Author: Petsa, Megan

2024 Marth Award Recipient – Željko Bošković

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Please join us in congratulating Department of Linguistics Professor Željko Bošković, this year’s winner of the Edward C. Marth Mentorship Award. Named for Edward Marth, former Executive Director of the AAUP UConn Chapter, the award recognizes outstanding mentoring of graduate students by UConn Graduate Faculty members. Professor Bošković brings almost 30 years of mentorship experience, having chaired or served on the PhD committees of more than 80 graduate students. His reviewers describe him as “an unparalleled advisor” with “boundless enthusiasm” with a stellar record of placing his students in tenure-track academic positions.

In honor of his contributions, Professor Bošković will be giving an address that will be included in The Graduate School doctoral commencement ceremony.

Past Recipients of the Marth Award include Diane Burgess (2023), David Knecht (2022), Crystal Park (2021), Preston Britner (2020), Sandra Chafouleas (2019), Maria-Luz Fernandez (2018), Elizabeth Jockusch (2015-2016), Shareen Hertel (2014-2015), John Mathieu (2013-2014), JC Beall (2012-2013) and Dipak Dey (2011-2012).

Graduate Student Appreciation Week

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Monday, April 7th to Friday, April 11th is Graduate Student Appreciation Week, a week full of activities and events designed to celebrate graduate students here at UConn. Visit the Graduate Student Appreciation Week webpage to learn more and view planned events for this year. (Pre-GSAW kick-off events will be held at the regional campuses during the week of March 31st to April 4th!)

The Graduate Student Symposium: Poster Competition

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The Graduate Student Symposium

The University of Connecticut is home to more than 7,000 graduate students, who work and study on all seven UConn campuses, and belong to more than 100 different graduate degree programs. While each of these students exemplifies the critical role of graduate education in shaping the future of Connecticut, geographical distance and disciplinary boundaries hinder their joint pursuit of knowledge and innovation.
The inaugural Graduate Student Research Symposium seeks to remove barriers and promote a sense of connection and shared purpose across ALL graduate campuses. By uniting graduate students through research, impact, and community value, we aim to unlock the transformative power of interdisciplinary collaboration.

Overview: The Graduate Student Research Symposium welcomes UConn graduate students from any graduate degree program on any campus of the University of Connecticut to present their in-progress research and its impact.

The program will be organized as follows:  First, graduate students from any UConn campuses, school or college complete a brief online application describing the topic and impact of their in-progress graduate research. Each applicant categorizes their work within one of six cross-cutting research areas or themes. Applications are due by Noon on Monday, March 24, 2025.

Next, selected participants present research posters that summarize their in-progress scholarly research to a panel of judges at the Initial Round Graduate Student Research Symposium. Research posters should be 24” wide and 36” high and graduate students will have about five minutes to present their research and answer follow-up questions. The First Round Graduate Student Research Symposium will take place at 10am on Monday April 7, 2025.

Finally, the top two graduate students in each of the six research categories are invited to compete again in the Final Round Graduate Student Research Symposium. The Final Round Graduate Student Research Symposium will take place on Wednesday April 23, 2025 (time TBA). The top three (3) presenters at the final round competition will receive scholarships to support their scholarly work:

  • 1st Place Award: $7,500
  • 2nd Place Award: $5,000
  • 3rd Place Award: $2,500

Judging Rubric: Graduate student poster presentations will be evaluated according to the following elements:

  1. Relevance & Impact. Research is clearly defined and motivated by its specific relevance to a scholarly field of inquiry and by its current or potential positive impact(s) on the broader community.  
  2. Visual Appeal & Design. Poster layout is organized and follows a logical sequence; fonts are legible; excellent use of images, graphics, and diagrams; and strong overall aesthetic appeal.
  3. Effective Communication & Presentation. Presenter is and effective and compelling in motivating their research; knowledgeable about their work and its impacts; and engaging and enthusiastic when interacting with their audience/judges.

