Timely Topics Series
Information you need, presented right when you need it.
About Timely Topics
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. While every session is open to all, The Graduate School offers three tracks (student, faculty, and administrative) to help registrants identify which sessions may be most relevant to their interests.
- The recently added student track 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.
- The faculty track features sessions intended to support advisors and mentors with an emphasis on supporting students with intersectional identities, mental health, supervising GAs, and navigating career conversations.
- The administrative track provides information and tools for staff and faculty who hold an administrator role that helps them manage their programs, stay up to date on grad-related policies and procedures, and effectively advise and support all of their graduate students.
All sessions are virtual. If you have any questions or topic suggestions, please reach out to Megan Petsa (megan.petsa@uconn.edu).
Want to receive information about Timely Topics directly?
Upcoming Sessions
Faculty & Administrative Tracks
View the full schedule and descriptions for each session on this track
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Jan29
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Feb12
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Feb12
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Mar5
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Apr2
Resources from Previous Sessions
Advising and Mentoring
Advising and Mentoring Historically Excluded or Racially Oppressed Graduate Students (multiple sessions)
Racial Microaggressions and the Cumulative and Deleterious Effects on Historically Excluded and Racially Oppressed Faculty, Staff, and Students (Fall 2024)
This session discussed racial microaggressions and how racial microaggressions harm historically excluded and racially oppressed faculty, staff, and students by looking at both the individual as well as through as structural lens to get a clearer picture of life at historically white colleges and universities.
Advising and Mentoring Historically Excluded or Racially Oppressed Graduate Students (Spring 2023)
Slides | Bibliography | Video
This session, facilitated by Professor David G. Embrick and Professor Stephany Santos, discussed the experiences of graduate students of color, the challenges of mentoring and best practices toward better mentoring, and provided action items and ideas to make change.
Career Conversations (multiple sessions)
Embedding Career Readiness in Your Courses (Spring 2024)
Recognizing that graduate students often first connect with their faculty about career preparation, the Center for Career Development has created career readiness modules in HuskyCT for individuals to access on their own (self-paced) or to embed in courses that have professional development or career preparation components. View components, learn how to embed the content in your courses, and tour through the faculty toolkit.
What Does Talking About Career in the Classroom Have to do with Equity? (Fall 2022)
Learn about career inequity, the implications for marginalized and first-generation students, and how to help by incorporating career development instruction via assignments and through course conversation.
Career Outcomes for PhDs and Implications for PhD Training (Fall 2021)
Slides | Video | Additional Resources
Learn more about the career outcomes for PhDs and implications for doctoral students. The slides supplement the recorded presentation and discussion led by Dean Kent Holsinger and Kay Gruder from the Center for Career Development.
When the Plan Isn't Solely to Pursue An Academic Job: Nurturing Career Conversations with Your Advisee (Spring 2021)
These slides provide useful information regarding how advisors can direct positive impactful career conversations with students can be found here. These conversations can be supportive of each students’ pursuits, yet also informational.
Using IDPs (Individual Development Plans) & Career Exploration Tools with Doctoral Students (Fall 2020)
Learn about IDP and Career Exploration Tools of value to doctoral students, including MyIDP, ImaginePhD, and InterSECT Job Simulations, as they explore career diversity and seek faculty guidance and support as they navigate desired educational and professional goals.
Digital Dissertations: How to Embark on Digital Scholarship at the Graduate Level
Learn more about digital dissertation formats and how to start out with born-digital scholarship. While digital dissertations have been around for decades, questions and confusion remain about where to begin, how to approach tech issues, getting your advisory team on board, meeting institutional parameters, and learning how digital scholarship can boost skill sets and career options.
Spring 2022
Doctoral Degrees, Master’s Degrees, and Graduate Certificates: A Comprehensive Overview of Degree Audit Processes
The Degree Audit staff from the Office of the Registrars provided an informational session on degree auditing as it pertains to Ph.D., Master’s, Sixth Year, and Graduate Certificate programs. Topics covered included auditing terms and timelines, required paperwork, substitutions, the use of credits taken outside of the UConn graduate career, some tips and tricks on the utilization of the Advisement Report, and the best ways to communicate with our office.
Spring 2024
From Expectations to Evaluations: The Importance of Timely Feedback with Provost Lejuez
Graduate Student Mental Health (multiple sessions)
"How Are You Doing?"...and Other Scary Questions, Continued (Fall 2024)
You asked your advisee how they are doing…now what? This discussion-based Timely Topic will continue to explore frequently asked grad faculty questions pertaining to student welfare. Need to help students access resources? Wondering how you can balance compassion for a student’s struggles and still hold them accountable for being productive? This discussion will address these issues and leave plenty of time for attendees to ask questions. If the goal is a healthy and supportive academic/work environment, facilitators will provide guidance on how to continue asking “scary questions”.
