Three Minute Thesis (3MT)
Join us for the third annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) competition at Case Western Reserve University on Friday, February 16, from 12:40 to 3:15pm EST in the Tinkham Veale University Center Ballroom!
Developed by the University of Queensland and now held at over 900 institutions across more than 80 countries, 3MT celebrates the exciting research conducted by graduate students around the world. 3MT challenges students to explain their research and its importance in a way a general audience would understand in just three minutes with the aid of one single slide. The top-rated presenters will receive prizes and be celebrated at the 2023 Graduate Awards Ceremony in May. The first place winner will go on to represent CWRU and compete at the Midwest Association of Graduate Schools Regional Competition in March.
This year's keynote speaker for the 3MT competition will be John Gonzalez, the ever engaging Communications and Social Media Manager at Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District. Attendees will receive a boxed lunch. Snacks and drinks will be available later in the afternoon. We ask that no eating take place during the competition presentations.
Learn more about 3MT at CWRU. Register on CampusGroups to attend in-person or watch the livestream from anywhere in the world.
Academics
Commencement - May 17, 2024
The School of Graduate Studies Diploma Ceremony will be on Friday, May 17 at 2:00pm EDT. All graduating students are also invited to a University-wide Convocation on Wednesday, May 15. More details on Commencement 2024 will be posted in the coming weeks but you can review additional information here.
Don't forget to register to attend the Commencement ceremonies! Registration will begin Friday, March 1 and end on Sunday, March 31. Even if you have already applied for graduation in SIS but you must also register to participate in Commencement; applying to graduate and registering for Commencement are two entirely separate processes. When you register, you will be able to enter a preferred name and phonetic spelling and record your pronunciation.
Also, you can get assistance ordering regalia at doctoral fittings (March 5 and 15) or the Grad Fair (March 28-29).
Final Oral Defense
Doctoral candidates must submit the Notification for Scheduling the Final Oral Exam to Graduate Studies at least three weeks prior to the scheduled defense date. If you intend to graduate in May, you should pay careful attention to submission deadlines and plan accordingly. Dissertation defenses are to be held in-person. If special circumstances exist, students can petition Grad Studies for exceptions. See our Graduation page for more details.
Spring Break March 11-15
Students in the School of Graduate Studies receive a five-day break from classes and class activities corresponding to Spring Break in the undergraduate calendar, March 11 to 15. Please note that this exemption applies only to classes and class activities; faculty may still require students to perform research activities during these breaks.
As a reminder if you do stay on campus over the break, please confirm access availability as some buildings and services (KSL, gyms, shuttles, dining, etc) may have altered hours.
Daylight Saving Time Begins in March
Daylight Saving Time (DST) for the United States will begin overnight Sunday, March 10. Before going to bed that Saturday night, make sure move forward one hour any clocks that do not automatically update so you're on time for any appointments the following week!
Incomplete (I) Grades from Fall 2023?
If you received an Incomplete (I) grade in the fall semester, you have until the date specified by your instructor - but no later than the 11th week of class (Friday, March 29) - to submit all outstanding work in order to have a final grade posted. If the Incomplete is not resolved by this date, the I grade will be converted to an F. See our Incomplete Policy in the Bulletin for more details.
Anti-Plagiarism Tools
Graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty should use iThenticate plagiarism detection software to ensure work is properly cited when writing theses and dissertations, preparing manuscripts for publication, and submitting proposals for research funding. iThenticate is freely available to the CWRU community at the University's Software Center. See here for more information and how to download iThenticate.The University has also integrated Turnitin, a digital plagiarism detection tool, into Canvas to help ensure student academic writing submissions are free of unintentional or intentional plagiarism. See here for more information on Turnitin.
Verify Your Final Exams
Mark your calendars for final exams! Take a moment to verify your final exam dates and times with your syllabi and your professors. Make sure all of your travel plans for summer are after your final exams. Exams will not be rescheduled due to travel conflicts.
Resources & Opportunities
Nominate Students for Grad Studies Awards!
Nominations are now open for the 2024 Graduate Student Awards!
Faculty and academic departments with programs in the School of Graduate Studies are encouraged to nominate outstanding students for several prestigious awards to be honored at our ceremony on Wednesday, May 1. Some nominations can be submitted by students and community members. See our submission page for more details on each award including student eligibility, who is permitted to nominate, and what documentation is needed.
Send questions to sgsevents@case.edu. The deadline to submit nominations is Wednesday, March 20.
Submit Notification of Department Awards
Departments that sponsor awards for their students are encouraged to submit notifications to Grad Studies so we may include these winners in our ceremony on Wednesday, May 1. Any student in a program managed by the School of Graduate Studies who has received an award in the 2023-2024 academic year should be included so please send your notifications!
Send questions to sgsevents@case.edu. The deadline to submit notification of department awards is Wednesday, March 20.
Spoken English Sessions
- SELP Seminars:
- Culture and Communication: February 16, 23, March 1, 4:25-5:15pm
- Idioms and Expressions: March 29, April 5, 12, and 19, 4:25-5:15pm
- SELP Workshops: Most Fridays 3:20-4:10pm
- SELP English Conversation Hours Practice: Fridays 2:15-3:05pm
- SELP Tutoring Program: one-on-one tutoring for grad students and postdocs
Register for the seminars and workshops on CampusGroups; no registration needed for conversation hours. Most sessions are in Tomlinson 239. Graduate students can book tutoring sessions through Tutortrac. Postdocs can contact Eric Moore, the Director of Spoken English Language Programs (SELP).
CWRU Biophysics Day
In celebration of Biophysics Week (March 18-22), our Office of Postdoctoral Affairs invites the campus to Biophysics Day on Wednesday, March 20 at the Wolstein Research Building. See more and register on CampusGroups. Want to sign up to give a Flash Talk' Register by Sunday, March 3 and indicate your interest.
Additional Awards
- Diversity Achievement Awards: February 16
- Daniel Lewis Ravin, MD Award: March 7
- Dr. Dorothy Pijan Student Leadership Awards: March 1
- Timothy Calhoun Memorial Prize for Poetry: March 15
- Eva L. Pancoast Memorial Fellowship: March 22