Key Dates:

  • Application Deadline: The deadline to apply for the Graduate Student Symposium is Monday, March 24, 2025, at 12:00 pm (noon) EST. 
  • Notice: Students will be notified if they have been selected to compete in the Graduate Student Symposium Poster Competition by Wednesday, March 26, 2025. 
  • Graduate Student Research Symposium Initial Round: Applicants who have been selected, will compete in the Graduate Student Symposium Poster Competition on Monday, April 7, 2025, from 10am – 1pm. Lunch will be provided. Symposium Finalists will be announced the same day.
  • Graduate Student Research Symposium Final Round: Twelve (12) finalists (two (2) from each category) will be selected to compete in the Symposium Final Round on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Time TBA. The top three (3) awardees will receive cash prizes as described above.

Submit Your Poster Application 

Graduate Student Mentoring: A Mentee’s Guide

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Graduate students serve in various roles throughout their time in graduate school. One of these important roles is that of a mentee. As a mentee, graduate students can learn from and connect with various faculty during their degree program. The new webpage, Graduate Student Mentoring: A Mentee’s Guide, outlines best practices for graduate students in their role as mentees at UConn.

Graduate Student Gatherings and Post-doctoral Researcher Socials

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University leadership understands the impacts of recent events and is working to evaluate options and coordinate official, accurate communications. As we work through these challenging times together, The Graduate School leadership team wants you to know we are here, and we want to support you.

Please join us in a safe space where we can share concerns, challenges, experiences, and develop ways to support one another.

  • 2/10 at 4pm: Whetten Graduate Center, Graduate students
  • 2/12 at 4pm: Whetten Graduate Center, Post-docs
  • 2/17 at 4pm: Online session for Graduate students
  • 2/18 at noon: Whetten Graduate Center, Graduate students
  • 2/21 at 4pm: Online session for Post-docs – POSTPONED; NEW DATE TBD 

Refreshments will be served at in-person meetings. More gatherings may be posted throughout the semester.

Please contact martha.marroni@uconn.edu for information.

Spring and Summer 2025: Last day of work for GAs holding F-1 and J-1 visas

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This information is being sent to all GAs on an F-1 or J-1 visa.  If you are not graduating this spring, this information will not apply to you but it is still important to understand for the future.

Dear International Huskies,

Federal government regulations allow graduate students on F-1 and J-1 visas to hold on-campus employment while they are pursuing their degree. If you will be a Spring 2025 graduate, you will no longer be pursuing your degree after May 11, 2025 and can no longer work on campus beyond that date.

If you hold an Academic Year 2024/2025 or Spring 2025 GA appointment at Storrs or a regional campus (excepting UConn Health), the final date of your appointment is May 22, 2025. If your degree is conferred in May and you hold an F-1 or J-1 visa and your assistantship appointment is covered by a collective bargaining agreement with the Graduate Employee Union (GEU), the time from May 11, 2025, through May 22, 2025, should be treated as time off. Please work with your supervisor to ensure you finish the duties associated with your assistantship before May 11, 2025. You will still receive your full Spring 2025 GA stipend.

In addition, ISSS will be updating your I-20 or DS-2019 program end date to May 11, 2025, if you are graduating in May and hold a GAship this term. This means your grace period to depart the U.S., or your first eligible date to begin post-completion practical training will begin May 12, 2025. Please plan for this accordingly. ISSS will adjust your I-20 or DS-2019 end date automatically based on notification that you have applied for graduation, or at the time you apply for post-completion OPT (F-1 students) or Academic Training (J-1 students), whichever comes first. ISSS will notify you when your adjusted I-20 or DS-2019 is ready to download from your ISSS portal account later in May.

If you will be offered a summer GA appointment and will complete your degree during Summer 2025, please be aware that the summer term will be considered your final semester, and you may be employed for no more than 20 hours per week. The date you submit all final degree requirements to Degree Audit will be your degree completion date and the last date you may be employed under a graduate payroll title. Your form I-20 will be shortened to this date.

Please reach out to ISSS at international@uconn.edu if you have any questions about this change as it relates to your visa status, I-20, grace period, or practical training timeline.

