Nominate Faculty for Diekhoff Awards!
Do you know a faculty member who is an outstanding teacher or mentor to graduate students? Nominate them for the John S. Diekhoff Awards by Sunday, January 21! The prestigious Diekhoff Awards are an over 40 year tradition at CWRU to recognize faculty for their exemplary contributions to the education and development of Grad Studies students through advising, mentoring, and classroom teaching. Up to four faculty will be awarded this year selected by a student-run committee.
Submit your nominations for outstanding faculty here!
Learn more about the awards and eligibility of nominees. Email any questions to diekhoff@case.edu.
Academics
Congrats to Fall 2023 Graduates!
You did it! Degrees for students who completed their work during the Fall 2023 semester will be awarded on Friday, January 19. There is no fall ceremony at this time. All fall graduates will be invited to attend Commencement on Friday, May 17, 2024.
Later this month, look for an email sent from our office with detailed instructions on how to acquire your diploma. You earned it!
Last Day to Register for Spring Classes
What's worse than the cold? Forgetting to register for spring classes! Make sure you enroll before Wednesday, January 17 to avoid the $25 late-registration fee. The final day to register or make any enrollment changes for the spring semester is Friday, January 26.
University Holiday: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Our office and CWRU will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 15 (the day before classes begin). Campus closure may impact access to certain facilities so check schedules.
Also, see more about the University's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.
Waiver of Registration
Missed last semester's deadline to apply to graduate? If you've completed all graduation requirements, but did not meet the fall graduation deadline, you may be eligible to waive class registration for spring. Here's how:
- Submit all final materials for your degree as listed here, including the Waiver of Registration form (included in the downloadable file).
- International students must have the waiver of registration electronically signed by VISA (Visa & Immigration Services & Advisors) Office.
The waiver of registration deadline is Friday, January 26. Once completed and signed please submit the form along with all your other final graduation materials to your program coordinator in SGS directly or to gradstudies@case.edu.
One-to-One Fitness Plan Waiver
Is your New Year's resolution to get fit? Then you're in luck! Every graduate student is automatically enrolled as a member of One-to-One Fitness. However, if weight training, pilates, and cycling aren't your thing, you also have the option to waive this plan by Friday, January 26 for the spring semester. Even if you waived this in the fall, you must do so again this semester. If you do not have a One-to-One membership, you will still have access other athletic facilities and gyms on campus.
Student Medical Plan Waiver
Do you have health insurance? If you're already covered, make sure to waive your Student Medical Plan before the end of the Drop/Add period on Friday, January 26. Already waived your Student Medical Plan in the fall? No need to waive it again, the waiver applies to spring semester as well!
Please note: If you are currently enrolled in the Medical Plan your coverage will continue until January 15 at 11:59pm EST. If you are taking classes in the spring and enrolled in the medical plan it will begin on January 16 at 12:01am EST.
Considering a Career in Teaching?
Grad students and postdocs can sign up for the non-credit UNIV401 Advanced Professional Development for University Teaching Seminar in the spring semester to learn effective teaching strategies useful across major disciplines. Register for UNIV401 in SIS and email univ401@case.edu with any questions.
Enroll in UNIV 402C Presentation Skills
Do you want to increase your English fluency and presentation skills? Enroll in the free, zero-credit UNIV 402C course. The class meets twice a week in Tomlinson Hall on Tuesdays and Thursdays this semester, with one section meeting 2:30 to 3:45pm and the other 4:00 to 5:15pm. This course will help students increase their ability to speak English fluently with advanced vocabulary in formal settings, with an emphasis on presentation and communication skills. Enrollment is limited to ten (10) students per session and you must register by Monday, January 29 (the day before the first class session). For more information, please email Eric Moore, Director of Spoken English Language Programs in the School of Graduate Studies.
Apply for May Graduation
You're almost there and it's already time to apply for graduation! The deadline to apply for Spring 2024 graduation is Friday, February 9. You can find graduation information with detailed requirements here. Remember, if you plan to attend Commencement, you must also register separately for the ceremony (registration opens around March 1). Be on the lookout for details on the Grad Studies Commencement Ceremony which will be held on Friday, May 17.
Please note: If you applied to graduate in Fall 2023 but did not complete all requirements you must apply again this semester.
Tech Access After Graduating
Please review how access of University technologies will change after graduation so you can make plans now to ensure your work will be still available. For 180 days after your graduation date, students will retain access to Google Workspace (Gmail, drives, etc), Microsoft 365, Qualtrics, and GitHub. Access to Adobe products will expire on July 1. Access to Zoom (including recordings and whiteboards) ends immediately upon graduation.
Student Resources
New Name Pronunciation Tool
Beginning this spring, CWRU has partnered with NameCoach. Students can record your name pronunciation so faculty and staff can listen and learn to use the correct pronunciation during interactions. See more including instructions on how to record a name in SIS and listen to a recording in Canvas and SIS. Please email sisbateam@case.edu if you have any questions.
Preferred Name
We recognize that many CWRU students use names other than their legal names to identify themselves. Check out our Preferred Name policy to see how you can change your preferred name on rosters and in SIS by filling out the Preferred Name Form. Please note that adding a preferred name is different than a Name Change Request, which requires legal documentation and shows up on all official university documents.
Food Insecurity Resources
The Office of Graduate Student Life has a food pantry by appointment for all grad and professional students at CWRU facing food insecurity. The pantry is an open market in Tomlinson 217 (adjacent to our office) and you can choose up to 15 non-perishable items per visit. Please bring your own reusable bags if possible. Sign up for a 15 minute appointment.
See this list of resources from the Dean of Students Office for additional emergency food assistance is available for students. You can also use this FreshFinder Food Resources Mapping Tool for local options.
Additional Resources
- Public Safety
- Safe Ride
- CWRU Alerts (including weather alerts)
- Campus Shuttles (TransLoc real-time tracking)
- University Health and Counseling Services
- Upcoming programs & services
- TimelyCare, free, virtual, 24/7/365
- Student Emergency Funds: General, Health
- Flora Stone Mather Center for Women
- Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center
- Reproductive Health
- Spoken English Language Partners (SELP) Program
- Writing Resource Center
- Grad Studies Travel Awards
- Housing Options
- Fun Things to Do Around Cleveland
- This is Cleveland (events and activities)
- International Student Services' Bucket List
- Venues with Free Entry with Student ID
