Graduate School Updates

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Graduate School announcements regarding changes due to the COVID-19 virus response are located here.  Please contact the Graduate School at graduate.school@wku.edu or 270-745-2446 with any questions.

 

The Graduate School would like to do all that we can to relieve stress for those impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. In the interest of protecting the health and safety of students, faculty, staff and community members, we have adjusted our operations to a remote format. Official business is being conducted by email, phone or videoconference until further notice. We are committed to providing quality services via these alternative delivery methods to continue to serve our graduate community. Please reach out to us at graduate.school@wku.edu or 270-745-2446 if you have any questions or need assistance.

 

• All students who plan to graduate in May MUST complete an application for graduation (https://www.wku.edu/registrar/graduation_application.php) as soon as possible.
• Thesis, Specialist Project, Dissertation submission and formatting will follow normal procedures as per the Graduate School Guidelines with the following exceptions:
  o   Signatures on the signature page may be electronic signatures with the final copy emailed to Colette.chelf@wku.edu
  o   Submission deadline for Spring 2020 degree completion is extended until July 31, 2020. Students eligible for Spring 2020 degree completion do NOT need to enroll in a Maintaining Matriculation course in summer.
  o   Though formatting remains the same, an accepted academic standard for what constitutes thesis, specialist project, or dissertation content should be determined and upheld by the program, department, and college.
  
• Students enrolled in summer term coursework required for degree completion will not be eligible for May degree completion.
• Graduate assistants are extremely valued members of our community, and our university would not be able to function without your hard work and contributions. It is our intention to continue to rely on your services as a valued employee during the current situation. Graduate assistants with appointments will continue to be paid and will remain eligible for any tuition waiver associated with their appointment.
• As was previously announced, in light of the pandemic, for the spring 2020 semester only, WKU has added a Pass/D/Fail option for undergraduate and graduate students. Please visit https://www.wku.edu/covid19/ for additional information.
• Commencement and the recognition ceremonies will not occur on May 15th and 16th as originally planned. Degrees will be conferred in May. The entire WKU community will come together to celebrate the achievements of graduates at a later date. For updates related to commencement, please visit the Office of the Registrar website at: https://www.wku.edu/registrar/
• For Summer and Fall 2020 admitted students, while official copies of admission documents such as GRE, TOEFL, IELTS, as well as transcripts are normally required for admission, we will accept unofficial documents for the admission process for those students who have degrees conferred late and/or are unable to obtain official credentials due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Please note that all official documents will be required at a later date.
• The deadline for nominations for the John D. Minton Graduate Student Award has been extended through Friday, April 17, 2020.  More information about nomination and eligibility is available at https://www.wku.edu/graduate/students/awards.php.
• The deadline for application for Graduate Research Grants has been extended to April 15, 2020.
• The deadline for application for Graduate Travel Grants has been extended to April 15, 2020.
• Spring 2021 GA dates are from January 11, 2021, through April 30, 2021.