Graduate School LIVE Q&A

That way I can screw right in.

Sweet, so it looks like.

That light shine in there.

That light is shining marriage probably switch AM.

More do more direct.

OK, it seems to be working cool.

OK.

What's up?

Hey, how's it going looks like.

My idea is coming through.

No.

They can't hear you typing 'cause I'm using this.

In this right now, but down in a minute.

OK.

OK.

Alright, let's see here.

Got the note she pulled up how you doing?

Can you hear me OK?

Doesn't look like it.

I heard you.

Cool, awesome.

Just testing.

Start.

Came.

Alright Sweetie. Well in the mean time I'm going to go ahead and bought my camera in the lights off and.

Um, start putting in a welcome message for chat.

OK.

You guys need anything before we get started.

And we turn off my camera and stuff until we get started.

Sounds good, I'll see you guys soon.

At.

Hey Landon, can you see all of the messages that I've posted in the chat?

Again, Yep.

Cool, I just loaded back into the page and they didn't go away. So that means that everybody who iners can see things that we posted awesome.

Good good good.

I I it depends on the chat software. Sometimes it refreshes and refresh with the log every time you log into the page, so it wasn't sure how that was going to work. So I just went ahead and posted some quotes and messages to test that so it looks good.

Perfect sounds good.

It looks like we're all set on our end. We have the script and everything put together.

And we're ready to rock. Hey, Brittany.

Send

Hello.

Hey Bro.

How's it going?

Doing OK.

As you suggested, I went ahead and put some welcome messages and some housekeeping in the chat box. Can you see that?

Yeah, it looks great.

Awesome sweet cool.

Wow.

Landon Yuma native close is there waiting for you closer to your camera.

Yeah, I'm I'm gonna play with it a little bit. I'm trying to keep. I don't have anything in my house.

Yeah.

So I'm stacking stuff like on boxes and books. If I've got it.

Uh-huh

Open.

So the the right height is getting a little bit more difficult.

OK.

There you go.

Let me see if I got another box to make the height better, how are you?

I can feel anything. Your mood award, which looks really weird.

Do what?

I can see your keyboard.

I know, I know, 'cause our cameras are on the bottom.

Uh-huh

Raw

Yeah.

Games.

So let me see if I got the box and maybe I can tilt it. Profit on the back and took it down. Did change sides but I have light coming in everywhere because we've got plantation, half windows and all that, but at least it's not super.

Right, that's better.

That's better.

The box.

Hey Jessica.

Hello.

Who are you?

The.

You're right.

Are you?

Yeah, we're moving to Birmingham so.

I know well congratulations.

Well, thank you right in the middle of all of this.

Everything, yeah.

Now Jessica when when we go wild will need to cut off our broadcast video.

Perfect.

Annum Jacob once he does, his introduction will cut his office well.

Perfect yeah, I connect my broadcast. I was gonna ask you about that if I needed to have my camera on a more I could be mute.

Time.

OK.

Yeah, no, we don't need the camera or the audio 'cause we wouldn't be talking, so you can just cut broadcast video off completely once we get started right now helps because we can talk to each other but.

Yeah, we got that off when we get ready to go up.

Her head.

And.

'cause I dropped my backdrop for a second, but I tried my backdrop. OK, I'm ready.

I meant I am not. I have not even put microphone today I have been.

Working in fast and furious today so.

Is that better?

Yeah, it's been 1.

Yes, much better.

That

Yes.

It has definitely been a day.

I gotta finish up scheduler stuff and then.

Yeah.

Um Jacob. I also, when they're talking, I've got some link plucking post. Uhm those helpful links between them out with.

Um?

I can post those as you're talking, so like the how to apply page and I've converted on to to tracking links.

Sweet, thank you so much.

So like the How to apply admission requirements, the covered test, whatever's all that stuff that I just put in the follow up email, I can post them as they're talking about them.

You

Do we know if those will link out in a new tab?

I don't know.

I wonder if there's a way to test it real quick and then delete the message here.

Once there in.

Uhm, you cannot delete the messages. Well, I guess you could clear the chat, but um, we could try it in the other one and slowly let me try it in the other one, not through.

OK, cool.

I'm pretty sure it would open in a new tab, but.

Say what?

Just want to make triply sure.

OK.

So they'll have to like copy it. It won't be the hyperlink in the cloud, but they can copy the Bentley.

And paste it in town.

Never got to do that or not.

I think that should be fine and I can put a little housekeeping note just in case.

No.

Yeah, if we put on there like will be posting a quick links to um discussion item.

Uh, but don't worry that they'll be in the follow up email as well.

Yeah, I think that would work.

Something like that? OK, if you wanna do that that be good.

Ah.

I've got remember, did you my labor board?

Yeah.

Funny you mention that like in my head out about it, but I was like why did I ever leave in March like I've spent all of March.

Right?

Alright, I'm gonna tell my kids not to walk through here.

Good luck, I had to have my sent away.

Same.

I don't have anywhere to send mine.

The three year old does not listen well at my aunts just liking him in my car. I don't know where she's taking him, but.

I was like just go away.

Ashley is.

Like the opposite of the movie taken.

And.

Man.

I don't know who you are.

Um ashleys in Birmingham and she's working child care for first responders.

Um, so she's kind of stuck.

That's awesome that she's doing that, uhm?

It's **** ** the other end.

Yeah, I've I appreciate it. I appreciate her doing it, but it some.

Yeah, because she's, um, they've got augmented hours too, so she don't leave Birmingham till about 6:30.

So.