Leslie M. Shor
Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of The Graduate School

Arthur Galinat
Director, International Student and Scholar Services

Graduate Student Timely Topics Series

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The Graduate School’s Timely Topics is a series of learning opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to engage with subject matter experts on topics relevant to graduate education. The student track of this series features sessions that highlight University resources and supports, answer questions about academic processes and procedures, and provide strategies to help students successfully navigate their graduate career. All sessions are offered virtually.

Register for a Session | View the full student track schedule and session descriptions

Spring 2025 Student Sessions

Seeking External Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities
UConn’s Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships (ONSF) advises and mentors students seeking prestigious, nationally-competitive scholarships and fellowships. In this session, staff from ONSF will discuss several specific opportunities that might be of interest to both early- and late-career graduate students (e.g., NSF-GRFP and Fulbright), and highlight resources to help graduate students from all backgrounds identify opportunities for which they might be eligible.

Date:  Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Time:  11am – 12pm
Facilitator:  Vin Moscardelli, Director, Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships

 

Getting to Conferral: Master’s Degrees and Graduate Certificates
This session will discuss the Office of the Registrar’s degree audit process for master’s degrees and graduate certificates, including 6th Year Certificate programs. Degree Audit staff will share auditing terms and timeline, degree requirements for Plan A and Plan B, as well as the thesis submission process. Time will be available at the end of the session for participants’ questions.

Date:  Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Time:  11am – 12pm
Facilitators:  Sandra Cyr, Master’s Degree and Graduate Certificate Programs Registrar Specialist

 

Getting to Conferral: Doctoral Degrees
This session will discuss the Office of the Registrar’s degree audit process for doctoral (Ph.D.) students. Degree Audit staff will share auditing terms and timeline, degree requirements, the master’s on the way process, and the dissertation submission process. Time will be available at the end of the session for participants’ questions.

Date:  Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Time:  2pm – 3pm
Facilitators:  Jenn Horan, Doctoral Degree Registrar Specialist

 

Promoting Mental Health
This informative and interactive workshop will increase graduate students’ knowledge of the range of mental health resources on campus as well as helpful self-care and stress management strategies.

Date:  Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Time:  11am – 12pm
Facilitator:  Alyson Faires, Staff Psychologist, SHaW Mental Health

 

Building Financial Credit and Dealing with Debt
In this workshop, we’ll discuss financial credit, credit scoring, and how to use credit wisely. Further, we will also talk about dealing with debt and what to do when you can’t pay your bills. This workshop will be provided by the UConn Financial Education Program.

Date:  Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Time:  11am – 12pm
Facilitator:  Faye Griffiths-Smith, Personal Finance Educator, UConn Extension

Register for a Session

Learn more about all of The Graduate School’s Timely Topics

Upcoming Spring 2025 GA Registration Deadline

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As a reminder, all students employed as Graduate Assistants are required to maintain full-time student status (6 or more credits), as noted in their offer letter and The Graduate Catalog. Employment as a GA is a result of student status, therefore GAs are expected to be registered for a minimum of 6 credits before the start date of their employment (the deadline is January 8, 2025 for grads who have been appointed as GAs for Spring 2025). Please be aware that if you do not enroll in the minimum 6 credits required to maintain full-time student status, the University cannot employ you as a GA.

To register now, log into Student Admin. You can also find helpful information, resources, and to-do items specific to your role as a GA, including information about GA health insurance and deadlines for enrolling in GA payroll deductions to pay our fee bill, at the Graduate Assistant Onboarding page.

Students who have the “GEMB – Graduate Embargo” hold on their record, will be unable to register in classes until they are present in the U.S. If you are a student with this particular hold, please be sure to check in with International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) immediately upon arrival and register for classes through Student Admin as soon as ISSS has removed the hold.

If you have any questions about this requirement or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to megan.petsa@uconn.edu.

