The School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies (SIGS’, the Graduate School at the University of Louisville, advocates for graduate education, graduate students, and interdisciplinary programs, promotes the teaching and training of post baccalaureate students, establishes minimum guidelines for graduate education that maintain high standards, and oversees policies for administering graduate education at the University of Louisville, partners with the academic units to support graduate students, financially and professionally, works with academic and support units to recruit, retain, and prepare students for successful careers.

We invite you to support some of our efforts designed to support graduate education and graduate students at UofL. Please consider supporting one of the initiatives listed below.

PLAN: The PLAN graduate student professional development program helps students take charge of their own learning and development by offering opportunities and resources related to Professional Development, Life Skills, Academic Development, and Networking skills. PLAN helps graduate students think about what they need to be successful as they enter, move through, and move on from graduate education. Program efforts include:

• Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) Academy Part I, GTA Academy Part II, Grant Writing Academy, Entrepreneurship Academy, STEM GTA Academy, Community Engagement Academy, and Publishing Academy
• 40-60 Workshops a Year, in five different tracks: Research, including reading and writing; Teaching; Leadership, including building self-awareness, interpersonal skills, communication, and administrative skills; and Career planning
• One-on-One Consultations and Referrals
• Online resources including assessment tools, opportunities for reflection and self-assessment, curated lists of professional development links and tools, and other pathways to success

The ACC Faculty Women of Color Conference: The FWCA conference offers women of color faculty, university administrators, post-doctoral fellows, graduate students and undergraduates a unique educational and professional opportunity to network, engage, and learn with peers from around the country. The two-day conference features prominent women of color scholars as keynote speakers, panelists, performers, and workshop facilitators. With a commitment to inclusive excellence, in Spring 2015, SIGS sent seven African American women to the National Women of Color in the Academy Conference at Virginia Tech. This conference provided attendees with tools to navigate perceptions and stereotypes as women of color in the academy, how to balance professional and personal needs, and inspire participants to keep pushing forward in spite of challenges along the way.

Retention Programs for Underrepresented Minorities in Graduate School: In an effort to recruit, retain, and support underrepresented minorities in graduate school, the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies and the Director of Graduate Recruitment and Diversity Retention have produced significant programs and opportunities. Programs such as the:

• Diverse, Faculty, Staff and Graduate Student Welcome Day offering community, resources, and a personal network committed to ensuring the success of our incoming and current underrepresented graduate student population.
• Celebration of Excellence in Graduate Diversity, collectively recognizing and celebrating the milestones of underrepresented graduate students who have completed their master’s degree, reached doctoral degree candidacy, and those who have completed their doctorate degree.
• The Diversity Check-in-and-Connect is designed to monitor the academic and social progress of our underrepresented graduate student population, develop and identify proactive interventions for improvements in areas that will help increase student retention rates, provide one-on-one consultations and referrals, encourage a network of support for students across academic disciplines.
• The Multicultural Association of Graduate Students (MAGS) is a formally established a Resident Student Organization (RSO) designed to enhance the support of underrepresented graduate students.

Graduate Student Research and Scholarships:One of the most important ways that SIGS contributes to graduate student success is through financial support. Current funding efforts include:

• University fellowship program continues to fund over 100 students a year
• Provide tuition to up to 619 departmentally funded students
• Provide additional tuition mat awards to between 60-100 students each year
• Doctoral Dissertation Completion grants have funded between 10-30 students completing dissertations each year
• Provide up to $30,000 in travel money for graduate students through Graduate Student Council (GSC)
• Helped GSC establish and administer a graduate student small grant program that provided grants of up to $300 to help students fund a research project
• Fund graduate research awards for Research!Louisville and CODRE
• Sponsor the Dissertation Writing Retreat held at the Writing Center each May since 2012, as well as a virtual retreat