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Student Newsletter - January 2022

Updates from The Grad Office

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 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 January newsletter we have the following topics:

 

Career's Corner

Welcome Back! As we kick off the new year, we are happy to announce that Wendy Wright has joined CCAS as a Career Counselor/Coach.  We offer career coaching, interview skills support, and documentation preparation (e.g., resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile) to help students identify and align their talents and interests to create an effective, targeted job search strategy. Schedule a Coaching Appointment by clicking the "Appointments" link in the left column of your Handshake profile. Visit our Graduate Career Services website for various career tools and resources.

Check out the Career's Corner section of this newsletter every month for tips and tools to guide you on the path to your future career!

Students in the Trachtenberg School and Data Science programs will continue meeting with their existing Career Coach.

 

Spring Registration Reminders

University policy states, "a student is expected to be continuously enrolled and actively engaged in fulfilling the requirements for the degree each semester of the academic year until such time as the degree is conferred". If you would like to pause completing your degree requirements, you must apply for a Leave of Absence.  If you have not registered for Spring 2022, and would like to apply for a Leave of Absence, or withdraw from your program, please let us know A.S.A.P.

Registration Tips

We encourage you to follow the tips below for successful spring registration.

  • Work with your Director of Graduate Studies to identify potential spring courses that align with your academic plan.
  • If you would like to register for a course outside your department you should seek approval from the respective department. Example: A non-Data Science student interested in completing a Data Science course must receive permission from the Data Science department.
  • Interested in a consortium course? Please be mindful of the January 14th deadline and the new consortium registration procedures.
  • If you wish to take a leave of absence, please submit the leave of absence form.
  • Please 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”.

When I can't register online, should I use the RTF-Classic or RTF-EZ?

Online registration through GWeb isn't permitted for some classes.  When this occurs, there are two different types of Registration Transaction Forms (RTF) you can use to register for the course. 

RTF-EZ

  • Closed courses (not to exceed classroom capacity)
  • Courses that require permission of instructor or department
  • Courses with Major/Level/Class/Degree Restrictions
  • Pre-requisite waivers
  • Adding a course before the 4th week of class (2nd week in Summer)
  • Withdrawing from a course before the 10th week of semester (4th week in Summer)

You must take the RTF-EZ to the Student Services Hub in the University Student Center where you will be registered on the spot!

RTF Classic

  • Exemptions to academic policy
  • Time conflicts
  • Grade mode changes (credit/no-credit, audit)
  • Credit hour changes
  • Exceeding the maximum amount of credits hours permitted
  • Internship courses
  • Registration beyond the 4th week of semester (2nd week in Summer)

You must email the RTF-Classic to the Office of Graduate Studies for approval where we will forward it to the Registrar Office.

Registration and Student Bill

Please check your registration and student bill prior to the start of the semester. Funded students should check their award letters and ensure they are registered in the equivalent number of credits stipulated in the award letter. Registration in additional credit hours will be charged at the prevailing CCAS tuition rate.

Please note, 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].

Instructions to Register for Variable Credit Hours

Please note that when registering for variable credit hours (ranging from 2-12 credits) the registration system defaults to 1.0 credit hours. You will need to adjust your credit hours in the Schedule and Options tab on the Register for Classes menu. Please follow the instructions for Variable Credit Adjustments on the Registrar's website.

 

Completing your degree in Spring 2022

If you are completing your Master's or Doctoral degree requirements in Spring 2022 then you must apply to graduate for Spring 2022.  If you have not already applied, you can do so through GWeb, instructions can be found on the Registrar website. If you wish to participate in commencement/celebration activities in May 2022, then you must apply not later than 15 March, 2022. To ensure there are no delays or issues we strongly recommend you apply much earlier than the deadline, you may apply as soon as you are registered. 

If you are completing your degree requirements during the summer semester, but wish to participate in commencement/celebration activities in May 2022, then you must wait until Summer registration opens in mid March, register for Summer, and then apply for Summer graduation no later than 1 April, 2022. Do not apply for Spring graduation if you do not intend to complete your degree requirements until the summer semester.  Doing so will cause delays with your graduation clearance process.

If you are completing a graduate certificate then you must submit a Certificate Completion Form. 

 

COVID-19 Booster Requirement

The George Washington University will require a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose for all eligible students, faculty and staff in university-owned or -operated facilities by January 10, 2022. The booster dose is required for access to campus. Please find more information on this and additional updates on the Spring Semester through Onward GW.

 

TiE DC University PitchFest

TiE DC is pleased to announce the second TiE DC University PitchFest for college/university students across Washington DC, Maryland & Virginia. Three teams will win cash prizes for participating and winning: 1st Prize $5,000, 2nd Prize $3,000, and 3rd Prize $2,000. A special prize ($2,500) is being sponsored for focus on doing business with Governmental agencies in the USA (Local/State/Federal). Click here for more information. The pitch submission deadline is January 31, 2022.

TiE DC is the regional chapter of TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs). Founded in 1992, TiE is a recognized leader in promoting entrepreneurship and has 60 chapters across 17 countries. Learn more about the TiE DC University Program here.

 

Funding and Professional Development Opportunities

Boren Fellowship

Boren Awards are available to graduate students of all proficiency levels who are committed to enhancing their skills as related to critical languages. The deadline to apply is January 26, 2022.

Dean's Graduate Instructorship

We are pleased to announce our annual call for proposals for the Dean’s Graduate Instructorship (DGI). The DGI program is designed to provide exceptional Ph.D. candidates with an opportunity to design and teach their own undergraduate courses, while obtaining financial support for their dissertation research. More information can be found here under the section for the Dean's Graduate Instructorship. Applications are due on Friday, February 11 at 5:00 PM EST.

To help applicants prepare successful Dean’s Seminar proposals, the Office of Graduate Studies will hold an informational webinar on Friday, January 14, 2022, 1:00-2:00 p.m., to review GPAC criteria and assignments and to provide helpful pointers for syllabus preparation.

Graduate Student Fellowships from George Mason University

The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is now accepting applications for 2022-2023 fellowships. All applications are due on March 15, 2022.

Adam Smith Fellowship: A one-year program for doctoral students from any university and discipline who are interested in political economy.
Frédéric Bastiat Fellowship: A one-year program for graduate students from any university and discipline who are interested in public policy.
Oskar Morgenstern Fellowship: A one-year program for doctoral students from any university and discipline with training in quantitative methods and interest in political economy.

Remote Summer Internship Opportunity

The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) is now accepting applications for their 2022 Summer Professional Development Intern. The Professional Development team coordinates AASLH’s webinars, online courses, workshops, the History Leadership Institute (HLI), and the Standards and Excellence Program for History Organizations (STEPS). The deadline to apply is March 15. The paid and remote internship is set to begin in June 2022. More information can be found here.

 

Updated October 17, 2022

Graduate Student Newsletter Archive