Call for Nominations – Marth Mentorship Award

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The AAUP UConn Chapter established the Edward C. Marth Mentorship Award to recognize the leadership and dedication of Edward Marth, former Executive Director of the AAUP UConn Chapter, to both encourage and reward outstanding mentoring of graduate students by UConn Graduate Faculty members. The $4000 award includes an invitation to speak at the Doctoral Commencement Ceremony on Monday, May 12th, 2025 at 6:00pm. Recipients of the award have had direct and significant impact and involvement with graduate students, outstanding commitment and effectiveness as a mentor of graduate students at UConn, and have demonstrated unusual effort to provide consistent mentoring of graduate students during the course of their careers. Recipients will be Graduate Faculty members who have extraordinary records of excellence and effectiveness in activities such as facilitating smooth transitions for both entering and exiting graduate students; showing sensitivity to students’ academic, personal, and professional goals and needs; being accessible to students; playing an active role in coaching graduate students through the graduate school experience and connecting them to appropriate intellectual and professional networks; and, guiding graduate students toward intellectual and professional independence.

Faculty at any University of Connecticut campus may be nominated for the Edward C. Marth Mentorship Award. To be eligible for the award nominees must: (a) be current members of the Graduate Faculty of the University of Connecticut, (b) have served as a member of the Graduate Faculty for at least 10 years, and (c) be current members of the AAUP UConn Chapter. Prior recipients of the award are not eligible.

Nominations should be submitted electronically by 24 November 2024 to Martha Marroni (martha.marroni@uconn.edu) with the subject line “Nomination for Marth Award.” Nominations should be submitted as a single PDF document and contain the following elements:

  1. A nominating letter that is no longer than three typed pages. This may be from a director of graduate studies, Department Head, College/School Dean, administrator, or former graduate student.
  2. A minimum of two (and a maximum of four) letters of support written by former and/or current graduate advisees.
  3. No more than three letters from other UConn Graduate Faculty colleagues. If the Department Head is not a signatory on the nominating letter, then one of these letters should be from the current (or recent) Department Head.
  4. A 1–2 page statement from the nominee on his/her philosophy of working with and mentoring graduate students.
  5. A list of supervised theses and dissertations.
  6. The nominee’s CV.

Awardees will be selected by a committee composed of graduate faculty (appointed by the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of The Graduate School) and at least one graduate student (appointed by the Graduate Student Senate). The award is accompanied by a monetary prize and an invitation to speak at the doctoral Commencement ceremony.

Spring 2025 Registration Information for Graduate Students

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Dear Graduate Students,

The message below includes information relevant to both new incoming graduate students and those who will be continuing on as students in Spring 2025. Please review the information below carefully and reach out with any questions you may have. If you have not done so already, please be sure to enroll in classes prior to the start of the semester*, which begins January 21.

*Students who are using an employee tuition waiver should follow the timeline associated with their waiver.

Information for New Students
Departments and programs may have more specific guidance for new students on what courses they should be enrolling in. Students should reach out to the program or their academic advisor for guidance on which courses they should enroll in during their first semester. (This information may also be available on the program’s website or in the Graduate Catalog.)

If a student has holds on their account that prevent enrollment, such as the Student Financial Responsibility Statement or an immunization hold, they will not be able to register for classes until those holds have been cleared. We advise students to try to register early so that there is plenty of time to review and clear any holds before classes fill up or enrollment deadlines approach.

The Office of the Registrar’s website provides an overview of useful registration tools available in Student Admin along with registration-related forms. UConn’s Knowledge Base provides step-by-step instructions on how to manage your enrollment through the Student Administration system. If you have difficulty registering, please reach out to onestop@uconn.edu (or registrar@uchc.edu for UCH grads) for assistance. Please note, permission numbers for courses are typically managed by the course instructor.

Continuous Enrollment Requirement
Continuous enrollment is a requirement of all graduate programs. Students who will not be registering in coursework or research credits must register for a zero-credit continuous registration course to maintain their active student status. Continuous registration courses include GRAD 5997, GRAD 5998, and GRAD 6998, as well as GRAD 5999 (Thesis Preparation) and GRAD 6999 (Dissertation Preparation). Enrollment in these courses should be determined before the first day of classes. There are financial implications when changing from being enrolled in credits to no credits as of the first day of classes.  Changes from credits to a zero-credit placeholder cannot be made after the first day of classes.  

