On Thursday, February 4, the Graduate College hosted its second Graduate Student Town Hall to address questions concerning a variety of topics submitted by students. Questions were answered by panelists Elizabeth Wentz, vice provost and dean of the Graduate College, Cassandra Aska, deputy vice president and dean of students, and Tamara Underiner and Enrique Vivoni, associate deans of the Graduate College.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on education, affecting students, teachers and other faculty members. The cancellation of in-person classes and the introduction of virtual learning has posed many challenges to those working in the field. However, the pandemic has also allowed the opportunity to expand and innovate the ways we educate and learn.

There is no question that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health of people all around the world.

Language learning is a very inter-personal subject that often requires face-to face attention and instruction. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has put a stop to these things and has delayed teaching and research in the field of language learning. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on international travel due to safety concerns, closed borders and travel restrictions. For many, plans to travel internationally had to be put on hold. Those who were already abroad had to abruptly pack up and come home. This has put a particular strain on graduate students and scholars studying international issues that require travel abroad.     

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many art spaces – such as theaters, studios, and galleries – to close due to safety concerns. As a result, many of those working in the field have had to put their projects, performances, and/or research on hold.

For this round of grants, applicants were asked to summarize what they’re studying, explain how COVID-19 has impacted them, and share innovative ways they were able to move their projects forward despite the pandemic. 

The Graduate College received more than 70 applications and, out of the impressively competitive pool, selected ten winners rather than five as originally planned. Each winner will receive a grant of $100.

On Tuesday, July 28, the Graduate College hosted its first-ever Graduate Student Town Hall virtually to address graduate student questions concerning the plan to return to campus this fall.

Large-scale disruptions to economies and industries like the COVID pandemic or the Great Recession can make entering the job market even more daunting for graduate students than usual. To help students prepare for a job search during times of upheaval, the Graduate College hosted a panel of four ASU doctorate program alumni, who entered the job market during the 2008-2009 Great Recession to provide real-world advice they gained navigating their job searches during a time of great upheaval. The event also inaugurated the Graduate College’s new Career Navigators programming initiative.

While ASU travel restrictions remain in place, the Graduate College will continue to offer professional development funding for internet-based programs and events which occur between August 1 and September 30, 2020. Awards of up to $500 are available to help cover registration costs for online/remote conferences, workshops, and training related to their degree studies.

The time you spend during graduate school can be some of the most rewarding as well as the most challenging times in your life. It is an opportunity to create lifelong friendships and learn skills that translate into a strong career. It is also a time when you can be challenged the most intellectually, emotionally and often financially. There can be incredible uncertainty about how your hard work and learning will translate into a long term career under the best of circumstances.

Join the ASU Graduate College for a special virtual town hall welcome event for graduate students on Tuesday, July 28, at 6 p.m. MST. Our panel will address questions from graduate students regarding the outlook for the upcoming academic year. It's also your chance to meet with the newly appointed Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate College, Elizabeth Wentz. 

In seeking ways to best support ASU graduate students during the current pandemic, the Graduate College is pleased to announce the creation of a new award to help ease some of the unanticipated financial burdens due to COVID-19 as well as some flexibility with our summer travel award funding to continue supporting professional development during ongoing travel restrictions.  

On Monday, more than 5,000 graduate students completed their degrees, many of whom also took part in a first-ever virtual commencement. Whether you graduated this semester or will graduate in the future, your contributions to ASU have been critical to making this semester a success.

Let’s face it. We’re all living in an anomaly. This is a singular time to be approaching the job market or thinking about next steps in your career. Doctoral students tend to think of their career path as linear — get into a grad program, write your dissertation, get a postdoc position or faculty position. In reality, most graduates find that their pursuit of a satisfying career takes many different trajectories and some inevitable stops and starts. The economic situation resulting from the global response to the pandemic COVID-19 requires an ability to see this reality more clearly.

As we move into the second month of work-from-home mandates for many Arizona State University employees and students, the reality that uncertainty and disruption may have a longer-term impact on their academic careers is setting in for many graduate students. 

From travel restrictions to research access and shifting TA and RA duties, uncertainty is becoming a new norm. More than ever, it’s important that graduate students connect with their mentors, advisors and committees.

Due to the continued spread of the COVID-19 virus and the public health recommendations that come with it, Arizona State University will be celebrating the 2020 Spring commencement with its graduates in a virtual ceremony. The format may be different, but our enthusiasm for the celebration of the achievements of our students has never been more inspired. We encourage you to join us in honoring ASU graduate and undergraduate students during the week of May 11.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the way we learn and explore professional development opportunities has radically shifted.  In this week’s episode of Grad15, the Graduate College’s Amanda Athey, shares essential tips for graduate students attending online conferences for the first time.

In our April 7 edition of the Grad15 webinar, Nika Gueci with the ASU Center for Mindfulness, Resilience and Compassion shared resources and tips on mindfully navigating times of disruption. More conversation than presentation, the session gave graduate students the chance to ask questions, share their challenges, and exchange strategies for maintaining mental health during our COVID isolation.

Grad15 is a new weekly mini-webinar series tailored to address topics and challenges faced by graduate students in a timely manner.

In this week’s Grad15 mini-webinar, Amanda Athey and Janet Duke shared some timely advice and tips for graduate students preparing to defend their thesis and dissertation defenses online. Here are a few key takeaways from the session:

ASU’s Center for Mindfulness, Compassion and Resilience is offering the ASU community an hour of contemplation every day from 12:00 noon – 1 p.m. Billed as “Caring and connection in the time of COVID-19,” the sessions are open and free.  As noted by the Center, “the world and each of us in it remain much in need of community and connection at this time.” The virtual mediation practices are available via Zoom:  

While we are all feeling challenged by the uncertainty in response to the spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), that challenge can be multiplied if you have to put our research/data collection “on pause”. 

Are there ways to stay productive and not sidetracked? Yes!