Graduate Student News

Faculty Affiliate for Inclusive Excellence

The Graduate School continues to host one Faculty Affiliate for Inclusive Excellence for a two year term. Our affiliate focuses on improving support for students from minoritized communities. The affiliate takes leadership of several of our mentorship programs, including the Network for Enriched Mentoring and the Research Apprentice Program. The affiliate will also have the opportunity to create innovative ideas and initiatives, such as developing resources and establishing programs that future faculty affiliates can sustain with support from The Graduate School staff. The affiliate will work very closely with The Graduate School staff and with relevant faculty and staff throughout the University.

An affiliate devotes an average of 3-4 hours per week to their service for which they will receive a research stipend of $7500. There will also be some funds available to support initiatives that the affiliate develops.

We invite both applications and nominations for the affiliate position. Please contact Mary Bernstein (Mary.Bernstein@uconn.edu) or Karen Bresciano (karen.bresciano@uconn.edu) if you would like more information about becoming an affiliate or if you would like to nominate someone. To apply, email graduatedean@uconn.edu and include 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 May 22, 2026, and the review will continue until the affiliate has been selected.

In past years, our affiliates developed mentorship guides for faculty and graduate students to promote inclusive excellence and launched a Network for Enriched Mentorship (NEM) designed to connect mentees with mentors outside of their coursework and dissertations who have experience navigating obstacles (e.g., systemic bias, personal hardship, alternative career trajectories) or who can be effective and accountable allies.

Interested applicants could develop projects that support an equitable and supportive educational environment and that foster a sense of community, with a particular focus on providing support for graduate students and postdocs from minoritized groups. Ideas for other creative projects are welcome.

Faculty Fellow for Graduate Faculty Engagement and Governance

The Graduate School (TGS) will host one Faculty Fellow for Graduate Faculty Engagement and Governance for a two-year term. This Fellow will be charged with increasing faculty engagement in current university-wide initiatives related to graduate education, graduate student success, and graduate program excellence. These current initiatives include academic governance reform related to implementation of BLUE (the new UConn budget model), broadening graduate faculty involvement in the routine work of the Graduate Faculty Council (GFC) and the Executive Committee of The Graduate School, and improving graduate faculty engagement in ongoing university-level strategic and enrollment management planning.

The Fellow will serve as a collaborative partner between TGS and the graduate faculty as a whole: helping to strengthen collaboration, gather grassroots faculty feedback and input, identify emerging concerns and opportunities, and assist in the development of communications and related materials connected to Graduate School initiatives and governance activities. The Fellow will work directly with the academic leadership of TGS and academic affairs leaders in the Provost’s Office. The Fellow will help supervise a 15-hour Professional Intern from the Master of Public Policy program. This is an excellent opportunity for faculty interested in exploring the administrative, strategic, and collaborative side of graduate education leadership.

The Fellow will devote an average of 3–4 hours per week during the academic year to this service and will receive a research stipend of $7,500. Modest funds are also available to support travel, training, and/or initiatives developed by the Fellow. In addition, support for a one-course-per-year teaching release OR summer support may be available, if that is of interest to the successful applicant, and subject to successful negotiation with the faculty member’s home school or college. Summer support or a teaching release would be accompanied by a commensurate increase in the expected time commitment.

Please contact Leslie Shor (Leslie.Shor@uconn.edu) if you would like more information about the position or if you would like to nominate someone. Any current member of the UConn Graduate Faculty is eligible. To apply, please email graduatedean@uconn.edu and include a brief statement (1–2 pages) describing why you are interested in the position, your relevant prior experience that makes you a strong candidate, and how you prefer to structure the experience (i.e., just 3-4 hours, or more, and specify summer vs. academic year). We will begin considering applications and nominations on May 22, 2026. Review will continue until the position has been filled. The new Fellow will serve a two-year term beginning no later than August 23, 2026.

Faculty who are able to contribute a different perspective from existing graduate school and provost office leadership are particularly encouraged to apply.

Fall 2026 Registration Information for Graduate Students

Dear Graduate Students,

As we approach the end of the spring semester and the registration period for next semester begins, please review the information below regarding Fall 2026 enrollment. The information below is relevant to both new, incoming graduate students and those who will be continuing on as students in Fall 2026. If you have not done so already, please be sure to enroll in classes prior to the start of the semester*, which begins August 31.

*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 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 UConn Health grads) for assistance. Please note, permission numbers for courses are typically managed by the course instructor.

Continuous Enrollment
Continuous enrollment is a requirement of all graduate programs. Continuing 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 a continuous registration course should be completed 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 self-enroll in these research courses during the academic year and the permission number field should be left blank when registering. 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.

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 webpage to learn more about options available, including the academic leave of absence process.

Deferral of Admission
If you are an incoming student for the fall 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 either credit-bearing classes or a continuous registration course 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 GAs
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 six credits before the start date of their employment (August 23, 2026). 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 will be subject to termination from their assistantship. (GAs employed solely at UConn Health should follow UCH registration deadlines.)

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 incur 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 have any questions, please feel free to reach out to The Graduate School for assistance. Please include your 7-digit student ID number in all correspondence.

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

Best,

Megan Petsa
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/hers

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.