July 6-12, 2020

REVIEW THE FAQs REGARDING COVID-19 DIRECTIVES AT https://graduateschool.vt.edu/covid-faqs.html.

Ongoing Services – updated 5/11/20

This Week’s Events:
1. CHINESE STUDENT SUPPORT GROUP
2. JUSTICE IN JUNE: A SPRINGBOARD FOR INTEGRATING JUSTICE IN PEDAGOGY
3. SUMMER INTERFAITH DIALOGUES – DEAN OF STUDENTS OFFICE

Administrative Announcements:
4. FINANCIAL COACHING FOR GRAD STUDENTS- 1st posting
5. WOMEN’S CENTER SEEKS PROGRAMMING INPUT – 2nd posting
6. GTA INPUT SOUGHT ON TEACHING AND LEARNING NEEDS – 2nd posting
7. GTA WORKSHOP REGISTRATION NOW OPEN – 2nd posting
8. SUMMER COURSES ON HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT- 3rd posting

Jobs:
9. GA OPPORTUNITY: VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS STUDIO -1st posting

Volunteers and research participants sought:
10.PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR HIBISCUS SURVEY – WATER IGEP PROJECT- 2nd posting

Upcoming Events:
11. CETL & TLOS FALL COURSE DESIGN CLINIC FOR GTAs AND INSTRUCTORS – multiple dates Jul-Aug

0. Ongoing Services – updated 5/11/20

· ALL WEEKLY DROP-IN SERVICES HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE 
· CAREER ADVISING: schedule virtual career advising appointment via https://career.vt.edu/job-search/Handshake.html
· COOK COUNSELING: Contact McComas Hall offices at mailto:counseling@vt.edu or 540-231-6557
· IMMIGRATION ADVISING: email mailto:igss@vt.edu or call 540-231-8486; 9:00-4:00pm starting 5/18/20
· WRITING CENTER SERVICES: Schedule an appointment at https://vt.mywconline.com/ 
· GRADUATE OMBUDSPERSON: contact for appointment at mailto:gradstudentombud@vt.edu, 540-231-9573

1. CHINESE STUDENT SUPPORT GROUP
Wednesdays, starting July 1, 1:30-3:30pm
Dr. Claire Shen with Cook Counseling will be starting a weekly support group for Chinese students. This group will be using Mandarin Chinese. If you are a Chinese speaking student or know any Chinese speaking students, please sign-up and encourage others to do so! Sign-up here: https://tinyurl.com/y8685vgm

2. JUSTICE IN JUNE: A SPRINGBOARD FOR INTEGRATING JUSTICE IN PEDAGOGY
Mondays 3:00pm; Wednesdays 12:00pm; Fridays 10:00am until July 10
Please join VTGrATE to discuss “Justice in June” which is geared towards learners who are new to anti-racist literature and advocacy. Additional reading materials and resources are suggested during the sessions for ongoing learning and reflection. These sessions are open to anyone who wishes to engage in dialogue on racism, white supremacy, strategies for anti-racist pedagogy, and student engagement. Meeting details are available on our events calendar:  http://vtgrate.org/events/ These events are open to everyone, irrespective of their engagement with VTGrATE. Please contact us at vtgrate@vt.edu if you have questions, or find us online at http://vtgrate.org/.

3. SUMMER INTERFAITH DIALOGUES – DEAN OF STUDENTS OFFICE
Wednesdays bi-weekly, May 27-Jul 8, 5:30-7:00pm, Zoom
Spend your Summer in good company: participate in a dialogue with students from diverse worldviews. The Summer Interfaith Dialogues will happen over Zoom bi-weekly on Wednesdays 5:30 – 7pm, from May 27 to July 8. Everyone is welcome to participate. RSVP at https://dos.vt.edu/dialogue.  More info on the interfaith program at http://www.dos.vt.edu/interfaith.

4. FINANCIAL COACHING FOR GRAD STUDENTS- 1st posting
Financial questions or stress? Set up an appointment to discuss your financial wellness. Kevin Sutton, the Assistant Director of Financial Wellness on the Hokie Wellness team, presents and meets with both graduate and undergraduate students to discuss topics such as budgeting, credit scores, debt management strategies, financial stress, and short-term financial planning. Some potential topics for discussion include how to maximize your credit score without carrying a credit card balance as well as how you can use this summer to plan financially for end-of-year holiday expenses (they always come up so fast!) and for experiences you want to have next summer. You can contact Kevin by email to schedule an appointment around your schedule or sign up for an appointment here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c054eaeae22a7ff2-financial

5. WOMEN’S CENTER SEEKS PROGRAMMING INPUT – 2nd posting
In order to meet the needs of our diverse VT community, the Women’s Center has created a short questionnaire to assess the needs of our students, faculty, and staff. We recognize that this upcoming Fall semester will be like no other that we have experienced before, and we want to ensure that our programming and education provides the support that our community needs during this time. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey at the following link. https://forms.gle/eebMHyJZhkeSEK2t5

