fhs graduate program calendar template monthly summary of … · 2017-12-07 · 1 . fhs graduate...

1

FHS Graduate Program Calendar Template

Monthly Summary

of Major Events and Tasks to Do This document was created collaboratively by the administrative staff of the FHS and FHS-affiliated graduate programs with the intention to capture as many activities common to the graduate programs as possible and, therefore, provide assistance to anyone involved in administrative work in FHS at the graduate level. We hope that it will be useful to new staff as it provides a rather comprehensive overview of the activities they will be involved in; likewise, experienced staff may what to use it as a reminder and a tool that will help them in planning their program schedules and operations. Please note that this document should be used as a template only and can be modify by programs as they see appropriate. Not all items will be applicable to all graduate programs and there may be some other activities/processes specific to individual programs. Similarly, timing of the item/event will vary from program to program, so please feel free to modify this template. We will make every effort to update this document in a timely manner, but it is advisable to treat it as a flexible assistive tool rather than a rigid step-by-step manual.

Updated December 2017

2

AUGUST - Preparation for New Academic Year

Task/Event Description Comments

Orientation for new students starting in September, Meet and Greet

• Room reservation for incoming student orientation: http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/corporate/room_bookings.html

• Order catering • Invite program leaders, faculty and presenters, such as Health Sciences

Graduate Student Federation (HSGSF) • Finalize Welcome event arrangements • Prepare an agenda and inform everyone involved via e-mail

HSGSF can be reached at [email protected]

New graduate student arrangements

Prepare packages for new students including: • Updated department handbook • Progress tracking sheet (to be completed with their supervisor) • Deposit form • Tax forms • Safety training documentation • Copy of Supervision Guidelines for Faculty and Students • Scholarship information

Human Resources now handles all employment (i.e., TA so Tax Forms and Employee Direct Deposit forms are submitted to CSB 202)

Registration/ Validation stickers

Check student registration status using MOSAIC Path: Main Menu-Campus Solutions- Records and Enrollment- Student Records Queries – SGS Queries – SGS Term Enrolment Report

This report can be used to track many of the important aspects of student enrolment -- but one of the primary design features was to provide a way of checking that every student is fully registered or enrolled, at the start of each term. You can check this by looking at the term academic load -- any active student should have either F (Full time) or P (Part Time). You should review any active students with a term load of N -- this means the student has failed to add a course. The student’s email address is provided so you can send them a reminder. Any student who has failed to add a course will not be enrolled for the term and will not be paid at the start of the term. There may actually be valid reasons why the student is showing up with a term load of N, which include: -- students on leave for the entire term -- students who withdrew in the prior term -- students who completed their degree or program in a prior term. Late registration fee is $50. This fee must be cleared at Student Accounts & Cashiers before a student becomes fully registered.

• http://www.mcmaster.ca/bms/student/index.htm

http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/corporate/room_bookings.html

mailto:[email protected]


http://www.mcmaster.ca/bms/student/index.htm

3

Last week of August

- Students who are fully registered (with fee cleared) will receive their Student Card from their graduate program office. Bus passes will be available for pick up at the Campus Bookstore (please note, there is no longer a sticker for a bus pass, student’s will receive an actual card).

- International students must present their study permit to SGS upon arrival to become fully registered;

Space allocation for graduate students

Review availability of desks/offices; • If there are any students that will need to vacate their offices/desks, give

them notice ahead of time via e-mail; • Assign desks and mailboxes for new students.

Update e-mail distribution list

Request Mac ID and McMaster email addresses from incoming students to update distribution list and database.

• Distribution list – add/delete email addresses; • Update website student contact list;

Follow up with LOA (Leave of Absence) Students

• Confirm whether students on a LOA will be returning in September; • Check their term count on SGS Administrative Tools:

https://pgssv.mcmaster.ca/sgslogin/Login.aspx

Finalize TAs • Post final TA list visible to all students; • Send the list to students and faculty by email; • Request that TAs contact their course supervisors ASAP; • Make sure that funding information in SGS Administrative Tools database

for each TA is scheduled in the correct term.

Finalize payroll (advisable to start the process earlier in the summer)

• Work out students’ stipends based on departmental/program policy, original offer letters and award notification;

• For students that started in January or May, or went on Leave of Absence, prorate their funding in their final year according to their term count;

• Contact each faculty member to advise of support amounts and request account number to charge;

• Enter each student funding information into SGS Administrative Tools database according to student breakdown

• Print off “Individual Financial Support Information” report from the SGS Administrative Tools database and have the faculty supervisors authorize research scholarship payments;

• Make copies for your own records and send originals with the supervisors’ signatures to FHS or Research Finance for approval;

• check SGS Administrative Tools that all research accounts are approved; if pending, follow up with FHS or Research Finance;

• check that all funding components, e.g. scholarships, TA, are offered in correct terms;

• beginning of September: print a summary report, sign it, and send to SGS payroll, GH-212;

• review total commitment of SGS scholarship, departmental scholarship,


4

and TA (make sure that some funds are available for January/May start students and remember that in addition to TA salary the account is charged 13% for fringe benefits);

• 20% of SGS scholarship allocation (i.e. 9-account) is eligible for carryover for the next year, additional 15% can be transferred to TA account in the spring.