Research Credits
Students should consult with their advisor regarding when it is appropriate to enroll in research credits for their course of study. Doctoral students should register for GRAD 6950. Plan A Master’s students should register for GRAD 5950. Each section number corresponds to the number of credits you will earn (e.g., GRAD 6950-001 will earn one credit, GRAD 6950-002 will earn two credits, etc.). All sections will show “Staff” (or similar) as the instructor. Through an automatic process later in the semester, students will be moved to a grade roster associated with their major advisor. Permission numbers are not needed for students to register for these research courses. If you attempt to register and receive an error, contact onestop@uconn.edu for assistance. Be sure to include your 7-digit student ID in all correspondence.

Graduate Internship Courses
Students who will be engaging in an internship for which they plan to earn academic credit can find information about course options and how to enroll on The Graduate School’s Graduate Internship Courses page.

Cancelling Enrollment/Leave of Absence
Continuing students who wish to cancel enrollment prior to the start of the semester or any student who attends class and then decides to withdraw from all their courses should notify The Graduate School (TGS) by completing an online Voluntary Separation Notification Form as soon as possible. The add/drop period that extends through the 10th day of classes is only available to students who plan to be enrolled in credited coursework throughout the semester. A student who wishes to go down to zero credits or withdraw from their program completely will need assistance from The Graduate School and will be subject to the University’s Withdrawal Tuition and Fee Adjustment schedule which will apply based on the date the student notifies TGS of the intent to withdraw via the online Voluntary Separation Notification process, not when they last attended classes. Visit The Graduate School’s voluntary separations page to learn more about options available, including the academic leave of absence process.

Deferral of Admission
If you are an incoming student for the spring semester and wish to request a deferral of your application/admission to a future semester, more information on that process is available on The Graduate School’s admissions FAQ and questions can be directed to gradadmissions@uconn.edu.

Day 10 Automatic Separation
Students who do not register for classes by the 10th day are automatically discontinued from their program. If the student then wishes to be enrolled after Day 10, the student will need to request reinstatement to their program, which is not guaranteed and incurs a $65 fee. Students should also be aware that classes with insufficient enrollment will be cancelled and will then be unavailable even if the student is reinstated. A lapse in active student status may also affect access to University systems, such as student email and OneDrive, and may result in permanent data loss. Timely registration will maintain active student status and prevent this.

Additional Registration Information for Graduate Assistants
Graduate Assistants (GAs) are required to be enrolled as full-time students (6 or more credits), as noted in their offer letter and The Graduate Catalog. Employment as a GA is a result of student status, therefore GAs are expected to be registered for a minimum of 6 credits before the start date of their spring semester employment (January 8, 2025). GAs who have not completed their registration for a minimum of six credits by their start date are not fulfilling one of the contingencies of employment and may be subject to termination from their assistantship. (GAs employed solely at UConn Health should follow the registration deadlines set by UCH.)

Please note, the tuition waiver will not post to a GA’s fee bill until the GA is registered for at least 6 credits. Therefore, if a student is not fully registered in a timely fashion, this can result in a Bursar hold on the student’s account that blocks enrollment and other services, as well as incurs late fees.

Students should consult with their advisor regarding when it is appropriate to enroll in research credits for their course of study. Doctoral students should register for GRAD 6950. Plan A Master’s students should register for GRAD 5950. GAs should NOT register for GRAD 6960 (Full-Time Doctoral Research) or GRAD 5960 (Full-Time Master’s Research). GRAD 6960 and 5960 are only 3 credits and will create duplicate fee charges or prevent the tuition waiver from populating if it is the only course the GA is registered for.

GAs employed at Storrs and regional campuses who fall under the Graduate Employee Union (GEU) are encouraged to visit the Graduate Assistant Onboarding webpage. This page provides information, resources, and to-do items specific to being a GA that helps GAs successfully transition into their assistantship.

If you are experiencing difficulty registering, or have any questions, please feel free to reach out for assistance. Please include your 7-digit student ID number in all correspondence.

To register now, please log in to the Student Administration System.

Sincerely,

Megan Petsa, M.A.
Director of Graduate Student Administration

The Graduate School
University of Connecticut
The Whetten Graduate Center, Second Floor
438 Whitney Road Extension, Unit 1152 | Storrs, CT  06269-1152
860.486.0977 | www.grad.uconn.edu | Pronouns: she/her