"How Are You Doing?"...and Other Scary Questions (Spring 2024)
This session discusses the types of questions that you CAN ask and what questions you SHOULD ask when you sense that your student might need some assistance or support. These conversations or situations may include mental health matters, seeking accommodations, taking a leave of absence, or simply engaging a graduate student who may be struggling. Conversation starters, tools available to you, and ways to refer to resources are also discussed.
Provost Lejuez on Graduate Student Mental Health and the Role of the Advisor (Spring 2021)
This session was designed for faculty advisors and discusses the ethic of care involved in the advisor/advisee relationship, how it is vital for student productivity and well-being, and how to support an advisee who seems to be struggling. We cover what questions you can/should ask and what to do with the information you receive. The guidance shared will also be informed by data gathered by Student Health and Wellness (SHaW), including what graduate students want advisors to know about challenges they face and how advisor support could be transformative.
Graduate Student Trends and Patterns: Insights from the Ombuds Office
The Ombuds Office share insights from their work with graduate students and trends and patterns regarding the graduate student experience as it relates to graduate faculty, discuss different resources for graduate faculty as they navigate their work with graduate students, and facilitate conversation around effective practices currently being implemented around UConn.
Spring 2024
Information for New Graduate Faculty Advisors
This session provided an overview of how graduate student advising works at UConn, including the roles and responsibilities of advisors. It also discussed some basic principles of good advising; what grad advisors need to know to help their students succeed; and ways The Graduate School can support grad advisors.
Fall 2023
International Students (multiple sessions)
Best Practices in Onboarding and Graduating International Students (Spring 2024)
Spring and summer are busy times at UConn with academic departments planning their welcome activities for new students starting in fall term, while at the same time advising continuing students graduating in spring and summer term. Presenters from ISSS and UCAELI review the most important topics for academic departments to be aware of when welcoming new international students to UConn. We discuss employment restrictions for graduating students and focus on resources and events to support incoming international students, ITA Screening and Microteaching Testing, and provide departments with a checklist of topics to get students started for success.
Understanding Employment Rules and Opportunities for International Students: CPT, OPT and On Campus Employment (Spring 2022)
Employment for international students during and after graduate school can be complicated. International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) discusses the nuances of CPT and internships, the differences between post-completion, thesis-pending, and STEM extension OPT and how each type may affect both on campus and post-graduation employment, and the regulations around on campus employment.
Neurodiversity and the Advisor/Advisee Relationship (multiple sessions)
Fostering Open Communication with Neurodiverse Grad Students (Fall 2023)
The presentation portion of this discussion-based session talks about the importance of open communication to support the success of neurodiverse graduate students in STEM programs and common scenarios in the neurodiverse graduate student experience.
Supporting and Empowering Neurodiverse Grad Students (in STEM and beyond) (Spring 2023)
This session discusses findings from a series of focus groups centered around the experiences of neurodiverse graduate students in STEM programs, the impact their advisors have on their experience, and ways advisors can support and empower neurodiverse graduate students in their programs.
Supporting Graduate Students with Disabilities
The Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) is vested by the University with the authority to engage in an interactive process with each student and determine appropriate accommodations on an individualized, case-by-case, class-by-class basis. Information regarding how to support your students with disabilities can be found here.
Fall 2021
Using Annual Reviews to Help Graduate Students Succeed
Slides | Video | Additional Resources
Providing feedback to graduate students is a vital part of ensuring their success. As part of our ongoing effort to foster good graduate student mentoring and facilitate communication between graduate advisors and advisees, The Graduate School has developed resources to help departments and advisors use annual reviews for doctoral and MFA students. The resources include a template that programs can use as a guide and modify to meet their specific needs. This Timely Topics session discusses why annual reviews are important to graduate student success, reviews The Graduate School Annual Review template, and provides guidance on conducting annual reviews.
Fall 2021
Using Pronouns: Actualizing Inclusivity
Inclusive Pronouns Slides | Pronouns & Graduate Admissions Slides | Video
The Rainbow Center (RC) presents the current best practices to support LGBTQIA+ students in higher education settings. Topics discussed include SOGI(E) definitions, pronoun usage, chosen names and supporting research. The RC also gives an overview of current Gender Inclusive Initiatives. The Graduate School shares information on pronoun visibility in GradSlate, how to use this information in relation to admissions and recruitment, and best practices for admission/welcome letters.
