DGS and DGC Resource Page Resources for DGSs, DGCs, and graduate program staff
Grad School Staff Directory
Policies & Procedures
Collaborative Graduate Education Guidelines at UK: Expectations for Students, Faculty, and Programs
The Collaborative Graduate Education at UK: Guidelines for Students, Faculty, and Programs[*]
The success of every graduate student at the University of Kentucky depends in part upon themselves and the student’s:
- Advisors who oversee and guide the student’s training as a teacher and/or researcher
- Faculty Supervisors who oversee and guide the student’s training as a teacher and/or researcher, and
- Program in which they study and research.
Whether they work together in a lab or a research team, share duties in an undergraduate classroom, or consult periodically in office hours or online, the faculty member and student together:
- establish a plan for the graduate student’s research and/or teaching
- work to identify and remove obstacles to success, and
- ensure that the student has opportunities to gain professional experience.
An effective and productive relationship should be based upon shared expectations, as laid out in the following guidelines that are clearly communicated in an atmosphere of trust and courtesy.
Faculty Supervisors and Advisors should:
Support
- be supportive, equitable, accessible, encouraging, and respectful, promoting an environment that is free from harassment, discrimination, and other inappropriate behavior;
- be sensitive to the power imbalance in the student–advisor relationship;
- foster a safe work environment by discussing and mitigating any potential hazards associated with a student's research activities;
- encourage participation in professional meetings and assist in securing funding for such activities;
- ensure students receive training in the skills needed for a successful career in their discipline, including oral and written communication and grant preparation as appropriate;
Guide
- set clear expectations and goals for students regarding their academic performance, research activities and progress;
- discuss expectations, and university policies, for teaching assistants or research assistants, including work hours, vacation time, and health contingencies;
- establish mutually agreed upon expectations for frequency and format of communication, providing students with regular, clear feedback on performance and progress.
Oversee
- promote and manage productive and collaborative relationships for students working in large research groups and collaborations;
- provide students with training and oversight in all relevant aspects of research, including the design of research projects, the development of necessary skills, and the use of rigorous research techniques or procedures; provide and discuss policies regarding tha management of research materials and data;
- provide and discuss clear criteria for authorship at the beginning of all collaborative projects and revisit authorship throughout, as contributions may change;
- recognize that many students will pursue careers outside of academia and/or outside their research discipline, and assist them, from early in their degree, in achieving their chosen career goals.
Graduate Students should:
Communicate
- be proactive, respectful, and timely in communicating with their advisor and mentors about progress and challenges associated with research and program trajectory;
- clearly communicate with their advisor(s) regarding their career preferences and any changes to their goals during the course of their program;
- be proactive about improving research skills, including written and oral presentation;
- inform faculty advisors of potential and/or existing conflicts with fellow students, staff, or other faculty, and work toward their resolution, following departmental guidelines;
- be aware that if they feel compelled to change advisors or research direction, they have options and should consult with their advisor, other mentors, or department officers, recognizing that such options may include changing programs.
Participate
- recognize that they bear the primary responsibility for the successful completion of their degree;
- complete all tasks assigned by the department/program in connection with a stipend, including teaching, grading, research, and other assistantship responsibilities;
- know the policies governing graduate studies in the department and the graduate school and take responsibility for meeting program and graduate school deadlines;
- know and understand University policies and procedures regarding research data/material ownership, sharing, and transfer
- participate actively in departmental activities such as seminars, colloquia, brown-bags, reading groups, professional development workshops, graduate student association, etc.
Explore
- be proactive about teaching professionalization and preparation through exploring workshops and training opportunities, appropriate professional service opportunities, and career planning support;
- seek mentoring and support resources beyond their faculty advisor(s), including other faculty members and peers as well as individuals external to the university;
- seek assistance, support, and advice when personal factors such as health and family impact progress toward degree or performance of duties;
Departments and Programs:
Inform
- incorporate these guidelines and recommendations into their departmental policies or handbooks and actively promote their observance;
- provide students with up-to-date information on policies, practices, resources, degree requirements, and expectations for progress;
- proactively monitor graduate student progress toward their degrees and professional development, including appropriate course enrollment, mentoring meetings, committee meetings, exam completions, and other benchmarks toward the degree. Opportunities should be provided to examine the effectiveness of the student-advisor relationship.
