Arts & Sciences Hosts 2nd Annual Grad Ed Summit
The College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences recently held its second annual Graduate Education Summit, bringing together directors of graduate studies, department chairs and dean’s office leaders to focus on progress and next steps in efforts to support graduate excellence. The event is the centerpiece of the A&S 2030 strategic priority to transform the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences by focusing on graduate excellence as a prime objective of the A&S 2030 strategic priorities plan.
The Summit included news about recent achievements, including the new fundraising goal for the initiative:
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Substantial Student Support: The minimum stipend for PhDs and MFAs in all departments was increased by 25 percent to $30,000 in 2023. The total annual support package, including tuition, fees and health insurance, now exceeds $70,000 for each student.
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Robust Recruitment: Following the increase in funding for stipends, there were immediate increases in the number of students who accepted enrollment offers from the College and the number of new applications to College graduate programs.
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Ambitious Fundraising Goals: The Graduate Excellence Campaign will focus on raising $150 million in new endowments dedicated to graduate education by 2030.
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Unprecedented, Shared Success: In the past year, the College has raised $38.4 in new commitments and matching funds, more than 40% of the principal realized for graduate education over the prior 131 years of fundraising.
Following the event, Christa Acampora, Buckner W. Clay Professor of Philosophy and Dean of the College, informed attendees that the College will continue its energetic fundraising efforts in the coming months and years and will focus on deciding where to invest new resources and how to carefully steward current endowments.
She also announced two new online resources: a new GSAS website and a dedicated web page for the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Excellence project.
“Graduate education is central to our missions of education, discovery and service, and it fuels the distinctive quality engine that powers a high-performing research university,” Dean Acampora said. “Graduate students advance the frontiers of cutting-edge research, scholarship and creative activity; serve as thought partners to our faculty; and mentor undergraduates and prepare them for more advanced study. The most robust and academically diverse school in the University community, the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences is crucial for accelerating UVA’s aspirations for research eminence. Focusing on graduate excellence enables us to attract and support top faculty, strengthen our research profile and enhance UVA’s undergraduate experience.”
Acampora added that this is a transformational time for the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and welcomed the College community’s input and participation.
