Dear UConn Graduate Students,
Welcome to UConn at the start of another academic year. During this semester, you may be pursuing advanced credentials in one of our graduate professional schools or engaging in research as you work towards a master’s or Ph.D. degree. Simultaneously, you may be working on or off campus, including by teaching, training, or mentoring other UConn students. Through your various roles, you are advancing UConn’s institutional goals. Thank you for the many contributions you will continue to make on behalf of UConn.
By virtue of your many roles, both professional and personal, you may feel pulled in different directions this year. You are a valued member of our academic community with important obligations to others. But do not forget that you came to UConn primarily to learn, to train, and to be mentored yourself. First and foremost, you are a student. I encourage you to keep your own academic, professional, and personal goals clear in your mind as you face the challenges ahead.
And speaking of challenges, please also keep in mind that The Graduate School is here to help you, together with our partners in the schools and colleges and various student support offices at UConn. The Graduate School has dedicated staff to assist graduate students who are facing academic, interpersonal, or other challenges. So please reach out. Below, I list some reminders and helpful links.
Best wishes for a healthy, happy, and successful academic year.
Sincerely,
Leslie M. Shor
Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of The Graduate School
KEY RESOURCES FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS AT UCONN
Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Affairs, The Graduate School
All new graduate students are encouraged to complete an online orientation experience. The orientation provides important information about academic and everyday life at UConn and is the first step to ensuring your success and getting you connected to our community. Our online orientation materials include videos and modules designed to help you navigate the various opportunities at UConn and to help you gain valuable skills and experiences that will enhance your graduate education. To access orientation: 1) Log in to your Application Status Portal; 2) Open your matriculated application; and 3) Select the Orientation tab.
Current students should bookmark our Resources for Current Students page where you can find information on Guidance and Support, Career Support, Financing, and Getting Involved.
The Graduate School’s Network for Enriched Mentorship (NEM) is a UConn-wide interdisciplinary mentoring network, open to all graduate students, but with a special focus on minoritized graduate students and those who come from backgrounds that may disadvantage them. Through NEM, graduate students can find mentors to help them navigate issues that arise outside of their coursework and dissertations. We hope that by connecting students with mentors who have experience navigating obstacles (e.g., systemic bias, personal hardship, alternative career trajectories), or who can be effective and accountable allies, more students will feel supported and empowered in their graduate careers and beyond. Graduate students interested in NEM should sign up to be a mentee!
The Graduate School’s Fall Timely Topics Series now includes sessions specifically designed for graduate students. These sessions focus on financial literacy, time management, how to have effective conversations about difficult things, and information about accommodations through the Center for Students with Disabilities that will be relevant to both graduate students and graduate students who hold a TA role.
The Graduate School staff is available to answer questions about both academic and non-academic resources that are available to graduate students and advise on strategies for navigating challenges. If you need additional support, email gradschool@uconn.edu and a staff member will help you.
The Student Code
Responsibilities of Community Life: The Student Code has been updated recently, as were policies for Posting Signs, holding Outdoor Activities, and utilizing Amplified Sound. The updates were done primarily to lend clarity to policy, rather than to establish new rules. If you are planning any gatherings, or posting signs, we strongly encourage you to consult Student Activities, or your Campus Dean, and review these policies. Students should also be aware of InForm which collects UConn reporting and support resources.
Graduate Student Senate (GSS)
The Graduate Student Senate is a representative body comprised of and serving graduate students at UConn. Contact GSS directly for more information.
Upcoming GSS meetings:
- Orientation Meeting-Mandatory In-Person Meeting for all New and Returning GSS Members-September 18, 2024, 6-8PM in Student Union 221
- Regular GSS Meetings- September 25, 2024, 6-8PM in Student Union 221
Center for Students with Disabilities
Graduate students may want to explore the possibility of accessing accommodations with the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD). To begin the process of requesting accommodations, visit csd.uconn.edu and click on the MyAccess button to get registered. You will then be assigned to work with a Disability Services Provider who will engage with you to discuss your concerns and appropriate accommodations. Students requesting accommodations will need to provide supporting documentation. Please share the guidelines with your external medical, psychological, or educational professional to obtain appropriate documentation. Contact Timothy Smagacz, Program Assistant, at (860) 486-2020 or myaccess-csd@uconn.edu with questions regarding documentation.
Student Health and Wellness – Mental Health
For Storrs students (undergrad or graduate) who pay the SHaW fee, students may access SHaW-MH by calling 860-486-4705 or by scheduling a screening appointment here. SHaW provides mental health services to promote the emotional, relational, and academic potential of undergraduate and graduate students. SHAW-Mental Health offers:
- Rapid access screening appointments
- Emergency/Crisis assessment
- Individual and group therapy
- Medication management
- Mindfulness/Meditation/Yoga workshops
- Referral and off-campus support services
Regional campus students (undergrad or graduate) seeking mental health resources will find campus-specific contact information here.
Medical, dental and graduate students at UConn Health will find mental health evaluation and treatment resources here.
Ombuds Office
The UConn Ombuds Office serves as a neutral resource providing confidential and informal assistance to members of the UConn and UConn Health community. Professional and graduate students may meet with an ombuds officer to express concerns, identify options to address workplace conflicts, facilitate productive communication, and surface responsible concerns regarding university policies and practices.
