First, I wish to extend a warm welcome to all of the new students who have joined our graduate programs for the upcoming fall semester! GRAD CLAS NOTES is our monthly newsletter in which we share academic news and important dates and deadlines, as well as research and enrichment opportunities that you may find helpful as a graduate student. We hope this communication helps connect you to our community.

For students who have graduated this year, this issue marks your last edition of the newsletter. If you wish to continue to receive it, simply reply to this email or write to [email protected] and let us know you want to stay on the list.

New students - I strongly encourage you to join us this Thursday, August 17 for our virtual Graduate Student Orientation. You can find registration information below. Orientation begins with a University-wide session followed by breakout Q & A session for CLAS students. You should have received an email with a series of short videos to view before Orientation. These are also listed below and are great refreshers for returning students, as well. I am very much looking forward to the Graduate Student Community Kick-Off Picnic on August 25. This event is for ALL graduate students, faculty and staff and is a party you don't want to miss!

For all of us in the Office of Graduate students, welcome and welcome back! I look forward to seeing you soon!

Villanova graduate Theatre students serve as actors, stage managers and production crew for the award-winning Villanova Theatre. This year's four-production lineup includes: Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea, Sept. 20 - Oct. 1, 2023; Posterity, Nov. 8 - 19, 2023; Crazy for You, Feb. 14 - 25, 2024; and The Spanish Tragedy, Apr. 10 - 21, 2024. Students receive discounted tickets, and the final dress rehearsal the Wednesday before opening night is free for the Villanova community. Explore Villanova Theatre.

A Graduate Student Ambassador (GSA) is a distinguished role that allows students the ability to interact with the Dean and staff of Graduate Studies while participating in a variety of events on and off campus. Our GSAs represent more than 20 graduate programs within Villanova's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Meet current ambassadors and learn more about applying for this important role. READ MORE

Ashley Colpitt, a 2022 MSHRD graduate, has taken her HR expertise to a career across the world. From Houston to Norway to Qatar, Colpitt has traveled the globe while completing her Master of Science in Human Resource Development online. Learn more in the Villanova HRD Corner blog about her career, why Villanova was the perfect fit for graduate study and how the Villanova HRD program made an impact on her career trajectory. READ MORE

The New Graduate Student Orientation will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 17. This live, virtual event is hosted by the Villanova University Center for Graduate Research and Education and the graduate deans in the College of Engineering, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, College of Nursing and Villanova School of Business. The event features presentations from key University leaders who will welcome incoming graduate students and introduce important resources for graduate study at Villanova. Please register for Orientation using your application portal login.

Academic integrity lies at the heart of the values expressed in Villanova’s mission statement. Recently, the University has updated its Code of Academic Integrity to more explicitly address A.I.-generated material. Please review the code, which is listed on the Provost's website.

All new international students are required to attend an in-person onboarding session from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, August 25 in the Smith Performance Lab in the Mullen Center for the Performing Arts. If you have not received an invitation, please contact Hubert Whan Tong, Director of the Office for International Students and Scholars.

All members of the graduate student community are invited to attend a kick-off picnic for the new year! The picnic will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on campus at the Riley Ellipse and area in front of upper level Connelly Center. Build community with graduate students, faculty and staff while eating delicious food and enjoying cold beverages. Resource tables from University offices and graduate student groups will also host info tables. Register for the picnic.

The Grad Center provides a structure for graduate and law students to participate in a peer

mentorship and support program. Connect with fellow graduate students in a low-key, non-

judgmental format. Learn more about the Graduate Student Peer Mentorship Program, sign-up to

participate as a mentor or mentee, and register to attend a virtual information session on Tuesday,

August 29 on the Peer Mentorship website.

Are you excited—and maybe a little stressed—about your graduate studies this year? You’re not alone. Meet your Villanova peers, reflect on your hopes and fears, and develop supportive relationships at a graduate-student retreat from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, September 9. You will hear from current grad students, share in small groups and learn how Villanova’s Augustinian tradition invites you to “become what you are not yet.” This event is sponsored by Campus Ministry and the Grad Center and is open to participants of any or no faith tradition. Learn more and register.

Villanova is currently exploring changing its Learning Management System (LMS), Blackboard, to a new product and is seeking graduate student input in this process. Join the Grad Center for a town hall on Zoom on Wednesday, September 13 at noon to share your thoughts. What do you like about our current LMS? What are its pain points? What other LMS systems have you used at previous institutions and how do they compare? What features do you wish you had in an LMS? In the town hall, guided questions will help gather your critically important input. Register for the Zoom link.

Are you looking for an hourly position on campus in the fall? Check out the Graduate Student Funding Opportunities page for current openings for a variety of funding opportunities across campus as well as the Villanova Jobs Portal for upcoming campus positions!