6. GTA INPUT SOUGHT ON TEACHING AND LEARNING NEEDS – 2nd posting
The VT Graduate Academy for Teaching Excellence (VTGrATE) is dedicated to supporting graduate students that are involved in teaching. Given the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are seeking your input regarding your teaching and learning needs, and addressing your questions and concerns for the upcoming academic year. Please take a few minutes to answer this survey so that we can connect you with existing teaching resources available from partners around campus. Access the survey at https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0qXGpRVbVJAdPSd. If no such resources exist, VTGrATE will strive to create new quality content to address these needs. With questions and comments please email vtgrate@vt.edu or contact them through the “Ask a Fellow” on VTGrATE webpage (vtgrate.org/ask-a-fellow/).

7. GTA WORKSHOP REGISTRATION NOW OPEN – 2nd posting
All new GTAs are required to take this course and should be registered by their graduate coordinator (students cannot register themselves). If you will be a GTA in the future, or if you have earned an F grade in the course in the past, please contact your graduate coordinator to make sure that they register you for the upcoming GTA workshop. The Phase I fall workshop will take place beginning at 9 am on Tuesday, August 18, and will in part be synchronous. The other portions of the course will be a blend of synchronous and asynchronous, but all of it will be delivered by Zoom, online. All registered students must attend the synchronous workshop and also complete the remaining asynchronous portions of Phase I in order to pass the course.  A list (and where appropriate, a timetable) of the Phase II sessions from which students will select courses of interest to meet other GRAD 5004 requirements will be communicated to all students at a later date. Learn more about the workshop at https://graduateschool.vt.edu/academics/courses-and-scheduling/graduate-school-courses/gta-workshop.html.  

8.SUMMER COURSES ON HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT- 3rd posting
The Virginia Center for Housing Research is offering Summer courses (July 8-August 14) on housing and development, in areas like Construction, Data & Analysis, Design, Finance, Law, and Policy. The courses are all listed under GRAD 5984: SS: Housing Camp. Visit this link to watch a short video about the unique curriculum, or here for more information. Some key benefits for graduate students: Fully online, with both at-your-own-pace and real-time learning activities; Open to both professionals and graduate students, allowing you to build your network; 250 minute courses, each worth one third of a credit hour. You can choose which topics interest you most and bundle them together; Each course also earns you at least one VT micro-credential and an entry in a digital portfolio. You’ll have a dynamic, digital resume that sets you apart with future employers; Instructors are all VT faculty and industry professionals. Full course descriptions are available here. Please email any questions to Thomas Skuzinski at skuzinsk@vt.edu.

9. GA OPPORTUNITY: VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS STUDIO -1st posting
The goal of this position is to help maintain, support, and grow the Virtual Environments Studio in Newman Library by teaching workshops, taking consultations from faculty and students about immersive environments, performing basic maintenance tasks, and assisting with AR/VR related projects associated with the University Libraries. Required qualifications include experience with VR/AR related software and hardware, excellent written and verbal communication skills, and good customer service skills. Preferred skills include experience with 3D modeling, game development and virtual reality hardware maintenance, experience conducting research involving augmented or virtual reality, supervisory experience, formal or informal teaching and tutoring experience. This is a 9-month appointment and the pay is $1523 a month. To apply, fill out this application and attach your resume to the end of it where prompted by July 31, 2020. If you have questions, please contact Jonathan Bradley at bradley1@vt.edu.

10. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR HIBISCUS SURVEY – WATER IGEP PROJECT- 2nd posting
The Water INTERface Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Programs (IGEPs) is recruiting volunteers who are at least 18 years old to participate in an online survey on assessment of consumers’ knowledge/perception of hibiscus products (IRB-19-550). Participants will be asked if they have consumed hibiscus products, under which form they have consumed such products, and their previous taste experience of those products. Participants will be provided with information on the benefits of hibiscus and asked how likely they are to purchase hibiscus drink products. The link to access the survey is https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8jeKpe5gAQTCPOJ and the time commitment to answer this survey is approximately 15 minutes. For more information please contact Dr. Valisa Hedrick (vhedrick@vt.edu) or Dr. Neill Clinton (cneill@vt.edu) or Oumoule Ndiaye (oumoule7@vt.edu).

11. CETL & TLOS FALL COURSE DESIGN CLINIC FOR GTAs AND INSTRUCTORS
The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) and Technology Enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS) are offering course design clinics to help instructors and GTAs plan for an environment requiring flexibility between remote and face to face instruction. The workshops are being offered multiple times this summer. Please enroll at the links below to participate. Contact the VT Graduate Academy for Teaching Excellence (VTGrATE) if you have questions (mailto:vtgrate@vt.edu) or find us online at vtgrate.org.
July 13th: https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu/courses/cetl11-071320
August 10th: https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu/courses/cetl11-081020
August 17th: https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu/courses/cetl11-081720