GRAD Connect New Student Q&A: Domestic

More settings.

She appeared to clear myself there.

Yeah, it'll clear. It will probably have to clear today for it.

They got it reset so when you when you do a mass clear like that it will keep you out to update it.

Alright I'm back.

Alright let me close it.

So if you ever want to hear if you ever want to clear the chat you go to settings in the corner.

Huh.

And then you do that but it could clear chat in the middle of it it will keep you out.

OK sounds good.

All right uh.

Alright so I am doing let's see what I was doing the intro an funding correct.

Yeah.

Yes and I think I guess like all the GTA a lot of them are asking about their their work study enough.

Yeah.

And they work home.

Yeah, and the short answer there as we don't bloody well know.

Actually, the short answer is we're assuming that fall is moving forward as normal.

We pray would be terrible.

Yeah, uh.

It's it's looking kind of dismal for our international students. The ones that are coming in I don't know how they're going to make it.

So.

Embassies are closed.

We can just hope.

Domestic numbers are up.

Balance it.

Yeah.

Yeah, well international numbers were up. This was we were doing really, really well before this stuff like this ****** me off.

And we put so much.

But the ones here.

Go home.

Yeah, the ones that here there be OK, but it's the ones who are still in India and Bangladesh and China.

You know, in China the embassies are not US embassies. Look like they're reopening in July.

Uh.

OK.

But that's not going to be enough time because there's gonna be a backlog of six months of people who are trying to get visas.

It's going to be hell.

Yep.

Wow.

Yeah I thought I had a day where I've had less than 2530 applications everyday like that that's pretty good.

Yeah, we're seeing this in the reports, so yeah.

A random are you doing the Kovid?

Yes, Yeah.

Won the coveted slide just OK good alright? So I've just got intro and funding.

I can handle that.

I can only one plot is it because you're the moderator.

Click on control slides.

And then you can see him all, yeah.

00 OK.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So now you can actually select which side is slide is being shown, so I just changed it.

Check.

Click on the slide.

Cool.

Did it change for you?

Well, that's

Yeah I see general it says general admission questions maybe only changes.

Yeah, that's disturbing. I it still shows the first slide for me.

Yeah.

Really.

Yeah I'm changing him.

What what does it show for you, Landon?

I just chose the first slide.

So if I change to funding, what do you see?

I see the one that I'm on.

Huh.

Hit.

Well, that's a little.

OK I have.

Maybe maybe under your control flies and see what happens.

Turn off control.

What do you say?

OK yeah, so now it changed. It just changed through. UA is now on the panel.

So it looks like.

As long as you're in control slide you only see what you're putting up there.

Yeah, so who's controlling?

So who wants to control the side?

Wow.

Our control slides. I like controlling things.

I did not.

OK Hey, do you control slides an? I'll handle the question approval.

All right, excellent, uh, do you want to change yourself to moderate are looks like I'm still currently a moderate are.

Hey Ashley, how long have you worked for grad school?

Uh going on to you.

Two years.

Going on 2 years yeah.

OK, I'm just gonna have that for the intro.

Wait or not.

It seems like longer.

Actually is pretty bad, right?

Yeah.

Now that's about yeah it I'm at like a year and a half.

Did you start about the same time as Amanda?

Right after Amanda.

OK so Amanda's been here 2 1/2 years.

And then 10 or was right before her.

Yeah.

Michael goes back to work Monday.

Oh excellent.

Be quiet.

So he's moved to required her.

OK.

Well there Roper idiom they can have 14 of them in each Department on campus so they rotate them out like weekly.

Uh-huh

So you go go to one and then you go back to her 3 you gotta wanna go 3.

OK.

And then for the ones that had underlying health conditions they're giving him a special FML action.

Alright, I'm gonna ride check on my child, make sure she's good ones here one.

So do they just actively come on here.

So you don't actually see them were just chatting, yeah?

Right.

So we see that questions you're going to see the list of names in the participants.

A tab to the left.

OK.

Wonder why shows 4 participants when there's only 3.

No idea.

It was doing some similar things like that last night.

I'm just I'm just doing some tweaking of the intro while uh.

Was sitting here.

