not the Final Defense Report.) Deadline for submitting the ETD is April 16 for doc students and May 7 for Master’s students.
An online payment portal now is available for submission and optional copyright, Open Access and binding fees.
For more information visit the Center for Graduate Life’s Dissertation & Thesis Formatting page, also updated with links to information on manuscript preparation, ProQuest’s subject categories, publication options, embargoes, copyright, and permissions.
Remember, the inaugural Doctoral Hooding Ceremony is only weeks away!
The Graduate School will conduct an information session Mar. 28 from 12-1 for University employees who hold a baccalaureate degree and wish to pursue their graduate education. Enrollment counselors will explain the easy application process, answer program questions and distribute HR information for 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 for admission as a graduate certificate or post-baccalaureate (non-degree) student without standardized tests, transcripts or recommendation requirements. To reserve your seat, complete the registration.
Columbia College will host a Grad School Fair Wednesday, Mar. 28. The event will draw undergraduate students from the Columbia metropolitan area.
The Fair will be in the Columbia College Student Dining Hall, 1301 Columbia College Drive, Columbia, SC 29203. Registration and parking are free.
To register go to the Columbia College Grad School Fair registration page. For more information, contact Nigel Smith, (nsmith@columbiasc.edu), Coordinator of Career Coaching, (803) 786-3604.
A virtual event planned for Apr. 18 will connect students interested in graduate programs in social work with interested graduate school educators without the usual transportation expense.
Learn more by visiting the Social Work Grad School Virtual Fair web site.
Livingstone College in Salisbury, N.C. will host a Graduate School / Career Fair Friday, Apr. 6 from 11-2 p.m. The cost of the fair $75.00. To register visit Livingstone College’s registration site.
Schedule Wizard is a schedule building tool for students that allows for a simple and less cumbersome course scheduling process to support the goal of degree completion. Students easily select preferred classes, block off breaks/personal commitments, and generate possible schedules for registration.
Schedule Wizard will be available on the student view of my.uncc.edu under Quick Links beginning Mar. 5. While the tool will be helpful to undergraduates with many course options, it is also available to graduate students. For more information about the program, visit the Schedule Wizard page of the Office of the Registrar website.
Advisor Open Swims:
Thursday, February 22, 10:00 – 11:00 AM, CHHS 370
Monday, February 26, 2:00 – 3:00 PM, CHHS 370
The Salem College Spring 2018 Career Fair, Mar. 8, 12-3 p.m., is an opportunity for exposure to bright, motivated and capable students interested in graduate education.
The Graduate School has a table registered for the Expo and invites all interested to register for a table. Registrations will go fast. If you are interested in attending, please go to Salem College, event registration.
For more information, contact Maryanne Maree-Sams, Graduate Enrollment Counselor, 704-687-7243.
The spring Dissertation Writing Retreat Mar. 5-8 gives doctoral students an opportunity to advance their dissertation work. More information is available from the Center for Graduate Life.
Students may apply to join the Graduate School’s Graduate Life Fellows (GLF) program through Mar. 19.
GLFs have an opportunity to build leadership skills by helping build awareness of opportunities and resources, and providing support for graduate students from orientation through graduation.
For more information, please visit the Center for Graduate Life’s GLF page.
