The purpose of this page is to document policy changes and resources during COVID-19 social distancing measures.
Have questions? Contact Lacy White for program related requirements or contact Jim Pollard for IT related questions. We are all in this together and you have a large support network at BME committed to your success.
Qualifying Exams
First-year students should plan for virtual qualifying exams in 2020. President Fenves announced on April 1 that all summer courses would be delivered in an online format, which means that in-person qualifying exams may not be a possibility this year. Please refer to the Virtual Qualifying Exam Best Practices info sheet. All qualifying exam paperwork is submitted directly to the Graduate Coordinator.
Dissertation Proposals
All students who intend to propose before the end of summer 2020 should plan for a virtual proposal. Many of the tips and best practices in the Virtual Qualifying Exam Best Practices info sheet also apply to proposals. Many resources exist online, including other students' experiences from holding virtual proposals. Check out this thread and this article for more practical tips. All proposal paperwork is submitted directly to the Graduate Coordinator.
Dissertation Defense/Final Oral Exam
All students who intend to defend before the end of summer 2020 should plan for a virtual defense. Review best practices and articles mentioned in the Qualifying Exam section and the Proposal section.
IMPORTANT: Do not publicize your defense Zoom link on Twitter or on the web. Zoom links must be shared in a controlled manner.
Paperwork: Learning outcomes should be submitted to the Graduate Coordinator via email. The Report of Dissertation Committee must be signed by your committee members and the GSC Chair (Dr. Yeh) and submitted to GradStudentSvcs@austin.utexas.edu. The Graduate School strongly prefers that all signatures are on one page, but will accept multiple pages if needed. Note that the Graduate School's submission deadline for spring 2020 has not changed. Upload your dissertation to the Texas Digital Library and submit all final paperwork by 3 PM on May 8.
Will your defense be open or closed? The Graduate School is not mandating public defenses during this time. It is the student's decision to hold a public or closed defense.
- Closed Defense:
- You are responsible to create a Zoom meeting and distribute the details to your committee.
- We recommend using a password to prevent "zoombombing."
- You may also send the link to lab mates, family members or others who wish to join even if you choose a closed defense.
- We recommend designating at least one other person as an alternate host to serve as the room moderator to attend to technical issues and let people in from the waiting room. All guests (or non-UT Zoom users) will automatically be placed in the waiting room.
- Practice! Take some time before the date of your proposal to practice using the software with other people.
- Public Defense:
- You are responsible to create a Zoom meeting and distribute the details to your committee and the Graduate Coordinator.
- We recommend using a password to prevent "zoombombing."
- We recommend designating at least two other people as alternate hosts to serve as room moderators to attend to technical issues and let people in from the waiting room. All guests (or non-UT users) will automatically be placed in the waiting room.
- The Graduate Coordinator will create an RSVP survey in Qualtrics, the link to which will be distributed via the regular defense notice to the full Graduate Studies Committee and BME graduate student list serv. The notice will go out about one week prior to your defense. You will be given collaborator access to the survey so you have access to the RSVPs.
- Within 24 hours before your defense, the Graduate Coordinator will forward the Zoom link and password to everyone who submitted an RSVP.
- When you begin your defense, consider taking a minute to speak to the technology and your expectations (e.g., ask everyone except your committee members to disable video if it is a large group).
- Practice! Take some time before the date of your proposal to practice using the software with other people.
- Closed Defense:
Summer and Fall Registration
President Fenves announced on April 1 that summer/fall registration has been moved to April 27 - May 8. The course schedules will be published on April 8. The advising form for summer/fall registration will be released to BME graduate students at least 2 weeks prior to the new registration period.
