On May 16, President Trump announced that the Administration is crafting a new “merit-based” immigration system that aims to significantly alter the recruitment and retention of those seeking U.S. visas. One of the stated goals of the proposal is to increase the number of highly-educated and highly-skilled international students and workers.

“CGS is committed to working with the Administration to ensure that the U.S. remains a competitive choice for international students. This is the second consecutive year we’ve seen a decline in application and first-time enrollment rates of international students at our member institutions. We also support efforts to retain their talent domestically,” said Suzanne Ortega, President of the Council of Graduate Schools.

CGS is, however, concerned that the proposal currently excludes a path forward for Dreamers. Also concerning is the potential adverse effect the proposal may have on the visa process for families and individuals seeking asylum.

“We remain steadfast in support of Dreamers and will continue to urge Congress to pass legislation that gives them an opportunity to become U.S. citizens. Additionally, we simply need more information about the Administration’s plan and the exact impact it would have on these stakeholder groups and our higher education system.”

As a first-year doctoral student in anthropology at Colorado State University, Ray Sumner believes public outreach and public archaeology are important aspects of his research. Sumner’s doctoral project is a multifaceted, interdisciplinary approach that relies on geography, archaeology, and history methods to better understand the 1865 Sacking of Julesburg, an event that succeeded the Sand Creek Massacre in which many Cheyenne and Arapaho people were killed.

Sumner uses traditional archaeological methods, such as excavation, but also employs emerging technologies, such as, aerial drone mapping, ground-penetrating radar, and thermal imaging to locate the lost stage stations, ranches, Indian camps and villages that are associated with this time period. He hopes his work will also serve as a rural economic development tool for heritage tourism in the area. Sumner says that, “Through my research process what I hope to achieve is for the Cheyenne and Arapaho to reclaim their agency and have people not just focus on the darkest days in Colorado’s history.”  He is in the process of initiating tribal consultation with a number of Native American tribal governments this summer and looks forward to incorporating their perspectives, voices, and concerns into his research.

Sumner was recently named a VPR Graduate Student Fellow at Colorado State and received the Innovation in Liberal Arts award at this year’s CSU Ventures Demo Day. In addition to his studies, Mr. Sumner is involved with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the American Legion, after serving 22-years in the United States Army. He’s the current Commander of Post 1879 of the American Legion and the President of the Colorado American Legion Press Association (COALPA). To learn more about Ray’s work visit the Colorado State University website.

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Charlene Higgins, a graduate student in the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire, has worked with the Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success (ORIS) for several years. ORIS, an ethnic community-based organization, aims to aid refugees resettled in New Hampshire and help them become self-sufficient. Higgins’s familiarity and passion for the work translated into her Master in Community Development capstone project.

The New American Sustainable Agriculture Project (NASAP), a program within ORIS, assists new Americans by helping them, “build sustainable farm enterprises that are consistent with their culture and lifestyle aspirations and that strengthen regional, sustainable food systems as a whole.” Higgins’s capstone project included helping the NASAP farmers increase their impact by providing technical assistance and training with an end goal of “effective co-op management and access to consistent, secure and profitable markets.”

“The co-op farmers are [now] equipped with additional tools, skills and knowledge to help them successfully reach their self-defined goals within the co-op, and within their communities,” Higgins says. “My education has benefited my work by providing me with the understanding that unique individuals-- with unique cultural backgrounds, life-histories, and personalities-- will have different self-defined needs, desires, and priorities.” To learn more about Charlene’s work visit the University of New Hampshire website.

Visit the GradImpact Feature Gallery to learn more about the amazing, innovative research being done by graduate students and alumni across the world.

Photo Credit: Charlene Higgins

Truong Xuan Tran’s academic path has been defined by transition. He began his undergraduate career as an electronic and telecommunications engineering student at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology in Vietnam. In 2010, he decided to make two important life changes: to attend graduate school in the United States and to change his research area to computer science. He would need to learn a new discipline and academic culture simultaneously.

Both of Tran’s decisions paid off, however. He thrived in his master’s program in computer science at Arkansas State University, so much so, that he was accepted into a doctoral program in computer science at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). Positive mentorship has eased Tran’s transition into doctoral work. His advisor, Ramazan Aygun, is a leading computer scientist in the field of protein crystallization and has co-written academic papers with Tran and invited him to present alongside him at conferences.