- provide students and faculty with contacts, resources, and a clear process for potential conflict resolution (e.g., ombudsperson, director of graduate studies, or chair);
- provide students and faculty with information, resources, and contacts related to the reporting of any misconduct, harassment, discrimination, or other inappropriate conduct;
Guide
- promote an environment that is free from harassment, discrimination, and other forms of inappropriate conduct that could result in a hostile work environment;
- counsel students who wish to change advisors or research groups; assist them as necessary in identifying new advisors within the department or program; and advise the student on options should no placement be found;
- provide opportunities for professional development that will be relevant to students seeking careers outside academia and/or their research discipline;
Assist
- assist students with selection of their advisors as needed, ensuring that all students have a faculty member with responsibility for advising them;
- direct students to The Graduate School for additional resources and support;
- direct students to campus resources that promote health and wellness
[*] This document is adapted from a website at Penn State: https://science.psu.edu/future-students/graduate-students/guidelines-and-policies
Graduate School Staff Directory
Forms
- Application Requirements Update Form for Graduate Programs or Graduate Certificates
- Appointment Form for Directors of Graduate Studies or Directors of Graduate Certificate
- Notice of Appointment to Graduate Student Academic Staff (GSAS)
- Exception to GSAS Business Procedures Form
- Hiring Department Procedure/GSAS for Non-Academic Departments
- *Assistantship Overload Request Form (to request > 0.5 FTE work for grad students)
- *Fellowship Overload Request Form (to request additional assignments or fellowships for those students who are already supported by a Graduate School Fellowship)
- Recruitment Expenditure Reimbursement
- Summer Option Verification
- Instructions (pdf)
- Form (pdf)
Forms for DGC
List of Current Graduate Faculty
A complete list of current Graduate Faculty members can be found here.* Students will not have access to this reporting.
* If the link above will not work in your browser, this workbook is also accessible via the Graduate Data Portal page as GS GS General Info - Graduate Faculty GRADS.
Newsletters - The 411 Insider: Your "Need to Know" Updates
Professional Enhancement & Career Guidance for Graduate Students
Professional Enhancement Opportunities for Graduate Students
GradNewsNow Newsletter for Students
Spring 2025
Standard Graduate Tuition Rates
Tuition and Fees 2024-2025 | University of Kentucky Student Account Services (uky.edu)
Cost of Attendance | Student Success (uky.edu)
- 2024-2025 Tuition Scholarship Calculations
Universal RA/GA Tuition Scholarships and Rates; Health Insurance
Universal RA/GA Tuition Scholarships
Research assistants and graduate assistants receive the same tuition scholarship benefits as teaching assistants. As part of this policy, all principal investigators who include research or graduate assistants on a grant or contract are required to include a separate budget line for tuition
in any new proposal submission; the Office of Sponsored Projects Administration (OSPA) has been assisting PIs in meeting this requirement. For RAs and GAs who are not funded from grants and contracts, departmental funds may be used to provide the Universal Tuition Scholarships.
The Universal Tuition Scholarships for research assistants and graduate assistants will automatically apply to the student's account upon submission and review of a Graduate Student Academic Staff Notice of Appointment (GSAS) form to the Graduate School Funding Office.
Each fall and spring semester, programs and colleges will receive an invoice for that semester listing all research and graduate assistants who are degree-seeking in their unit, as well as the amount of their Universal Tuition Scholarship charge. Colleges should review and complete the on-line invoice in order to move the funding to a central pool that has been established to support these scholarships.
Universal RA/GA Tuition Rates
The Graduate School provides projections for RA and GA tuition scholarship rates. Due to the unpredictability of tuition costs, we periodically review and revise these rates in an effort to provide estimates for grant and budget planning.
The Graduate School will pay the standard graduate tuition rate each fall and spring semester. Regardless of projections, we reserve the right to change the actual recharged amount in order to prevent a deficit on Graduate School expenditures for RA/GA tuition. These changes will be reflected during the RA/GA invoice process each semester.
The schedule of RA/GA tuition:
Please see that these tuition rates are incorporated into all future grant proposals, as appropriate. For those current grants that can be revised, grantees should increase the amount of the tuition paid by the grant for future years. Universal RA/GA Tuition does not apply to training grants. The tuition rate that is utilized for graduate students on training grants are the actual costs of tuition based on their residency status. Tuition for training grants should be included on a SAG (Scholarship and Grant Authorization) form and submitted to Student Financial Aid.
