Message to Graduate Students from the Graduate College

By now, you have received several messages about the University's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including one sent from Radford University President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D. to the entire campus community on Monday, March 23, 2020. These messages have addressed academic instruction, grading, and University services; you can access a complete archive of that communication online.

The College of Graduate Studies and Research (Graduate College) is reaching out to you with additional information that is relevant to you as a graduate student.

Graduate College Offices

As of Tuesday, March 24, 2020, Graduate College offices, located in Buchanan Hall on the Radford campus, remain open. Graduate College staff are operating at a reduced level to allow some staff to work remotely. If at all possible, we ask that in-person business be conducted by email, phone, or Zoom. If you need to speak with someone in the Graduate College, please call ahead to make sure the person you need to talk with is available, or leave a message. Staff members who are working remotely will be checking voice mail regularly.

Paperwork

Most paperwork that must be submitted to the Graduate College can be sent by email. Email confirmation can serve as a substitute for any signatures that are required. Alternatively, the Graduate College also maintains a dropbox to collect forms or documents. The dropbox is located outside and immediately to the left of Buchanan House's main entrance. If you drop off materials, please be sure to notify the appropriate Graduate College staff member that you have left documents in the dropbox.

Clinical and Professional Placements

We have received many questions regarding clinical and professional placements affected by cancellations and closures. In general, these issues will be handled at the academic program level. At this time, it is not known how these cancellations may affect pending spring graduations. In many cases, these requirements are dictated by external agencies or governing bodies, and are being considered by those organizations. Please check with your program faculty or department chair in relation to these types of questions. If you are required to complete clinical or professional placement hours, you will be afforded an opportunity to do so at the earliest possible point in time.

Grades for Graduate Courses

President Hemphill's March 23, 2020 message to students, faculty and staff indicated that students will be allowed to opt into a Pass/Fail (P/F) grade for Spring 2020 courses. This option applies only to undergraduates. The grading system for graduate courses will remain unchanged. If you are enrolled in a course for which you were to receive a letter grade, you will still be evaluated using the letter-grade system. If you were enrolled in a course for which you were to be graded on a P/F basis, you will still be evaluated in that capacity. Consult the Graduate Academic Catalog for more information about policies governing grades, including incomplete ("I") grades. (Be sure that you select the appropriate graduate catalog year; typically, your catalog year corresponds to the year you matriculated into your graduate program.)

Thesis and Dissertation Defenses

Final drafts of theses and dissertations must be submitted to the Graduate College editor by May 1, and all defenses for theses and dissertations also must take place by May 1. As such, you may want to schedule your defense prior to May 1 to ensure that any changes your committee asks you to make can be completed by the May 1 final draft deadline. Any changes to the draft the Graduate College editor requires must be made by May 22. The Graduate College is committed to supporting all students to the extent that we are able. Therefore, if you anticipate not being able to meet these deadlines, please email Teri Hills at thills2@radford.edu to request an accommodation.

Hooding and Commencement

We recognize that hooding and commencement are highly anticipated events for graduate students and their families. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hooding and commencement exercises for May 2020 will take place with the December 2020 hooding and commencement ceremonies. We understand how disappointing this may be, but our and your collective health needs are of paramount importance. Please note, though, that if you are scheduled to graduate this May, you will still receive an email from the Graduate College requesting information from you. Your timely response ensures that your information will appear correctly in the December 2020 commencement program.

Spring Semester 2020 Three-Minute Thesis Competition 
The Three-Minute Thesis Competition scheduled for April 22, 2020 has been postponed until the fall. More information will be shared about the competition in the coming months.

For many, this is an unsettling time, but please know that the Graduate College is here to support you, and we wish you the best.

Message sent on behalf of the College of Graduate Studies and Research (Graduate College)