Graduate Student Newsletter – Week of June 29, 2020

Announcements:

    1. The Faculty of Graduate Studies is pleased to announce the launch of the nomination process for the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship. Interested students should submit the required preliminary application materials from the Vanier CGS page on the FGS website by Monday, July, 13, 2020 at 4pm to be considered for a Vanier nomination.
    2. Diploma courses will be available each term, but the core courses are usually only available in one of the three terms each year. 
    3. FGS has been assured by Student Financial Services that refunds to graduate students with credit balances are ongoing; however, due to high volume, refunds are currently taking up to 15 business days to be processed. 
    4. Reminder: Please always provide your full name and student number when sending email enquiries to the Graduate Program Office.  
    5. Please submit a completed Course Transaction Form to the Graduate Program Office if you would like to request for a course extension (grade submission deferral).
    6. The Graduate Program in Education and other offices at York University are closed, but operations are continuing online. If you need assistance, please email us directly. Latest updates on COVID-19 (Coronavirus) can be found at https://coronavirus.info.yorku.ca/.
    7. REGISTRATION and enrolling in courses:
        • Check the FGS – Important Dates website for deadlines, registration/enrolment, or to add and drop courses.
        • Students admitted to a graduate diploma, master’s degree program or doctoral degree program must maintain continuous registration, including payment of applicable fees, in every fall, winter and summer term up to and including the term in which all requirements for their program of study are successfully completed.
        • If a course is full; until the deadline please keep checking back online for empty seats. There is constant movement in courses throughout the terms, and if someone drops a course, a space will open immediately in the system.
        • Please be aware that only the Course Director can provide permission to increase the size of their class beyond the established maximum, and the fire code of the room is also a factor.
    8. Students should link their banking information to their student accounts for the ease of refunds on your student account.
    9.  If you have passed your second term and are completing an MRP or Thesis, or if you are a Doctoral student and have passed your sixth term, please be sure to complete a Supervisor & Supervisory Committee Approval form and submit it to the graduate program office immediately. Please find further details on the checklists.
    10. Attention regarding advertisement of final oral exam: Oral exams are normally a public academic event. However, if the student and the supervisor prefer not to have the exam public, they must inform the Graduate Office in Education upon submission of the Recommendation for Oral Examination form.
    11.  Feel free to join our Facebook group and post articles, events and other information that you think is relevant to your fellow students! You can also visit our direct Facebook page.

Convocation/Graduation

  1. The online application for October 2020 is now open. The deadline to apply online for October convocation is usually the end of July (date not currently listed on convocation website).
  • If you are currently in the last term of your program and expect to graduate, you must apply to graduate for October 2020 Convocation/Graduation.
  • If you have completed all of your degree requirements and then receive funding from the university in a subsequent term, it will need to be re-paid to the university.
  • The Graduate Program in Education (GPE) Office will then evaluate your eligibility to graduate.
  • It is the student’s responsibility to be sure they have met all of the requirements to graduate prior to applying to graduate but if you are unsure of something please contact us.
  1. Read this “graduate in Oct” attachment for additional important details.
  2. Read the following “need to know” graduation/convocation information/links.
  • Your status will not be projected anywhere online, and we will only contact you directly if there are issues with your degree audit.
  • If you have applied to graduate and have not received an email from us during the audit process, you are all set to attend convocation and must go to the Convocation Website for further information on next steps and how to R.S.V.P.
  • If you are requesting to graduate with a Diploma be sure to follow the steps outlined in the “graduate in Oct” document above and here is the “Convocation-Diploma” form mentioned in the document that you must submit along with the Diploma Checklist also indicated in the “graduate in Oct” document above.
  • If you are enrolled in Summer term (May-Aug) courses: You must inform the course director that you have applied to graduate, and that your final grade (this can be an interim grade) will need to be submitted 2 weeks prior to the August FGS deadline in order for you to graduate. The sooner you inform the course director, the sooner we can work together on getting your final grade posted on time.
  • If you are not attending convocation and want to pick up your diploma after convocation, you can do so at Registrarial Services (W120 Bennett Centre for Student Services) or request that it be sent to you.