Search

Alright, actually Holman, whose works in grad school for last two years as an admissions counselor, Ashley is dedicated to helping out all of our applicants, and it's more than happy to work with each of you individually.

Sounds good.

Uh-huh

Yeah and I'm gonna do what to use uhm when I talk about deferral.

Sounds good.

I'm going to direct you to use the contact us on the website so that that goes through slate and can be assigned to each admissions counselor to send out the instructions.

Hope that was a wrong document I just saved.

Well that document go haha.

I've got an echo on the line here which is very annoying.

Yeah I think it may be his empty room.

I see your little one.

Yeah she's fixing the door so the dogs don't get in.

This.

The dog.

Bye.

Where is your little one?

He's at my parents.

So they come.

Came early this morning early early this morning.

Practically before the sun came up right after the storm.

And dumb.

We made a load on the truck to take a few things to their house.

Then they took off back and he went with them.

To do school work, she's going there tonight.

OK.

Got damn she's doing school work right now. Then she's got dance tonight online and then she'll go.

They're doing dance online.

Sam

That is so cool.

So Mike, both my kids have to ensure that that for PE they have to do 30 minutes of exercise a day, so I'm dragging him on walks.

Like it's OK.

Hello.

You haven't.

You know having the garden.

Oh, they've been helping the garden too, but I've I've been walking taking him on 3040 minute walks so I can pick PE class time. Let's go.

They they love it.

What?

I bet your son is ready to go back.

Al, they're both ready to go back.

My daughter especially just misses hanging out with her friends.

Yeah.

Oh yeah I'm sure tough age to be awake for your friends.

Yeah, my my son just doesn't like the whole online learning thing. He far rather be in the classroom with the teacher. He just does not like it.

Do they stay home during the summer?

Oh, mostly, but.

Usually they have. They do a lot of horse riding, so in the summer there actually out at out of the farm.

I love you.

Helping out out there.

Often two or three days of the week.

That way is the Mount.

Spend a day scooping poop. You know that will do it to you.

Uh.

Right.

Hello.

Yeah, but even right now. So my farm they do a lot of therapeutic writing so they do riding lessons for kids with learning disabilities.

And my daughter is actually a volunteer to help with that.

Wow.

And so even now, that's actually that's actually going on, because it's a medical thing.

Hello.

So, so they're actually at my daughters out there once a week helping.

Helping with lessons.

Yeah.

That's awesome.

All right 10 seconds and they'll start coming in.

All right, and then we'll give them a couple of minutes before we start.

The advertise 3 at the bottom is what I'm going to post.

OK, I still have.

I still have the questions tab, maybe I need to jump out quickly and jump back in.

Now you're good.

Oh there we got a lot of people joining us now excellent to see.

OK, let's get started with our Q&A session. Welcome to the University of Alabama Wars Live Q&A with thrilled by the responses we've received an look forward to answering all of your questions.

Please do know that the Graduate School is committed to providing possible support.

Send this to all students, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

Journeys uncertain times. We've worked hard to remain flexible as the situation develops.

Today, members of the Graduate School team here to respond to your questions. We hope to address your concerns transparently and thoroughly.

Before we begin, let's introduce our expert panel.

So Ashley Holman has worked in the Graduate School for the last 2 years and serves as an admissions counselor.

Ashley is dedicated to helping out all of our applicants and is also more than happy to work with each of you on an individual case as needed.

Landon weight is the director of graduate admissions at UA for the last decade. He's worked in undergraduate admissions, serving in a variety of roles, including director, an interim vice president of involvement management, were very, very happy to have Landon on our team. Landon is very passionate about helping our students. All phases of their UA journey from admissions to involvement.

And finally, last but not least myself, my name is Andrew Goodliffe. I am the associate Dean of the Graduate School. In this role, I'm responsible for the recruitment, admissions and scholarship scholarship fellowship teams I've worked on at the UA grad school since 2012. I'm also a professor at the University originally starting at UA in 2004, so I've been here awhile.

Before we start, though, a little housekeeping, we're first going to go through a small number of slides. These slides will give an overview of some of the important points, and we've based these on a lot of the questions that you've submitted during registration process.

Uh.

