Student Newsletter - January 2021
Welcome to the CCAS Graduate Student Newsletter! Designed to keep you up to date with news and events, policies and processes, and all things for CCAS Graduate students!
Graduate Student Newsletter Archive
JANUARY 2021
The CCAS Office of Graduate Studies staff will be working remotely until further notice. While we won't physically be on campus, we are here for you and can be reached during normal business hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm. We will be responding to emails and voicemails. Additionally, during this time, please submit all materials electronically to [email protected]. This may mean you have to communicate with your advisors in advance to get signatures or approvals.
Despite the distance and all the challenges you are facing, know that the Student Services team is here to support you and will continue to be dedicated to providing you guidance and serve as a resource that helps you navigate university policies and procedures. Stay strong, stay connected and please take good care of yourselves, your families and each other.
For our January newsletter we have the following topics:
- Wellness Corner
- Career Services Corner
- Fall Graduates
- MA in Interior Architecture
- Graduation Application Deadline
- Tuition Refund Policy
- Three Minute Thesis (3MT®)
- Important Dates
- Funding Opportunities
Wellness Corner
Mental Health Discussion Series
Adjusting to Change and Transition
Wednesday, January 27, 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.
The MHDS is a weekly, hour-long discussion designed for students to collectively meet with a counselor and discuss various topics. MHDS is an easily accessible space to connect with other students and discuss mental wellness, which are all the more important now given this unprecedented time with COVID-19 and virtual learning. Whether you struggle with your own well-being or are a concerned GW community member, you are welcome to drop into this free virtual group discussion via WebEx — no registration required! Attend one, some, or all of the sessions. For further information or should you need accommodations, please contact us at [email protected].
Career Services Corner
Election Mis/Disinformation
Thursday, January 21, 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Join our speakers: Spencer Overton, Kristina Wilfore, and David Brody for a discussion on the Election. From mis and disinformation flying around about mail-in ballots, inauthentic coordinated behavior by Russia and QAnon, to threatening emails from fake Proud Boys to Democratic voters coordinated by Iran this year during elections mis/disinformation has been pervasive. With dis/misinformation campaigns and voter interference at scale with the current mass media infrastructure, this event will focus our discussion on
- Election mis/disinformation campaigns now and how we expect this to evolve over the years
- Accurate voting information for voters
- Use of social media to combat mis/disinformation
- Equity and fairness in voting
Publicity Toolkit with Isabel Wilkerson
Wednesday, January 27, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
The Office of Student Life, in partnership with GW's Fraternity and Sorority Life councils and the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, is thrilled to bring to the GW community a discussion with Isabel Wilkerson, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author of the New York Times Best Seller, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. In conversation with Adena Kirstein, Executive Director of GW Hillel, Wilkerson will discuss her recent work, which offers a caste system as a framework by which we understand injustice, inequity, and discrimination in America. Wilkerson writes of topics that are difficult to read about, but her work is powerful, necessary, and comes at a pivotal moment in time for our country.
New Program - Master of Art in Interior Architecture
We are thrilled to announce that the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design at the George Washington University is now accepting applications to its new Master of Arts in Interior Architecture, a post-professional program for students with undergraduate degrees in interior design, interior architecture, or architecture. This program is in addition to our existing Master of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture.
Our new program will welcome its inaugural class in the Fall of 2021. Applications are due by February 1, 2021, for maximum scholarship consideration and will be accepted until April 1, 2021. Please visit our website and sign up for our online information session to learn more.
This one-year, 30-credit, full-time program is designed to educate students who have previously received an undergraduate degree in interior design, interior architecture, or architecture, who want to challenge themselves in an academic setting and jump-start and/or re-align their careers by learning and developing skills that prepare them to take on leadership roles. Within a creative and collaborative focus, our integrated curriculum of design studios and supporting courses will challenge students to research dynamic materials and methods, and apply that knowledge toward innovative design solutions. We want to break new ground in the interior architecture environment, both academically and professionally.
Join us for a virtual information session about the MA in Interior Architecture - Thursday, January 7th from 7:00-8:00 PM EST
Fall 2020 Graduates
Congratulations to Fall 2020 masters and doctoral graduates!
Please note that degrees are conferred as of January 8, 2021, and continue for several weeks until all student graduation applications are cleared. Diplomas are mailed 6-8 weeks after the degree is awarded.
Students may reference their record in GWEB to check their degree award status and confirm their diploma address.
University Commencement, as well as CCAS Doctoral Hooding and Master's Celebration ceremonies, will be held virtually and live-streamed similarly to the 2020 Graduation Celebrations. More information to follow; please be sure to check your GWU email address.
Spring 2021 Graduation Application Deadline
All students expecting to complete their degree requirements in Spring 2021 must apply to graduate in Spring. We encourage all students to apply once they register. The application is submitted through GWeb. The online application will close after March 15.
If you applied for Fall graduation but did not complete your requirements, you must re-apply for Spring graduation. Your Fall application will not automatically transfer over to the Spring.