And they're not really in the school routine just yet.

Yeah my there.

I was.

I did.

I know the teacher remembers goal work and I'm going crazy.

Well, now there's no work right now.

Yeah, I don't know how next week is gonna go. Um, I still haven't heard from Michael School like I know the jungle classroom, but I don't know any of the details. Ain't but at City Schools email now. Like you just have to supervise. OK, how do you super prize into anything else?

Right supervise my 8 year old who.

I'm pretty sure has a DD, but I won't say you know. Like maybe he just.

Doesn't like doing school work, but he.

Cannot focus for more than five minutes on anything.

I'll bet I did drop him to come.

Clean up the playroom and I would buy him a new video game.

Oh nice.

Yeah.

I just broke my neck. Lamp is room for some piece of hersheys.

Well, the playroom was no small task, OK?

Nice, we're going to. The kids are going to be on switch uhm. They have to learn about to do their activities. Both of us have a call at three so.

And you might think he has to play his switch quietly. I don't care if he plays it in here, but you have to be quiet.

Yeah.

Hey guys I'm going to pop off my Mike Rowe Quick and go over the enter a couple times and I'll pop back in whenever it's closer to time.

How come?

Hello.

I'll be back. I gotta check up.

Alright then.

Hey Megan.

Hawaii.

Yeah.

Hang on, I'm just gonna keep my screen black so I don't. I don't stream any extra bandwidth.

OK.

He displayed.

No.

Hi Kelly.

Hey Brittany.

What's up?

Shouldn't who's going to control the power point?

I can or you can save you.

OK.

Uh.

No, I don't. I don't care. It doesn't matter to me. I just have to somebody would.

Um, so I've got it in order of. Uhm, so we have that one.

We have the one about.

You know it with you.

Um applications and admissions.

Task force

With the class quaver exemptions.

Financial.

Assistantships.

719

And then questions.

Service

Do we need to add 1 for international like separately?

Kelly, what's your thoughts?

Can't hear you.

Similarly, can you guys hear me OK?

Yes.

OK, cool.

I can hear you. Can you hear me?

Yeah.

I'm taking my unmuting until we start.

I can worry about.

How Michelle?

Hello.

How are you?

I'm good, how are you?

Good.

Good.

So do you, uh, Kelly Landon? Do you think we need to add a separate soccer international? Or is it just gonna be all tide in together?

Add more for International.

Where would you like it at it?

Ah.

Change the.

Assistantship in GTA workshop.

What was that?

Let's change that to Orientation. An enrollment orientation, an enrollment.

Where?

At the assistantships in GTA workshop, just change it to orientation enrollment and we'll talk about that in there with the other stuff.

But no international one.

And then put the international slide. Just create one and put it right there between financial and assistantship GTA workshop.

OK, so our financial.

Are the orientation enrollment now?

No.

Financial International Orientation an enrollment.

Do you think we should talk about it before financial Kelly?

So have test scores, international financial orientation in enrollment.

Sorry can you hear me now?

Tonight.

OK.

See that yeah, we can hear you now.

Yes, Brittany must do that.

OK.

Please hold, I'm probably going to disappear and come back.

Can you also those?

Good.

I can't see him.

You can't say what.

I can't do anything.

Hum.

I'm just gonna log on. Come back.

I can only speak in slide.

Yeah, log out and come back as I had to reset it.

That might be the case for everybody. Go ahead and log out now and log back in OK.

Sing

I still only see the University of Alabama, where legends are made.

You

KSMO

Got it OK.

We are twice too.

A minor twice still.

Well.

Hey Brittany, can you see many 'cause I had to log out and back in?

OK.

Alright, I'm going to mute.

Yep.

I'm going to wait.

So I'm going to wing it.

Do you want us to keep our faces up for Landon Kelly? Michelle now.

Do you want us to keep our faces up the whole question or do you wanna assume we're not talking to get to a black blank screen?

Again.

For some reason I'm not coming up in my list, so I just wanted to make sure, but it's OK.

I actually did it.

I can't see Jacob Jessica running.

OK, that makes me feel better. I was like not missing some people.

OK.

OK.

And you can scroll it.

If you go 49 you can scroll at the bottom and see everybody.

Some folks are not coming on.

I see it, thank you.

Please.

Yep.

He can go full screen and this gotta scroll bar at the bottom.

We're doing this right now. You can scroll.

I wasn't scrolling like the bottom bottom toolbar. I was doing the one for the slide, so thank you that helps.

It will all meet right until ever talking, correct?

Great.

No.

OK, we got 15 seconds so I'm turning it off.

Live in 15.

Sweet for 10.

Alright, let me know when to go when I'm ready.

Hey there, welcome.

We're going to wait for a few seconds while people continue to join into the room, and then we can go ahead and get started.

So we're going to hold for a couple more minutes while people continue to join into the room, and then we'll get started answering your questions.

Welcome to the University of Alabama Graduate Schools Live Q&A. We're thrilled by the responses we've received and look forward to answering your questions. The Graduate School and Emma by distance are committed to providing the best possible support and services to all students, especially during COVID-19

During these uncertain times, we work hard to remain flexible as the situation develops. Today, members of the Graduate School and Bamma by distance teams are here to respond to your questions. We hope to address your concerns transparently and thoroughly.

Before we begin.

Let us introduce our panel. Landon Wade is the director of graduate admissions at UA.

For the last decade is worked in undergraduate admissions, serving in a variety of roles, including direct are an interim assistant, vice president of enrollment management.

And in his passionate about helping students, students at all phases of their UA journey from admissions to enrollment.