Will then move onto a Q&A if there any pre submitted questions that we don't feel that we've answered sufficiently, will deal with those first and then we will invite the participants to submit questions. Do submit those questions in the chat box below and are fearless. Moderate are Landon will be looking at those submissions and forwarding it to the other members of the panel.

So firstly, let's start out with funding. So looking at the questions, a lot of those questions are based on funding and they take a number of forms.

So firstly, there's a lot of students who haven't got funding yet.

If you're interested in getting funding, there are a number of sources which are probably the best view to go after at this point, and usually what we'll do is we will refer students to their department's so in a lot of department's in a lot of colleges, the funding is assigned either by the graduate program director or by the individual faculty members. So really, your first stop is to go.

And find the graduate program director.

Ask them about funding you know are there any teaching assistantship positions open? Are there any research assistantship positions open there? Maybe scholarship funds? So ask them are if you're not familiar with The Who grad program director is for your program, I'm actually going to ask Ashley or Landon to find that link and Post that link in the chat box. But really, that grad program direct is the key person.

Oh, it's not a bad idea to reach out to faculty members who have similar research interests. You if you're looking at a research program because they may have some funding as well.

Wow.

Another question relates to.

I've been offered funding, but given the crisis, is that funding still on the table?

As far as we know, everything that we've been told. If you have an offer of funding and you know, assuming that we're open for business in the fall as normal with on campus classes, which is the assumption we are going at now that offer funding will remain in place are we haven't had any talk about cutting funding for students? In fact, quite the opposite. In our conversations with the Provost on campus, he has really stated that.

Our first priority is to making sure that our best students are funded.

We want to make sure that our best students are coming here.

We've heard some stories of other universities pulling funding. We are not doing that.

Of course we don't know what's going to happen in the fall, but right now there is no discussion whatsoever of pulling funding, so do be assured of.

You know the integrity of our office. We are. We are honoring our office right now.

In terms of funding, we're glad to answer other questions as they come up at the end, and so obviously I'll still be here for that. But I'm now going to pass the podium to Ashley.

And Ashley is going to talk about some general admissions questions.

Hey guys so with transcripts on uh there's been a lot of questions regarding our processing times and getting those 2 is the best way to get your transcripts to us is electronically almost all universities colleges will do that for you those transcripts need to go to grad dot transcripts at UA dot Edu and make sure there'SS on the end of transcripts so that's grad dot transcripts at UA dot Edu.

That is an official transcript Please remember during application process we only need your unofficial transcripts you can upload those into the portal and it creates a much faster response time for us teacher application process because we only require official transcripts for students once they're admitted so again please just try to get those unofficials uploaded because.

You know we're processing as quickly as possible but with you uploading that it we don't have to wait on a document to come in and if you have questions about that please reach out to us through the contact on a graduate dot UA dot Edu it's assigned out to each emissions count source you'll get a specified admissions counselor for your program that can assist you with making sure that that transcript is come in and any other issues you're having also test scores have been a big topic many of you ever received an email that are.

You know we have had several programs that are no longer requiring the test score right now so we're currently waving those you do not have to call us and ask us about it we will go in and as soon as we receive your application and we will remove that part of the application so that it will hold you up from processing in completing so you can go online to our website as well to see what programs are offering that waiver.

And then we have the deferral process and you want to go ahead and go over that.

Oh yeah, I I can quickly go over that, so that's that's been a lot of questions. You know, a lot of people are thinking you know, will they be able to make it to us in the fall?

Our hope is that indeed everything will be running as normal in the fall, so I hope is deferral is not required.

However, if deferral is required of your offer of admission is valid for 12 months, so we can certainly defer your application if needs be to the spring. And if you do need to defer your application, reach out to us at the contact as link. That Landon just posted in the chat box, but you know that is a fairly straightforward process. That's not something you need to worry about.

If you need to refer, we can defer.

Back to you.

Oh yes, yeah.

And we can defer in completely well.

Yeah.

So so we can defer incompletes as well so if you're not complete or you're worried about a deadline or you can't get something in we can still defer your application at a incomplete status as well.

