Graduate School

Graduate School Bulletin

April 18, 2023

Table of contents

Click on a category name to view that section or click on a headline to read the full announcement.

Faculty and Staff

Admissions

Recruitment

Graduate Student Success

Opportunities for Graduate Students

Funding and Awards for Graduate Students

Upcoming Events and Deadlines

Faculty and Staff

The issue of how to handle the use of ChatGPT generated work or ChatGPT enhanced work is one of the main topics of the day. If you have questions about how to use ChatGPT in your classes, or how to identify ChatGPT work, check out a ChatGPT resource page that was put together by the Teaching and Learning Center. These resources also include a recording of our campus conversation that was held on March 1, 2023.

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The summer can be a good time to plan, and creating and revising graduate programs can fit into those plans. The Graduate School wants to help departments as early as possible in the process to avoid unnecessary work and delays (to better understand the necessary lead time, see the process figure on this page).

Please complete a brief 4-questions Qualtrics survey to share with us the types of curriculum changes that you’re considering. The survey should take you 1 to 5 minutes – indeed, if you are planning to make no changes then it will take you about 20 seconds to answer Questions 1 and 4 while still providing useful information.

Any department member can complete the survey instead of only one department representative. We would rather have redundant replies rather than no reply. Please complete the survey here.

For further information, please contact Dr. Michael Young, Faculty Associate of the Graduate School, at michaelyoung@ksu.edu.

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At the April 5th Graduate School Town Hall, Dean and Vice-Provost Petrescu introduced a new Graduate School initiative on whole-course microcredentials. By building a credential using existing graduate courses, the review and implementation of microcredential proposals is greatly facilitated. If there is a market demand for a specialized topic that can be covered in 1 to 4 courses (totaling fewer than 12 credits), there is an opportunity to meet this demand.

Microcredential proposals are launched through Curriculog but undergo an expedited review process. If you are considering such a program and have questions, contact Dr. Michael Young, Faculty Associate of the Graduate School, for assistance at michaelyoung@ksu.edu.

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In updating our graduate faculty list, we found that we have several expired associate graduate faculty memberships. We will provide you with a list and instructions on how to renew the associate memberships.

A separate email with this information will be sent out this week.

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Looking at the doctoral students’ completion rates in the dashboard, we began discussing what we can do to improve the completion rates. Dr. Mike Young identified the following two resources to help us with this issue:

The new PhD: How to build a better graduate education (2021). Drs. Cassuto and Weisbuch discuss steps to improve the doctoral student experience especially because time-to-Ph.D. is too long in many programs and graduation rates are too low.

The article: The hidden crisis in graduate education: Attrition from Ph.D. programs (AAUP, 2000) by Drs. Lovitts and Nelson. This article included a series of questions that doctoral programs should answer in the affirmative as often as possible to improve the graduate student experience and thus decrease attrition.

The following advice emerges from these two sources. We recommend you use this information as you are preparing to welcome a new cohort of doctoral students in the Fall semester.

    • Have a detailed departmental orientation for every entering student as well as for new GTAs and GRAs in addition to the Graduate School’s Orientation
    • Display photographs of current Ph.D. students and faculty
    • Give public recognition to your recently awarded Ph.D.s
    • Talk to each student about career interests. Individual development plans can be particularly helpful.
    • Make clear what are the program requirements and expectations. This goal can be aided by ensuring that the Graduate Catalog includes detailed course and degree requirements, and that the department provides benchmarks that constitute good degree progress.
    • Ensure that a student files a program of study in a timely manner and sticks to concrete degree progress goals
    • Have regular colloquia and informal talks within the department to create a sense of community. Encourage students to present their work at these events.
    • Consider having a mentoring program in which senior students are assigned as mentors for new students.
    • Provide students’ feedback on a regular basis about their performance in the doctoral program by using the annual student review mechanism (or another mechanism).

If you interested in having a conversation on how the Graduate School can support your work with doctoral students, contact Dr. Megan Miller, mmmiller@ksu.edu.

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The deadline for the Commerce Bank and WT Kemper Foundation Distinguished Graduate Faculty Award is May 1, 2023.

This prestigious award honors current members of the graduate faculty who are recognized nationally and internationally for their outstanding scholarly achievements and for their contributions to graduate education at Kansas State University.  

Additional information, application instructions, and the nomination portal are available on the Graduate School’s website.

Nominees will be considered for three consecutive years and materials may be updated annually, if desired. After a one-year hiatus, the individual may be nominated again but a new nomination packet must be submitted.

Please consider nominating a colleague or colleagues for the DGF award! We look forward to getting your nominations by May 1, 2023! 

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Faculty are invited to participate in the commencement ceremony on May 12, 2023 at 1pm. As it is customary, we reserve seats in section 6. Please fill out the RSVP survey to indicate your participation in the commencement ceremony. If faculty need regalia, they may order from the K-State Union Bookstore by April 1st. More information is available on the graduation website. For any questions about the ceremony, please contact Miranda Schremmer, mquint@ksu.edu.

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The Graduate School invites you to join us on April 19th for our Know How session on Excellence in Innovation.

