Web cookies (also called HTTP cookies, browser cookies, or simply cookies) are small pieces of data that websites store on your device (computer, phone, etc.) through your web browser. They are used to remember information about you and your interactions with the site.
Purpose of Cookies:
Session Management:
Keeping you logged in
Remembering items in a shopping cart
Saving language or theme preferences
Personalization:
Tailoring content or ads based on your previous activity
Tracking & Analytics:
Monitoring browsing behavior for analytics or marketing purposes
Types of Cookies:
Session Cookies:
Temporary; deleted when you close your browser
Used for things like keeping you logged in during a single session
Persistent Cookies:
Stored on your device until they expire or are manually deleted
Used for remembering login credentials, settings, etc.
First-Party Cookies:
Set by the website you're visiting directly
Third-Party Cookies:
Set by other domains (usually advertisers) embedded in the website
Commonly used for tracking across multiple sites
Authentication cookies are a special type of web cookie used to identify and verify a user after they log in to a website or web application.
What They Do:
Once you log in to a site, the server creates an authentication cookie and sends it to your browser. This cookie:
Proves to the website that you're logged in
Prevents you from having to log in again on every page you visit
Can persist across sessions if you select "Remember me"
What's Inside an Authentication Cookie?
Typically, it contains:
A unique session ID (not your actual password)
Optional metadata (e.g., expiration time, security flags)
Analytics cookies are cookies used to collect data about how visitors interact with a website. Their primary purpose is to help website owners understand and improve user experience by analyzing things like:
How users navigate the site
Which pages are most/least visited
How long users stay on each page
What device, browser, or location the user is from
What They Track:
Some examples of data analytics cookies may collect:
Page views and time spent on pages
Click paths (how users move from page to page)
Bounce rate (users who leave without interacting)
User demographics (location, language, device)
Referring websites (how users arrived at the site)
Here’s how you can disable cookies in common browsers:
1. Google Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data.
Choose your preferred option:
Block all cookies (not recommended, can break most websites).
Block third-party cookies (can block ads and tracking cookies).
2. Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
Under the Enhanced Tracking Protection section, choose Strict to block most cookies or Custom to manually choose which cookies to block.
3. Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the top-left corner of the screen.
Go to Preferences > Privacy.
Check Block all cookies to stop all cookies, or select options to block third-party cookies.
4. Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Cookies and site permissions.
Select your cookie settings from there, including blocking all cookies or blocking third-party cookies.
5. On Mobile (iOS/Android)
For Safari on iOS: Go to Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security > Block All Cookies.
For Chrome on Android: Open the app, tap the three dots, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies.
Be Aware:
Disabling cookies can make your online experience more difficult. Some websites may not load properly, or you may be logged out frequently. Also, certain features may not work as expected.
The Graduate Faculty Council has recently approved revisions to the By-laws of The Graduate School. The newly revised by-laws can be viewed here. Major changes include:
New Pass/Fail Option for graduate students
New rules regarding the resignation of major advisors and the role of the department in identifying a new advisor
Clarification on the minimum GPA requirement for admission
Limit on transfer credits for a “masters-along-the-way”
More specific language regarding faculty advisors who retire or leave the University continuing to serve as major advisor
The 2022-2023 Graduate Catalog is now available. The new catalog includes the updates approved by the Graduate Faculty Council last year. As a reminder, all changes to program requirements and other language in the graduate catalog must be processed through the GPAR system. Proposed changes need to be submitted well before the Registrar’s deadline (March 1, 2023) to allow sufficient time for needed approvals. The GPAR webpage provides detailed information about the system, when a GPAR is needed, and what information will be required for the request.
For a more detailed summary and any questions regarding the new by-laws or GPAR, contact Professor Mary Bernstein, Associate Dean of The Graduate School, at mary.bernstein@uconn.edu.
The Graduate School is delighted to announce this year’s Postdoc Seed Award Recipients.
Raquel Fleskes, from Anthropology, has been funded for the following project:
This pilot research project seeks to develop a new method to extract ancient DNA from clay tobacco pipestems from colonial archaeological sites in Connecticut. Pipestems are common artifacts in colonial period archaeological sites, and preserve the DNA of people who smoked from them. This project will use eight pipestems, with each divided into equal thirds, to test three different DNA extraction methods at UConn’s Ancient DNA Laboratory. The concentration and complexity (number of different DNA sequences) will be assessed to determine the most effective method of DNA extraction. This project provides a new method in DNA extraction from archaeological artifacts.
Jessie Turner, from Marine Sciences, has been funded for the following project:
What color is the ocean? Using satellites to measure the color of the ocean tells us about the productivity of phytoplankton, the base of the entire ocean food chain. To use data from satellites, we need extensive ground-truth measurements of ocean color at Earth’s surface. However, the sensors used to ground-truth ocean color satellites are expensive and difficult to build. I plan to build a set of do-it-yourself sensors to measure ocean color at low cost. I will also create instructional materials for adaptation into a course for students interested in building sensors for their research.
Deborah Good, from Physics, has been funded for the following project:
I am an expert in timing millisecond pulsars – modeling the dynamics of rapidly-spinning, small, dense leftovers from supernova explosions – to detect gravitational waves from supermassive black holes. When timing pulsars, we model and remove the effects of the interstellar medium (ISM), especially ionized gas between the pulsar and the observer. Though “trash” in the search for gravitational waves, these gas models can be “treasure” for ISM scientists. I propose to lead a task force to improve our models and bring together pulsar timers, ISM scientists, and experts in mathematical modeling, maximizing our scientific output for ISM science and pulsar timing.