If you have applied to graduate for February or June 2020, then once your eligibility to graduate has been confirmed following an audit of your final Fall/Winter 2019-2020 grades, your status will be reflected on your grade report and transcript and your name will appear on YU Verify as having graduated.

Since there will be no June convocation ceremonies this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, February and June graduates will automatically be invited to a future convocation ceremony. In the meantime, watch your email for information about obtaining your diploma.

Resources and Updates

  1. COVID-19 response website including Financial Resources, Academic Resources, Completion, Food on Campus, Graduate Wellness, International Travel, and Postdoctoral Studies.
  2. FGS’s GradConnect Wellness is available to help throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Click here for details.
  3. Library Services During COVID-19. 
  4. Click here for more funding/awards opportunities!
  5. FGS’s policy on Graduate Supervision can be found here
  6. Graduate Program Calendar: http://edu.yorku.ca/graduate-program-calendar/
  7. Understanding your student account: The following link takes you through an overview that has been developed to assist you in navigating the various financial processes relevant to graduate studies. It is divided into 3 primary categories accessible through the tabs on the page.
  8. Get specific information about your graduate funding package by scheduling a Funding Advising Appointment. 
  9. Reminder for submission of all forms and to ensure they are accepted and processed:
    • Students are fully responsible for the download, completion, and submission of forms to their graduate program. Students must attach any correspondence that supports their request at the time of submission.
    • The Graduate Program in Education (GPE) office is unable to accept any incomplete forms, so be sure to have all required signatures (emails in lieu of) and required documentation in a complete package before submitting (hardcopy or email) any forms.
  10. Graduate Program in Education Grad Student Guidebook: can be found on our site under current students/graduate
  11. The Office of Research Ethics has published a Frequently Asked Questions page on research ethics submission: https://research.info.yorku.ca/frequently-asked-questions-faq/.
  12. Accommodations for Graduate Students.

Events, Conferences and Workshops

  1. NEW! July LSS Workshops Calendar is available now. Read July Workshop Descriptions for details.
  2. Call for Proposals: Trans Media Pedagogy. Please submit a 250-350 word abstract with a working title and a 100 word bio with affiliation and contact information to dan.vena@queensu.ca by July 31, 2020.
  3. Call for Proposals: New Voices in Work & Labour Studies Workshop Series. Apply by August 21, 2020.
  4. Call for Proposals: Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education. Proposals due date: August 1, 2020.
  5. FGS is partnering with Learning Skills Services to offer the FGS Certificate in Personal Wellness and learning Skills. This five-week program focuses on social connection, personal wellness, and learning skills in the context of the pandemic. Register here. 
  6. York University’s Academic Innovation Fund is seeking proposals for 2020-21 projects focused on open access teaching and learning projects.
  7. York University Online Study Tips: the Peer Academic Coaching has moved online, Monday through Thursdays from 1 – 4 pm. Register here.
  8. Call for submission: Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education invites submissions of new research that advances discussions of current issues on Comparative and International Higher Education that correspond to upcoming Special Issues:
    • Winter 2021: Global Higher Education Partnerships with Guest Editor, Michael Lanford. Proposals due by September 1, 2020.
    • Proposals should be about 500 words and finished articles should be 3,500 – 5,500 words. Submit here. 

Employment/Volunteer Opportunities:

  1. Project Manager, Coteacher.
  2. Community Manager, Coteacher.
  3. SDP Interim Coordinator, Regent Park Social Development.
  4. Short Term Consultant Education Specialist, the Global Partnership for Education.
  5. 2020-21 Student Community & Leadership Development work/study positions.

Please note: Information regarding employment opportunities is provided for your information only. York University does not pre-screen, review, endorse or approve employers or employment/volunteer opportunities, and is not responsible for any of the hiring processes or positions. If you have any questions about positions, please work with the employer directly.