Finalize Timetable & Grad Course Offerings

• Course offerings are finalized in June by the Graduate Advisor; • Contact course instructors to submit course outlines; • Post a table with all Fall Grad Course Offerings on website; • Send email to students; • Some courses have limited enrolment, therefore students should inform

Graduate Program Administrator for required permission; • Course permissions are given using MOSAIC:

Path: Main Menu – Campus Solutions – Curriculum Management – Schedule of Classes – Maintain Schedule of Classes

• Contact students to co-ordinate suitable dates/times (note teaching assignments);

• Reserve room(s); • Notify instructor and students confirming class schedule.

Schedule Fall/Spring comprehensive exams

The comprehensive examination is compulsory for all PhD candidates.

• It is the responsibility of each department to administer this exam between 12 and 20 months after initial registration with an upper limit of 24 months;

• The outcome must be reported to the School of Graduate Studies as “pass with distinction”, “pass” or “fail” using the form listed below;

• Reserve rooms and audio visual equipment and send confirmation notice to the student and the committee;

• Status Change & Online Forms; • Comprehensive results to be recorded on Graduate Student Transcript.

Master’s Defenses

The permissible time for completion of a Master’s degree program is limited to three years from initial registration in the program. The thesis will be examined by a committee of not fewer than four members (including the supervisor and an examiner external to the supervisory committee). The time of the defense will be set by the Department Graduate Program Administrator usually during term 6 (August/September). After a successful examination and all requested changes have been made, ensure the student uploads the final e-thesis to MacSphere and submits the “Final Submission Thesis Sheet” and “License to McMaster” forms to SGS the deadline.

Confirm seminar • Using database, create a list of who needs to give a seminar;

5

series • Post sign-up sheet outside office and send email to students; • Prepare and email final list to students and faculty; • Post on website; • Order catering.

NSERC guidelines

• Post updates and internal deadlines on website; • E-mail graduate and 4th year undergraduate students (if applicable)

regarding department procedure and deadline.

Avenue to Learn for courses

All graduate students are required to pass the following courses to be “cleared to graduate”. Inform new students to register through Student Online Academic Registration (MOSAIC) and complete as soon as possible. For SGS 101# (Academic Research Integrity and Ethics) & SGS 201# (AODA training) students must enroll in these courses through MOSAIC and the courses can be found on Avenue to Learn: http://avenue.mcmaster.ca/?logout=1

Follow up on doctoral committee meetings

If a PhD student doesn’t have a meeting in the academic year (September 1 to August 31), SGS will penalize the program by $8,000 scholarship allocation.

• check database/spreadsheets and follow up with students by email; • collect, copy and send original supervisory committee form to SGS;

A copy of the Ph.D. Supervisory Committee Meeting Report can be found on the School of Graduate Studies website under resources for faculty and staff: https://gs.mcmaster.ca/resources

Term 1 course evaluations

• If you plan to use the MedSIS online course evaluation system administered by the Health Sciences Graduate Studies office, please submit a list of term 1 courses to [email protected] so they can be scheduled.

• Lime Survey, Survey Monkey, paper forms (must be kept for 7 years)

http://avenue.mcmaster.ca/?logout=1

https://gs.mcmaster.ca/resources


6

SEPTEMBER


Checking for students that didn’t arrive

• Contact SGS to let them know students who won’t be joining the University; Make sure they are not on payroll and that they have not enrolled

Checking registrations

• Use MOSAIC to track students who have yet to register fully; Path: Main Menu-Campus Solutions- Records and Enrollment- Student Records Queries – SGS Queries – SGS Term Enrolment Report

• Students should have enrolled for all three terms • Clear admissions conditions.

Students select their courses

During Orientation: • Advise students they must select courses with the guidance of their

supervisors; • Go through the procedures for selecting courses on MOSAIC

Adding permissions for courses

• Grant course permissions using MOSAIC Path: Main Menu – Campus Solutions – Records and Enrollment – Term Processing – Class Permissions – Class Permissions)

Drop and add for courses

• Notify all students of sessional drop and add dates.

Photos - HSC ID badges

• Book a time with HR and send out a notice for students to come and get their badges;

Applicable to new students

SGS 101 and 201

• Give new students deadline of December to complete the courses; • Following up with those that haven’t completed the courses.