“Protein crystallization is a difficult process where thousands of trials may need to be set up for a successful crystalline outcome," Aygun noted. Computer models can speed these trials but may introduce errors. Aygun and Tran have introduced a novel decision-tree classifier – “else-tree” – that reduces the misclassification of data samples by labeling them as undecided instead of misidentifying them as another class. “The key point of the else-tree is that it postpones difficult data to classify by sending them to its else branch until a good attribute can classify those samples,” Tran concluded.

Though their collaboration has already proved fruitful, Tran and Aygun have an ambitious forthcoming research agenda. “We plan to investigate the proposed algorithm on other types of problems such as multi-class classification," says Tran. "We will examine the effectiveness of our method on other datasets. Especially, we will work on improving the else-tree to reduce the percentage of undecided samples while keeping the error minimum by working on other datasets." To learn more about Tran’s work visit The University of Alabama in Huntsville website.

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Photo Credit: Truong Xuan Tran

As a doctoral candidate in environmental epidemiology at the University of Wisconsin—Madison, Amy Schultz studies the effects environmental factors have on our health. She is currently a leading research assistant on the CREATE: Cumulative Risks, Early Development, and Emerging Academic Trajectories project, which studies how children develop in their environments and seeks to identify sources of stress in preschool-aged children.

CREATE, a research study conducted by the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin (SHOW), uses a Language Environment Analysis (LENA) device that measures the number of words spoken between the parent and child to learn more about the child’s role in conversation. In addition, data that measure air quality, noise levels, and stress hormones are collected. While this particular study is small, researchers hope that it will establish the feasibility of conducting larger studies to better understand how children’s environments affect their learning and development. More information about how noise, air quality, and other environmental factors affect children’s health and development will help experts determine whether to develop interventions.

In developing the protocol for CREATE, Schultz took on a lot of responsibility, including training staff members and managing large amounts of data. “I learned a lot about how to efficiently train and prepare for going in the field, and then also I’ve learned how to be flexible and adapt, to be open to trial and error,” Shultz said. To learn more about Amy’s work visit the University of Wisconsin—Madison website.

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The Council of Graduate Schools has released its 2019-2020 Federal Policy Agenda, outlining CGS's federal policy principales and priorities impacting graduate education.

These include: 

• Preparing a 21st Century Workforce by Investing in Graduate Education

• Improving Tax Policies to Support Graduate Students, Employers, and Employees

• Strengthening the U.S. Role in the Global Community 

• Advancing Research and Innovation

• Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Katherine Hazelrigg, CGS: (202) 461-3888 / khazelrigg@cgs.nche.edu

Washington, DC — The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) has announced that Charles Ambler, currently associate provost and dean of the Graduate School at The University of Texas at El Paso, has been named the CGS Dean-in-Residence for 2019-2020.  Ambler has long been an advocate for diversity in graduate education, serving as a director of the McNair Scholars program at El Paso and leading a National Science Foundation (NSF) Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) grant in collaboration with Howard University. He is a member of the boards of CGS and the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

The CGS Dean-in-Residence program was created to infuse a campus-based perspective across a variety of the Council’s initiatives. The program offers an opportunity for graduate deans, associate, or assistant deans at member institutions to spend an academic year at CGS’s Washington D.C. office. Each year the CGS president selects one applicant to pursue projects aligned with the dean’s interests and the Council’s needs.

Dr. Ambler, a historian of Africa who has had visiting scholar appointments at universities in Africa and the United Kingdom, will help the Council build strategic relationships with graduate education leaders in sub-Saharan Africa. This work will support CGS’s broader goals of supporting diversity and inclusion and helping CGS members internationalize their campuses.

“Dr. Ambler has spent his academic career dedicated to student success, mentoring, and ensuring access to quality graduate education,” said CGS President Suzanne T. Ortega. “His expertise and leadership in African studies will help CGS members better understand the evolving place of sub-Saharan Africa in the global graduate education landscape.”

In accepting the appointment, Ambler noted that working at CGS represents “an exciting opportunity to combine my deep interests in both graduate studies and international education. The Council is an essential resource for anyone interested in graduate education, and I look forward to contributing to its mission.”