The Leslie Campbell is unable to attend today's session international graduate admissions officer Kelly Burns is joining us to address your questions and concerns. Kelly is worked in international admissions for nine years and joined UA in 2017. She enjoys working with international students and helping them achieve their goals.

Cool.

We also have two representatives joining us from Bama by distance Megan Welborn and Michelle Butler.

Megan is the assistant director of recruitment for Bama by distance where she overseas uas online admissions and recruitment efforts. Her daily mission is to share her passion for UA education and student success. Michelle is an admissions counselor and works with the College of human environmental Sciences. She is grateful to live out her childhood dream of becoming an Alabama cheerleader by cheering for students and helping them achieve their dreams.

Before we start a little housekeeping due to the number of questions we have received, the Graduate School and Emma by distance will prioritize pre submitted questions first, please hold all new questions until prompted. After the panel finishes addressing your submissions, we will open the forum. During that time, you may submit new questions in the chat box below. A moderating team will collect your submissions and forward them along to the panel.

Thank you.

Alright, Jacob, thank you for those introductions and we're going to go ahead and get started. Just to recap, a little bit with University of trying to do our part during this COVID-19 scenario as well. So several vice are working remotely as we continue to hopefully provide the best opportunity for students to enroll at the University of Alabama and be ready for everyone when we start classes back on campus very soon, hopefully.

Um today will address a couple of the questions that have been submitted already by you guys online, and then I will have a Q and a period at the end. Is Jacob mentioned?

We divided the questions up until a couple of different sections, so we're going to start off with kind of some general admissions questions. Talk about our test score options, and transcript scenarios. During this time, Kelly will address some international questions, will have our friends from by distance Megan Michelle also answer some questions about the distance programs and options and then finish up with some financial information. The orientation enrollment process, and then finally some specific questions about the COVID-19.

Impact on both campus and the Graduate School in particular, and what that looks like moving forward at this point in time. So hopefully these questions will be able to answer several things that you guys have been looking for. It will be pretty general, so if you do have.

That are very specific to your scenario. We ask that you hold those to the end, but also consider reaching out specifically to one of the admissions counselors myself or them by distance team as well to kind of answer some of those more specific questions that may be specific to your programmer scenario.

So to start with, um, we're going to talk about a little bit about how to apply to the University of Alabama, so the application process for us is online. Students would be able to visit the Graduate School website. There's also going to be a link that we're going to include to look at the application process. It's a pretty straightforward application process as far as what's going to be required. Whenever you select that program, it's going to be able to have a link for you to click on that and then see what would be required of those students.

We'll talk a little bit about transcripts options as we kind of move forward in the process, but right now we are still looking for those applications. Some programs have passed, the deadlines will be available on the website as well, and so you can take a look at that right now and few programs have amended the application process or deadline for the fall semester, and those are available online to be able to look at specifically. As far as your emissions requirements go, those will be available either on the graduate schools website.

Um, or also as you're filling out that application, there will be a link to that to talk about the specific requirements that you would be able to do. We do requires several programs require recommenders and those would be able to be submitted electronically along with transcripts in test scores as you go through the process.

As far as the the process for each program each program is going to read the applications um for their programs and then look at the students offer admissions to moving forward. We do offer some considerable I'm sorry, conditional admission or permission to continue admission so it allow you to come in on a probation status to be able to get so. We encourage you to really look at the program, maybe. Maybe if you're not, you know how to hiccup. Maybe with a GPA or a test score in the past, be sure and look at those programs.

Um, if you're currently going to be a graduating student, uh, and maybe may or the summer and looking for mission, you can still go ahead and apply for Graduate School. Uh, we encourage you to go ahead and do that. Your prerequisites would be in consideration, and then once we get that final transcript, imposing that degree program date, we would allow that holds to be removed and move forward. So if you're graduating, we would definitely encourage you guys to go ahead and apply for Graduate School for the upcoming summer.

Um, there was a question about the University of Alabama offering application fee waivers during this time. Currently we're not offering any specific application fee waivers for COVID-19. We have looked at the test optional options that will discuss with over later to hopefully alleviate some of the financial strains both for international students in our domestic students. However, the application process right now it still has the fee requirement.

Um, as far as the the COVID-19 situation would go.

Um, right now I'm gonna allow Kelly to kinda talk up and pick up on a few questions, and then we'll come back to the process and I'll pick up from there. So I'm going to turn over to you for a few moments.

Thanks so much land and glad to be joining all of you today a couple of other pre submitted questions that we had about applications were about the deferral process so we understand that there are a lot of unanswered questions during this pandemic so if you are currently in the application stage and you think that you need to move to a future semester or you are an admitted student already and you need to move to a future semester please contact your admissions counselors and we can facilitate that for you.

Currently the only applications that are open right now are are summer 2020 fall 2020 in spring 2021 so if you want to defer to a semester that is beyond that we're not currently processing those right now but we will be shortly so if you go to the application and you notice that the semester is not there that you're looking for because it's too far in the future just be patient we will be opening those soon.

Uh we also had another question um changing gears a little bit about what makes a compelling statement of purpose so if you are going through the application process right now are more at the beginning stages the best thing for a statement of purpose is to contact your Department because they're going to vary greatly on what is considered a good statement of purpose from program to program what we like to tell students is the best statement of purpose has a good explanation of who you are and where you want to be in your life and where exactly Alabama is the right choice.

To get you to achieve your goals we want to make sure that you are as good a fit for us as we are for you.

Think we're moving on to test scores Landon.