The following rates are for standard graduate tuition for one academic year (two semesters and full-time enrollment), and are calculated at the In-State rate. These rates include the standard graduate tuition and all mandatory fees; they do not include student specific fees (potential course, program, and/or other fees). Based on recent tuition increases, it is recommended to include a 3% annual escalation on grant proposals for Tuition and mandatory fees and for the Student Health Insurance.
Health insurance rates are as follows:
| Academic Year Premium | |
|---|---|
| 2024-2025 | Fall: $1,185 Spring/Summer: $1,937 |
| 2023-2024 | Fall: $1,008 Spring/Summer: $1.646 |
| 2022-2023 | Fall: $1,008 Spring/Summer: $1,646 |
| 2021-2022 | Fall: $1,003 Spring/Summer: $1,638 |
Student Health Fee vs. Student Health Plan tips
Notice: Policy Year August 15, 2024 to August 14, 2025
Student Health Plan Provider is the University of Kentucky underwritten by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, with Second Administrator, AHP.
Learn more at https://uky.myahpcare.com/ or Student Health Plan | Human Resources
Tuition and Fees 2024-2025 | University of Kentucky Student Account Services (uky.edu) - The specific charges for instruction and related services, excluding other living and personal expenses
Cost of Attendance | Student Success (uky.edu) - The total estimated expense to attend UK, including tuition, fees, housing, meals, books, supplies, transportation, and personal expenses.
The Academic Exploration Tool (AET) and UK Online
AET
The Academic Exploration Tool (AET) is a web-based marketing tool run by the University of Kentucky that provides a list of all undergraduate and graduate level programs and certificates offered at UK.
- To request a new AET page for an on campus graduate program or certificate:
- Complete the Application Requirements Updates for Graduate Programs or Graduate Certificates form. *Required
- Complete the Appointment Form for Directors of Graduate Studies or Directors of Graduate Certificates to officially notify the Graduate School of the proposed DGS/DGC appointee for your program. *Required
- Contact your departmental web coordinator to initiate the creation of a new AET page.
- To request updates to an existing AET page for an on campus graduate program or certificate, contact your departmental web coordinator.
UK Online
- To request a new page for an online graduate program or certificate on the UK Online portal:
- Contact the University of Kentucky Manager for Distance Learning via email to initiate the UK Online program process and request a UK Online Portal Content form.
- Complete the Application Requirements Updates for Graduate Programs or Graduate Certificates form. *Required
- Complete the Appointment Form for Directors of Graduate Studies or Directors of Graduate Certificates to officially notify the Graduate School of the proposed DGS/DGC appointee for your program. *Required
- To request updates to an existing page for an online graduate program or certificate on UK Online, email Kathryn Wong and provide:
- The URL of the page in question
- A description of the updates required.
- If the updates pertain to application requirements, please provide them by completing the Application Requirements Updates for Graduate Programs or Graduate Certificates form.
myGPS Degree Audit
- Regularly track your students' progress
- Play an essential role in supporting student success
- Ensure the timely completion of graduate programs
University training for the myGPS audit is available here and allows scheduling by colleges as well!
University Policy and Appropriate Relationships Course
University Policy and Appropriate Relationships
This course is for all graduate students. It was specifically created for graduate students by the Office of Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity.
Learning objectives as stated in the course material
In this training you should learn and be able to identify the characteristics of the following:
- The mission of the Office of Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity
- How the University defines discrimination and harassment
- Where to report suspected violations of University policy
- Your responsibilities as defined by University policy
- Email and text message professionalism and etiquette
- Investigative process and potential remedies for violations of policy
The course is provided through CANVAS. When you have been added to the course, you will receive an email invitation. Here is the direct link to the course. https://uk.instructure.com/courses/1901888
Course Instructions: There are two options for learning and reviewing the content. You can click through and read the PDFs at your own pace, or you can watch the presentation video with the voiceover (approx. 30 minutes). After reviewing materials, you will need to complete the associated quiz. The quiz has 12 questions. Once you achieve a passing grade of at least 83% on the quiz, you will have met the course requirements and your enrollment in the course will be concluded.
If you have questions regarding the content of the training, please contact the Office of Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity at 859-257-8927.
If you have technical question regarding CANVAS, click the HELP button in Canvas (bottom of the menu at left after logging in), and select the Canvas Support Hotline for Students (1-844-480-0838) or Chat with Canvas Support for Students.