Health and Safety • Let students know at Orientation they must complete online Health and Safety testing (i.e. WHMIS, Fire Safety, Slips Trips and Falls, etc.). Testing done through A2L

• Students must sign up for H&S courses through MOSAIC (HR- Self Service – Learning and Development – Session Time and Status)

• Training matrix can be found at: http://www.workingatmcmaster.ca/eohss/training/matrix/

• Copies of tests need to be submitted to the program office


Job Hazard Analysis form

• Completed with a TA supervisor (remember that it’s a course instructor or a designate, not a student’s research supervisor);

• Needs to be submitted to either the program office or the course supervisor who will then deliver it to the program office.

• A link to the JHA portal can be found here: http://www.workingatmcmaster.ca/eohss/prevention/job-hazard/index.php

http://www.workingatmcmaster.ca/eohss/training/matrix/

http://www.workingatmcmaster.ca/eohss/prevention/job-hazard/index.php

http://www.workingatmcmaster.ca/eohss/prevention/job-hazard/index.php

7

Following up with students that graduate in November

• Ensure students have completed all necessary course requirements; • Remind students to check for outstanding accounts; • Ensure convocation list is correct.

MSc transfers to PhD

• Follow up with students that attended the MSc transfers to PhD Lunch and Learn;

• Schedule transfers before December for a January effective date.

A Hours of Work Form Signed by instructor & TA

A meeting between each teaching assistant and the instructor must be held within 5 business days of the commencement of the employee’s duties in the applicable academic term. At this meeting, the employment supervisor will describe the work to be done, giving details, including details about the nature, number and scheduling of specific assignments and the estimated hours of work each will involve. Following this discussion, the Teaching Assistant Hours of Work Assignment form must be completed, signed and submitted to the head of the academic unit.

• Collect signed forms (within 2 weeks); • Keep originals on file; • Make copies for CUPE, Supervisor and Student; • Send TA list and copies of the Hours of Work form to Health Sciences

Graduate Studies (MDCL 2235) and they will forward them to CUPE 3906 (KTH, room B111)

Scholarship info session

Usually provided by SGS to graduate program administrative staff. Information session for graduate students may also be available.

Governor General (due October)

Notify faculty/scholarship committee.

Bio sheets • Solicit a bio from incoming students and bio updates from continuing students;

• Alternatively, ask students to populate the A2L program virtual office with their bio information.

Committee meetings

Schedule regular Advisory Committee meetings for Winter-Spring (assuming fall meetings were successfully scheduled in July)

GSA travel awards

Awarded three times a year. Check the GSA website for details and deadline dates: https://gsamcmaster.org/travel-grants/

CIHR doctoral Send guidelines and due date to the faculty and students.

Vanier letter of intent

Due early September.

https://gsamcmaster.org/travel-grants/

8

Prepare for weekly seminar series

E-mail and post announcement, evaluation forms.

Fall Newsletter Consider sending around a “newsletter” type email to participating faculty regarding current program enrollment, changes to the website, application deadlines for the year, and any other instructions or news that seems relevant.

Recruitment Review and update recruitment and application materials including forms on MOSAIC, and website.

Grad Calendar – curriculum and program changes

• Anticipate SGS deadline for curriculum, courses, grad calendar changes; get in touch with course coordinators, advisory committee, etc., as needed;

• Send draft of the calendar copy to Faculty for review; • Send notice to Faculty asking if there are any changes to courses or

curriculum; • Course change forms and curriculum change forms need to be

completed (for any changes and new courses); • Schedule Curriculum Committee meeting to review and approve new

and course changes, complete the forms; • Send completed and internally approved forms to SGS; • Follow up with SGS re: Graduate Program Curriculum Committee (GPCC)

approval.

9

OCTOBER


Next September admissions

Open MOSAIC as the deadline for completed applications is approaching: Path: Main Menu - Campus Solutions - Set Up SACR – Product Related – Recruitment & Admission – Application Configuration – McMaster OLA Set up – Online Application Controls

Insert date applicable to your program

Drop date for half and quarter courses

Final dates to delete courses (courses on a student‘s record after this date will require a grade)

Start 5 month budget reviews

If applicable to your position, you will receive information package from FHS Finance: follow their instructions.

FHS open house preparation

• Update recruitment brochure, print more, if needed;

• Call for Student Ambassadors and faculty volunteers for the FHS event;

• If your program is planning their own Open House, please have a handout with the date of the Faculty wide Open House to distribute during your event;

• During this season, SGS does off-campus recruiting for graduate programs and may request promotional materials. Review materials that you want to provide them with and print copies for distribution.

