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Fall ’18 Grad Student Funding Developments

February 06, 2018 by White, Brian

As the Graduate School engages in the application and student funding process this term, we need to prepare our funding profile for fall 2018. We’re not certain what that profile will look like, but we know it will be driven by two primary factors:

The amount of funds that will be available for graduate student support in the fall; and
Actual fall graduate student enrollment.

Consequently, the Graduate School will stop making continuous awards on April 1 and place new nominations from Program Directors in a “waiting pool.” Then on April 15, the Graduate School will begin making limited awards to those in the “waiting pool” based on funds made available as a result of declined offers. Nominations received after April 15 will move into that “waiting pool.” That’s when available funding will determine distribution of funds.

For GASP funding support, make sure that when you nominate a student for GASP that you are also providing that student with a college/department-funded assistantship. Award of that assistantship is a prerequisite for receiving matching contributions from the Graduate School in the form of tuition support.

For more information on the funding process for fall 2018, visit Student Support on the Graduate School’s Faculty and Staff section.

Nominate A Veteran for an Assistantship

February 01, 2018 by White, Brian

The deadline for nominations for up to three annual Veteran Graduate Assistantships is March 16. All that is required for eligible candidates is that the applicant be accepted into your program and that the Graduate Program Director make the nomination. Email Alan Freitag in the Graduate School with your nominations.

This program reflects the Graduate School’s efforts to recruit exceptionally talented military veterans to our graduate programs. These Veteran Graduate Assistantships provide a graduate assistantship (teaching or research) for two academic years, resident tuition support and health insurance (if needed, based on the candidate’s veteran benefit status), to three newly admitted graduate students (doctoral or master’s).

For more information, visit the Graduate School‘s web site.

To date, eight outstanding veterans have benefited from this program:

LaKeysha Sawyer, Social Work Master’s
Tracy Valero, Health Administration Master’s
Nathan Lambert, Mechanical Engineering Master’s
Magin Day, Health Psychology Ph.D.
Frank Thompson, Counseling Master’s
Tyler Crone, Mathematical Finance Master’s
Taryn Greene, Health Psychology Ph.D.
Charles Williams, Social Work Master’s

Here are details concerning these awards:

Open to military veterans from any branch of service with an Honorable Discharge admitted to any Master’s or Doctoral degree program.
Student must be newly admitted to a graduate program at UNC Charlotte but not yet enrolled (first-year student).
Award begins with the fall semester.
Assistantship is served with the recipient’s home department.
Up to three competitive awards will be made each year.
For doctoral students the funding will be $18,000 for 9 months, and for master’s students $12,000 for 9 months.
Recipients are eligible to receive tuition awards for resident tuition support plus health insurance if needed (the Graduate School and Veteran Services Office will work with each recipient to align the award with VA benefits to ensure the best combination for the student).
Students must register for a minimum of 6 graduate credit hours in each term the assistantship is in effect and maintain satisfactory progress toward the degree to remain eligible.
The assistantship will be in place for two years, after which the department or program of study must provide funding as necessary. A third year for a master’s student may be negotiated if needed to complete the degree. After the second year, doctoral programs are expected to provide continuing support (assistantship or fellowship) to the recipient as long as the student is making satisfactory progress toward the degree (full-time enrollment with a minimum grade point average of 3.00). The Graduate School will commit to continuing resident tuition and health insurance awards for an additional three years.
Graduate Program Director recommends veteran student for award after student has been accepted into the program; Graduate School committee reviews applicants and selects up to three recipients each year

New Doctoral Hooding Ceremony Launches with May Commencement

February 01, 2018 by White, Brian

Beginning with the May Commencement, UNC Charlotte graduating doctoral students will be recognized in a separate ceremony, which will include hooding by their advisor. This new Graduate Hooding Ceremony is May 10 at Halton Arena of the Student Activity Center.

The inaugural event will feature Chancellor Philip L. Dubois as keynote speaker.

“The hooding ceremony is in addition to and does not replace commencement,” said Dr. Tom Reynolds, dean of the Graduate School. “The ceremony is a special recognition of our doctoral students’ significant achievements. The stand-alone event will place greater emphasis on each doctoral recipient.”

Doctoral candidates will receive details of the ceremony when they apply to graduate.

For more information, please visit the Commencement site.

See the following FAQs for assistance in responding to student questions on this change:

Q: Will I receive my diploma at the Hooding Ceremony or at Commencement?

Doctoral students will receive the Diploma at the Hooding ceremony as well as be hooded.

Q: Will I also be hooded at Commencement?

