Your Voice Matters
The Graduate School is very responsive to a wide range of graduate student concerns, such as child-care needs, fees, health insurance, parking, and more. Although the Graduate School might not be able to solve all the problems, we provide several ways for students to express their concerns.
Ways to have your voice heard
Representation
The Graduate and Professional Student Senate represents students’ concerns, and serves as a liaison between graduate students and University Administration.
Meet the Dean
Dean Aimee Surprenant meets regularly with students over doughnuts or lunch or during other casual events that are posted in the weekly Graduate School email. You also can contact her office by emailing to gsdean@vt.edu to arrange a personal meeting with her.
Other Resources
- Services for students with disabilities are provided by a specialized office in Student Affairs.
- Meet with the Graduate Student Ombuds, who is a confidential and impartial resource that can help you navigate a variety of conflicts.
- The university is committed to providing an environment of work, study, and leisure/recreation for students, faculty, and staff that is free from all forms of harassment, intimidation, fear, coercion, and exploitation. Learn more about the university's efforts to stop abuse. The website includes resources and educational information.
- For more information about reporting harassment and other negative actions, visit the Dean of Students website. Students can report experiences of bias, harassment, and discrimination, as well as file a complaint, ask for advice, express a concern, or simply tell someone.
- Visit these webpages on the Ombuds website to learn more about disrupting academic bullying.
Climate Surveys
The Graduate School conducts climate surveys every three years to find out what graduate students need and want in an inclusive education community, and what issues and challenges they face as they pursue their education and research goals. You’ll find the results from the most recent surveys at this webpage on the Graduate School's Data and Reports section of the website. The reports include data compiled from the surveys as well as excerpts from students’ comments in response to survey questions.
Questions
If you have questions about specific issues related to graduate school, check the Contact Us page for information on who to call.
Weekly information
Every Monday, students receive an email from the Graduate School with information about upcoming events, research and volunteer opportunities, and jobs. Students in the Blacksburg and Roanoke region receive GLC-programs weekly emails from Student Services based in Blacksburg, while students in the Washington, D.C. area and online receive the weekly D.C. and Online Student Newsletterfrom Student Services based in Alexandria, Va.
Dean Surprenant also sends out a weekly message to all graduate students on Fridays during fall and spring semesters. Information is also posted on our Facebook and Instagram accounts. For listing of the regular on going programs, Blacksburg students can visit the GLC website and D.C. Area students can visit the Hokie One Stop page.