Doctoral students planning to graduate please reference the CCAS Ph.D. Clearance Deadlines page for Spring 2021 deadlines and reach out to [email protected] with any questions.
Updated GW Tuition Refund Policy
Effective spring 2021, students will receive a 100% refund for course load changes during the two-week drop/add period for spring, summer, and fall terms. Additionally, the refund period will be extended from four to five weeks for the fall and spring semesters. For these and other changes to the refund policy, please refer to the GW withdrawal and refund webpage. Students who wish to drop all their courses please reach out to your student services coordinator at [email protected].
CCAS Virtual Three-Minute Thesis Dissertation Competition
Save the Date! The Office of Graduate Studies is excited to announce we will be hosting the 3rd Annual Columbian College of Arts & Sciences (CCAS) Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT®) in a virtual format in Spring 2021! Winners will be announced via live stream on Thursday, February 25th, 2021.
Important Dates
The Office of Graduate Studies will be developing a number of new online forums for master's and doctoral students this fall. Please note the following January events. To view future events, please visit the Current Student Events Website.
| Start of Spring Semester | January 11 |
| Last Day for Consortium Registration | January 15 |
| Last Day to Add a Course on GWeb | January 24 |
| Virtual Trivia Night | January 28 |
Funding/Employment Opportunities
National Fellowship Opportunities
The Office of Graduate Studies has created a National Fellowship Opportunity website located under the Funding Opportunities page on the current student website. It lists a large number of national fellowships for Ph.D. students and there are some specific dissertation fellowships.
Office of Graduate Student Assistantships and Fellowships (OGSAF) Awards
Any questions on the awards below please reach out to OGSAF directly at [email protected].
GA for Graduate Teaching Assistant Certification Course (UNIV 0250)
The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in teaching, excellent writing skills, and experience grading and working within a team of faculty and fellow graduate assistants. UNIV 0250 is being taught by GW’s Faculty Development office within the Libraries and Academic Innovation Division. There will be particular focus on adapting TA support to the unpredictable teaching and learning environment of Spring 2021 and we are excited to involve an interested graduate student.
Interested applicants should send a cover letter and resume to [email protected]. The cover letter must include the applicant’s GWid, program of study, first semester of study at GW, and expected date of graduation. The assistantship is expected to start January 1st , 2021 but may start earlier.
Summer Graduate Student Research Fellowship Program
Deadline: 15 January 2021
The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies is pleased to invite applications for the Summer Graduate Student Research Fellowship (SGSRF) Program, designed for students accepted to or currently enrolled in a master’s degree program or in their first year of a PhD program. Students who have completed more than one year of doctoral work will not be considered. The Mandel Center welcomes proposals from all relevant academic disciplines including anthropology, archaeology, art history, geography, film studies, Jewish studies, law, material culture, philosophy, political science, psychology, comparative genocide studies, and others. Awards are granted on a competitive basis and are at the sole discretion of the Mandel Center. For more information on the fellowship program, please contact the Visiting Scholars Program division at [email protected].
Wolcott Foundation Fellowship
Deadline: 15 January 2021
The Wolcott Fellowship covers graduate degree tuition to a maximum of $30,000.00. The award is to be considered a grant (not to be repaid) if upon graduation the recipient is employed for two years in government services (federal, state. or local level), in international affairs, or in selected international business in the private sector. Fellowship recipients may also request a relocation loan of up to $1,800.00. Relocation loans are awarded on the basis of need and must be repaid upon graduation.
Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fellowship
Deadline: 18 January 2021
This fellowship supports students with financial need who hold promise for achievement and distinction in their chosen fields of study. GW will send up to three candidates to the national committee.
Applicants must be currently enrolled GW graduate students who are in any recognized field of study in the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences (including law, medicine, engineering). Applicants must have an outstanding undergraduate record (i.e. 3.5 or above). The national selection committee has a strong preference for supporting scholarly endeavors. Students in Law, Medicine or in PhD programs are encouraged to apply. Candidates must demonstrate a need for financial assistance and must be a citizen of the United States of America.
Recipients will be awarded a full-tuition award plus an $18,000 annual stipend to be allocated towards room, board and ordinary living expenses. The award is for the academic year of 2021-22.
Boren Fellowships
Deadline: 27 January 2021
Boren Awards are available to graduate students of all proficiency levels who are committed to enhancing their skills as related to critical languages. Recipients of the award can propose up to 52 weeks of language study abroad. Domestic language study is also available but must be paired with an overseas language learning component. You must be a U.S. citizen to be eligible for this opportunity.
Join the upcoming Boren Fellowship Information Session Webinar on Friday, October 30th at 12:00pm.
If you are unable to attend the session and would like to set up a one-on-one meeting, please email Eileen Lavelle
George and Mary Shiers Memorial Fund Fellowship
Deadline: 26 February 2021
Stipend awards of $5,000 can be utilized to support research and/or defray the cost of travel to seminars, archives and collections or events as related to the purpose of this fellowship for Spring, Summer or Fall of 2021.
Updated January 7, 2021