Graduate School Newsletter

April 2026

Important Announcements

Grad Appreciation Week, April 6-10

MSU wants you to know that we appreciate our graduate students! There are college level happenings around campus throughout the week.

Grad School is hosting a coffee and parfait bar on Wednesday April 8, 8:30am-10am in Leigh Lounge in the SUB with special guests from the Library. Visit us to enter a raffle for a Grad School YETI travel mug. Raffle closes April 10.
- Can’t join us? Follow the link to enter the raffle
See what your college is doing to celebrate. Full schedule here.

Message Graduate Student Leadership Council

Town Hall:GSLC wants to hear from you! We are holding a Town Hall on April 14^th at noon in AJM Johnson Hall 251 to hear your feedback as we continue to advocate for graduate student needs. As always, you can reach out to us via email or the feedback form on our website (https://www.montana.edu/gradschool/gslc.html). You can also get more involved by becoming a member of our organization.

ASMSU resolution:ASMSU passed a resolution calling on the MSU administration to address the financial difficulties faced by graduate students. GSLC thanks our ASMSU representatives for their advocacy of policies supporting graduate student wellbeing and financial security. We appreciate their efforts to support the graduate student population.

Recently, the Exponent published an article about the new resolution that included the following commentary: “‘Graduate students’ primary purpose at the University is academic, not employment-related. They are, therefore, defined primarily as students, not University employees,’ Becker (Michael Becker, MSU Vice President of Communications) said. Subsequently, GAs cannot access the MUS employee medical plan, according to him.”

GSLC would like to reiterate that graduate students frequently hold multiple roles at MSU, which often carry equal weight and priority. Many graduate students work countless hours in their employee positions, which are essential to university functioning. Importantly, they continue to do so without employee benefits. GSLC affirms the critical role that graduate student employees play and the importance of their dual position as both students and employees. It is also worth noting that in our academic roles, PhD student graduation rates are perhaps the most important factors in maintaining MSU's R1 research status, an outcome that depends directly on the support and stability of our graduate student population.

Vice Provost for Graduate Education:Candidates for the Vice Provost for Graduate Education will be on campus next week. Keep an eye out for student feedback forums with these candidates.

Strategic Planning:Reminder to fill out the survey for strategic planning if you have not done so already. It is important that diverse graduate student voices are heard as we shape the future of our university. Find the survey here: https://montana.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2ayhdQIFUiR88Wq.

Vice Provost of Graduate Education and Director of Graduate Education Meet and Greets

Dear MSU Graduate Students,

On behalf of the search committee for the Vice Provost of Graduate Education and Director of the Graduate School committee and chair, Dean Dean Adams, I would like to extend an invitation for you to attend the below opportunities to interact with the candidates for the position of Vice Provost. Your feedback is extremely valuable and the committee welcomes any comments you would like to share. Additional materials for the candidates can be found at: Vice Provost Graduate Education

Candidates will also be participating in an open forum at the times listed below where they will discuss: Over the next five years, what do you see as the most significant challenges and opportunities affecting graduate education at Montana State University, and how would you ensure graduate programs remain competitive, sustainable and aligned with our land-grant mission?

Dr. Angela Lueking, April 6, 2026

MSU Graduate Students: 2:15-3:00 pm: Alumni Legacy Lounge, Strand Union Building
Open Forum: 4:00-4:45 pm: Alumni Legacy Lounge, Strand Union Building
Dr. Robert Peterson, April 7, 2026

MSU Graduate Students: 2:15-3:00 pm: Room 149, Norm Asbjornson Hall
Open Forum: 4:00-4:45 pm: Room 149, Norm Asbjornson Hall
Dr. Bruce Fouke, April 8, 2026

MSU Graduate Students: 2:15- 3:00 pm: Procrastinator Theater, Strand Union Building
Open Forum: 4:00-4:45 pm: Procrastinator Theater, Strand Union Building
Thank you for your participation and if you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call or email.

Julie Heard

Executive Assistant to the Provost

Spring Graduate Professional Development Series

This series is offered by The Extreme Biofilms National Research Traineeship (NRT) Program and The Graduate School. Attend two NRT-hosted workshops and apply for up to a $1,500 Seed Grant. Use the funds to attend a conference, participate in a technical workshop, or pursue emerging research.

