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SOM Degree Completion Workshop Fall 2019

SOM Degree Completion Workshop Fall 2019. Michael Grotewiel, Ph.D. Associate Dean for Graduate Education Mr. Harold Greenwald Graduate Education Coordinator Sanger Hall, Room 1-055. posted at medschool.vcu.edu/current-students/#d.en.337656 -> Graduate Students -> Policies and Forms.

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SOM Degree Completion Workshop Fall 2019

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  1. SOM Degree Completion WorkshopFall 2019 Michael Grotewiel, Ph.D. Associate Dean for Graduate Education Mr. Harold Greenwald Graduate Education Coordinator Sanger Hall, Room 1-055 posted at medschool.vcu.edu/current-students/#d.en.337656 -> Graduate Students -> Policies and Forms

  2. Overview • Who should be here? • Why are you here? • Definitions • What to do if you have a problem • Degree Completion Process • Before applying for graduation • Applying for graduation • Before a final defense • Handling thesis/dissertation • After a successful final defense • Due dates and other key dates • FAQs, Q&A • Immediate action items for students

  3. Who should be here? • Essential for all SOM PHD, MS and Certificate students • Many steps are specific for students in programs with a thesis or dissertation • Students in non-SOM programs (i.e. PHD-CaMM) should see their GPD • MD-PHD students completing PHDs outside of SOM should see their GPD • Multiple, specific steps to degree completion • Steps are not intuitive • Steps can be time-consuming Why are you here?

  4. Definitions • Academic requirements (courses, research, thesis, final defense, etc.) • Satisfying academic requirements is necessary, but not sufficient, to complete your degree • Degree completion • Processes in addition to satisfying all academic requirements • Required to earn degree • Driven by VCU, Graduate School and SOM policies • Cannot modify, alter, circumvent, renegotiate, ignore or otherwise not follow degree completion steps if you want your degree • Commencement or graduation ceremony • Awarding of degrees

  5. What to do if you have a problem ~200 graduating students/year Advisors and Program Directors Graduate Education Office

  6. Before applying for graduation • Will all academic requirements possibly be met this semester? (DegreeWorks, Advisor, GPD) • Carefully review your DegreeWorks record • Confirm that requirements will be met? • Are you registered in semester of completion? • Not registered? Discuss with Advisor and Program Director • Considerations: degree completion date, degree program, visa, financial aid, etc. • Degree candidacy DocuSign form completed? • NOT required for Certificate, MS-BIS (all), MS-ADD, MS-GCO, MPH-MPH, MS-PBP-BN • Required for all other programs • Check with GPD, initiated by student • Work with GPD to start correcting any problems immediately • When all is being handled, proceed to “Applying for graduation” Be optimistic!

  7. Applying for graduation • All students complete eServices graduation application • eServices -> Student Tab -> Student Records -> Apply to Graduate • Students starting before fall 2014 also complete hardcopy graduation application • Students notified as needed • Review instructions, complete with advisor, obtain original signatures • Deliver signed form + transcript to Harold Greenwald in Grad Ed Office, Sanger 1-055 • All graduation applications are due by September 6, 2019

  8. Before a final defense • Meet with Advisor and Graduate Advisory Committee to define thesis/dissertation content and organization (many, many weeks before anticipated defense) • Complete thesis/dissertation • Identify a date/time/location for final defense that works for Advisor and Graduate Advisory Committee (all) • Input approved final defense date/time/location in GradTrak -> Exam Scheduling • Print “Notice of Final X Examination” form, obtain original signatures • Notice of Final Defense Examination—Ph.D. Programs • Notice of MS Oral Final Examination—M.S. Programs • Submit signed Notice of Final X Examination to Grad Ed office AT LEAST 10 WORKING DAYS BEFORE DEFENSE • Submit thesis/dissertation to committee members PER THEIR DEADLINE 10 OR MORE WORKING DAYS BEFORE DEFENSE

  9. Handling your thesis/dissertation • See https://graduate.vcu.edu/student/thesis for • Thesis and dissertation guidelines • Required instructions • ETD approval DocuSign form • VCU Scholars Compass upload • Survey of earned doctorates (PHD only) • Other • DO NOT reserve the Graduate School’s Conference Room for your defense

  10. After a successful final defense • Complete corrections to thesis/dissertation in response to Advisor and Graduate Advisory Committee • Complete all actions at https://graduate.vcu.edu/student/thesis including • ETD Approval DocuSign form (approval and animal/human subjects, embargo on publication) • Scholar’s Compass ETD upload • Certificate of Completion for Survey of Earned Doctorates (PHD only) • All handled electronically—do not bring to Graduate Education Office • Application to Graduate, Part I C (provided to student in exam packet as needed), signed and submitted to Graduate Education Office (Sanger 1-055)

  11. SOM Last Possible Dates *Actual dates for individual students will vary. Do not follow other deadlines.

  12. Other key dates *tentative

  13. Questions, FAQs • Does a graduation application for one semester carry-forward to another semester? No. Students must submit an application in the semester of anticipated degree completion. • What if I submit a graduation application for a semester, but don’t complete my degree in that same semester? Send email to Mr. Greenwald. • Do I need to complete my current graduate program if I am accepted into the MD or DDS program at VCU? Yes, those programs require students to complete their current program prior to enrolling. VCU Graduate School does not allow enrollment in two programs simultaneously. • What if I am struggling with scheduling my defense? Contact your advisor and program director. • What if one of my advisory committee members cannot attend my scheduled defense? Contact Dr. Grotewiel.

  14. Questions, FAQs • Do all signatures need to be original. Yes or DocuSign. • Do I need bound copies of my thesis or dissertation? Not for Grad Ed office, but consider personal and program needs. • Can I impose a delay on the availability of my ETD? Yes. Select 1 year, 5 years, or never on the ETD form. Selection of never requires letter of justification from advisor. • When is my degree awarded? Degrees are awarded as indicated elsewhere in this slide deck. • What if I need to document my degree completion prior to awarding of my degree? Contact Dr. Grotewiel. • What if I fake some of my degree completion documents? The Grad Ed Office will report the alleged incident to the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity.

  15. Immediate action items for students • Relax…1000s of students have done this • Discuss degree completion time-line with advisor • Carefully complete steps in “Before applying for graduation” • Follow email instructions from GradTrak • Submit graduation application(s)

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