Graduate Orientation and Information Sessions

The Graduate School hosts a face-to-face New Graduate Student Orientation before classes begin each Fall semester. Additionally, the Graduate School hosts a virtual Orientation for graduate students who need to access Orientation remotely (e.g., online graduate students). The goals of Orientation are to provide students with an understanding of what to expect academically and financially as graduate students, describe the professional ethics associated with graduate research and creative endeavors, highlight award-winning faculty and graduate students, and showcase campus services and extracurricular opportunities for graduate students. Graduate students attending this campus-wide Orientation can interact with representatives of graduate student organizations and campus offices, attend professional development workshops, and enjoy refreshments provided by Seminole Dining and the Congress of Graduate Students. In addition to the information and networking opportunities afforded by the Fall Orientation event, professional development workshops are offered collaboratively by the FSU Graduate School, Center for Leadership and Social Change, Center for Global Engagement, the University Libraries, and the Career Center throughout the academic year.

The Program for Instructional Excellence (PIE), a unit of the Graduate School, offers a two-day Biannual/PIE Teaching Conference which orients graduate student teaching assistants (TAs) to teaching at FSU. The Biannual PIE Teaching Conference is held each Fall and Spring semester (please see additional details below). Additional orientations/workshops may be offered by the individual departments that prepare graduate students for teaching in their discipline. Students will be notified through their individual academic departments of the date, time, and location of the University-wide orientation on teaching at FSU. Students can also consult the PIE website for training updates at https://pie.fsu.edu/.

Departments often offer their own formal or informal orientation sessions; queries regarding these meetings should be made directly to the chair of the student's department.

Center for Global Engagement – International Student Orientation

The Center for Global Engagement (CGE) is the department assigned by the University and designated by the federal government to provide services to international students in F-1 and J-1 visa classifications and ensure FSU compliance with federal immigration law.

In addition to the Graduate Orientation mentioned above, the Center for Global Engagement provides required orientation sessions specifically for new international graduate students prior to the beginning of each semester. The orientation includes information and guidance on various topics such as CGE programs and services, healthcare and insurance, essential immigration regulations, transportation, registration and fee payment, and more, to better prepare students for living and studying in Tallahassee. Federal regulations make it essential that students know and understand their responsibilities under federal immigration law. In addition to attending one in person orientation session upon arrival, each new international student must also complete the required Online Immigration Session (OIS) prior to arriving to FSU.

Upon arrival in the U.S., international students must submit an Arrival Confirmation form so that the CGE can process the required SEVIS registration for each student. This allows the CGE to process the required SEVIS registration for each student.

The CGE provides a variety of social and cultural programs such as International Coffee Hour, Global Café, Engage Your World Intercultural Dialogue Series, and other intercultural programs to promote interaction and increase cultural understanding among all FSU students. International students receive ongoing information about programs and services through email newsletters, CGE's Canvas Organization, and social media.

The Center for Global Engagement is located in the Global and Multicultural Engagement building (The Globe) at 110 S. Woodward Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4216. The CGE's International Student and Scholar Services office is located on the second floor of the building. For more information, visit https://cge.fsu.edu/, call (850) 644-1702, or e-mail cge@fsu.edu.

Professional Development

Professional development, improving and increasing one's skill sets, is important at every stage of graduate education and beyond. For example, improving one's oral and written communication skills and developing an understanding of research and creative ethical behavior are types of professional development. At FSU, numerous professional development opportunities are offered by academic departments/programs, the Center for Global Engagement, the Center for Leadership & Social Change, the Career Center, and the Graduate School. One professional development program administered by the Graduate School is Preparing Future Faculty (PFF), which provides a range of faculty experiences for graduate students, (e.g., presentations by faculty at FSU).

Another approach to professional development is the series of workshops offered during the academic year for FSU graduate and postdoctoral students by The Fellows Society, Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards, Program for Instructional Excellence, and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. Working closely with outstanding research faculty, administrators, and the Career Center, the Graduate School offers a wide range of workshops designed to equip students to achieve their educational and career goals. Descriptions of professional development workshops are located at https://gradschool.fsu.edu.

Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) Program

The Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program assists doctoral and terminal master's students in getting ready for faculty work. Through participation in coursework, workshops, mentoring, and interviewing faculty from other institutions, PFF candidates increase awareness of expectations for faculty performance and of resources available to aid in scholarly careers, and build their readiness to address teaching, research, and related demands of faculty life.