Ambler received his Ph.D. from Yale University and is author or editor of four books. In 2010, he served as president of the African Studies Association, the major professional organization for scholars, teachers, and practitioners with interests in Africa. He has served as dean at El Paso for fifteen years, during a period when UT El Paso reached R1 status. He will step down from the dean’s role and the CGS board in July; his Dean-in-Residence position begins on August 1.

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As an advocate for women and diversity in the science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) fields, Rebecca Long hopes to encourage more women to go into these areas. “It’s really important for me to encourage more women,” Long said. “We need diverse people in these fields to take the world forward.” Long received her M.S. in computer science from Eastern Washington University in 2013 and in 2017, she founded a non-profit organization, Future Ada, which aims to secure space for women and non-binary individuals in STEAM fields.

Named after renowned mathematician and computer programmer Ada Lovelace, the organization promotes inclusion, diversity, and collaboration in STEAM. One of Future Ada’s primary drivers is to ensure “the people we are solving problems for are also given a chance to be represented in the problem-solving process.” Future Ada offers community programs, including career mentoring, a privacy and security workshop, a women in tech interview workshop.

Long’s drive to make STEAM more inclusive is not limited to her work on Future Ada, however. She is involved in several other organizations with related missions, including “Write/Speak/Code and the Spokane Area National Organization for Women. “I realized that just my efforts alone aren’t enough,” she noted. “I felt a strong need in the community to mentor more people, to have workshops and training, to put together a bigger effort of support for women and minorities. We want to make all of our STEAM fields in Spokane inclusive and diverse.” To learn more about Rebecca’s work visit the Eastern Washington University website.

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There have been several changes to our processes regarding the April 15 Resolution, starting in Fall 2020. Click here for a PDF version of the FAQ. 

Can a program establish a deadline for acceptance of an offer of admission to a graduate program before April 15, if there is no offer of financial support?

If there is no offer of financial support stated or implied by the offer of admission (such as the promise to be considered for a teaching assistant position), an admission offer deadline before April 15 is permissible.  The April 15 Resolution only applies to offers of financial support.

If a signatory institution requires acceptance of an offer of admission and financial support before April 15 for the Fall term, what should an applicant or other program that may also have extended an offer of admission to the applicant do?

Advice for applicants: 

• Typically, graduate programs will include a statement in any letter of admission with financial support that they adhere to the terms of the April 15 Resolution.  If there is no statement in the letter of admission, applicants should ask the program if they abide by the April 15 Resolution. 
• Not all graduate programs adhere to the April 15 Resolution.  For example, there could be some Master’s or PhD programs that are not within the purview of the Graduate School and its Dean (for example, MBA programs in some Schools of Business or other professional schools) and those programs may or may not adhere to expectations of the April 15 Resolution.  

Advice for graduate program directors:  Applicants may advise your program that they have received offers of admission with financial support from another program but with a deadline for acceptance prior to April 15.  Ask them to send you a copy of the offer letter/email with the earlier deadline, then contact your graduate dean’s office.  Graduate deans are encouraged to communicate with the non-compliant university’s graduate dean directly to inform them of the violation.  The graduate dean at the non-compliant university should then address the problem with the department in violation of the terms of the resolution.

NOTE: if the university is not a signatory to the April 15 Resolution, it is not in violation to have a deadline before April 15.

What if an applicant accepts an offer of financial support and then wants to accept an offer from a different program or institution?

There has been a change in our process for students who want to withdraw from an offer of acceptance of financial support, starting with Fall 2020 admissions.  In some situations, an applicant may accept an offer of financial support from one graduate program and then may receive an offer from a program at a different institution whose program better aligns with their career goals and aspirations.  In that case, the applicant must first inform the program that they are withdrawing or resigning from the offer of financial support that they previously had accepted.  Starting in Fall 2020, applicants are no longer required to obtain a formal release from the program whose offer was accepted, either before or after the April 15 deadline. Once they have informed the program that they are withdrawing, they then can accept any other offers.

Where can a list of the institutions that adhere to the April 15 Resolution be found?

https://cgsnet.org/ckfinder/userfiles/files/CGS_April15_Resolution_Oct2020Revision.pdf

Does the April 15 Resolution apply to all graduate programs within an institution that adheres to the Resolution?

