Student Newsletter - July 2022

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

JULY 2022

The Student Services Team is located in Smith 118. Our office will be open during normal business hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. The Student Services team is here to support you and will continue to be dedicated to providing you guidance and serve as a resource to help you navigate university policies and procedures. Students may schedule a virtual, phone, or in-person appointment with your coordinator in addition to appointments related to Career Services.

For our July newsletter we have the following topics:

Summer Graduation Application Deadline
Summer Thesis and Dissertation Deadlines
Fall 2022 Registration Reminders
Update on Graduate Student Housing from the Student Association
Student Highlights
Employment Opportunities and Special Events

Summer Graduation Application Deadline

Certificate Students: July 1
Master's and Doctoral Students: July 15

All students who plan on completing their requirements in the Summer will need to apply to graduate through GWeb. (Certificate students no longer need to submit a paper Certificate Completion form.) Please remember to apply by the deadline.

In addition, please note that if you plan on graduating from a degree program and a certificate program, you will need to submit separate applications to graduate for each program through GWeb.

Summer Thesis and Dissertation Deadlines

If you plan on completing your thesis or dissertation this summer and intend on graduating at the end of the term, please ensure that you follow all of the deadlines below. The Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) deadline is a university-wide deadline and cannot be extended.

Ph.D. Students:

July 15 – Deadline to apply to graduate
July 16 – Submit the Dissertation Examination Defense Form
August 3 – Dissertation defense deadline
August 10 – Submit ETD Access Approval Form and submit final, approved, post-defense dissertation to the ProQuest site
August 15 – Final, approved dissertation containing all post-defense revisions and required formatting is approved by University ETD Administrator

More information can be found on our website.

Master's Students:

July 24 – Submit ETD Access Approval Form and submit final, approved thesis to the ProQuest site
August 1 – Final approved thesis and required formatting revisions are approved by University ETD Administrator

Fall 2022 Registration Reminders

All CCAS graduate students are required to register continuously each fall and spring semester until the completion of their program. If you have not yet registered for Fall 2022, we encourage you to follow the procedures below:

Make sure your proof of having received a COVID-19 vaccine booster has been uploaded to the Colonial Health Center Medical Portal. If you have not uploaded proof of receiving a booster, you will not be able to register for Fall 2022 courses.
Review the Schedule of Classes to see what courses are available in Fall 2022 and work with your Director of Graduate Studies to identify potential courses that align with your academic plan.
Review our Class Registration page to familiarize yourself with the registration process and policies, including when it is appropriate to use the RTF Classic or RTF-EZ.
Confirm your degree requirements and completion status on your DegreeMAP. If something looks incorrect on your DegreeMAP, please reach out to us at [email protected].
Interested in a consortium course? Follow the consortium registration procedures and deadlines.
Follow the steps to obtain Half-Time/Full-Time Certification or ISO Full-Time Certification for Graduate Students if needed.
Make sure you clear any holds on your account that may prevent you from registering. To view your holds, log in to the GWeb Information System:
- Click on the “Student Record and Registration” folder
- Next, click on “Student Records Information Menu”
- Finally, click on “View Administrative Holds”

Leave of Absence

If you wish to take a Leave of Absence (LOA) during Fall 2022, please review our LOA policy and discuss this option with your Director of Graduate Studies. If you choose to take a LOA, please complete a Leave of Absence Application Form (PDF) and submit it to us at [email protected].

Update on Graduate Student Housing from the Student Association

The Student Association Senate voted to urge officials to provide graduate-only housing to students during a meeting on Monday, March 31, 2022. This legislation aims to expand graduate housing options on campus for international students, who often struggle to find someone to cosign on their rental leases while looking for off-campus housing without any available residence hall options. Most of all, it will provide housing options for those often struggling to attend school. Senate documents regarding this are available. If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback, you can send a direct message to the Student Association on Instagram at @gwstudents_.

Student Highlights

Daniel Atherton (English, PhD) has been recognized with the WID Distinguished Graduate Student Teaching Award as part of GW’s 12th Annual Faculty Awards. Congratulations!

Employment Opportunities and Special Events

Advocacy Fellowship Opening

DC Action is committed to supporting the next generation of young people who wish to address structural racism through public interest advocacy. The Diane Bernstein Fellowship in Child and Youth Advocacy provides a hands-on experiential learning opportunity for graduate students who are interested in the intersection of racial justice and public policy with a focus on children and youth.

A full summary of the fellowship, along with a link to apply, is available here. The fall fellowship runs from September 12 through November 18 and applicants who are not accepted for the fall may be considered for the spring. Those who are interested are invited to apply as soon as possible.

Graduate Teaching Assistant Opportunity

The Sustainability program will have two open graduate teaching assistant positions for SUST 3003 - World on a Plate (with chef José Andrés). Students background in international affairs, public health, business, environmental studies, and other disciplines with an interest in food and food-related issues are encouraged to apply. The two GTAs will be required to attend weekly course lectures (Tuesdays, 4:10-6:00 PM), along with an assigned discussion section. Responsibilities include leading discussion sections, designing assignments, facilitating office hours, grading, maintaining records on student progress, and other tasks as determined by the lead instructor and program manager. This is a 20-hour per week position.

A cover letter, resume, and unofficial transcript should be sent to Tara Scully (Academic Director at Sustainable GW) at [email protected] by 11:59 PM on Sunday, August 7th. Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.

Senate Project Debate Series

Please join us for an Only at GW experience as the Senate Project hosts the second of three national debates from the Jack Morton Auditorium at The George Washington University on Monday, August 1st at 7:00 PM ET. This series of 60-minute, Oxford style debates is designed to display the creativity and courage required to govern a divided nation. The program starts at 7:00 PM, with the debate from 7:30 - 8:30 PM. Tickets are first come, first served; register now!

Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration Graduate Ambassadors

Graduate Ambassadors represent George Washington University and the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. Their primary responsibility is to provide a fair and accurate representation of the University to prospective graduate students. They are responsible for providing support to a variety of projects and programs within the Office of Graduate Studies, with a focus on supporting programs within the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration (TSPPPA). They are invaluable to prospective students searching for a peer’s perspective on student life, academics, networking opportunities, and benefits of attending specific programs at GWU. More information regarding this position can be found on the GW Student Employment Website.

Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship (FPPF)

The Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship (FPPF) provides a unique opportunity for U.S. early and mid-career professionals and practitioners to serve in a foreign government ministry or institution around the world.

For the 2023-2024 academic year, Fulbright Public Policy Fellowships will be available in three world regions: Africa (Botswana, Ghana, and Rwanda); Western Hemisphere (Colombia and Peru); and East Asia and the Pacific (Cambodia, Fiji, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam). Examples of successful past projects and placements have included examining opportunities to strengthen inter-ministry collaboration for public health; implementing alternative dispute resolution mechanisms; supporting corruption prevention practices; streamlining renewable energy policies related to geothermal law; and conducting census mapping of community health workers.

Fulbright Public Policy Fellows build mutual understanding and contribute to strengthening the public sector while cultivating public policy experience in their area of expertise. The Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship also includes an independent research component that focuses on an issue related to the Fellow's in-country work. The Fellows have an opportunity to build their knowledge and skills, provide support to partner-country institutions, and promote long-term ties between the U.S. and the partner country. Interested applicants are encouraged to sign-up for our MyFulbrighter newsletter for more information on future events as well as join our monthly Fulbright Public Policy Office Hours and view our most recent Webinar. The deadline to apply is September 15, 2022.

Should you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact the Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship team at [email protected].

Updated July 29, 2022

Graduate Student Newsletter Archive