April 3, 12-1:30pm, SUB 233: Essential Tools for Effective Technical Writing with Jennifer Brown
April 14, 12-1:30pm,SUB Ballroom B: Leadership Essentials for Emerging Scholars

Please see the GradCat 360 Calendar for further information and scheduling updates.

Upcoming Dates & Deadlines

Full List of Grad School Dates & Deadlines

April 3: University Day (no classes, offices open)
April 24: Last day for comprehensive exam or defense if graduating spring 2026
May 1: Last day for formatting approval of Electronic Thesis or Dissertation (ETD) by the formatting advisor. 5PM deadline. Submission of draft at minimum 2-3 weeks prior.
May 7: Last day of classes. Spring Semester ends. Last day to withdraw Graduation Application and file for One-credit Extension.
May 8: Spring Commencement 2026

Funding & Fellowships

Identify Scholarships and Research Funding for Your Graduate Education!

The University of Illinois has an excellent Fellowship Finder featuring awards that are open to grad students from any university. It features several filters to aid your search.

The National Research Council postdoctoral program is used by federal agencies across the country to support postdoc searches. This is a great place to look when you are close to finishing your PhD and the salaries are quite good. Quarterly application deadlines.

For more funding opportunities, visit MSU’s Research Funding Opportunities and the MSU Graduate School's Funding and Fellowships webpage.

Workshops & Events

Graduate Wellness Champions - Spring Applications Open

The Graduate School is accepting applications for the 2025-2026 academic year. To support the well-being of graduate students, department-level initiatives are key – both in running local well-being events, but also to help change culture and practices. A $500 fellowship ($250 per semester) is available for graduate student wellness champions who will advocate and organize well-being events in their departments. This fellowship is to support the student for organizational work during the academic year. For more information, please visit the GradCat Wellness Champion Program website.

Grad Student Strategic Plan Listening Session April 16

During this session, you’ll have the opportunity to share your ideas, priorities and aspirations for the future of MSU. These contributions will help inform the goals and strategic priorities that guide the drafting process. Input gathered throughout the spring and summer will be analyzed and distilled into drafts for review in early fall, with final publication expected in November. See here for more information.

Crawford Scholars Project Showcase April 16

Join the Graduate School in Romney Room 008 to celebrate the project work of our Graduate Crawford Scholars. There will be poster presentations, hors d'oeuvres, and live music. RSVP Here.

Three Minute Thesis Competition April 23

Sign up now to compete in the Graduate School's 3 Minute Thesis competition. Show case your thesis with a single slide and a presentation no more than three minutes long. There are cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Sign up here.

Effective Research Mentoring Training Series May 19, 20, 21

This three-part series uses materials from the Center for Improved Mentoring Experiences in Research to explore many different subjects around mentoring. We will suggest some tools and practices to help you and your students navigate the mentor relationship. This workshop uses a case-based approach to discuss mentoring challenges among peers, share best mentoring practices, read relevant literature, review structured documents for mentoring success (e.g., compacts and individual development plans), and create a mentoring philosophy.

MSU Writing Center

Our graduate writing groups meet weekly and offer participants accountability, support, and feedback. The Writing Center provides the facilitator and the space.

The Writing Center also hosts HumaniTEAs Thursday Writers' Roundtables for graduate students in English, American Studies, History, Architecture, and Art. RSVP here.

You can also drop in to the Wilson Hall WC for FOCUS Friday every Friday from 9am to 12pm.

https://www.montana.edu/writingcenter/graduate-students/graduate-writer-support.html

Professional Development: GradCat 360

GradCat 360 is a comprehensive professional development program for graduate students at Montana State University. It is a series of programs and events designed by the Graduate School and departments across campus that center around nine focus areas. These areas are tailored to help students cultivate a unified set of skills and knowledge for educational success and professional preparation.

Check out our GradCat 360 Event Calendar, specifically curated for Graduate Students. We are constantly updating the GradCat 360 calendar with workshops and events that are uniquely useful for Graduate Students.