Student Newsletter - September 2020
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
September 2020
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 September newsletter we have the following topics:
- Wellness Corner
- Academic Policies
- Meet Your Student Services Coordinator
- Important Dates
- Fall Expectations
- Funding Opportunities
Wellness Corner
Helpful Ways to being proactive, present and purposeful as an online student
If you’ve never done online learning before, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of information presented to you. While you may feel like you are “on your own”, your connection to this virtual world will be based on both your efforts and your actions. Here are 13 tips to help you make the transition to online courses.
Counseling and Psychological Services
The Counseling and Psychological Services office serves GW students and engage the entire GW community, working to build a culture of support and connection with student well-being. They support mental health and personal development by collaborating directly with students to overcome challenges and difficulties that may interfere with academic, emotional, and personal success.
Mental Health Discussion Series
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. 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 questions, please contact us at [email protected]
We Talk
We Talk is a program that provides supportive consultation spaces for GW students. We Talk is an informal, friendly consultation with counseling staff alongside peers with similar backgrounds/interests. While we have daily topics to try to establish a space for students with similar experiences, all students are welcome to join any We Talk session! You can view the list of daily topics to see what best suits you.
Academic Policies
We would like to inform you of new academic policy changes that will go into effect beginning in Fall 2020. Please take a moment to carefully review these new changes and e-mail your DGS or student services coordinator at [email protected] with any questions.
Meet Your Student Services Coordinator
Students will be able to schedule 15 or 30-minute virtual or phone appointments with their student services coordinator. Through an online booking system, students are asked to identify all reasons that describe the purpose and goals for the appointment. This allows both the student and student services coordinator to prepare for a productive conversation.
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 September events. To view future events, please visit the Current Student Events Website.
| Diversity and Inclusion in Graduate Education Forum | September 24 |
| Ph.D ETD Workshop | September 29 |
| Master’s ETD Workshop | September 30 |
| Applying for Doctoral Fellowships and Grants | September 30 |
What to Expect This Fall!
The faculty and staff of the Columbian College of Arts & Sciences are hard at work preparing for the Fall 2020 semester. Although we still have details to work out, I’m writing to provide you with a link to a new list of “Frequently Asked Questions about Fall 2020.” This FAQ summarizes the current information about our plans for the fall semester, including the different study options available to international and domestic students, as well as information about the health and safety precautions that we’re taking on campus.
Fall Graduate Application Deadline
The application should be submitted through GWeb. Step-by-step instructions on completing the application can be found on the Registrar's website. The online application will close after November 15, so any student wishing to apply for Fall graduation after this date will need to submit a paper application to the CCAS Office of Graduate Studies at [email protected]. If you applied for Summer graduation but did not complete your requirements, you must re-apply for Fall graduation. Your Summer application will not automatically transfer over to the Fall.
Fall ETD Deadlines
December 1 - Dissertation defense deadline
December 4 - ETD form due and submitted final, approved, post-defense, electronic dissertation to the ProQuest site
December 11 - Final, approved dissertation containing all post-defense revisions and required formatting is approved by University ETD administrator
Master's Students:
December 4 - Thesis approved by department, submission of ETD form and upload the thesis to Proquest to allow enough time for ETD revisions requested
December 11 - Final approved thesis and required formatting is approved by University ETD administrator
GWEB Information Systems
Don’t forget to update your current address and any other personal information in your account.
Funding/Employment Opportunities
National Fellowship Opportunities
The Office of Graduate Studies have 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 PhD students and there are some specific dissertation fellowships.
Graduate Assistant - Academic Success Coach Position
The Office of Undergraduate Programs at the School of Business is seeking a graduate assistant for the upcoming academic year. All interested applicants should send a resume and cover letter to Cait Shannon at [email protected].
Office of Graduate Student Assistantships and Fellowships (OGSAF) Awards
Any questions on the awards below please reach out to OGSAF directly at [email protected].
Updated September 3, 2020