This Know How will be held from 11:30am – 1:00pm in Eisenhower 121 and via  Zoom.

Zoom Link

For more information about this event, please contact Miranda Schremmer at mquint@ksu.edu

Please RSVP to this event by April 18th.

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Graduate Faculty, thank you for participating in the election process for the new Graduate Council members for the 2023-24 academic year! We appreciate you nominating your colleagues to serve on the Graduate Council and also for voting in the election process.

Below you will find the 2023 Graduate Council election results. Congratulations to the elected members!

New members' duties will begin at the September 5, 2023 Graduate Council meeting.

Thank you for your participation and support in the 2023 Graduate Council elections and for your contribution to advancing the mission of the Graduate School!

    • College of Business Administration

Marne Arthaud-Day, Associate Professor, Management

    • Applied Natural Sciences Academic Area

Adam Ahlers, Associate Professor, Horticulture and Natural Resources

    • Arts and Humanities Academic Area

Cydney Alexis, Associate Professor, English

Mervi Pakaste, Associate Professor, Art

    • Basic Natural Sciences Academic Area

Erika Geisbrecht, Professor, Biochemistry

    • Business and Education Academic Area

Shabina Kavimandan, Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instruction

Susan Yelich Biniecki, Associate Professor, Educational Leadership

    • Mathematics and Engineering Sciences Academic Area

Behrooz Mirafzal, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

    • Social Sciences Academic Area

Jonathan Ulmer, Professor, Communications and Agricultural Education

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Thank you to everyone who attended the Town Hall on April 5th. You can find the slides from the presentation in the Grad-Resources Microsoft Teams folder.

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April 19

April Know How: Excellence in Innovation, 11:30am-1:00pm, Eisenhower 121

May 1

Nominations Due: Commerce Bank & WT Kemper Foundation Distinguished Graduate Faculty Award

May 12

Graduate School Commencement Ceremony, 1:00pm, Bramlage Coliseum

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Admissions

Annual CollegeNet Updates are due May 31st

The Graduate School is requesting all programs to review their program specific area of the online graduate application for annual updates. Changes should be submitted to Joe Horan at jphoran@k-state.edu

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Please note that the amounts shown on an I-20 are the estimated funds and estimated minimum costs for the academic year (Fall and Spring - if student is starting in spring or fall) or for the full year (Summer Fall and Spring - if student is starting in summer). The estimates cover the minimum full-time enrollment requirement per semester. The actual cost of attendance may be higher if students enroll in more than the minimum full-time enrollment requirement per semester. The purpose of the I-20 is to demonstrate to the Consular Offices that the student has the funds to pursue graduate education. The Consulates issue their visa based on this document. If applicants have questions related to their I-20 they can contact gradintladmt@ksu.edu.

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Recruitment

The Graduate School is busy with recruitment this Spring with several in-person and virtual events. This past week, we attended the National Conference on Undergraduate Research at UW Eau Claire and connected with over 120 high achieving students. Please be on the lookout for emails from the Graduate School to connect these students with your programs.

If your program is participating in recruitment events please share the information with us. We would love to provide you with support, if you need any, and would be happy to share information on social media, attend or share booth space or connect you with other programs on campus who may be interested in attending or sharing space. Please contact Sarah Tortella, Director of Graduate Recruitment at stortella@ksu.edu.

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The Graduate School awarded 30 Donoghues scholarships in amount of $128,000. We had more students than we anticipated decline our offer. If a student declined, the Graduate School worked with the academic program to offer the Donoghue scholarship to the next student on the nomination list for that department. Thank you to all who submitted nominations and for your recruitment efforts!

The deadline for submitting the nomination for the Spring Donoghue fellowships will be early Fall semester. The date will be posted on our website and shared with you in the Bulletin.

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Graduate Student Success

  • Reminder about addressing incomplete grades

Students who were assigned incomplete (I) grades for courses taken in Fall 2022 or earlier must finish the coursework and have a grade assigned by the conclusion of the spring 2023 term. Any incomplete grades that are not addressed will turn to F grades at the end of the spring term. As a best practice, at the time that an incomplete grade is assigned, the course instructor and student should have a plan in place for addressing the coursework and assigning a final grade before the incomplete turns to an F grade. Department heads, graduate program directors, and program staff have access to incomplete grade reports in the Grad Resources files on Teams. Questions about incomplete grade reports may be directed to Dr. Megan Miller, mmmiller@ksu.edu.

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  • GPA requirements and academic standing (probation)

Per the Graduate Handbook, to be awarded a graduate degree, a student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on graduate coursework and on coursework on the program of study. Students are placed on academic probation if their GPA is less than a 3.0.

Last week, graduate students who are currently enrolled and have less than a 3.0 were notified about their academic standing, and they were provided success tips for returning to good academic standing: 1) seek guidance from faculty in their program; 2) file their program of study, or make revisions to their program of study; 3) check for incomplete grades that have not been addressed or have turned to F grades; 4) utilize campus resources for academic and personal support (e.g., Academic Achievement Center, Writing Center, Office of Student Life, Counseling and Psychological Services).