Perfect thanks Kelly. So um without test scores. One of the things that the University of Alabama has decided to do is offer our graduate programs the opportunity to wave testicle requirements. And that includes entrance exam scores as well as the English language scores for certain programs. Or maybe be able to accept dual lingo or other testing options as well. So specifically for our mission scores like the jirari, the M80 Mcat.

Those type of scenarios you can look at our website. We have a covette 19 Test score waiver option and I will tell you, which programs are still requiring the test scores for their programs. If your program is not listed on that list and that means that they have made a decision to waive the entrance exam Test score for this term. So we're looking at for fall and spring as far as options go and then also this summer.

I'm so look at that information and it will give you a lot of great details there. If your program is waiving the Test score requirement, there is nothing that you have to do. We will manually update that information on your application and move your application through the process when it is completed. So we are still offering the application process for those test score waivers and we will take care of those if there is a waiver scenario that's being played out, some programs.

Are still requiring um, they're not waiving the testicle requirement for interest exams. Those will be listed out on our website and unfortunately it will be up to you to find a location or have your score submitted. If you've already completed that. In order to be considered for admission for those programs, so those requirements are still in play and it would be up to you to find those requirements whenever you coming through. As far as what the impact will be on the application in reading process for this.

Um, so not submitting test scores is not necessarily going to hurt you in the application process. All the colleges or understanding of what this scenario looks like during this pandemic and the ability to be able to test or not test so they're thoroughly reading those applications and considering so I would not consider it any kind of a hurt or penalty if you do not submit a test score during this time.

Uh, if you have a test score that you would like to submit your more than welcome to, go ahead and submit that Test score as part of your application process, uhm?

You can take that test at any point that the test becomes available. You don't have to wait until any certain exam time or if your graduate fees are finished up or anything else. I'll let are banned by distance French. I've been a little bit here as well on their test waiver process, which is going to be very similar to the Graduate School.

Good afternoon all, as Landon said with the blame about distance Artest waivers for any of our online programs. We are going to add here to the same admissions policy, so a lot of questions we get from perspective students, whether it's at the undergraduate or graduate level, all of our applications for distance programs or online degree programs are processed through either the office of undergraduate admissions or for all of you through the Graduate School. So this test waiver exception exemptions, as well as any admissions requirements, are going to match up just like.

Let's do that so. Please utilized this the Test score waivers website that has been provided for you in the chat box as well as utilized this slide to answer some questions. And Michelle was one of six of our admissions counselors, so we have a team as well that will be able to help you through that process.

Awesome thanks Megan. Um in regards to transcripts, a little bit of information about the transcript policy for UA and what the impact is going to be there for us at UA will allow students to submit unofficial transcripts during the admissions process for them to be admitted or reviewed for admission by the colleges or departments whenever they're submitting their transcripts. This is available to be able to do during the application process or through your portal after the application has been submitted.

So that's still going to be our process right now. You can submit the unofficial transcripts up to be able to be reviewed for admission to the University, so there's really no difference for us as far as that policy goes. We would need you will be allowed to register for courses during your first term with the unofficial transcript, and then we would need the official transcript moving forward. So right now we've been working very closely with a lot of the college. Is a lot of the transcript receiving agencies, and, uh?

A lot of those are electronic and are still sending transcripts, so you do have the ability to request those transcripts to be set, but if you needed to, we could accept the unofficial during the application process, so we encourage you to upload those unofficial to come in, so shouldn't be a whole lot of impact there as far as the process goes. If you are a former UA student, we would encourage you to still apply and we would not need those transcripts uploaded.

We can pull those transcripts directly from our system.

Alright, so continue. Kind of moving on through the process here. I'm going to take a peek around the corner right here real quick.

Ann

Take a look. We're going to move on now to Kelly and let her answer some of the international questions moving forward, so Kelly will turn it over to you.

Yes.

Thanks so much land and uh before I jump into international I just want to come go back to something that Landon said for those of you who don't know exactly what an unofficial transcript is that is anything that you send yourself so you can email us you can take a picture with your phone and send it to us via email just I just want to make sure that everybody here knows what that means OK so moving on to international.

There are a couple of premade questions but I just kind of want to go over some things that are going on right now over all the good news during all of this chaos is that if you have not started an application or if you have you haven't taken a test like Landon mentioned earlier a lot of programs are waiving the requirement test so if you have been holding back because you are studying for the test or you've been holding back because you are trying to grab the funds to pay for the test.

The financial burden is now not there because we were not requiring those tasks Additionally for international students that are required to take an English language test which are typically either to full or I'll its we are now accepting dual lingo as well because those can be done virtually an it is far less expensive so that's another way that while we're not offering application fees on a blanket waiver right now you can also ease some financial burden of the application process.

There is a question about do you still need to take a dual lingo um if you've already taken a toll floor eyelids absolutely not you only need to accept one of these tests we are accepting dual lingo now as an additional choice not In addition to anything that you have currently done already there are other ways to wave your English requirement without taking a test and I just want to go over that if you have ever had a degree from an English speaking country.

England Australia Ghana South Africa things like that we will also waive your test score if you have AUS degree we will also waive your test score additional things like that so if you have any questions about whether you might be available for a waiver for English proficiency because you cannot take these tasks please reach out to us and we can go on to that.

We have a general requirements about what are the admissions requirements for non Americans really just the addition of the English proficiency is the only additional requirement that you will have during the application process now all international students know once you're admitted then there are some immigration you know additional things that you will need but we do not require any of that for the application process no passwords financials any of that so you don't have to get that ready while you're in the application process.