Fall 2024
Writing Effective Reference Letters for NSF GRFP Applicants
Reference letters are a key component of a strong application package. The most effective letters provide detailed and specific information about how an applicant meets the NSF merit Review Criteria of Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts. This session with the Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships targeted key strategies on what faculty can do to help prospective applicants by way of reference letters.
Fall 2021
Graduate Assistants (GAs, TAs, RAs)
Effective Teachers and Productive Professionals: Giving TAs and Future Faculty What They Need to Succeed
The Center for Teaching and Learning (CETL) discusses how CETL can help Teaching Assistants (TAs) and postdocs enhance their effectiveness in the classroom here at UConn and in future academic positions and areas where departments and CETL can collaborate to better support TAs’ teaching development. Learn about workshops, courses, and opportunities for training and credentials through the Center for Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL), a network of 42 top PhD-producing universities committed to improving the preparation of future faculty through evidence-based professional development programming.
Spring 2024
GA Leave, Academic Leave, or Time Off?
Learn about the differences between GA leave (including medical), academic leave of absence, and GA time off requests and which is the most appropriate for different circumstances. We will discuss policies and procedures, contractual obligations, and supervisor obligation in determining approvals.
Fall 2021
Graduate Students on Special Payroll
Preparing for Fall: Graduate Assistant Payroll Procedures
An overview of how to successfully add your GAs to payroll for the 2024/25 academic year, including SmartHR templates, important dates and deadlines, the payroll audit process, and the most common mistakes and ways to prevent them. This session also discusses how the English Proficiency Policy for TAs intersects with payroll so that departments can communicate with their GAs and plan accordingly.
Spring 2024
International Teaching Assistants
This session focused on International Teaching Assistants, including the English proficiency policy and how it intersects with hiring TAs, who needs to provide proof of English proficiency (and when!), ITA orientation, and the microteaching test.
Spring 2021
Setting Up for Success: Recruitment, Offer Letters, and Hiring of GAs
Everything you need to know as you recruit incoming GAs and prepare to reappoint continuing GAs, including identifying eligible grads, how to determine stipend level, what information needs to be in the offer letter (and what shouldn’t be in there), and more. We also went over the recent revisions to the offer letter templates, how the English Proficiency Policy for TAs intersects with payroll, and resources TGS provides to help you manage GA-related processes.
Spring 2024
Graduate Assistants: What Supervisors Need to Know
Slides | Video | Resource List for Graduate Students | Resource List for Supervisors
This session discussed the intersection of the employee role and the academic role for graduate students appointed as GAs that are a part of the Graduate Employee Union; important items GA supervisors should be aware of; approaches to address employee performance and misconduct; and ways to connect a struggling GA with assistance and support. For those supervising RAs, we also discussed the differences between employment and academic effort and how both detailed Supplemental Description of Duties forms and annual academic reviews can help delineate RA duties from the grad’s own research.
Fall 2024
Updates to the GEU Contract
Workflow and Tools When Recruiting & Hiring GAs for Non-Academic Units
Graduate students have a wealth of knowledge and skills that make them incredible assets as Graduate Assistants (GAs). As more non-academic units offer graduate assistantship positions than ever before, The Graduate School and the Center for Career Development partnered to offer guidance on what non-academic units should take into consideration when recruiting and hiring a GA, including best practices for creating a job description that will attract a strong applicant pool, how to advertise open GA positions, and how to handle the administrative and payroll aspects of appointing a GA in a non-academic unit.
Spring 2023
Admissions and Recruitment
Fellowships Processes and Updates
Graduate Admissions: Program Application Processing in Slate
An overview of the process The Graduate School uses before programs see their applications (Initial Grad Audit bin) and what programs should be looking for in their program review process (Program Audit bin). This session also covered the difference in accessing graduate admissions requirements versus program requirements, how to upload recommendations, and checking materials on the checklist.
Fall 2024
Graduate Admissions: Reading and Reviewing Applications in the Slate Reader
A guide to review applications in the Slate reader, including best practices for application review, how to fill out reader review forms, queue applications to others, and enter final program admission decisions. This session also covered timelines for application review and official admission decisions, along with why it is important that all applications have program admission decisions entered by the end of the admission cycle.
Fall 2024
Graduate Admissions 2023-2024 Cycle Debrief
Holistic Admissions and Diversity Recruitment
Holistic admissions review is a more equitable, inclusive approach to considering applications for admission and evaluates applicants using a variety of metrics. This session will discuss best practices for using information from a variety of sources to get the fullest picture of each applicant's potential and how The Graduate School can support your department’s efforts to recruit a diverse applicant pool.