Department heads, graduate program directors, and program staff have access to probation reports in the Grad Resources files on Teams. For questions, please contact Dr. Megan Miller mmmiller@ksu.edu

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Opportunities for Graduate Students

Please share the following information with your graduate students

Graduate students who were unable to attend professional development events this year can access recordings of most of the sessions from the GSC professional development page. By watching full recordings of events, graduate students can earn credit for the GSC professional development certificate (must complete viewings by May 5, 2023) and for GSC travel awards.

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The University Press of Kansas (UPK) will host a free, virtual spring publishing seminar, to increase knowledge of the academic publishing industry on April 25, 1-4pm. Register to attend.

Event itinerary:

    • 1:00 - All About UPK: Who We Are, What We Do
    • 1:45 - Researching Publishers and Preparing a Proposal
    • 2:30 - Revising Your Dissertation
    • 3:15 - Contracts, Copyright, and Permissions

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Graduate students who are writing a thesis, dissertation, or report are encouraged to attend this session for guidance on using the ETDR formatting templates. The session will be held via Zoom on April 28, from 1:00-2:30 pm. Use the “Join Stream” button in the event post to join the session.

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Graduate students are invited to join Beyond the Professoriate May 1-6 for workshops that will help build a foundation for their job search strategy and to learn about career options and what it takes to pursue a nonacademic career. Registration is FREE for anyone attending live. Replay options available for $49. Workshops May 1-5 are 11am-12pm, central time, and career panels on May 6 begin at 10am, central time. Learn more and register.

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Hosted by BioKansas, the Innovation Festival (Aug. 3-5 in Kansas City) aims to elevate students and postdocs while highlighting interconnections between academic institutions and industries. Conference programming this year spans biotechnology, nutrition and the microbiome, human and animal health, engineering, data science, digital tech, pharmacology, deep tech, and more. Travel awards are available for presenters and attendees! Check it out!

Graduate students have the opportunity to:

    • Present your research orally or as a poster to industry and academic leaders, or to just attend!
    • Experience one-on-one conversations with industry and academic leaders interested in helping you reach your goals.
    • Participate in unique experiences to build your network and identify new career or training possibilities

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The Rural Grocery Initiative is hiring a part-time student employee for summer 2023. The student employee will support projects related to rural food access, rural grocery stores, and community vitality and work with a variety of faculty, students, community stakeholders, and business leaders. This position is eligible for a remote or hybrid work environment. Reach the full position description. To apply, students should submit a resume, names of three professional references, and a cover letter by email to rgi@ksu.edu. Deadline to apply is April 28, 2023. Questions can be directed to Hannah Jenkins, hsjenkins@ksu.edu.

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Funding for Graduate Students

The Graduate School is accepting applications for the University Distinguished Professors Excellence in Doctoral Studies Award. The deadline for applications is May 1, 2023.

The University Distinguished Professors Excellence in Doctoral Studies Award recognizes exceptional achievement in doctoral studies. Applicants must demonstrate excellence in scholarship through publications and other accomplishments appropriate for their academic field.

Graduate Students can be nominated by K-State faculty or can self-nominate.

Eligible graduate students must be admitted to candidacy at the time of application and must be enrolled in the Fall 2023 semester. The award is available to eligible students who meet the above criteria in any K-State college, department or academic program.

Additional information, application instructions, and the application portal are available on the Graduate School’s website. Application deadline: May 1, 2023

Questions about this fellowship award can be directed to Miranda Schremmer, udp@ksu.edu.

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The Graduate School is accepting nominations for the MAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Thesis Award and the CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award. These awards serve to recognize theses and dissertations representing original work that makes an unusually significant contribution to the student’s field of study. For each award, a graduate program may nominate one student in each of this year’s award categories: 1) Biological/Life Sciences and, 2) Humanities and Fine Arts. Nominees must have an effective date of degree awarded in the period of July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2023. Nomination deadline: May 1, 2023

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Graduate Student Council travel award applications are due May 1 for travel to professional events OR registration fees for virtual events that begin any time in July.

What if I’m still waiting for a response on my presentation submission? Students who plan to attend a conference and submitted a presentation but haven’t been notified yet if the presentation is accepted for the conference should still complete the GSC travel award application by March 1, and report that they plan to give a presentation. If allocated a travel award, the amount will be pending until the student submits documentation verifying that the presentation was accepted.

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Upcoming Events and Deadlines

April 19

TLC seminar: The Numerical Wizardry behind Teval Adjusted Scores

April 26

TLC seminar: Student Mental Health

April 27

Graduate Student Awards and Recognition Reception, 5:00pm, Alumni Center banquet room

April 28

ETDR Template Training Session, 1:00-2:30pm, Zoom

May 1

University Distinguished Professors Excellence in Doctoral Studies Award Applications Due

Distinguished Thesis and Distinguished Dissertation Awards Due

 

GSC travel award application deadline for events that begin in July

May 2

Grad Coffee Chat, noon-1pm, 118 Eisenhower Hall

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