We have another question about whether students can receive their immigration documents digitally Unfortunately we have contacted the Department of State and they are not allowing that at this point we would love for that to be an option as it's very difficult for students to be able to get Mail right now with some of the countries not allowing Mail into the country and other things that are going on but Unfortunately right now you will still need a hard copy immigration document.

If that changes we would love to issue electronic I 20 documents but that is up to the government at this point?

We have another question about um Artest waivers going to affect your ability to secure a visa I would just like to debunk that overall that you do not need to have a test score to go to the visa office while having a good test score it may help your choices may help your chances of getting your visa approved it is not a necessary thing to have also if we do wave a test score and he would like a supplemental document.

Explaining that we waved your test scores based on whether it was a pandemic waiver or you have a Masters degree or you have a degree from the UK and were waving your English we are very happy to provide you with a supplemental letter that says exactly why you may not have something that they are asking for.

There is also a question about the visa process for spouses so there is really no visa process for the spouses if you are issued an F one immigration document which about 95% of our international students are all you have to do In addition to also get 20 for your spouse which is an F 2 just so you know dependent visa you would have to provide an additional 3800 dollars in a copy of their passport as well.

Ah let's see what else other than that it's honestly very business as usual for us like Landon said everything that we take during the application process is unofficial anwil.

There are some these offices that are not taking students right now in some countries that are not taking Mail right now we are still preparing immigration documents for future shipment as we don't know how long this may or may not last those are all of the pre submitted questions for right now so I think we're going to move on to financial.

All right, thanks Kelly. Um, for all of the international information here in regards to the financial aid and funding, this question is something that is going to be very specific to the individual students.

Over some very general information, and then once I finish up with that, I'm going to turn it over to Megan and Michelle to allow them to talk about some of the differences there in the memo by distance program and then also kind of go through the distance program in general questions, and then we'll come back and wrap up a little bit with the on campus orientation, enrollment and then the code. 19 specific updates. So in regards to the financial aid information.

Um, the federal government is still processing financial aid, as in the past, so we encourage you to continue to fill out the fast. But if that's an option for you to see if there's funding, that's going to be available. Also, departments are still working out some of their funding for the assistantships that you're providing, so those are all done at the Department level, rather through the Graduate School level. So we encourage you to contact if you have a contact in your Department that you've been working with looking at the.

Finding opportunities, uhm, we still encourage you to do that. Um, currently, uhm, there is no change in the tuition costs. Uh, for the in state, out of state in the international population. If there were something to change, University would make that available as quickly as possible, but as of right now, the final decision is not being made to. There are no changes as far as the tuition cost for the University.

A University is processing financial aid as quickly as they can. So if you have some array that's out there that will be processed as quickly as we can, but everyone is still working as they were previously to try to get those eight questions processed as quickly as we can.

Um, so definitely look at that, um?

Specific to bear by distance, I'm going to let them talk through some of their program pieces there, both with the financial peace in any other updates they want to provide, and then we'll come back in and wrap up with the orientation enrollment information there. So I'll turn it over to Megan and Michelle now.

Landon, thank you. I'll go ahead and address the cost. Uhm, for distance programs and the Michelle and I are going to go back and forth with a couple of the pre submitted questions. So for the tuition calls for the distance programs, they are actually going to be charged by the credit hour. So for the 2019 through 2020 academic year, it is $420 per credit hour at the graduate rate. Please note that for distance programs, there is no discrepancy or no different charges for out of state students. So whether you're from the state of Alabama.

Order from the state of Washington. There is no difference in terms of tuition rates and again 420 per credit hour is what it set for this current academic year that will run through the end of summer of 2020. So Michelle, if you don't mind if you kind of talk about some of our scholarships options and then we'll go through those pre submitted questions.

Thank you Michelle. OK, I'm gonna go down our list and some of the questions that we have. So we discussed the differences for the tuition cost. One of the other submitted questions we had was from one of our military service members. This individual is currently in the armed forces and was asking what would happen if the assignment for this individual change during the tenure of the online degree program. I would like to share that the University of Alabama is the yellow ribbon school, so that is something that's very important to us and it's something that we're proud proud to promote.

For our military services within bamby distance, we actually have a team, a military services team. Yes, their house and am about distance, but they actually work with active duty students who are main campus and distant. So James family is our manager of those programs, so we can give your contact information for him. Also, it's important to note that for students who are active duty, if you're in a semester an you need. If you're being transferred or assignment changes, please just communicate up front with your professor.

It's also a good idea to talk with your advisor to let your advisor know where you are in the process, and to communicate ahead of time. Our faculty and staff are very understanding that there are a lot of things on your plate, so please communicate that up front and again know that the University of Alabama supports you and is very appreciative of your service. So thank you for that. Alright Michelle, I'm going to pass it back.

So another question that we get quite often is our courses, asynchronous or synchronous with the on line programs. Most of our programs are asynchronous, which means that you are not required to log in at a specific time for your courses. There are a handful of programs at the graduate level. Definitely the M LS program. It is synchronous so you have to or having to log in, or you're required to at certain points throughout this semester. If a program is a synchronous program.

That information is going to be communicated with you well ahead of time, so you're going to know throughout the admissions process or even before you submit the application. After you conduct your research, you'll know if that program has those requirements. It's also important to note, especially for those students looking to pursue the MSW, the Master of Social Work. They have a skills, lab components, so the courses themselves are going to be asynchronous, that there is a requirement for Saturday's this semester where they either come to campus or we do have skills labs scattered throughout the southeast, so again.