November count • Confirm all BIU eligible students for Ministry of Education November count. Work with SGS Records Supervisor if any adjustments are needed.

Supervisory committee meetings

• Let supervisors of new students know that they must establish a supervisory committee for their students by early March (within 6 month deadline specified in the Grad Calendar) – refer to the School of Graduate Studies Calendar for guidelines on who may sit on these committees and their responsibilities

• Remind current supervisors (for all students) that they must hold at least one supervisory committee meeting per year and no later than June.

Admissions meetings for January start

Set up admissions meeting with admissions chair and other relevant parties to review applications.

Fall Convocation Check the list sent by SGS: if there are any discrepancies or students that do not appear on the list, SGS needs to be notified ASAP. Ensure primary supervisor and committee members are correct in Mosaic.

10

Admission process

• Survey faculty members re: who’s willing to supervise new students next September and confirm supervisory support;

• Update info on website: additions, attritions and graduates. Collect incoming student bios, photo, and photo release form.

• Work with SGS Admissions Officers to ensure all conditions are cleared for incoming cohort and “Clear to Graduate” is captured in MOSAIC.

GPCC/GCPC Review items with Assistant Dean or Director of your graduate program and submit to Graduate Secretary to be put forward for curriculum corrections, or courses for cross listing, etc.

CIHR Master & PhD award guidelines & Travel bursaries

Send out notice to students regarding eligibility, application process and key dates.

P.E. Trudeau Scholarship

Calculate 1st and 2nd year GPA’s to determine if any students meet the academic criteria. Review research topics, to further narrow the selection. Submit nomination letter to SGS Scholarships.

FHS Open House • HSGS will contact you to confirm if your program will participate in the Open House;

• Prepare materials and handouts; • Schedule staffing of the table/booth; • Contact HSGS for any information regarding the event

([email protected]).

NOVEMBER


November 1st count

• Ensure changes are reflected in the system

CIHR, QEII • Send guidelines and due dates; • Ensure internal deadline is ahead of the final deadline; • Collect applications, signatures, documentation

Textbook and courseware orders for January courses

Contact McMaster Campus Store and order textbooks for Winter term at least six (6) weeks prior to the start of the course(s).

Winter course planning

• Room bookings • Course permissions/waivers • Course support (outlines, intro info, etc.)

Fall Convocation • Plan any social events as required; • Send graduants the Alumni website link re: keeping email, information,

etc.; • Move graduant files to Alumni; • Add graduants to Alumni email distribution list.


11

Comprehensive exams

• Review who is due for their exams; • Send a reminder to students and their supervisors; • Attach comp exam guidelines; • Start scheduling individual exams.

Term 1 grade process

• Send reminder and instructions on how to use the online grading system to all instructors.

• Address any end of course extensions, etc.

End of term processing

• Overall course evaluations.

SGS 101 & 201 • Ensure all students have completed these courses. Students will be blocked from future enrollment without completion of this.

12

DECEMBER


New Grad Students

• Prepare for their arrival - have ‘Welcome’ packages ready; • Determine their office location, if applicable; • Add to database.




January payroll • Enter payroll into SGS Administrative Tools database by deadline; • Inform new students about payroll process and dates; • Ensure students have completed the T forms.

January TAs – check if there are any changes

If there are changes, complete payroll change forms.

MSc CIHR award – internal deadline

• Follow SGS instructions; • Keep copies for your program files.

Avenue to Learn for January courses

Set up courses.

Course registration for January courses

• Notify students of drop/add date; • Update any class distribution lists; • Ensure all students have completed SGS 101/201 courses and advise if not.

Grade submission for term 1

• The School of Graduate Studies will send an email to all graduate administrators. You will be asked to forward the email to all faculty members and assist faculty with any issues that might arise.

Admissions • Monitor admissions submissions; • Prepare documents for Admissions Review committee meeting.

Marketing/Recruiting

• Send or follow up with advertising for program recruitment.


13

JANUARY


Orientation for new students

Organize orientation meeting with Administrator or department/program Assistant Dean/Director for overview of the program and requirements. Prepare packages for new students including:

• Department handbook • Progress tracking sheet • Deposit form • Tax forms • Health & Safety training documentation • Copy of Supervision Guidelines for Faculty and Students • Scholarship information • Validation stickers

Provide all incoming students with student tracking sheet to be completed with their supervisor. Assign desks and mail boxes for new students.

Most likely, this is a smaller scale Orientation than one in September due to fewer numbers of new admissions in the majority of FHS programs.

