Welcome to Grad School
John Robert Matyas, PhD
Associate Dean, Graduate Education
Program Director, Veterinary Medical Sciences
Professor, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Departments of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine,
Cell Biology & Anatomy and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
McCaig Centre for Joint Injury and Arthritis Research
2 Sep 2015
What does the Associate
Dean, Graduate Education do?
Report to the Dean (UCVM)
Meet with and other Associate Deans,
Department Chairs and Directors
Represent UCVM at Faculty of Grad. Studies
Chair: Graduate Education Committee
Supervise staff: Office of Graduate Education
Admissions, Scholarships, Student Research Day
What does the VMS Program Director do?
Report to the Dean (FGS)
Supervise staff: Office of Grad. Education
VMS Student pay
Works to ensure students complete degree
requirements in a timely fashion
Review annual student progress reports
“Serve as the first resource in cases of
disputes between student and supervisor”
Time to Complete--FGS Calendar
B.6 Time Limits
Except where noted in the detailed program descriptions,
students in thesis-based programs at the Master’s level
must complete all degree requirements within four
registration years.
It is expected that students completing a Master’s degree on
a full-time basis will complete the degree within half the
time allowed. Students in doctoral programs must complete
all degree requirements within six registration years,
although it is expected that most candidates will complete
requirements within four years.
What Success Looks Like:
Being better than average
Satisfied students; new knowledge (in VMS)
Being recognized for outstanding
contributions to science and society
Timely completion of graduate degrees
Competing for good fellowships and jobs
Reputation of UCVM depends as much on the
quality of its graduate students as its
veterinary graduates
How UofC and UCVM promote success
UofC Student Support
International Student Services www.ucalgary.ca/iss/
Student Success Centre www.ucalgary.ca/ssc/
Health and Wellness www.ucalgary.ca/wellnesscentre/
Libraries http://library.ucalgary.ca/
Teaching and Learning Instructional skills workshops
http://ucalgary.ca/taylorinstitute/edu/programs/graduate-students
Faculty of Graduate Studies
http://grad.ucalgary.ca/
Open Scholarships/Vanier/Killam/Tricouncil
MyGradSkills www.ucalgary.ca/mygradskills/
UCVM Office of Graduate Education
http://vet.ucalgary.ca/graduate
Incredibly helpful staff
Scholarships and funding, incl. GATs
Student Research Day
How UofC and UCVM promote
supervisor success
Supervisor Support
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Associate Dean, Supervision
Health & Safety
Animal and Human Ethics
UCVM Office of Research
UCVM Office of Graduate Education
Admissions
Examinations
Student Research Day
MSc
Sep 2015
Sep 2015
Aug 2016
Aug 2017
Aug 2017
Aug 2019
PhD
Student Success Centre: Time Management, goal setting, writing support, etc.
http://www.ucalgary.ca/ssc/learning_support/academic_development/overview
The natural history of graduate school
Times
Good
Bad
Where do you go for help?
Academic—Office of Graduate Education
Room TRW2D09
403-210-6628
• Program Office: vmgrad@ucalgary.ca
– Kasia Judycki (Program Administrator)
– Courtney Collins (Program Assistant)
Non-academic
• Program Director—Urgent/crisis: 220-7189
• UofC Counselling Services
• www.ucalgary.ca/counselling/
– Personal, Academic, Career, Mental Health
https://www.ucalgary.ca/wellnesscentre/services/counselling
www.ucalgary.ca/peerhelper
/offices
Student Distress—On Campus
Immediate threat of violence to self or others
911; Campus Security 403-220-5333
Disturbing or worrisome behaviour
ADGE 220-7819
Student-Ask-Risk Response Team
220-4923; SAR@ucalgary.ca
Concerns of suicide, personal crisis, illness
Student Wellness Centre 210-9355
Student Distress—Off Campus
• Distress Centre—24/7
• 403-266-HELP (4357)
• Free and confidential
• Health Link
• 403-943-LINK (5465)
• Foothills Medical Centre Emergency
Academic Misconduct: Intellectual Honesty, Integrity in
Scholarly Activity, Plagiarism, Cheating.
Q. Student Misconduct:
https://www.ucalgary.ca/pubs/calendar/grad/current/gs-q.html
A single offence of cheating, plagiarism, or other academic misconduct,
on term work, tests, or final examinations, etc., can lead to disciplinary
probation or a student’s suspension or expulsion from the Faculty if it is
determined that the offence warrants such action.
Non-Academic Misconduct: Respect for property and
individuals
S. Non-Academic Misconduct Policy
http://ucalgary.ca/conduct/misconduct/
In addition to academic integrity, all members of the University
community have an obligation to treat one another with mutual respect.
Advice I give all my graduate students
The committee always speaks more
loudly than any individual member
Trust your data
Writing is thinking (and is the
currency of scientific research)
Food for thought
Luck is the residue of design.
Branch Rickey
If you want something you never had,
you must be willing to do something
you’ve never done.
Thomas Jefferson
Consistency is the last refuge of the
unimaginative.
Oscar Wilde