Graduate Student News

Spring 2026 Graduate Student Timely Topics Series

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 2026 Student Sessions:

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 11, 2026
Time: 11am – 12pm
Facilitator: 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 11, 2026
Time: 2pm – 3pm
Facilitator: Jenn Horan, Doctoral Degree Registrar Specialist

You’re Not an Imposter! (We promise.)
Many graduate students struggle with feeling like an imposter, including feeling like they don’t belong in graduate school and will be “found out”. This session will dive into Imposter Phenomenon, including its roots, how it impacts our academic and personal lives, and strategies to combat it.

Date: Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Time: 11am – 12pm
Facilitators: Kim Curry, Director of Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Support, The Graduate School & Megan Petsa, Director of Graduate Student Administration, The Graduate School

Accessible Scholarship: Building Inclusive Theses and Dissertations
Your research deserves to be accessible to everyone. In this workshop, you’ll discover how simple choices like using descriptive headings, true tables, and alt text, can remove barriers and make your dissertation or thesis inclusive for all readers. These same practices will strengthen your ability to create accessible materials in your future academic or professional work. In addition, with new Title II regulations taking effect by April 2026, now is the perfect time to understand accessibility standards and ensure your work meets these upcoming requirements.

Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Time: 11am – 12pm
Facilitator: Karen Skudlarek, IT Accessibility Coordinator, ITS

From Grad Student to Postdoc: Navigating a Successful Transition
Are you considering a position as a postdoc after you graduate? Moving from graduate school to a postdoctoral position marks a significant shift in your education and training. This workshop will help you prepare for that transition by addressing key topics such as selecting a postdoc, understanding expectations, establishing productive mentoring relationships, and setting professional goals. Participants will also explore how to balance research, career development, and personal wellbeing during this pivotal stage.

Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Time: 11am – 12pm
Facilitator: Melanie Sinche, Director of Graduate Student and Postdoc Success, The Graduate School

Register for a Session

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

Upcoming GA Registration Deadline

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 it is recommended that you register by December 1, and it is required that you are registered for a minimum of 6 credits before the start date of your employment (either January 7 or January 8, 2026). 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 your 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.

What is Soapbox?

What is Soapbox? Soapbox is a communication resource at UConn. Graduate students receive announcements from their department, organizations, and the university about upcoming events and opportunities available to graduate students. How do I view Sopabox? Soapbox announcements arrive in your UConn email inbox around 11am. Be on the lookout for updates and announcements! Can I use Soapbox for announcements? Yes! You can use this custom newsletter to send out information by going to soapbox.uconn.edu or by contacting The Graduate School. Contact us with questions: gradschool@uconn.edu 438 Whitney Rd, Storrs, CT, 06269 grad.uconn.edu soapbox.uconn.edu

Graduate School News from UConn Today

Community, Collaboration, and Preparation

The Graduate School is dedicated to the welfare and progress of its students. We strive to strengthen this through a commitment to the ideas of creating community, promoting collaboration, and addressing your academic, professional, and career preparation. UConn is committed to fostering a diverse and dynamic culture that prepares you to meet the challenges of a changing global society.

The Graduate School leads and coordinates a variety of activities and resources to navigate your pathway through graduate school and to enrich the overall personal and professional experience of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.  Our vision for training of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars rests on three pillars as outlined in our academic plan.

Community: The Graduate School will enhance the quality of life for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars by nurturing an engaged community of scholars that includes all disciplines and all campuses.

Collaboration: The Graduate School will foster the development of inter-, cross-, multi-, and trans- disciplinary research and teaching programs by removing barriers to cross-departmental, cross-program, and cross-campus graduate and postdoctoral education.

Preparation: The Graduate School will enhance career and professional development of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars through programs designed to enhance discipline-independent, transferable skills. We utilize a framework of three categories to help students and scholars prioritize their activity: Professional Engagement, Career Development, Personal Growth.