Graduate Dean Newsletter
Spring 2019
To all of our new and returning graduate students, happy 2019 and welcome to spring semester! I hope you enjoy the spring issue of the Graduate School Newsletter. In this issue, you will find stories about accomplished alums, our spring Career Series, support services and other opportunities geared toward our graduate students.
There are two important policy reminders I want to share with you before we launch into the fun updates. If you are ever unable to register for coursework in a given semester, due to extenuating family, work or other circumstances, you are required to submit a Leave of Absence form to the Registrar’s Office. Next, all students (both undergraduate and graduate) are required to complete an online sexual-assault prevention training in order to meet federal regulations.
As always, you and your success are top priority here at The Graduate School, which begins with the communication that we disseminate weekly via social media and email, in addition to the newsletter’s comprehensive collection of spring events. If you have not yet found the Graduate School on social media (links below), it’s not too late! Be sure to friend/follow us to receive a variety of important updates and special opportunities both on- and off-campus. You can even earn Amazon credit for doing so – read on to learn how.
In closing, please do not hesitate to let me know how we can improve your time here at Hood. Welcome back and thank you for being here—your talents are most welcome!
Best wishes,
April M. Boulton, Ph.D.
Dean of the Graduate School
We are committed to supporting our graduate students in and out of the classroom. Once again, we will be partnering with the Career Center to offer a series of career resources this spring. All of the below events are preparation for our large, culminating Career Fair on March 21 from 3:00-6:00 PM in BB&T Arena.
- Alumni Panels* – gain valuable insights from recent Hood graduate students on interviewing tips, internship/job searches, promotions and more!
- January 31 – International Alumni from 4:30-6:00 PM in Hodson 131 (RSVP here)
- February 5 – Environmental Biology Alumni from 8:00-9:00 PM in Hodson 236 (RSVP here)
- February 5 – BMS/BIFX Alumni from 8:00-9:00 PM in Hodson 131 (RSVP here)
- February 20 – CS/IT/MIS/BIFX Alumni from 5:00-6:00 PM Hodson 131 (RSVP here)
- February 26 - MBA/MIS Alumni from 5:00-6:00 PM in Whitaker 220 (RSVP here)
- Graduate Workshops in Résumés, Interviews & More – the below events are tailored to graduate students and will provide invaluable training in both business etiquette and preparing for job searches.
- February 14 – Interviewing for Success from 5:00-6:30 PM in Whitaker Commons
- February 19 – Résumé & Job Search Strategies from 5:00-7:00 PM (Online)
- February 22 – Business Etiquette from 5:00-7:00 PM in the Dreiling Seminar Room, Coblentz Hall
- Career Fair on March 21 from 3:00-6:00 PM in BB&T Arena. This drop-in event will host 60+ employers in the region, and graduate students, at all levels and across a variety of disciplines, are encouraged to attend. Bring your business cards (if you have them) and several copies of your polished résumé or CV.
*We are working with all programs not listed above to create an event that is more applicable to those fields.
If you or your spouse are being impacted by the current federal shut down, the College is here to support you during this difficult time. We have some flexibility for tuition billing for any current graduate student who is experiencing a financial strain due to this unfortunate situation. We want to ensure that your education remains possible.
In the spirit of community, we will also be hosting a dinner on Tuesday (January 29th) from 4:30-6:30 PM for anyone at Hood – faculty, staff or student – impacted by the shutdown. We have to cap the dinner at 75 due to space limitations, so please RSVP here soon (up to three members of your family are welcome to join the dinner). Do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have other ideas for how the College can bolster our students during this difficult time.
All students interested in biotechnology or the business practices thereof are welcome to join the Graduate School and our bioinformatics MS program for this fun event. There will be 100+ business, IT, and biotech professionals in the region with whom to network. This event will be hosted in the Whitaker Campus Center Commons from 5:30-7:30 PM. The first 50 attendees will receive a commemorative pint glass. Email gofurther@hood.edu for additional details or RSVP here.
Per federal policy, Hood College requires all students—both undergraduate and graduate—to complete an online training on sexual assault. Because this is a mandatory training and ensures Hood’s federal compliance, failure to complete the course by the deadline will result in a hold on your student account (preventing grade view and transcript orders). For optimum functionality, the course should be completed on a computer, rather than a mobile device. The course has two parts: Part 1 is due by February 4, 2019.
Visit http://www.hood.edu/training and scroll down to the bottom, blue menu bar and click “Course link for graduate students.” You will then be prompted to login to the site via your Self-Service account.