Doctoral Digest: COVID-19 Guidance
Welcome to the Doctoral Digest. BU’s one-stop shop for PhD professional development. Ideas or feedback? Email gradpd@bu.edu.
Special Edition: COVID-19
This special edition of our newsletter is focused on highlighting the University guidance and resources related to COVID-19 directly pertinent to doctoral students. Please visit the University-wide and Research Support COVID-19 websites for the most up-to-date information.
Mental health and wellbeing
We recognize that we are living in uncertain and stressful times. Your mental health and wellbeing is as much of a priority for us as your physical health and safety.
Boston University has a collection of mental health resources available to doctoral students collated on the Behavioral Medicine website. Graduate students are also eligible for a free subscription to the Headspace app.
Finally, the American Psychological Association offers guidance for preserving mental health in times of social distancing.
Connect with your colleagues on Slack
Want some company during this time of social distance? Connect with fellow BU doctoral students via our new Slack channel. Share articles via journal club, organize a virtual writing session, ask for help, or just check-in with our community on a regular basis.
Events
All events scheduled to take place prior to 4/13/2020, including the Navigating the Stressors of Academia event on March 19, have been cancelled. We will provide updated information for events scheduled in April and May in our Doctoral Digest regularly scheduled for early April.
For other professional development opportunities and resources be sure to check out our Graduate Education website.
Guidance for doctoral students
Dissertation Defenses
Dissertation defenses should be held virtually via Zoom. In general, the standard practices of the department should be upheld, but not at the expense of limiting a student’s academic progress. Ultimately, the structure of the defense may need to be modified and flexibility is encouraged.
Regalia deadline
We expect information on regalia deadline and potential for reimbursements to be forthcoming.
Research operations
New guidance on research has been issued on the CRC and BUMC. If you have concerns with continuing your research efforts on campus, please discuss with your faculty advisor or Director of Graduate Studies. We ask all faculty, staff, and students to seek creative and flexible solutions to the current situation. Where research need not be undertaken on campus and can be moved forward remotely, this option is best.
Teaching remotely
Graduate teaching fellows should not be required to conduct any in-person instruction through April 13, 2020. Consult with your faculty teaching advisor or School/College to understand how your teaching responsibilities will be translated into a virtual classroom space.
Online teaching training
Translating In-person Teaching Strategies Online: Professional Development & Postdoctoral Affairs, in partnership with the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Office of Distance Education, will be offering training sessions for graduate student and postdoctoral teaching fellows interested in developing skills for online teaching and facilitation.
This 90 minute virtual workshop will be a mixture of practical tips for maximizing Zoom and Blackboard functionalities, as well as strategies for achieving student engagement and learning in an online environment. We will also provide time for Q&A.
Sessions will be offered on the following dates and times:
March 23, 2020 1:00 – 2:30 pm EDT
March 25, 2020 1:00 – 2:30 pm EDT
March 26, 2020 2:00 – 3:30 pm EDT
March 27, 2020 10:00 – 11:30 am EDT
Graduate students are also eligible to participate in Zoom training sessions offered for faculty and instructors by Digital Learning & Innovation. Information about these sessions can be found the Remote Teaching Preparedness website.