PFF program activities and requirements are organized around the keystones of: Teaching Preparation, Research Preparation, Career Development, Mentoring, and Portfolio Development. To earn the PFF Certificate, students or postdoctoral scholars must complete a minimum of twelve graduate hours in the areas of Teaching Preparation, Research Preparation, and Career Development. Events are either discipline-specific or campus wide. All FSU doctoral students are eligible to participate, as are FSU post-doctoral fellows, adjunct/visiting faculty, and graduate students in terminal master's degree programs (e.g., MFA). Candidates who meet specified requirements, often involving participation over a two-year period, are awarded a completion certificate, but PFF events are open to all graduate students/postdoctoral scholars/visiting faculty regardless of whether they intend to earn a graduate certificate.

FSU's PFF program coordinates with the national Preparing Future Faculty initiative of the Council of Graduate Schools and the Association of American Colleges and Universities, involving forty-five doctoral degree-granting institutions and more than 300 partner institutions.

To learn more about FSU's PFF program, check with your academic department and visit https://gradschool.fsu.edu.

Graduate Teaching Assistant Support

The Graduate School

Two programs that support graduate student teaching include the Program for Instructional Excellence (PIE) and Preparing Future Faculty (PFF). See the "Preparing Future Faculty Program" entry above.

University-Wide Teaching Conferences, Workshops and Additional Teaching Development Programming

The Program for Instructional Excellence (PIE), a unit of The Graduate School, provides a variety of resources and programs in support of the teaching and learning development of graduate student teaching assistants (TAs), and any graduate student or postdoctoral scholar interested in learning about and developing best practices in teaching and learning. PIE's programs also strive to create opportunities that foster a sense of collaboration and community among graduate students. Each Fall and Spring semester, PIE offers a two-day Biannual PIE Teaching Conference to orient TAs and/or postdoctoral scholars to teaching at FSU. Participants learn strategies, methods, and tools for teaching; the role of the TA as a student, instructor, and apprentice; and learn about University policy issues such as academic integrity and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The conference satisfies the required training elements as stated in the University-wide policy on teaching standards for TAs. The PIE Program also offers a variety of ongoing programming to promote interdisciplinary learning, including pedagogy-based reading groups, peer-teaching observations, consultations, teaching recognition programs, and online and face-to-face teaching workshops during the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. All workshops qualify for PFF credit. PIE's programming is open to all FSU graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, and staff.

For more details about the conference and other programs offered by PIE, email the Graduate School at pie-info@fsu.edu, or visit the PIE Website at https://pie.fsu.edu/, or call (850) 645-7318.

Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards

The Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards (OGFA), a unit of The Graduate School, assists current graduate students with articulating their interests and ambitions in support of identifying and applying for external fellowships and awards. Through participation in individual and group meetings, workshops, and ongoing mentoring and advising, graduate students engage in the fellowship application process as an integral part of their professional development. OGFA's professional development opportunities support early career development, academic portfolio building, and development of writing and communication skills. The Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards offers workshops during the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. All workshops qualify for PFF credit.

To learn more about the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards, visit https://ogfa.fsu.edu/ or call (850) 645-0850.

Office of Distance Learning

The Office of Distance Learning (ODL) serves as a steward of distance education at FSU, providing leadership, policy guidance, faculty support and development, and other resources. ODL's services to students, faculty, and staff promote and implement university initiatives to support student achievement in technology-mediated learning environments. In accordance with The Graduate School's professional development efforts, ODL offers training sessions each semester on instructional technology, online course design standards, and online pedagogy. For training opportunities, visit https://odl.fsu.edu/training-workshops. For information on quality course development, visit https://odl.fsu.edu/online-instruction/quality-course-design, email odl-faculty@campus.fsu.edu, or call (850) 644-4635 and ask for an instructional development faculty member.

Canvas serves as the learning management system for the FSU community at https://canvas.fsu.edu. For access to Canvas, visit https://my.fsu.edu to activate your FSUID. Visit the FSU Canvas Support Center at https://support.canvas.fsu.edu for FAQs, news, and resources. For technical assistance, call ODL Technical Support at (850) 644-8004, email canvas@fsu.edu, or submit a ticket at https://support.canvas.fsu.edu/new.

The FSU Testing Center at University Center C-1100 provides secure, on-site proctored testing for specialty exams such as CLEP, Modern Language Placement, TEAS, and Certiport professional certification exams. Scantron (bubble-sheet) form scanning services are offered, including online form viewing, item analysis, and reports. The Assessment & Testing team facilitates online proctoring for FSU's distance learning students and administers course evaluations on behalf of the university. For more information, visit https://odl.fsu.edu/testing, email testing@campus.fsu.edu, or call (850) 644-3017.