There there are a handful of programs that have that that communication is going to be shared up front with you.

And it looks like we had one other question that was submitted for banded by distant students. How is made by distance compensating for clinicals during this pandemic? So we got a little information from some of the programs for nursing, especially those students need to speak with Katara Wilson if they're in the BSN program, which is our inability program, is some students call it and at the graduate level if they're in the MSN or the DNP program, they're going to need to speak with. Vicki Samuel.

And then for the social work students for any of those students, they need to speak with. Aubrey Stewart, the School of social work, is recommending that soon it's contact them directly for any changes or any compensation are compensating for clinicals during this pandemic. So there's the bit of information we've gotten for those specific programs.

And land, and that was all of our questions that we had. I know we're going to talk about orientation later, so we have something else to add them. But back to you.

All right, thanks Megan, so I'm going to go ahead and talk a little bit about kind of the enrollment process.

And maybe some of the changes and impacts and then kind of how COVID-19 is impacting us up at UA and what we're looking at so.

Right now, as far as the enrollment process goes up, all of the courses in semesters are still planning to begin as scheduled, so nothing is being pushed back or anything. The only thing that we're considering right now is looking at the method of instruction, so some of those summer classes maybe transition to online classes or remote learning classes rather than being annoying campus class, and so that's being finalized right now.

Uhm, no decision has been made for fall classes. Uhm, so that's still something that we're looking down the line as far as that goes. So many on campus program. I'm still kind of in the process, but the rest semester that have been announced and you can follow that information on just the UA home page with the code 19 updates. The rest of the spring semester will be finished remotely and then as we move into the summer, the interim will begin remotely and then we'll get the rest of the terms moving.

Cool.

Uh, with that some of the orientation options that are coming up whenever it comes in the grad school hasn't orientation program that we're working on. That program has continued to be held on campus. Were looking at alternative methods for that. Also, those things like the GTA workshop that would be required for all of the new GTA's. Some of the fellowship programs, all of that stuff is looking at being transitioned into an online or remote environment as well.

Now, one of the great things about having the partnership with our van by distance friends is they already have experience doing a lot of these things. So the method of instruction is not anything that's completely new to the University. It's new to some instructors with the University as a whole has experience in moving to an online or to a remote opportunity. So our friends in distance and then also our faculty staff have had great partnerships to be able to do that.

So I think the method of instruction, while it is definitely different, I think the academic rigor will continue to hold in those programs as we continue to move forward. University is being creative like everyone else in this scenario to look at this alternative ways for things like laboratory and other things that again our friends at mid distance have some experience with already. So Megan, I'll let you go ahead and talk a little bit about the band by distance, orientation program as well at this time.

Thank you land, and so we had to have an orientation that's online. It's called Bamma ready, so they were ready is voluntary, so you're not required to complete it as a graduate student. However, it strongly encouraged. We've looked. We've launched it up. We launched in fall of 2016 so ever since then we've had a large number of students go ahead and completed on a voluntary basis. It goes through the essentials of being a UA student as Abama by distant student. Everything from what is your campuswide ID or CW ideas? We call it.

How to set up your Crimson Mail. Strategies for time management. Setting your priorities so it's it's a really helpful course to get you a VM already, of course, but it's also unique is our orientation is going to stay with you the entire time that you're a student enrolled with us at the University. So if there's something that you learned early in your process an you need to go back a couple semesters in, you can revisit that course at anytime. The course is set up in blackboard, which is our LMS or learning management system, so the orientation course itself is going to look very similar to the courses that you're going to be enrolled in.

Throughout your degree program, so we're hopeful that not only does it get you be more ready as a student to learn the fundamentals and how to be a successful student, but it also sets you up to understand how to navigate the search pane, whether it's a module, a discussion board post, or even submitting an assignment.

Awesome, thanks Megan. I'm gonna like Kelly now. Go ahead and finish up with some of her last questions and then I'll wrap up with the COVID-19 information and then we'll take some questions from the group as well. So Kelly, go ahead.

Thanks Linden uhm so you know regarding all of the things that are changing very rapidly we had some questions about whether deadlines are going to be extended for some of the programs we do have some programs that are extending their deadlines while this changes day today sometimes the website may or may not be updated with new deadline information so please reach out to your admissions counselor and let us know they may have made this decision yesterday the day before and the day before that.

So there is information that I might be giving you today that might change tomorrow if there if someone hasn't extended their deadline if this goes on a little bit longer maybe they will decide to do that in a few weeks so if you're really looking at a specific program and you think that the deadline has or has not passed please continue to monitor that as well.

We had some questions about where you can find that information the best people to find that information are your admissions counselor so please contact us while we are currently working remotely as we are all in our homes right now we are all working here an answering questions on a daily basis so don't think that just because you may call the office and we don't pick up we are still getting those voicemails and returning them.

Um.

Well covered um 19 affect my admissions decisions and when we should we should expect to hear back from our programs that is also a great question again it is business as usual department for making decisions on their applications that are current that are in there at the same pace that they were making a month or 2 ago so if you have just the manager application be patient allow some time for the Department to look at it if you've had your application and review for quite some time and you really need an update.

Because you need to make some decisions based on what's going on please reach out to us and we can compare the Department to try to make decisions in a timely matter if there is something going on we also had another question that if the US consulate in my country has suspended visas what are my options now Unfortunately we do not have a good solution for this until USMC start taking students for their visa appointments there really is nothing that you can do.