Fall 2022
New Diversity Application Fee Waiver Process
An introduction to The Graduate School's fee waiver process to support graduate programs seeking to ensure that their applicant pool includes individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and experience. This session provided an overview of the new program and the application process, explained how these waivers differ from other program-initiated or automatic application fee waivers, and discussed implications of recent court decisions for administration of the program.
Fall 2023
Recruitment: GradSlate CRM Functionality
The GradSlate system contains tools which can help your graduate recruitment and admissions efforts beyond reading and processing applications. This session provides an overview of Slate’s CRM (customer relationship management) tools which can help you collect information, communicate, and facilitate connection with potential inquiries and applicants through email campaigns, event registration, and inquiry forms, among other tools.
Fall 2024
SCOTUS Decision on Race in Admissions and Impacts on Graduate Admissions
The Graduate School and the Office of the General Counsel discussed the recent Supreme Court decision on race in admissions, Students For Fair Admissions v. Harvard and University of North Carolina, and how this decision impacts UConn’s processes around admission and recruitment for graduate students.
Fall 2023
The Graduate School’s New Student Orientation: An In-Depth Look
Learn more about TGS’s experiences in building and implementing our orientation program, the philosophy that guides our planning and implementation, and our transition to an online orientation format. The information in this session may be helpful to you as you prepare and implement your department orientation.
Spring 2021
Managing Your Graduate Program
All About Grad Enrollment
The materials from this session will help you utilize the graduate enrollment tools available to you most effectively and cover resources The Graduate School provides to departments, where to find specific information (or who to ask), and enrollment processes managed by the TGS, such as degree time limits and extensions, voluntary separations, and reinstatement.
Fall 2020
Community Engaged Scholarship
This session introduced the concept of Community Engaged Scholarship, delved into how partnering with communities can advance research, and discussed how engaged scholarship is a tool and an opportunity to teach, mentor graduate students, advance science, and have an impact on the community.
Spring 2023
Dialogue With the Dean
New Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of The Graduate School, Leslie Shor, invites faculty and staff to engage in a conversation. Dean Shor shares her vision for graduate education at UConn and welcomes input from all on the challenges and issues facing their graduate students and programs as we move forward together.
Fall 2024
Fellowships and Awards with the Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships
The Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships (ONSF) advises and mentors students at the University of Connecticut who are competing for prestigious, nationally-competitive scholarships and fellowships.
Spring 2021
Graduate Student Data Resources
The University has several powerful reporting options for graduate student data. Which option is the right choice depends on what question you’re hoping the data will answer for you. This session will discuss reports and data available from Institutional Research, the Office of the Registrar, and GradSlate, as well as TGS’s WebFOCUS reports. Come learn about the Graduate Dashboard and how it can help you identify trends over time, the Registrar’s Student Data Reporting page and custom reporting options, GradSlate queries that can help you refine your recruiting strategy, and how TGS’s WebFOCUS reports can be a helpful tool to support your grads.
Fall 2023
Updating Your Catalog Copy and Using the GPAR System
A review of the process and deadlines for making changes to the Graduate Catalog through the online GPAR system and demonstration of how the GPAR system can be used for other program changes, including approvals of new programs and other program modification.
Fall 2023
Student Sessions
Accommodations: What Graduate Students and TA Instructors Need to Know
This session discusses the accommodations process for students with disabilities, student and instructor rights and responsibilities, and student versus employment accommodations. The information shared is relevant to both graduate students and Graduate Assistants who serve in a teaching/instructor role.
Fall 2024
How to Have Effective Conversations About Difficult Things in Graduate School and Beyond
Difficult conversations are just that: difficult. But they are a healthy, normal part of our relationships with others, including faculty advisors and colleagues. Having difficult conversations with faculty advisors and directors of graduate programs can be intimidating and overwhelming, particularly for new graduate students. Whether it is asking for feedback or discussing a conflict, the tendency can be to avoid the issue or possibly overact in a conversation. We will unpack why we sometimes avoid challenging conversations; discuss why they cause so much stress and anxiety; and identify strategies that will reduce stress and increase success in these conversations.
Fall 2024
Making Change: Your Finances, Your Future
Slides | Printable worksheet packet | Video
In this workshop, you have an opportunity to consider how your finances align with your goals. We discuss goal setting and creating a plan for spending that will help you move closer to reaching them, saving, staying motivated, and ways to reduce expenses.
Fall 2024
