Welcome back, things to look forward to this spring, and more. 

Dear graduate students,

I hope everyone had a great break and welcome back! Between classes, research and creative endeavors, there are many things to look forward to this semester, including two of the Graduate School’s signature events:

• Three Minute Thesis Final Competition, Feb. 13, 4 – 6 p.m., Glenn Miller Ballroom

• Graduate Student Appreciation Week, March 31 - 4

I’d highly recommend everyone join, if they can. Additionally, I encourage everyone to attend at least one of our professional development workshops or inclusive research mentoring trainings that we hold throughout the semester.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t also take a moment to extend my deepest sympathies to those impacted by the Southern California Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ or may have families or friends that have been. Here in Boulder, we know all too well the emotional toll that these disasters can take and know that even after the flames disappear, recovery takes time. 

If you are one of those affected, you should’ve received a message from Student Affairs, but please feel free to reach out to your advisor, graduate assistant or the Graduate School itself if you have any concerns. The Graduate Student Emergency Aid Fund is also available for those that qualify.

Best of luck to everyone and I hope you have a great semester.

Sincerely,

Scott Adler

Dean of the Graduate School

Vice Provost, Graduate Affairs 

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Dear graduate students,

As finals draw near, I would like to take a moment to congratulate everyone on their hard work. This semester was challenging in many ways and I’m so proud of everyone’s perseverance. Best of luck to everyone as you cross the finish line and please take some time during your well-deserved break to get outside, watch a new show, read a book, spend valuable time with family—anything that restores and rejuvenates.

To those graduating this month, I’d like to express my sincerest congratulations. You have undoubtedly worked extremely hard for this outstanding academic achievement. Your tenacity and grit are commendable, and we hope that you maintain your spirit of curiosity as you use your newly honed talents of inquiry and discovery to pursue even greater accomplishments.

We are honored to count you among our esteemed graduates.

On behalf of the Graduate School and the University of Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder, thank you all for your incredible contributions to our campus community.

Sincerely,

E. Scott Adler
Dean of the Graduate School
Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs

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This event will be an opportunity to ask questions and engage in a dialogue about your graduate education

Dear graduate students,

To increase communication and transparency within the Graduate School, I will be hosting an open forum on Oct. 10 from 4 to 4:50 p.m., via Zoom (a separate link will be sent to you over email). This event will include special guest Provost Russell Moore and will provide an opportunity for attendees to ask questions and engage in a dialogue regarding the activities of the Graduate School and Academic Affairs at Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder.

I hope you can attend, and I look forward to hearing your ideas, concerns or questions. Thank you for all that you do for Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder. 

Sincerely, 

E. Scott Adler  
Dean of the Graduate School   
Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs 

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Dear graduates,

As finals and the end of the school year draw near, I would like to take a moment to express my sincerest congratulations to all our graduate students receiving degrees this spring. Getting over this final hurdle is no small feat and we at the Graduate School are extremely proud of all that you have accomplished.

To celebrate those achievements, I would like to invite you to join the Graduate School at Grad Bash on Thursday, May 2, from 4 to 7 at the Koenig Alumni Center. This event features free food and refreshments, a DJ and plenty of photo opportunities. If you’re interested, you .

We are honored to count you among our esteemed graduates. On behalf of the University of Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder, I wish you heartfelt congratulations on your new degree, and my best wishes for the many exciting ways that you will use it in the decades to come. 

Sincerely,

E. Scott Adler

Dean of the Graduate School

Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs 

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The Graduate School has undertaken several steps in the last year to improve our mentorship offerings for graduate students and faculty

The Graduate School has undertaken several projects over the past few years to improve the graduate student experience. Among the most important of those is the work we’ve done, and continue to do, to improve the mentoring that our students receive.

Mentorship is a concept thrown around a lot in higher education these days—and for good reason. Studies from multiple organizations, including a recent one from the American Council on Education, have shown that it can enrich the graduate student experience by improving students’ satisfaction with their programs; demystifying processes and pathways; expanding students’ social networks by getting them more involved in professional organizations; and giving them a stronger sense of professional identity.

Universities are not the only ones making mentoring a priority. Federal agencies are also increasingly requiring principal investigators whose projects include funding for postdocs or graduate research assistants to have formal mentor training and/or a mentoring plan to be considered for funding.

To that end, we have undertaken several initiatives this past year to better prepare both our students and faculty:

• We hired Natasha Shrikant, an associate professor of communication, as faculty director of our Graduate Inclusive Mentoring Community, a new initiative that seeks to build educational opportunities and community support for those who strive to excel at mentoring graduate students. This effort is partially supported by a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Impact Grant from the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
• We received a grant from the Sloan Centers for Systemic Change initiative to further develop our faculty and student mentoring programs. 
• We partnered with the Center for Teaching and Learning to provide for both faculty and graduate students, which can lead to inclusive research mentoring micro-credential.

