June 4, 2018    Events and Deadlines

This weekly newsletter is distributed to dept. heads, graduate program directors, contact staff, and graduate faculty.  

Graduate Faculty

Graduate Student Health Insurance Premium Increase

In March, the Kansas Board of Regents approved an approximately 16% increase in the premium for the student health insurance plan for 2018-2019 (see page 11 of the March KBOR meeting minutes). The increase is effective beginning with the fall 2018 coverage period, which begins August 1. Departments pay 75% of the premium for their GTAs, GRAs, and GAs who are on a .5 FTE appointment. The annual employer contribution will increase by $180 per student. 

Graduate School Administration Updates

The Graduate School extends sincere appreciation to Professor Geraldine Craig, Associate Dean and Professor in the Department of Art, for her three and a half years of dedicated service and support of graduate education at K-State.  Professor Craig has provided leadership in enhancing graduate student success through a variety of activities.  Her leadership in helping the Graduate School secure a new home in Eisenhower Hall and renovation of the 3^rd floor Graduate Student Space is particularly noteworthy.  The Graduate School team wishes Professor Craig much success as she returns full-time as a faculty member in the art department and goes on sabbatical this fall.  Craig’s sabbatical plans include a two-month artist residency in Thailand working with bamboo artists on collapsible structures, on to Laos to continue Hmong textile research, a solo exhibition/installation of Moroccan geometric patterns created in three dimensions by thread, and the launch of a community art project with soldiers and veterans.

The Graduate School also is excited to welcome Dr. Sunanda Dissanayake as full-time Associate Dean in the Graduate School beginning July 1^st.  Dr. Dissanayake currently serves a professor and graduate program director for the Department of Civil Engineering.  She has been at K-State since 2002 and has maintained an active research program and has mentored more than 30 graduate students and served on numerous graduate students’ supervisory committee.   She has served as faculty advisor for Chi Epsilon, the Civil Engineering Honor Society for 9 years and currently serves as faculty advisor for the Civil Engineering Graduate Student Council and the Sri Lankan Student Association.  She is a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers.  As Associate Dean, Dr. Dissanayake will oversee graduate-level course and curriculum proposals and graduate program assessment and review, represent the Graduate School on the Associate Dean of Research Council and the Global Campus Advisory Committee, and assist with recruitment, among other duties. The Graduate School staff looks forward to welcoming Dr. Dissanayake to our team.

Summer Undergraduate Professional Development Seminar Series

The Summer Undergraduate Professional Development Seminar Series will begin today, June 4th. The seminar series is coordinated as part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (SUROP). In addition to participants of SUROP and other summer programs, K-State undergraduates who are engaged in research and/or interested in pursuing graduate studies are invited to attend the seminars. Students who attend all of the summer seminars will receive a certificate acknowledging their completion of the seminar series.

Graduate Students

Graduate Student Health Insurance Information

Graduate Students Remaining at K-State in Summer 2018
Graduate students appointed to a .5 FTE graduate teaching assistantship (GTA), graduate research assistantship (GRA), or graduate assistantship (GA), or any combination of the three equal to .5 FTE in summer 2018, are eligible for the GTA/GRA/GA health insurance.

NOTE: Due to the interruption of IT services from the Hale Library fire, Human Capital Services will be delayed in verifying assistantship status for health insurance coverage. As long as students complete the United Healthcare online enrollment form by June 30 and are appointed to a .5 FTE assistantship for the summer, their summer health insurance coverage period will be from June 1-July 31.

Domestic masters students enrolled in at least 3 credit hours in Summer 2018 and doctoral students who are NOT eligible for the GTA/GRA/GA health insurance in Summer 2018 may enroll in the KBOR Student Health Insurance. Eligible students who enroll may also insure their dependents. Eligible dependents are the student’s legal spouse and dependent children under 26 years of age.

Students Graduating in May 2018
Graduate students who were enrolled in the GTA/GRA/GA health insurance program and graduated from Kansas State University in May have two options to continue health insurance coverage.

1. Enroll in short-term continuation coverage. This coverage is available for up to 90 days. Students should complete the enrollment form and submit to United Healthcare as soon as possible. They also may enroll online. Enrollment and premium payment must be processed within 60 days of the expiration date of current coverage.
2. Those who remain a student but are no longer eligible for GTA/GRA/GA health insurance may enroll in the United Healthcare student insurance.