A: No, but you will walk across the stage and be recognized along with the other graduates at Commencement.

Q: Do I have to attend both in order to graduate?

A: No, but we hope you will take the opportunity to participate in both the Hooding ceremony and Commencement to allow us to celebrate your achievement.

Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Nominations Sought

January 30, 2018 by Stanchina, Karla

The Center for Graduate Life is calling for nominations for the 2017-2018 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, one at the Doctoral level and one at the Master’s Level.

This faculty-nominated award is open to all GTAs who meet the following criteria:

The nominee must have demonstrated superior teaching skills while serving as a stand-alone instructor in the classroom or laboratory, or assisting the professor with teaching in the classroom or laboratory.
The nominee should have outstanding student evaluations. If the program in which the nominee teaches does not collect student evaluations, the nominee must offer equivalent substitutions. Nominees without student evaluations are unlikely to succeed in the award process.
The nominee should have original teaching materials that support his or her nomination.
The nominee must have had significant teaching responsibilities for at least two semesters. The current semester may be counted.
Nominees must be enrolled full-time.
Nominees must be able to request a letter of recommendation from a faculty member who has worked closely with them in their teaching role. This letter can be from the faculty member who nominated them.

Faculty supervisors of GTAs have been notified about the award as well. If there are any outstanding GTAs you’d like to see recognized, please submit a nomination, even if you are not the supervisor.

Nominations should be emailed to Judith Krauss at jkrauss@uncc.edu. Nomination emails require only the nominee’s name, ID 800 number, email address, degree, and program. Dr. Krauss will contact the nominees directly and guide them through the rest of the application and submission process.

The deadline for nominations is Friday February 9th.

Nominees will have until Friday March 2nd to submit their packets.

The award ceremony will be held April 20th — mark your calendars!

Family Friendly Library Room Open to Students

January 30, 2018 by White, Brian

If you are teaching students who have children or dependents, please make them aware that OASES has partnered with the Atkins Library and the ANSWER Scholarship program to build the ANSWER Scholarship Family-Friendly Library Room in Atkins 209. This is a space where parents can bring their children and study, complete with computers, and early literacy computer, books, toys, a TV, and much more. A convenient and beneficial student resource for adults who are juggling time management with school and family. You must register in advance to have access to the room. For more information and to register, visit the Family Friendly Room site.

If you’re interested in contributing to the construction of a second Family Friendly Room, contact Leana Zona, lzona@uncc.edu.

Graduate Admissions Application Portal Gets a Makeover

January 26, 2018 by White, Brian

Beginning Monday, Jan. 29, visitors to the Graduate School’s student application portal will find a redesigned site with simpler navigation that is more mobile-friendly.

The change also replaces the unique user name with the applicant’s email address and sends a confirmation message to that address for validation as part of the registration process. Note: Existing users will need to use their old user name the first time they sign on to the new system.

The application portal allows prospects and applicants to:

Submit information
RSVP to an event
Ask questions
View emails
Apply for admission or re-admission
Monitor application status
View the decision letter
Confirm intent to enroll

For more information on Admissions, visit the Graduate School’s Recruitment and Admissions page.

Quick Guide to Graduate School Philanthropic Awards

January 26, 2018 by Stanchina, Karla

The Graduate School Fellowship are currently seeking qualified nominations and applicants. To help faculty, staff and students easily understand the various Award criteria and application procedures, the Graduate School has created a Quick Guide. As a reminder, the deadline to nominate and/or apply directly for the majority of the Awards is March 15, 2018.

For award information and eligibility criteria, please visit the Graduate School’s website or contact Julie Green, Doctoral Student Services and Fellowship Specialist. Note: Three Awards require Graduate Program Director nomination. Download instructions on nominating your graduate students for these lucrative awards.

Engagement Survey Opens Jan. 29

January 25, 2018 by White, Brian

A UNC System Employee Engagement Survey launches Monday, January 29. Feedback from all employees is sought in a continuing effort to enhance workplace culture.

Employees will receive an email from ModernThink that will contain a link to the survey. Each link is unique and should not be shared with others. All survey responses are anonymous.

The survey should take about 20 minutes. The University is offering a chance for prizes to those who participate. For more information, visit the Chancellor’s Office website.

ComSciCon Workshop Applications Open

January 24, 2018 by White, Brian

Applications are now open for ComSciCon 2018, the 6th annual Communicating Science workshop, to be held in Boston, MA on June 14-16th 2017. Graduate students at U.S. and Canadian institutions in all fields of science, technology, engineering, health, mathematics, and related fields are encouraged to apply. The application will close on March 1st.