Additionally, we have worked hard to enhance and expand our peer mentoring program, which pairs established graduate students with peers who are new to graduate school to provide support, guidance and connection.

I’m excited about all of these efforts that have been undertaken by the Graduate School and for all of the ones to come.

If you’d like to get involved, more information is available on our newly revamped mentoring webpage.

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Dear graduate and professional students, 

If there is one thing that makes the Graduate School great, it’s our students—and we want to celebrate that fact. Next week, April 1– 5, the Graduate School and Student Affairs will be hosting Graduate Student Appreciation Week, and we want to invite you to join in on the fun.

Graduate Student Appreciation Week is a nationally recognized event that provides an opportunity to celebrate the significant impact that our graduate students have as researchers, teachers, artists, performers and so much more. This year, we have partnered with various campus offices to provide Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder graduate students with a variety of free events and services, including free breakfast burritos, free coffee at Pekoe, a career fair for graduating students, free rec days at the Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Recreation Center, and more. Many departments are also hosting events for their graduate students this week, too.

As GradBuffs, you are part of a network that brings vitality to the university, and we are grateful for all you do. Thank you for all your hard work and we encourage you to take part and participate in as many activities and events as you can.

Sincerely,

E. Scott Adler
Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs

Devin Cramer
Acting Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students

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This event will be an opportunity to ask questions and engage in a dialogue about your graduate education

Dear graduate students,

To increase communication and transparency within the Graduate School, I will be hosting an open forum on Feb. 28 from 3 to 3:50 p.m., via Zoom (a separate link will be sent to you over email). This event will include special guest Provost Russell Moore and will provide an opportunity for attendees to ask questions and engage in a dialogue regarding the activities of the Graduate School and Academic Affairs at Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder.

I hope you can attend, and I look forward to hearing your ideas, concerns or questions. Thank you for all that you do for Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder.

Sincerely,

E. Scott Adler 
Dean of the Graduate School  
Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs

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Things to look forward to this spring, including 3MT, Grad Student Appreciation Week and more

Dear graduate students,

I hope you had a wonderful, restful break, and I’m so pleased to welcome you back to campus. A new year marks new beginnings, and this semester is no exception. Between classes, research and creative endeavors, there are many upcoming opportunities to look forward to. As part of that, I’d like to invite you to our two signature events this spring:

• Three Minute Thesis Final Competition, Feb. 7, 4–6 p.m., Glenn Miller Ballroom
• Graduate Student Appreciation Week, April 1–5

Additionally, I encourage everyone to attend at least one of our professional development workshops, career exploration and planning workshops, or Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) trainings that we hold throughout the semester.

I wish you all a strong start to the semester.

Sincerely,

E. Scott Adler 
Dean of the Graduate School
Vice Provost, Graduate Affairs

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Dear graduate students,

As finals draw near, I would like to take a moment to congratulate everyone for finishing a semester that was challenging in so many ways. I recognize that and am so proud of your hard work. Best of luck as you cross the finish line and please take some time during your well-deserved break to get outside for a hike, watch a new show, spend valuable time with family—anything that restores and rejuvenates.

To those graduating this month, I’d like to express my sincerest congratulations. You have undoubtedly worked extremely hard for this outstanding academic achievement. Your perseverance and grit are commendable, and we hope that you maintain your spirit of curiosity as you use your newly honed talents of inquiry and discovery to pursue even greater accomplishments for yourself, your community, and for the world.

We are honored to count you among our esteemed graduates.

On behalf of the Graduate School and the University of Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder, thanks for your contributions to our campus community. You are an integral part of this exceptional academic community, and we could not have gotten to this point without you.

Sincerely,

E. Scott Adler
Dean of the Graduate School 
Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs

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This event will be an opportunity to ask questions and engage in a dialogue about your graduate education

Dear graduate students and colleagues,

To increase communication and transparency, I will be hosting an open forum with Provost Russell Moore on Tuesday, Oct. 10, from 4 to 4:50 p.m., via Zoom, which you should have received information for through your email. This event will be an opportunity for us to share our academic goals for the year and for attendees to ask questions and engage in a dialogue regarding the activities of the Graduate School and the Division of Academic Affairs at Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder.

I hope you can attend, and I look forward to hearing your ideas, concerns or questions. Thank you for all that you do for Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder.

Sincerely,

E. Scott Adler
Dean of the Graduate School
Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs

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