14

Check payroll for January admissions

• Note that the amounts payable to the students starting in January (and May) will be different from the numbers in their offer letters as they will be prorated to 2 terms (1 term in May);

• Also note that amounts payable and listed in SGS Administrative Tools will not represent exact 2/3 of 1/3 of students’ annual scholarships as some one-time fees will not be prorated;

• Contact each faculty member to advise of support amounts and request account number to charge;

• Process payroll for new admissions in the SGS Administrative Tools before the deadline specified by SGS;

• Print off “Individual Financial Support Information” form and have the faculty supervisor authorize research scholarship payments;

• Make copies for your own records and send originals with the supervisors’ signatures to FHS or Research Finance for approval;

• Check SGS Administrative Tools that all research accounts are approved; if pending, follow up with FHS or Research Finance;

• Check that all funding components, e.g. scholarships, TA, are offered in correct terms;

• Review total commitment of SGS scholarship, departmental scholarship, and TA (make sure that some funds are available for May start students and remember that in addition to TA salary the account is charged 13% for fringe benefits);

• Keep in mind that 20% of SGS scholarship allocation (i.e. 9-account) is eligible for carryover for the next year, additional 15% can be transferred to TA account in the spring.

Remember that your SGS scholarship account may have 20% of total allocation carryover by August 31.

New students select their courses

• Students select their courses based on program requirements and discussions with their supervisor;

• Add permissions through MOSAIC, if required. Call UTS & SGS records if you require authorization to be set up.

Funding ending reminder

Email reminders to all 2nd year Masters and 4th PhD students and their supervisors that their funding will be ending in August.

Drop and add End of January is final date to drop and add courses • Send reminder to students; • After the final dates to delete courses passes, courses on a student‘s

record after this date will require a grade.

CIHR Masters due to SGS

Applications due to SGS.

15

Ontario Women’s Health Scholarship

Applications due to SGS.

9-month budget review

• Determine part time teaching requirements for next year; • Work on forecast for current year; • Preparing budget for next year consider enrolment forecasts.

Program specific Open House

Organize rooms, times, faculty and student hosts:

• If you have one, bring program banner, pamphlets, brochures, info sheet with interesting facts.

• A laptop is helpful to access the program website.

• Provide mints, or pens, or some type of giveaway item.

• Invite your Health Sciences Graduate Student Ambassadors to attend the event.

• Remember that first impressions matter during these brief encounters so smile with enthusiasm.

• Be prepared to answer pointed questions about the campus environment, faculty supervisors, course offerings menu, TA/RAships, anticipated intake numbers, off campus housing, degree completion length, student services available.

• Keep track of how many inquiries were made and from what level of students to determine the success of the event.

• Note what works well vs. what doesn’t for the following year.

16

Application deadline for September

• Review all completed applications, indicate process in MOSAIC (Status: Complete);

• Follow up with any applicants who have some items from their package missing, find out whether or not they still intend to apply; remind them of the deadline date.

• Prepare all completed applications for review by the department entrance/admissions committee. Check specifics with your committee re: what information they require for review, i.e. GPA calculations, ranking spreadsheet, etc.; input all information into Excel

• Set Admissions Committee meeting;

• Once application review is complete, send decline letters to any students who will not be receiving an offer and/or change their status on MOSAIC;

• Continue working on applications that are admissible according to your program/departmental policies, e.g. advise students to start looking for supervisors, or send email to potential supervisor identified during the Admissions meeting, along with memo of commitment to support @ 8K x 4 years, make status changes on MOSAIC, advise faculty members that potential students’ applications are now available and encourage them to review the files;

• Review what you will offer to new students in terms of funding with the Assistant Dean/Director of your graduate program and, if applicable, your program Executive Committee. Finalize the following values based on your next year funding:

- Graduate scholarship - Departmental scholarship, if any - Entrance scholarship, if any (paid from either 9- or 2-

accounts); - Tuition bursary, if any; - TAship - Research scholarship - Any other types of stipends your program may offer, e.g.

Thesis Fellowship, transfer bonus, etc., including external awards and full sponsorships

- Clarify if a student wins a major award whether it changes his/her funding (supervisors have an option of withdrawing their research scholarship, graduate scholarship is not offered, etc.);

- Communicate the final funding scheme to your program faculty members;

- Complete the Department Recommendation, sign off and hand deliver to SGS together with original application supporting documents for the Admissions Officer to review and release the Letter of Offer.

May vary depending on the program.

17

FEBRUARY


FHS Plenary preparation - abstracts and award lists

• FHS Plenary program abstract submissions and award nominations (Excellence Award, Outstanding Achievement Award, and Outstanding Thesis Award) are due to FHS Graduate Office in March – start prepping the information for review.

• Send out reminder emails to students to participate in FHS Plenary. • Review awards available and provide information to Supervisors. • Facilitate letters of support and ensure applications are complete. • Materials may be submitted by email to [email protected].