Uh we're hoping that this this goes sooner rather than later and obviously this will vary greatly country to country so if you haven't scheduled it and you are able to schedule it schedule it as soon as possible if you still have an option if you don't have an option we can also send you a website to monitor your console it and see when the next appointments are some appointments are out 2 months some of them are just closed temporarily so again if you don't know where to find that information.

Or you have some questions or that has changed please let us now but also realize that we are a third party to that as well and it would just be helping you navigate that process.

Ah OK.

I think we had some questions about how it should affect funding Landon do you want to answer those.

Sure, I'll handle a couple more years we get through so, um, with COVID-19 and kind of the process at the University, what we're doing is we're taking obviously the steps that we need to help with the social distancing not only for our faculty staff, but also for our students.

But also trying to, um, be able to keep business as usual as much as we can. One thing I wanted to mention that Kelly mentioned earlier with the application processing piece, we are still processing all of the Mail that comes in as well. Well, that's not received daily as it was in the past. It is received weekly and so it should not be more than Seven days to 10 days or so from receiving any Mail that would come in.

So if you sent something by Postal Mail or a school is still sending something in, those are still coming into our office in being processed. So the timing may take us a little bit longer to process some of those things, but we're still operating at full speed.

Um, as far as kind of the projection out? Um, uh, you know. I wish I knew when all of this would be over in change. Uhm, I think everyone here does because as much as we love working remotely, we also enjoy each others company. As I know everyone dies during the social distancing time, so there's really no way to know what this is going to look like moving forward, or exactly when that return date to campus is going to be.

Right now what we're doing is we are looking at extending those things out on a semester or term basis. So rather than projecting out for a complete year or anything like that, it's kind of being done on the term by term, so we know that we're looking at the beginning.

Maybe summer, uhm? Starting to look at. But then this summer two programs and going into fall had decision has not been made.

As far as the funding goes up, there's not been any impact at this point to the funding process, so those are still acting. However, during this time everyone is looking at the funding opportunities, so that is yet to be determined. We talked a little bit about the tuition costs earlier, and would there be a tuition offset or decrease or increase in those final decisions have not been made at this time, so just be on the lookout for some additional information as those things move forward.

Uh, several folks have asked where we're going to be back in class on campus during the phone up and again. That's something that at this point in time, we just don't know the answer to uhm, so so there are still accepting students into all of those programs in cohorts that are starting in a fall term that are typically going to be held on campus, and so all of that is still just exactly the way that it was previously an if the event were not able to return back to campus to Nepal term.

We would look at those remote option for being able to come back in.

But we anticipate whenever we do go back to campus that all of those things are going to be available and ready to go. It's going to be those things like the housing opportunities, the dining facilities we want to make sure that whenever we bring students back to campus, all of those services that they're going to need are ready for them to be on campus as well. So that's something that the University administration and the team that is looking at this COVID-19 impact is making sure certain that we can have all of those.

Opportunities service is available to students before we bring them.

Um, so, to be honest with you, we don't know how long this is going to be lasting. Um, were working like everyone else. When a case by case basis University has a great plan in place for those students that are impacted, it's been pretty amazing to me to watch the campus community even though we're not together physically. Be able to kind of rap our hands around this and be able to get everything up and running to have a remote operation in a very short period of time.

A man kind of keep those operations running smoothly. Moving forward. So, um, we're really excited about what the future has. We're going to meet this challenge head on like we do everything at the University of Alabama and be ready for everyone, whether that be remotely in the near future or as soon as we get back to campus in the long term.

So we thank you guys for joining us today. Um, we're going to take some questions now and the chat function. We're going to try to moderate those as best we can. Uhm, so we will definitely look at all of those. Things are kind of reform.

One question was about the Graduate School. Does that include pH, DS and the answer is yes, we're considering Masters level students and PhD doctoral professional students when we say graphics.

In regards to the application.

Another.

Upgrade Kelly

Yep that's totally fine um there's another question about when do you make your final decisions on for your fall 2020 applicants it depends on the program there are some programs where the deadlines past months ago there are programs that admit all the way up until August.

If you know you want to apply to a program now and you don't know what the deadline is let us know because a it may have moved an you may still have time so the answer varies based on what program that you have a lot of programs have rolling admission as well so there is no deadline so again if you have specific questions about specific programmes please reach out to your admissions counselors?

And just to the another question yes we do accept West evaluations as long as they are included with your international transcript as well.

Anna question about the test waivers. Uhm, no. We're not anticipating anyone being required to take a GRE or MIT or entrance exam while they're in the program. So if you're successfully admitted during this time, this waiver process, there would not be a requirement to take that test at a lot of data later time.

Uh, as far as the application for the letter recommendation, those can be submitted online at anytime after you apply, so you don't have to have those sitting ready. Whatever you make that application.

Piggybacking on that so how that works in the application process is when you're filling out your applications you need to have the email address of the person that is going to be recommending to you when you submit your application to US automatic emails go out to those people to send those recommendations to you so if you have a person who is having a problem getting in touch with their Wi-Fi or their email or anything like that and you have a hard copy letter again please let us know we can facilitate that for you as well.

We also have another question from international student about assistantships alot of that gets decided in the application process an we really can't make a lot of those decisions until we have your application documents and those decisions almost always come from the Department as well so those are the best people to answer those questions about scholarships assistantships things like that.

There was a question about how.

I see another.

Um, also I saw that came up at the University does offer an off campus housing assistant throughout this so you can check that out as well on the housing website to look at that off campus housing information.

Go ahead, Kelly.

Sorry Megan uh these are just looking like a lot of international questions here.