That is, uh, we, we offer a code that waves that before you in the process. As long as you're keeping your program saying You're just moving a term within the boundary, we can do that. The code is given with a specific instructions through email, so if you are interested in needed, defer, go to the graduate.ua.edu link that Landon has provided. Go to the context section and fill out the information and then put in there that you need information on how to defer your application and we will then send those instructions to you so that you can go through the process of getting that mood as well.

All right, moving onto COVID-19 issues, Landon.

Hey so with housing we do our graduate students do have an option for housing on campus the IT is considerably more expensive expensive than not taking the housing option at UA.

We encourage you to contact the housing department for that information because we do have students who want to live in this housing on campus but there is a ton of options off campus an extremely surrounding areas where a small little town and so there's tons of apartments and houses I would contact the housing Department as well they had these Contacts for you and they can help you get to the resources to find out when these are available how they're doing tours.

Prices deposits so please reach out to the housing Department because they're going to be your best most informative option especially you have special requests as far as UM transportation I know a lot of people don't want to you don't have it easy using this to be able to get to their cars and bring them in and need to be able to more quickly get to campus and bussing and stuff like that so please reach out to them because they're gonna like I said they're going to know who to get you in touch with so that you can get to those resources.

Alright, was going to take arrentation involvement here.

OK, so uh for orientation. You know where we were on? If you're coming in the floor we're assuming you're gonna be here. So I want to give you a quick rundown of what you can expect. We always have a great orientation that's run through the Graduate School. One of the people that leads that I think it's a fairly fun orientation. We have panels with current students sharing their experience on campus expectations in classes.

Things to do around town. All that sort of stuff.

Uh, almost certainly your Department and maybe your college will have orientations as well.

There's also for international students a specific orientation for for that group, and then for those of you who have graduate teaching assistantships, we actually have a two day workshop to introduce you to teaching and make sure that you feel comfortable in the classroom, and then you have all the tools necessary to be iaccessible teacher.

So that's very, very important to you for a lot of our students, they making end up having about four or five days of orientation, so it's a busy day, busy few days, lots of information.

And then our involvement.

You know the we do want to make sure that you're getting enrolled in the class is falling momentane summer in enrollment are open right now, so if you haven't already enrolled, we do encourage you to look at the course catalogs to reach out to the graduate program director in your Department, and.

Just see what classes to enroll in. Some department's May want you to be on campus before you enroll, but you know, we do encourage you to enroll early if you if you can.

One important resource on our web page we have under the current student tab we have a getting started link an if one of My 2 colleagues can find that link and Post that.

That actually lists all of the things that you need to do as a new student on campus. So how to register?

Things like getting your action card actually action card is the basic the student ID, how to find the bus service on campus? That's a very important thing. Getting your list of your immunization record to the Health Center. If you're on campus student, lots of different things as a whole long laundry list of things that we view as important. We want to make sure that you're fully set up and ready to go.

And we want you know we're looking forward to a grateful that I hope.

Uh, let's see, uh, so I think Landon is finding that link and we are going to move on to the question session.

Ashley, do you think there's any questions that we may have missed from our list? I think we've generally covered a lot of them.

Uh, that's uh.

Just touching base with the applications. If you think your application is incomplete or you're not here, you're were sending out messaging through our messaging system reminding you that your application is incomplete. If you're unsure, the status of your application, please reach out to us, because sometimes upon review we find that something is missing and we mark that. But if you're not reading that email then we're not able to communicate that with you. So please, if you do not know the status of your application.

Go to thegraduate.ua.edu, use the contact US option so that we can set and let you know what will they need from you.

Alright Landon, do you wanna start referring some questions?

Stop.

As soon as I have on my will refer on your way no ones typed in the industry.

Oh, they're coming in.

Oh dear, Alright Well, let me.

All right?

Here we come here we go.

Alright, can NFA applications be deferred? Uh, any application should be able to be deferred sometimes. Department's in the past. Sometimes departments have.

Been hesitant to do this for some students, but these are unusual times. We will make sure that applications can be deferred.

And with that, though, we can only if that Department only admits during a certain term. Make sure you defer your application to the correct term, because if they only admitted ball, you try to defer to summer and they won't take you in the summer will have to do it all over again, so make sure if you know that your Department only it's during a certain time, please defer to that exact time for the next term.