No, not necessarily.  There may be programs even within a signatory institution that do not adhere to the April 15 Resolution.  Such programs generally fall outside of the oversight of the Graduate School and the Graduate Dean.  The most common examples of exceptions to the resolution are MBA programs in Schools of Business and graduate programs in Medical or other professional schools.  Graduate programs in these schools may offer financial support or scholarships to students but may not adhere to the April 15 Resolution.

If you have a question about the acceptance of an offer of admission that also includes financial support but whose deadline is not April 15, you should contact the admissions staff of that specific graduate program for further information.

Does the April 15 deadline apply to medical or law school admission?

No.

Does the April 15 deadline apply to spring or summer admissions and funding?

No, the April 15 Resolution only applies to offers of financial support for academic year offers beginning in Fall term.  Admission to graduate programs that start in the Winter, Spring, or Summer terms are not bound by the resolution.

What is the process by which institutions sign on to the April resolution?

The resolution is reviewed and reaffirmed by the CGS Board of Directors every five years. It was last renewed in October 2019 and will be renewed again in October 2024. Prior to reaffirmation, CGS surveys member institutions to determine how many of them support the continuance of the resolution and whether the April 15 date is the optimal date for applicant decisions. Upon review of the survey data and approval by the CGS Board, the resolution is then sent to institutions with a request to reaffirm their signatory status. An updated list of signatory institutions is included in the current resolution https://cgsnet.org/ckfinder/userfiles/files/CGS_April15_Resolution_Oct2020Revision.pdf
 

How are faculty and admissions staff informed of the April resolution?

Each year, the graduate dean (or equivalent administrator) at each institution distributes information about the April 15 Resolution, in order to make faculty, directors of graduate programs, and other interested members of their academic community aware of the goals and provisions of the resolution.  Alternatively, interested parties can go to the CGS website to obtain more information: http://cgsnet.org/april-15-resolution.

Who is responsible for enforcement of the April 15 Resolution?

The resolution is an agreement among signatory graduate schools to provide applicants appropriate time to consider which of their offers from graduate programs best aligns with the applicant’s career goals and aspirations.  Graduate deans should communicate the expectations of the resolution to graduate programs, both those under their administrative oversight as well as those in other schools within their institution.  Graduate deans should also adjudicate any conflicts that may arise from offers of financial support made to applicants.

How should graduate programs publicize their commitment to the expectations of the April 15 Resolution?

Graduate deans should encourage their graduate programs to place information about the resolution on their individual program websites and in any letters containing offers of financial support to accepted applicants.

What if April 15 falls on a weekend?

Acceptances received by end of day on April 15 (even if it occurs on a Saturday or Sunday) should be honored, even if the university cannot process these acceptances until the following business day (typically Monday of the following work week).  For example, in 2018, April 15 fell on a Sunday.

What time on April 15 is the deadline?

The deadline should be 11:59 pm of April 15 in the time zone of the school offering financial support.

On March 11, 2019, the Trump Administration released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget proposal outlining federal funding priorities. The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) is concerned that the Administration is withdrawing essential support for critical discretionary programs.

“This marks the third year the Administration has introduced unprecedented cuts to domestic programs that ensure a highly-educated and diverse workforce, spur innovation, uphold our national security, and preserve the U.S.’s position as a leading global competitor.” said Suzanne T. Ortega, President of the Council of Graduate Schools.

The proposal significantly reduces funding for student aid programs that have longstanding success in promoting access to affordable higher education, particularly for low socio-economic and underrepresented students. The budget makes harsh cuts to Federal-Work Study and TRIO, and it would eliminate the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness programs. This poses a long-term risk to diversity and inclusiveness not just within academic institutions, but also within the future American workforce.

The proposal gouges funding streams for research entities includingthe National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Energy, all of which invest in discoveries that translate to new technologies and cures. In addition, the Fulbright-Hays International Education and Foreign Language Studies programs, which provide U.S. students opportunities to learn across international borders and foster cross-cultural understanding, would also be eliminated.

“CGS is committed to working with Congress in a bipartisan manner to ensure that a final spending package includes necessary investments that will allow universities to respond to the demand for a highly-skilled workforce, a competitive scientific enterprise, and future generations of global leaders.”