A couple questions is it necessary to submit and I 20 form before being admitted absolutely not we do not want any financial information during the application process if you want to submit it that is totally up to you but we do not require that there may be a point in the process where the Department decides that they want to fund you uhm so that's not something that we currently need you know until after that you are given admission these are coming in fast.

I want to reiterate that you cannot defer to fall 20:21 at this time so if that is something that you want to do you are in a program that only admits for fall and you don't think that you can be here by fall 2020 again we don't know how long this is going to last so I want to also discourage you from jumping the gun and differing right away because we're hoping that fall 2020 happens as scheduled but if you do want to defer to fall 2021 we're not processing those.

Currently so if you don't see it that's because it's not available right now it will be available in the near future.

OK I'm gonna jump in and answer a couple more UM in the event that you cannot get your visa the deferral process is incredibly easy if you are offered an admission it is good for one full year so you don't have to reapply go through any admission process again if you have an admission for a certain term that admission is good for one year um so just let students know that that referral process is incredibly easy when you get an answer about admission.

All of that is done through your email so if you are dumb.

Admitted or not either way you will find out about that so you know to landon's point about getting Mail and things like that don't worry you know you're not going to be waiting on additional letter in the Mail.

As well when will you be notified about that you will be notified upon your admission as soon as the Department makes their decision within 24 hours um so so the Department needs to make that decision and then you will find out about it in your email so continue to check that if you are currently going through the process right now there was another question also about is the test score waived entirely or will you at some point have to take it to continue in the program's great question that is not the case if we waive it for you for your admission you will never have to take that test again.

Unless you apply to a different program that does require it.

We had a couple more baby by distance questions come in. One was about the letters of recommendation. I'm does. It need to be an employer are oppressed past professor. The program will tell you how many letters of recommendation they require and will give you some recommendations if they want one academic one from the workplace. So you'll know that information on the admissions requirements Michelle mentioned are being made by distance. Page memo by distance.ua.edu. You can navigate to all the graduate programs at.

The Masters certificate level in any of our doctoral programs and each program has its own page and on the left side of the screen you'll see those admissions requirements. An anything that's needed. Letter recommendation was we also have one other question about window game about it. Students enrolling courses. Please know that distance students adhere to the same academic calendar's main campus students. We're on a false spring and summer semester basis. So when classes start in Tuscaloosa, hopefully in the fall, if everyone's back on campus.

It's usually the third Wednesday of the month of August. Are distant students will start then as well. The courses are available through blackboard. I mentioned it earlier, uh, earlier, our LMS program that we use for courses and the very first day at 8:00 o'clock that morning. Central time. That's when your courses will go live.

There was a question about when we be notified about the admissions. Uh, and again, as Kelly mention, I think a little bit earlier. Uh, most of the application is referred to the Department as soon as the Department makes a decision or program, makes a decision about the admission and it gets it back to the Graduate School. Those are being inputed daily so usually within 24 to 48 hours after receiving that decision back from the Department, you'll be notified of that. I like Tronic Lee to be able to get that information out to you as quickly as we can so.

Uh, we can't give you an exact time frame because it apartments are all reviewing different numbers of applications have different program deadlines. All of those things that come into play, but as soon as those information those decisions come back from the Department were notifying students immediately. There's a couple questions about the fall 2021 application coming up. We are in the process of changing over our application program, so right now that application is currently not up, but we hope to have that application go live.

Uh in mid to late summer? So, uh, we're looking around July ish right now, but that information will be sent out to all of our perspective students and it will be up on the website as soon as that becomes available. So right now for fall 2021, we're looking at probably mid summer.

There was another question about international housing. Do we have a international housing matching service for international students? We currently don't have this for graduate students right now. However, we have a bunch of groups that we can connect you to to help you make some of your housing decisions. We also have some incredibly active student groups. the Indian Student Association, the Kuwaiti Student Association. They also. So if you are not connected to some of those groups.

Come on social media where you can connect with other students and ask them questions about where the best places to be safety things like that. Please reach out to us and we will help you connect with those students. All of those links to where you can find that information is on the capstone international website, which we will be sending out as a follow up email to everyone who is on the web and R today so there will be a lot of information given out after this webinar that we covered with links specific.

Email specific Department. Things like that. So if for instance I'm talking too fast and you didn't understand or you missed something due to a technical error, don't worry, we will be following up with everyone here today. I also there was also a good question about you've been admitted to the program an what is the deadline to accept the offer?

Right now we don't have a specific deadline that were asking for, although there is some Department ilh deadlines. So again, if you've been admitted an you've been offered a TI Aga anything or just admission for a very small program, please contact your Department and ask them if they have any internal deadlines of when to you need to accept that.

There was another question about um, the jirari or MIT or school requirement showing up on the application is being required. Um, if you're in a program that offers the waiver for this, there's nothing that you have to do. We're going back through and cleaning up all of those applications that had that requirement on them to push them to the Department. If Yours is still showing in your in that, don't worry. We're almost through with those.

Um, and also any new applications that would come in during this time, we would be able to, um, push that through as well as we go through so.

Uhm, but we're out of time. Uh, we appreciate all you guys. We didn't get your question. Please reach out. You can email either the grad school or Bama by distance folks and will be happy to answer those questions again. We appreciate you guys coming out today and joining us. Hopefully this was a great piece of information and got some questions answered for you guys. We pray everyone stays safe out there an appreciate you coming in and will look forward to seeing you were talking to you on campus very soon. Thanks and Roll Tide.

Roll Tide.

Roll Tide stay safe everyone by.