FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Graduate students should remain off-campus with the following exception: Graduate assistants of any type may only be on campus when supervisors determine their presence is absolutely mission-critical, such as those who may need access to teach online courses.
To the extent possible, graduate assistants should be provided with responsibilities that can be completed off-campus. For graduate assistants not reporting to campus, we urge supervisors to provide remote working opportunities. Graduate assistants who continue to work will be provided their monthly stipend. Supervisors should contact their graduate assistants to discuss work responsibilities and may be flexible in assigning responsibilities that support faculty or staff in remote work.
We recognize many of you have concerns about accomplishing your research goals, but we must prioritize the health of our community. On-campus, face-to-face data collection with human participants is suspended until further notice. Online data collection can continue. Talk with your committee chair/adviser about alternative data collection strategies. You’re not alone – students around the world are faced with similar challenges. Changes to human subject procedures (for example, data collection plans) must be approved by Georgia State’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to implementation of these new procedures. The Research Office, including the IRB, remains open.
Please visit https://www.gsu.edu/coronavirus/student-information/ and https://www.gsu.edu/coronavirus/researchers/ for updates.
For those approaching a thesis proposal or defense meeting, communicate with your committee chair or graduate program director about the feasibility of a virtual committee meeting. The university provides Webex access that could support this strategy, assuming departmental or college policies regarding in-person committee meetings can be temporarily waived.
The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning is offering remote support for instructors working to transition their course to an online format. At https://www.gsu.edu/coronavirus/faculty-and-researchers/ you will find a “Keep Teaching” tab that provides information about these resources and others.
Most of the library’s resources, including consultations with librarians, can be accessed virtually. The available services are detailed at library.gsu.edu.
Rely on social support through virtual strategies, try to maintain a routine that includes rest, healthy meals, and exercise, and be patient with yourselves and others. Should you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, all students have access to free and confidential assistance through the Counseling Center. Students can call 404-413-1640 or visit https://counselingcenter.gsu.edu/services/counseling-services/.
Contact Us
The Graduate School coordinates graduate admissions. Students seeking a graduate degree will apply through the school and receive additional support from The Graduate School and college, school or institute academic offices.