Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Graduate Students Give Back

When one imagines the daily activity of a graduate student, several predominant images come to mind. One might picture graduate students in various academic activities such as doing research, attending classes, teaching classes, or studying. At The University of Toledo, graduate students can be found doing all of these activities and much more.

Recently, UT graduate students have organized to do something that not only enriches their own lives, but supports the mission of the University: improving the human condition. Led by the Graduate Student Association (GSA), graduate students have paired up with Cherry Street Mission for a food drive to help those in need. The GSA will be gathering non-perishable food and other items through the end of the semester (December 15th). Donations may be placed in the designated box outside the GSA office (Student Union 1509). All donated items will be given to the Cherry Street Mission.

And the giving doesn’t stop there! GSA also has arranged to “adopt a family” for the holiday season. In this way, GSA hopes to provide a truly special holiday for a family that could use the support. Individuals interested in purchasing an item for the family may contact Tamara Smith (tamara.smith@rockets.utoledo.edu).

Through these acts, and many others, our graduate students not only excel in their academics, but also develop themselves in other facets of their lives. The College of Graduate Studies is proud to support our graduate students in this worthwhile endeavor.

Go Rockets!

Monday, November 19, 2012

UT Establishes Itself as a Leader in Advanced Practice Nurse Preparation


The Ohio Board of Regents recently approved the UT College of Nursing to offer a post-baccalaureate doctor of nursing practice degree. The University of Toledo is the first institution in the state to offer this type of program.

The new program is designed to train Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduates to become experts in their field and aims to provide them with the knowledge and resources they need to meet the rapid growth of knowledge in healthcare. Dr. Timothy Gaspar, dean of the College of Nursing, told UT News, “The changing demands of this nation’s complex healthcare environment require the highest level of scientific knowledge and practice expertise to assure quality patient outcomes.”

The response has certainly been positive as some in the field have how nursing has “drastically changed” in the time since they received their BSN. For those with full-time jobs, the program provides an effective combination of campus-based and online courses that allow students to get the most out of their education with the least amount of interruption to their career and home life. Dr. Patricia Komuniecki, vice provost for graduate affairs and the dean of the College of Graduate Studies, says that the addition of this new degree to the College of Nursing’s other programs “has clearly established UT as a leader in the preparation of future advanced practice nurses and leaders.”

More information about UT’s graduate nursing programs (and all the other exciting graduate degrees UT has to offer) can be found on the College of Graduate Studies website.

Go Rockets!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

International Education Week


Happy International Education Week! This week the Center for International Studies and Programs aims to remind us of the key role university campuses play in the promotion of global awareness.

Throughout the week, the Center will be hosting events aimed at providing students, staff and faculty with resources to help them become international leaders and to prepare themselves for the global environment in which we now live. These events include presentations on traveling abroad, the Fulbright Program and the U.S. Peace Corps, as well as the “International Village” culture showcase.

Did you know that about 14% of the graduate/professional students at UT are international?  The majority of the students come from China, India and the Middle East, but students also come to UT from countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America.

The University of Toledo is dedicated to improving the human condition both in the United States and abroad. Dedication to diversity is yet another way that UT strives to prepare students for their lives and careers beyond the Toledo campus.

For more information about International Education Week, and for a schedule of events, please visit the following link: https://www.utoledo.edu/cisp/iew/index.html. For more information on the how COGS promotes diversity, check out our diversity plan: http://www.utoledo.edu/graduate/files/COGS_Diversity_Plan_2011.pdf.

Go Rockets!

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

The Inaugural Blog

It’s Election Day in the United States of America, and as the nation looks to the future, what better time to look to the future of graduate education here at the University of Toledo. With so many exciting things happening, the College of Graduate Studies (COGS) is poised to embrace past successes and strive for continued improvement and innovation.

The purpose of this blog is not only to keep you up to date on the latest events coming up in the graduate community at UT, but also to highlight on a weekly basis the wonderful activities that our graduate students, staff, and faculty are involved in and to provide useful articles and resources related to graduate education.

UT has a tradition of excellence spanning back to its founding as the Toledo University of Arts and Trades in 1872. In the 140 years since then, UT has developed into a comprehensive research university often on the forefront in many different disciplines. From accounting to nursing to special education, the University of Toledo is developing leaders for the future of their respective fields of study. The College of Graduate Studies is dedicated to ensuring that UT students have a pathway through their education to a successful career. It is this dedication and my own experience as a UT graduate that make me proud to serve as the COGS Graduate Orientation & Enrollment Manager.

For those members of the graduate community at UT, I invite you to email me any awards, recognitions or special events relating to you or your department and I will do my best to highlight your accomplishments.

Please check back soon to learn more about the exciting things happening for UT graduate students!

Go Rockets!