Excellence in higher education is built on the foundation of strong graduate programs.
Talented graduate students advance the work of discovery and innovation, create opportunities for faculty development and recruitment, attract critical grant funding and academic recognition, and raise the quality of undergraduate education, and the contributions they make to their fields while enrolled and long after are proof of a university’s lasting value to the society it serves.
In concert with UVA leadership and the College Foundation and its trustees, the office of the Dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences is working to make excellence in graduate education a top priority, with the goal of transforming the graduate experience and inspiring a commitment to philanthropy that will advance UVA on its path to becoming the nation’s highest-ranked public university.
Why now?
The work of attracting the world’s most talented graduate students to the College means making a commitment not just to their work but also to their quality of life. In April of 2023, the College launched its Campaign for Graduate Excellence, focusing on providing graduate students with support for stipends, tuition, fees, research funds and health insurance. The initiative raised the minimum graduate student stipend by 25%, from $24,000 to $30,000 in a single year, resulting in significant increases in graduate applications and meaningful advances in indicators of student wellbeing. But there is still important work to be done.
How will we get there?
The Dean of the College and Graduate School Arts & Sciences is committed to building on the success of the initiative to date, and there are still two important steps to take.
- The success of the campaign relies on raising $150 million in new endowments to expand and sustain graduate fellowships, and College leadership is working with the College Foundation to find ways to engage and inspire donors.
- College leadership will be looking for insight from faculty about how funding raised by the campaign has impacted their departments so far and how those investments could best be used to continue to enhance the quality of the College’s graduate programs both today and for decades to come.
To offer your input or to get involved, contact China Scherz, associate dean for graduate education, or attend an upcoming event.
Timeline of 2024 Events
- March 13, Graduate Education Summit (Bond House, Rooms 116/118)
- April 1, Graduate Student Council Meeting
- April 11, Meeting of the College Foundation Trustees
Leadership Team
- Christa Acampora – Dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
- T. Brent Gunnoe – Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Education
- Tyisha Hathorn – Assistant Dean for Graduate Education
- Evan Barrow – Senior Finance Generalist
- Tracy Mourton - Associate Director Graduate Student Enrollment and Engagement