Kristel Schoonderwoerd, from Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, has been funded for the following project:
A single tree can bear leaves with widely varying shapes and functions. Smaller and thicker leaves that photosynthesize rapidly occur in parts of the crown that receive ample sunlight. On shaded branches, larger, thinner leaves are borne that photosynthesize comparatively slowly. Little is known about when during development these genetically identical leaf types diverge. This project seeks to understand how leaf development of sun and shade leaves aligns with seasonal changes in light availability within deciduous canopies, from leaf loss in the fall through new leaf expansion in spring.
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 (August 23, 2022). 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.
If you have any questions about this requirement or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to megan.petsa@uconn.edu.
The Graduate School is pleased to announce that we will host two Faculty Affiliates for Inclusive Excellence each academic year beginning in Fall 2022. One affiliate will focus on improving support for students from minoritized communities. The other will focus on improving faculty mentoring of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars with a particular focus on improving mentoring for those from minoritized groups. For both affiliates the goal in 2022/2023 is to develop resources and establish programs that future faculty affiliates can sustain with support from The Graduate School staff. The affiliates will work very closely with one another in addition to working with The Graduate School staff and with relevant faculty and staff throughout the University.
We anticipate that each affiliate will devote an average of 3-4 hours per week to their service for which they will receive a modest stipend. There will also be some funds available to support initiatives that the affiliates develop.
We invite both applications and nominations for the affiliate positions. Please contact Kent Holsinger (kent.holsinger@uconn.edu) if you would like more information about becoming an affiliate program or if you would like to nominate someone for one of the positions. To apply, emailgraduatedean@uconn.eduidentifying which of the two affiliate positions you are interested in and including a brief statement (no more than 1-2 pages) describing why you are interested in the position, the experience you have that makes you a good candidate for the position, and an initial idea or two about what you would plan to accomplish if you were selected as an affiliate. We will begin considering applications and nominations on 8 August, and the review will continue until affiliates have been selected.
Affiliate for improving support
The affiliate who focuses on improving support for graduate students will develop and execute a program that contributes to an equitable and supportive educational environment and that fosters a sense of community. The program should include a particular focus on providing support for graduate students and postdocs from minoritized groups.We anticipate that this affiliate will collaborate extensively with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, including the cultural centers on the Storrs campus.
Affiliate for improving mentoring
The affiliate who focuses on improving mentoring of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars will design and develop a program to provide mentorship training for faculty. The program will place special emphasis on helping faculty understand the challenges faced by graduate students and postdocs from minoritized groups. We anticipate that this affiliate will draw on resources provided through the Center for Improvement of Mentored Experience in Research (CIMER – University of Wisconsin) as well as other resources. This affiliate may also participate in a “train the trainer” workshop at CIMER.
Kent Holsinger
—
Kent E. Holsinger Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of The Graduate School
The Graduate School is now accepting applications for the Conference Participation Award for a Fall 2022 Semester Award. The application period will be open from June 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022. Late applications will not be considered.
The Graduate School is pleased to announce this year’s three-minute thesis (3MT) competition, which will be held virtually on Monday, August 22nd 2022 from 12:00 to 1:30pm.
First developed by the University of Queensland in 2008, the Three Minute Thesis competition challenges research students (who have completed at least one year in a doctoral program) to communicate the significance of their projects to a non-specialist audience in just three minutes. The winner of this year’s competition will have the opportunity to submit their presentation to the global competition (virtual) in September.
We will be running multiple training sessions during the summer to help you prepare. We are especially grateful to Dr. Rory McGloin who will be leading a transformational session entitled “Preparing for the Best Three Minute Presentation of Your Life” in July. This session is open to all graduate students.
The Center for Career Development and The Graduate School value your input, helping us to better understand the diverse careers and further education that UConn graduates pursue. Please consider taking a few moments to complete the Advanced Degree Outcomes Survey and share your post-UConn career and education status. We value being able to make data-supported decisions about programs and services that support graduate student career development. Your data is important and only shared in aggregate.
The Graduate School is excited to announce the call for applications for 2022’s PostDoc Seed Award. These grants provide funds to support UConn postdoctoral research associates as they develop new research projects. This year, we are increasing the number of recipients of these awards to 4. We will also be dividing the awards into two separate pools to create more diversity in the fields awarded. If you’d like to know more, reserve next Thursday, May 5th, 12-1 EST, for our virtual info session. Also, check out last year’s awardees at:https://grad.uconn.edu/postdocs/
For further information on the application process, requirements, funding, eligibility, and other criteria, refer to your UConn email or contact Stuart Duncan at stuart.duncan@uconn.edu.
KEY DATES
“Preparing Your Application” – Virtual Info & Q&A Session
Thursday, May 5th | 12:00 – 1:00 PM (EST)
For information on joining the info session, refer to your email.
Application Deadline: June 26th, 2022
No late applications will be accepted.
Applicants are notified of the award decision by the end of July
Award period: September 1st 2022 – August 31, 2023
Monday, April 4th to Friday, April 8th is this year’s Graduate Student Appreciation Week, a week full of online and in-person activities and events designed to celebrate graduate students here at UConn. We have the following events happening next week:
Monday, April 4th – The Graduate School: Drinks & Refreshments
Wednesday, April 6th – Center for Career Development: LinkedIn Headshots and CV/Resume Reviews
Wednesday, April 6th – International Student & Scholar Services: Hot Cocoa, Cookies, and S’mores
Thursday, April 7th – The Graduate School & Off-Campus and Commuter Student Services: Pizza Party & Goodie Bag Giveaway
Thursday, April 7th – Rainbow Center: Coffee and Donuts
Friday, April 8th – The Graduate School: Lunchtime Trivia
Other department-specific events hosted by various academic departments.
All events are free for graduate students to attend. For more information about the university-wide and departmental events, please visit the website below.