Ontario Trillium The awards are open to prospective incoming international doctoral students ($40,000 per year, renewable for total of four years). Each program may submit ONE nomination package to SGS; early March deadline.

CAGS The CAGS/UMI Distinguished Dissertation Awards recognize Canadian doctoral dissertations that make unusually significant and original contributions to their academic field. Dissertations in any discipline in the fine arts, humanities and social sciences completed and accepted by SGS between January and December are eligible. Nomination package sent to SGS (Late February deadline).

Thesis Defense • Send reminder notices of thesis defenses, if any; • Schedule/confirm thesis defense; • Schedule external examiner; • Prepare paperwork for Chair of thesis defense; • Submit paperwork to SGS; • Send reminders to all at the beginning of February of the Defence

Deadlines in the SGS Calendar regarding spring convocation (must initiate the defence process by mid Feb to complete for spring convocation)

Students finishing their program

• Letters to be sent to students who are scheduled to complete their program by the end of August 31st

• Students who do not plan to be finished by this time, notification that they will no longer receive funding

• Schedule meeting with student to discuss their plan for finishing with Assistant Dean/Director of your graduate program

Alternatively see Funding Ending Reminder in January

Applications/ recommendations

• Check deadline date for applications in MOSAIC and change if extended past initial deadline. Submit recommendations as they come up for Fall admissions (or spring admissions if you have them)

Internal Scholarships and Travel Awards

• Deadlines to submit recommended candidates for Travel Awards is late Feb and for Internal Scholarships is early March.

• Collect/review rank any applications received at the department level


19

MARCH


Determine TA vacancies for September

• Review TA list for students who are finished; • Confirm how many new TAs positions are available; • Provide information to Admissions Committee.

Thesis Fellowships

Ask PhD students in their final year if they would like to have their ½ TA substituted by Thesis Fellowship.

• This would allow us to re-assign their ½ TA • It would also give the student a chance to concentrate on research or

preparation of their thesis. TF will be processed in payroll as the departmental scholarship.

If offered by the program.

Notices to transferring students and defending

• Prepare paperwork for Master’s defenses. Final submission will not be considered complete without the following documentation. All forms must be submitted to SGS, Thesis Coordinator (GH-212).

- Final Thesis Submission Sheet - McMaster University License - Copyright Permission Form (if applicable)

• Forms: https://graduate.mcmaster.ca/resources • Prepare paperwork for transfers. • SGS Administrative Tools: https://pgssv.mcmaster.ca/sgslogin/Login.aspx

• Status change and online forms • Status change; Go • Proceed with PhD studies without obtaining a Master’s degree • Signatures (Student, Supervisor and Grad Advisor) • Submit form to SGS, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies (Health Sciences)

(GH-212)

Notices about committee meetings, scholarly papers to students

• All 1st year students should have a Supervisory Committee in place by now; follow up with Supervisors, as necessary;

• Remind students of Supervisory Committee meetings due date.

Textbook ordering for April courses

Contact McMaster Campus Store and order textbooks for Spring/Summer term at least six (6) weeks prior to the start of the course(s).

Research grants year end

Hooker Fellowship

Harry Lyman Hooker Senior Fellowship deadline (nomination letter, 1 student)

https://graduate.mcmaster.ca/resources


20

APRIL


Offers go out Admissions committee interviews and recommends selected students for admission to the program. Faculty members inform you that they want to take a student. Make recommendation on the SGS Administrative Tools under Departmental Recommendation at: https://pgssv.mcmaster.ca/sgslogin/Login.aspx Prepare Offer package and deliver to Admissions and Recruitment Officers in SGS (GH 212):

• PDF of MOSAIC application • Printout of recommendation form the SGS recommendation tool • Statement of Interest • 2 reference letters • all original transcripts • TOEFL score, if applicable • CV

Monitor MOSAIC for acceptance, declination and non-responded offers.

Grade submission for term 2

• The School of Graduate Studies will send an email to all graduate administrators. You will be asked to forward the email to all faculty members and assist faculty with any issues that might arise.

FHS Plenary Chosen plenary poster(s) and oral abstract submissions are due into the Health Sciences Graduate Studies Office. Abstracts should be sent via email to [email protected].

New students starting in May –applicable to few programs

• Update SGS Administrative Tools database for any students starting in May;

• Update ‘space audit’ in preparation for any new students arriving in May;

• Prepare orientation packages; • See August and January for more details.

International Excellence Award (IEA)

• The Associate Dean of Graduate Studies (Health Sciences) will receive allocation information from SGS and will distribute to students based on financial need and year of study in a doctoral program.

Committee meetings check and follow up

• Ensure that all annual Supervisory committee meetings have been scheduled or completed and paperwork filed with SGS;

• For more details on Doctoral Supervisory Committee Meetings see August.