Acceptance to the workshop is competitive; attendance is free and travel support and lodging will be provided to accepted applicants.

Participants will build the communication skills that scientists and other technical professionals need to express complex ideas to the general public, experts in other fields, and their peers. In additional to panel discussions (on topics such as Creative Storytelling, Science Journalism, Diversity/Inclusivity, and a Case Study on Scicomm in Medicine), ample time is allotted for networking with science communication experts and developing science outreach collaborations with fellow graduate students.

For more information and to apply, visit ComSciCon.

UNC Charlotte to Host NC STRIVE

January 23, 2018 by White, Brian

UNC Charlotte hosts more than 800 veteran students on campus, and our university’s origin was as an institution serving returning World War II veterans. So outreach to and support for veterans and their family members is a significant component of our identity. That’s why we’re proud to be hosting the April 18 regional conference of NC STRIVE – the Governor’s agency promoting veteran support among our state’s 2- and 4-year institutions.

The all-day conference (8 a.m.-4 p.m.) is aimed at regional college and university administrators, faculty and staff as well as veteran service providers, behavioral health advocates and government agencies. The event is free, including lunch sponsored by Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, but registration is required. Here’s where you can register: NC STRIVE REGISTRATION.

Slated for McKnight Hall in the Cone Conference Center as well as break-out rooms on the second floor of Cone, the event begins with a keynote address by Bruce Capehart, MD, a psychiatrist and Medical Director for the OEF/OIF Program at the VA Medical Center at Durham. OEF and OIF refer to military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and Dr. Capehart is an Army veteran of both those conflicts.

There will be individual panel presentations by Charlotte region business leaders, current veteran students and college/university administrators. Break-out sessions will address topics such as “Green Zone” training, suicide prevention, military transfer credit, mentoring the non-traditional student and additional topics designed to equip administrators, faculty and staff in higher education with information, resources, and networking that will enhance the experience and success of student veterans in their pursuit of certificates and degrees.

Registration is capped at 150, and all area colleges and universities are invited, so please register soon. Contact Dr. Alan Freitag in the Graduate School (x77312, arfreita@uncc.edu) for more information.

Effectively Recruit McNair Scholars

January 23, 2018 by White, Brian

The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program helps prepare eligible participants for doctoral studies through involvement in research and scholarly projects. Participants are typically from disadvantaged backgrounds, generally from underrepresented segments of society, and have strong academic potential.

Staff in the Office of Graduate Admissions actively recruits McNair Scholars at the McNair regional conference each summer, and routinely waives their application fees. Note that the fee waiver must be requested by the applicant prior to submitting the application for admission. Applicants should contact Maryanne Maree-Sams at MaryanneMaree-Sams@uncc.edu or 704-687-7243 to request the fee waiver; they must also email her a letter of participation as a McNair Scholar.

Maryanne Maree-Sams also has access to the McNair Scholars database of participants. If you are interested in recruiting exemplary students to your graduate program, please contact Maryanne directly.

Catalog Review Shifts from Email to Curriculog

January 22, 2018 by White, Brian

Colleges and Academic Departments will not receive their catalog description sections for review in a Word document via email as they have in the past. Instead, these edits must be processed via Curriculog.

Changes to Degree Programs must be done via the Program Revision form.
Changes to Courses must be done via the Course Revision form.
Changes to College/Department descriptions must be done via the new Non-Curricular Catalog Section Revision form.

Instructions to preview and make edits to catalog sections pertaining to College/Department descriptions are available on the Faculty Governance website. Please note that at this time, only colleges and their respective academic departments should submit their description edits via this new Curriculog form. Other campus departments will be given instructions via email at a later date on how to make changes to their non-curricular catalog content.

Deadlines for the 2018-2019 Catalogs

01/31/18 – All program and course proposals launched and approved by the Originator via Curriculog
03/31/18 – All college and academic department descriptive text launched and approved by the Originator via Curriculog

Census Day Looms: Check Students' Status

January 12, 2018 by White, Brian

Monday, January 22, is Census Day – a most important milestone in the semester. It is critical that graduate faculty make certain that students :

are officially enrolled and registered; and that those planning to graduate
are registered for at least one class.

Students not officially enrolled but taking a class are benefitting from resources for which they are not paying. Students planning to graduate MUST be registered for at least one class in the term in which they wish to graduate; that could include GRAD 9999, GRAD 7999 or equivalent courses.

Please share this important information with you graduate faculty. For further information contact the Graduate School at 704-687-5503.