Yeah, and the important thing is there be in contact with your graduate program director.

Uh, I see the question about embassies being closed in India for getting visa interviews with very, very aware of that situation. We're hoping that embassies will reopen in time for students to be able to get their visas.

But this is unfortunately I hate to say this is not something we have a huge amount of control on.

You know we want we want you to be here as much as you want to be here. So we're keeping a close eye on the situation.

Uh there's a specific question about operations management that is not one that we can directly address those decisions are made in the department's but that is one that we will make an effort to find an answer for you.

Uh.

Will the video audio from this session be available to view later? My understanding is we are recording this, is that correct? Landon Yeah, so Landon is nodding his head, yes.

Uh oh, OK, this is a good question due to the COVID-19 crises. Can the UA Graduate School send signed forms electronically to students instead of physically mailing the forms?

There's actually been some confusion on this, uh?

The Department that is issuing those forms has said that they would be willing to issue those electronically, and I was very, very excited by this, because this would obviously solve some of the issues with mailing these out.

However, it's a different part of the US government to actually hand runs the embassies. So the State Department runs the embassies.

The State Department has actually stated that they will not accept electronic forms, so unfortunately our only option is to physically Mail forms and I hate that that's the answer I have to give, but unfortunately that's what we're having to do because those electronic forms will currently not be accepted by the embassies. I do hope that changes.

So if that does change, we will let our applicants know as quickly as possible.

Uh.

There's another question about funding for PhD programs for the full. This is going to be a question for your Department, so typically that funding comes at the Department level. So for those questions do reach out to your graduate program director. If you can supply us with a specific name for the Department, we might be to help a little bit with out with that.

Uh.

Let's see question here. Have been a beautiful fall. Can I start earlier and take classes in summer 2020? A short answer is yes, that actually we fairly routinely do that. Uh, do bear in mind that if you're starting classes for summer one or for the whole summer session, those will be taught in a distance format. But that's something if you reach out to us at the contact as link on the Graduate School page, we can help out with that.

Yeah.

Non degree, so that is another option that many so if you're admitted her fall and you want to take classes ahead of time and you can't move your enrollment, you can apply Zanon degree to program and take hours if you want to and but you just have to make sure that apartment you need to take, but we do offer non degree option as well that many people take advantage of.

A question about two departments have any deadline for announcing graduate assistantships that really depends on their deadline. We really do hope Department in doing this as quickly as possible, but you know department's announced this on their own schedule. It maybe for certain disciplines that traditionally offers are not made until later in the year. But if you have specific funding questions for your Department.

Regarding when office will be made reaching out to that grad program director, you know one of the common themes you're seeing here is that grad program director is.

Is a key person.

And if for some reason your not getting an answer from the graduate program director, I do invite you to meet out to reach out to me. I am more than happy to follow up with a grad program director 'cause very often they're getting so many emails right now that they are prioritizing emails. Typically if they hear from me, they will answer pretty quickly.

Oh, see what else?

Oh, a question about transcripts. There being admitted to the PhD program, but still an undergrad. Can we send out unofficial transcripts in early if you're in the application process? Yeah, absolutely. Send those unofficial transcripts in now.

Of.

You know, if you had admitted student.

Yeah you can. You can wait until you get here to bring in those transcripts.

Yeah, 'cause will need a degree date for an official transcript that is important for the holes to be removed with. We're waiting on your official transcript in order remove the in order to remove the hold.

We need to train trip with a degree date so I wouldn't send in several official transcripts without a degree date because it's not going to get the Holder mood. So hold on and get that. Did make sure that degree dates posted and then we want that official transcript that has your final degree date listed so we can get that taken off.

Yeah, OK, here's here's a question which I'm going to sort of paraphrase this so it's more broadly applicable. So one of the questions is if.

If a student defers their admission, how would this affect their funding offer?

So this again, if it's a uh assistantship. So a teaching assistantship or research assistantship.

Reach out to the Department. My hope is that many, many of these can be deferred.

Uh, if its funding directly from Graduate School, for example a fellowship. We are more than happy to defer that the best person to reach out for that is directly to me.

And you know, we are routinely deferring this, that this is not a problem. Our priority is to work with the students.