21

MSc transferring to PhD

• Last chance for students in the 2nd year of an MSc program to transfer to Ph.D. without completing their Masters.

• Timelines vary by program, but students still enrolled in a Master’s thesis program beyond 22 months must complete the degree requirements including the thesis prior to admission to the PhD program;

• Send email to faculty asking if any of their 1st year Master’s students are preparing to transfer to the PhD program by September;

• If so, try to schedule their exam early in August so they will be transferred by September 1st and will count in the November 1st count as a PhD student;

• If they successfully transfer by September 1st, they may be eligible to TA (some programs); this will assist the program when allocating TAs.

Michael DeGroote Doctoral Scholarship of Excellence

• Scholarship to encourage MSc students who are making excellent progress with their project and desire to continue onwards for a PhD degree to consider transferring directly into PhD degree without defending their MSc

• All students successfully transferred to PhD program for September 2016 and 2017 will be considered for the Michael DeGroote Doctoral Scholarship of Excellence. Look here for more details:

• Send information to all students and for those who intend on transferring, review applications

• Organize a committee meeting to select candidates • When your program identifies an applicant that you would like to

nominate, please forward their application file to [email protected]. The Associate Dean of Graduate Studies (Health Sciences) and the Health Sciences Graduate Studies Manager will review and if acceptable, approve the applicant.

Financial year-end Ensure all Journal Entries and payments have been completed by fiscal year end (April 30).

Research days/symposiums

Work on any reservations/food orders/poster submissions, communication, etc., for any plenaries/symposiums/research days your department may have coming up in the summer.

CIHR doctoral awards announced

Send instructions to students and their supervisors.


22

NSERC awards announced

Send instructions to students and their supervisors. Log into the Research Portal often to view students in your department who were successful in winning an NSERC award https://portal-portail.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/s/login.aspx Students in your program must apply by the deadline specified in the email from SGS – Departments are to encourage the student to apply to the program before the deadline




https://portal-portail.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/s/login.aspx


23

MAY


FHS Plenary • Initial notices sent out in February/March for distribution to programs’ faculty and students;

• Programs submit Program Award winners and poster and oral abstracts in March/early April; reminders sent out about all poster and oral sessions (3 days) and Awards Reception (end May)

May start for new students

see August and January for details

Committee membership review

Enter faculty contributions data into MacFACTS. The deadline for all MacFACTS entries is 4 weeks after completion of the academic year (June 30th), so entries are due at the end of July.

Convocation • Confirm list provided by SGS • Confirm details of convocation celebration including food and slideshow

presentation (for those programs who offer reception to students & families) • Update database post-Convocation

Student record review

Review current students’ course registration and marks (to assess time-to-completion concerns, transfers, defences, replacement intake, etc.)

Schedule transfer exams

• Reminders re: students transferring Master’s to PhD (time limit of no later than 22 months after registration in Master’s);

• Organize and sent out notices (Change of Status effective as of next term start)

PhD committee meetings

Send reminder to students and supervisors who have yet to hold mandatory annual meeting (must be held before August 31)

Comp Exams • Held for those students that entered in May of the current year & any January retakes;

• Update database when comps are complete.

Seminar room reservations

• Confirm upcoming course offerings with instructors, and any program-specific workshops; reserve rooms and notify/post offerings

Admissions Finalize incoming student list for September. Need to send them emails about the upcoming academic year (registration, orientation, on-site activities, etc.)

24

JUNE


Archiving and filing

• June should be a quieter month - follow up on any archiving/filing that you have put off in the busier previous months;

• Set up/update spreadsheets, forms, materials for Fall; • Review program files, materials, handbooks, etc. for the next academic

year; • If needed, do a bulk shred.

Scheduling Masters defences

• Remind all 2nd Year Masters students their funding is running out and schedule their defence meetings as Thesis draft approvals are received from Supervisors;

• Book Chairs for the meetings; • Prepare defence paperwork for the Chair and e-mail them instructions,

paperwork and room booking information before the defence date.

Petition/Status Changes etc

• All petitions and status changes are due to Records in The School of Graduate Studies by the end of June

TA for September • Start to organize a list of TA opportunities for students for the Fall; • Identify those students eligible for a TA • According to the TA Collective Agreement, all assignments available to

TAs must be posted; emailing the TA assignments will suffice or directing them to the FHS website where the postings are posted: http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/grad/student_resources.html

• In the week following the posting, students may indicate their preferences in writing.

Confirm grad course offerings (Fall) & Course Scheduling

• Prompt students regarding MOSAIC registration dates and importance of registering early for heavily enrolled classes;

• Follow up with Faculty members teaching courses to ensure they will be offered this year and in which term.