Graduate School Philanthropic Awards

January 11, 2018 by White, Brian

The Graduate School’s Philanthropic Awards are funded by donors and are intended for outstanding graduate students. These need-based and merit awards recognize excellent students for their academic achievement and provide assistance to those who demonstrate financial need. Students will need to log in to the NinerScholars site at http://scholarships.uncc.edu/ and complete an applicant profile before they can be matched to any awards. For award information and eligibiltiy criteria, please visit https://graduateschool.uncc.edu/funding/graduate-fellowships. For more information, please contact jhgreen@uncc.edu

Deadline to apply – March 15, 2018

Download instructions on nominating your graduate students for these lucrative awards.

Venturprise Accepting Applications for NSF I-CORPS Cohort

January 09, 2018 by Stanchina, Karla

Ventureprise Inc. is now accepting applications from UNC Charlotte teams for the spring 2018 I-Corps cohort. The program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), helps participants bridge academic and entrepreneurial knowledge.

The eight-week curriculum focuses on customer discovery and business model generation. Among the support services offered are infrastructure (workspace in PORTAL), commercialization advice, training and funding. Teams are eligible for grants up to $3,000, with the opportunity to pursue additional funding opportunities in excess of $1 million.

Eligible teams must have an idea or research in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) field.

Each team must contain an academic (faculty) lead and an entrepreneurial lead, which should be a student or staff member interested in innovation and entrepreneurship with knowledge of the team’s research or technology. The student can be undergraduate, graduate or post-doctoral, and teams can include multiple entrepreneurial leads.

Entrepreneurial leads will be required to participate in two hours of programming each week and complete approximately 30 customer interviews during the course of the program.

Applications for the spring 2018 cohort are accepted on a rolling basis until all spots are filled. Visit entrepreneurship.uncc.edu to download the application or learn more about the program.

Task Force Seeks Funding Ideas

December 20, 2017 by White, Brian

The Graduate Student Funding Task Force recently completed a series of campus forums to solicit information on graduate student support. The Task Force continues to seek input from students, faculty and staff to help shape the future of graduate funding. If you have ideas, issues, challenges, suggestions, and possible solutions for graduate student funding, please forward them by Feb. 1 to FundingTaskforce@uncc.edu.

English Language, I-9 Form Help Available to International Teaching Assistants

December 19, 2017 by White, Brian

International graduate assistants paid from Teaching Assistant funds, regardless of assigned duties, are required to attend an English language assessment session.

Sessions are scheduled in January, as follows:

Fri Jan 5, 1:00-4:00, CHHS 280

Tue Jan 9, 9:00-12:00, CHHS 280

Fri Jan 12, 1:00-4:00, CHHS 280

Assistance also is available for completing the I-9 Form, required for non-residents working in the U.S. That session is Friday, Jan. 5, 10:00-12:00, CHHS 370.

For more information and possible additional sessions, contact ITASupport@unc.edu.

GASP Nominations Open for Fall Semester

December 12, 2017 by White, Brian

The Graduate School is accepting GASP (Graduate Assistant Support Plan) nominations for new students enrolling fall 2018.

Nominations may be completed via the eGA Nomination Form. More information is available on the Graduate School’s Faculty and Staff Student Funding page.

Contact Dr. Julie Goodliffe, Director of Fellowships and Funding for more information. .

Graduate Council Approves Doctoral Fast Track, Time Limit

December 12, 2017 by White, Brian

The Graduate Council this month approved changes to the academic policy that allows some programs to create an accelerated track to PhD for students who enter the program with a master’s degree. The Council action also sets an eight-year time limit for coursework toward a doctoral degree.

The Council’s action was communicated recently in a memo to Graduate Program Directors from Dr. Katherine Hall-Hertel, Associate Dean for Graduate Academic and Students Affairs for the Graduate School. “Some PhD programs do not require a master’s degree for admission,” Hall-Hertel said, noting that programs commonly transfer in up to 30 credit hours for students with a master’s degree. “Beginning the 2018-19 academic year, those programs will have an option to create an accelerated track” for those students.

The accelerated track is optional, and the Graduate School will continue to accept up to 30 hours of transfer credit. However, course credits older than eight years no longer will be accepted.

Proposals for accelerated track should be added to Curriculog by Feb. 1, 2018. For more information, download the Changes to Transfer Credit proposal. For questions, please contact James Birkett.

Graduate Research Symposium Entries Sought

December 07, 2017 by White, Brian

The UNC Charlotte Graduate and Professional Student Government (GPSG) is seeking research abstracts for the 18th Annual Graduate Research Symposium April 6, 2018. Abstracts must be submitted by Feb 2.

Information is available for download from the GPSG.