July 13-19, 2020

Ongoing Services – updated 5/11/20

This Week’s Events:
1. CHINESE STUDENT SUPPORT GROUP
2. CETL & TLOS FALL COURSE DESIGN CLINIC FOR GTAs AND INSTRUCTORS – multiple dates Jul-Aug
3. VIRTUAL HEALING SPACES FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY: UPLIFTING THE COMMUNITY AFTER A TRAGIC LOSS – weekly in July

Administrative Announcements:
4. P.E.O. SCHOLAR AWARD FOR 2020-2021 – 1st posting
5. FINANCIAL COACHING FOR GRAD STUDENTS- 2nd posting
6. WOMEN’S CENTER SEEKS PROGRAMMING INPUT – 3rd posting
7. GTA INPUT SOUGHT ON TEACHING AND LEARNING NEEDS – 3rd posting
8. GTA WORKSHOP REGISTRATION NOW OPEN – 3rd posting

Jobs:
 9. GA OPPORTUNITY: VIRGINIA TECH TRIO PROGRAMS – 1st posting
10. GA OPPORTUNITY: VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS STUDIO -2nd posting

Volunteers and research participants sought:
11. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR TECHNOLOGY-MEDIATED RECREATION SURVEY – 1st posting
12.PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR HIBISCUS SURVEY – WATER IGEP PROJECT- 3rd posting

Upcoming Events:
13. GENERAL BODY MEETING: SCIENCE POLICY EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY CLUB (SPEAC) AT VT

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. 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

3. VIRTUAL HEALING SPACES FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY: UPLIFTING THE COMMUNITY AFTER A TRAGIC LOSS
Tuesdays, 6pm, (June 16th – July 28th)
This program focuses on unique ways in which the national crisis impacts students, a space to process emotions, an opportunity to learn self-care related skills, and community. Email yasmin18@vt.edu or camen@vt.edu of Cook Counseling Center for the zoom link

4. P.E.O. SCHOLAR AWARD FOR 2020-2021 – 1st posting
P.E.O. International is a philanthropic education organization that provides financial aid for the education of women. These merit-based scholarships offer $15,000 for outstanding women in doctoral programs. More information about the scholarship and the application process can be found here: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/types-of-funding/funding-opportunities/PEO.html

5. FINANCIAL COACHING FOR GRAD STUDENTS- 2nd 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

6. WOMEN’S CENTER SEEKS PROGRAMMING INPUT – 3rd 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

7. GTA INPUT SOUGHT ON TEACHING AND LEARNING NEEDS – 3rd 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/).

8. GTA WORKSHOP REGISTRATION NOW OPEN – 3rd 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.  

9. GA OPPORTUNITY: VIRGINIA TECH TRIO PROGRAMS – 1st posting
Virginia Tech TRIO Programs is hiring a Graduate Assistant for the 2020-2021 academic year to assist the Upward Bound programs and Talent Search. These federally-funded educational opportunity programs help middle and high school students, veterans, and out-of-school clients overcome academic, social, and cultural barriers to postsecondary education. This is an academic year position (August to May) for 20 hours per week, and includes tuition remission and stipend (Step 10). Candidates must be able to successfully pass a criminal and driving background check, and will need to possess a valid driver’s license. Application review will begin on July 10th and will continue until the position is filled. Please apply through Handshake (#3732326 TRIO Programs Graduate Assistant).

10. GA OPPORTUNITY: VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS STUDIO -2nd 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.

11. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR TECHNOLOGY-MEDIATED RECREATION SURVEY – 1st posting
Volunteers (aged 18 and up) are needed to take part in a Virginia Tech research study titled “Technology-mediated‌ ‌recreation‌ ‌-‌ ‌habits‌ ‌and‌ ‌perspectives‌ ‌before, during,‌ ‌and‌ ‌after‌ ‌COVID-19‌” (IRB Protocol #20-318). If you agree to be in this study you will be asked to complete an online survey.  This survey study aims to learn about strategies, habits, and perspectives, with respect to your current (and desired) approach to maintaining connections with nature and loved ones, through the use of technology, before, during, and after COVID-19. The survey will take between 20 minutes to 25 minutes to complete.  Participants will be entered into a drawing for one of four $25 Amazon gift cards (the approximate odds of being selected are 1 in 100). https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6VDruf5C5GmEDlj For more information, please email Derek Haqq at dhaqq@vt.edu.

12. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR HIBISCUS SURVEY – WATER IGEP PROJECT- 3rd 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).

13. GENERAL BODY MEETING: SCIENCE POLICY EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY CLUB (SPEAC) AT VT
Thursday, July 23rd, 5:00-6:00pm, Zoom
Curious about science policy? Attend SPEAC’s next meeting! We will be having an informal Q&A with guest speaker Dr. Megan O’Rourke. Dr. O’Rourke is an associate professor of Sustainable Food Production Systems at Virginia Tech. She has extensive policy experience through her work with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Services as the organization’s climate change advisor. She has also worked as a Foreign Service Officer for the United States Agency for International Development in Cambodia on food security and environmental programs. Please register for this event here: https://forms.gle/Doj8XBaSvMyTncL98. For more information or to join our Listserv, email speacvt@gmail.com. Also connect with us on Twitter and Facebook (@speacvt)!