• Ensure that courses will be available on MOSAIC (e-mail SGS Student Records details of upcoming courses if you haven't already done so);

• Add courses to program website • Existing courses – scheduled by program offices who can add offers,

instructors, opening/closing of classes Path: Curriculum Management – Schedule of Classes – Maintain Schedule of Classes

• New courses will be added to course catalog in early June

Term 2 grades follow up

• All grades need to be in; • SGS will send a memo asking for any outstanding marks.

MacFACTS entries deadline

The deadline for all MacFACTS entries is 4 weeks after completion of the academic year (June 30th), so entries are due at the end of July.

http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/grad/student_resources.html

25

Overtime Students & Out of Time Registration Requests

• Decisions need to be made about the students who are going to be considered overtime in September;

• SGS will send registration request forms for overtime students;

- The full-time Master’s degree is limited to three years (9 terms) from their initial registration in the regular program;

- The part-time Master’s degree is limited to five years (15 terms) from their initial registration;

- The full-time Ph.D. degree is limited to six years (18 terms) from their initial registration in the regular doctoral program;

- The part-time Ph.D. degree is limited to eight years (24 terms) from their initial registration;

- Those students, who start as full-time, but switch to part-time partway through their program, are still bound by full-time limits.

• Students who are overtime will be “withdrawn in good standing due to time limit” as of August 31 and will not be allowed to register for September.

• Students who complete all program requirements and successfully defend and submit their thesis to the School of Graduate studies by the Final Date to Submit Masters/PhD deadline (varies year to year from SGS) should not register for the next academic session.

• The Supervisor can make a formal written request to the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies (Health Sciences) to request that the student be able to register in September. Completed forms must be received by SGS by June 30. The recommendation should be based on whether the student is likely to finish all requirements (including the submission of the successfully defended thesis to digital commons) by December 31.

• Under the current regulations, if a student who is “withdrawn in good standing” is re-admitted for the purpose of defending a thesis, they are required to pay the tuition equivalent to one term at the part-time level 5 rate at the time of the re-admission. This is non-refundable.

Graduation Processing

• Identify any of your currently enrolled students who will be attending the Fall convocation

• All Students who are not yet approved for graduation should have their status updated to eligible. Then they can be excluded from term activation

Path in MOSAIC: Campus Solutions – Records and Enrollment – Graduation – Graduation Processing

Instructions are emailed to admins by the School of Graduate Studies

Recruit new HSGS Student Ambassadors

• Given that some of your Student Ambassadors might be leaving at the end of this term, a replacement will need to be selected

• The Application form and instructors will be sent to you via email by the Health Sciences Graduate Studies office

26

JULY


Update website • Courses for upcoming academic year

Registration for September

Financial and academic

Setting up payroll • Finalize student financial support arrangements, including account numbers from which students will be paid their stipends (incoming and continuing) as the "SGS Financial Support to Students Online System" normally closes at the end of August. These commitments require both the Faculty account holder signature, as well as their respective FHS or GH Research Financial Officer’s signatures.

• Distribute the funds to departments for their faculty members’ contributions, along with a memo outlining the contributions made (along with any other desired updates on the program for department chairs) – optional depending on the program.

Organizing orientation

• Reserve rooms – Fall orientation, HR (id badges) • Confirm date - welcome BBQ • Confirm speakers – Chair/Director • Prepare handbook and presentation for the orientation

Committee meetings Schedule advisory committee meetings for late September, mid-October, December or January

Course registration On-time course registration begins – students should register ASAP

Vanier award announcement

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS) Doctoral Competition is available and sent to Graduate Administrators from SGS

• Distribute information broadly to students for application

Banting Award Announcement

Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship Competition is available and sent to Graduate Administrators from SGS

• Distribute information broadly to students for application

Internal Prestige Awards

Applications due to SGS for Internal Prestige Awards.

Travel Grant SGS travel grant in aid of research, applications due to SGS.

Course timetable

Finalize timetable, post online for student access.

27

Post TA Assignments Students Sign-up

• By August 1 (per CUPE contract), post the TA Assignments; • Students get to indicate their preferences in courses ; • Use the timetable for instructors; • Check MOSAIC for anticipated enrolment; • Assign TAs according to CUPE collective agreement and

your departmental procedures; • Send a memo to the students when it is posted.

HSGS will post the undergrad positions available to graduate students each year. This only applies if you are posting a TA position in your graduate program. If unsure of what you need to do, contact HSGS at [email protected]


28

Ongoing MacFACTS entries

Need to be completed by the end of July.

Seminars, Lunch and Learns

Program monthly meetings

Flexible and Occasional Program retreat

Student surveys, focus groups

fhs graduate program calendar template monthly summary of … · 2017-12-07 · 1 . fhs graduate...

Documents