Uh, let's see.

OK, so there's a question about international credit transfer.

Uh.

My University is not in office now to process the official transcripts, so I do. Even if your University is not looking like it's Open. I do invite you to actually reach out to that University about transcripts, because most universities, even though they're not. You know that we're operating in a limited business capacity. Most of those critical offices are still open, so our experiences most students are still able to get.

Uh, transcripts from their universities.

If they can't will work with you and you know do contact us directly on an individual basis.

Uh.

Another question about West evaluations so that swelled education service evaluations of transcripts, and this is applicable to international students.

We actually don't need West evaluations at all, so if you're sending a transcript from an International University, we have our own transcript evaluators who will evaluate those transcripts. So there is no necessity to spend the money on a West Evaluation. So I hope that helps with that question.

So yeah.

That was a lot of questions coming in quickly there.

Sup.

There was a question about the UM undergraduate scholarships at University of Alabama being used for Graduate School uhm as soon as you apply to the Graduate School you can go ahead and request that form to be completed and so all we need to do is for you to request that form to be completed as quickly as you apply the Graduate School and then everything will take place from there.

Find my understanding that that form is available on my Bamma in these scholarships tab. Is that correct? Yeah.

Right.

That's correct.

Very, very straightforward process.

So don't be shy to ask more questions.

2180 has a date been set for grad school orientation for fall.

Uh.

Yes, but I cannot remember what it is offhand. Typically it is the Saturday directly before classes starting.

So the plan is right now there will be, uh.

International student international graduate student orientation will then have lunch and then we will have a general introduction to the grad school and then we will move into panel discussions.

I think it's funny.

And that's a great time for people as well.

Yeah, yeah, we we want, you know. Typically there's four or 500 people come to our orientation to great opportunity to get to know other students to great opportunity to get a free lunch.

I think for any anyone that's moving here and it costs a lot of money.

Yeah, take the opportunity for a female.

There is a question about the opportunity to meet income and graduate students or students in the cohort before you get to campus, and I would encourage you to look at the Graduate School of social media channels were working on some really specific ways to connect students, so please follow there for those ways to connect to code work or your other incoming graduate students.

Oh

And there was one about with the pass fell option for a lot of colleges.

Um they're offering now during the covia pandemic. If that would impact anything as far as the Graduate School UA so I'll let you answer that one for us.

My advice here is I would not worry about that at all.

Oh

We're all going to be learning.

We're all learning right now and the reality is that anyone who is evaluating transcripts if they're seeing more passes and more pass fail grades, they're going to know why.

And so I honestly would not let that concern you at all.

Oh, at the University of Alabama we do have some disciplines where.

They actually can't do pass fail. It may be because of professional accreditation or certification, so there is some exceptions to that.

Uh, but I would not let that concern you at all.

One less thing to worry about.

ATI.

I see where wanted asking will be will there be an online option for international students who cannot access the country due to the crisis.

So the plan is right now, just like any other student, if they can't come to campus, international students would be able to take classes online. So in a distance mode in their own country.

And that's an option available to any international student. Now. It's just it will be available for all courses.

But again, we hope that's not the case.

Because we know you want to be on campus.

Ah, we want you to be on campus.

And we want to be on campus 2.

We have a beautiful campus and we miss it dearly.

There was a question about the orientation I think something folks maybe got a little confused with Andy mentioning the international orientation at the beginning the international where he takes the beginning will take place then the afternoon session will be for all graduate students domestic as well included in this the afternoon session will be including the domestic students.

Yeah, thanks for that clarification.

Yeah, there's. There's a lot of things very specific for international students, so we need to have need to talk to them first.

Alright, I think that's going to wrap up our questions. As we mentioned earlier, we definitely want you guys to reach out to the Graduate School. We've included the contact us section several times throughout the chat, so please reach out on that context session and we will contact us section and we will get back to you as soon as possible. We appreciate your time today. We hope everyone stays safe out there, and if there's anything that we can do to help you with your transition to the University of Alabama to begin, or continue your gradual journey.

Please reach out to us and let us know.

Again, thank you for your time. Look forward to seeing you guys soon. Roll Tide.

Bye.

Thank you Roll Tide.