New Student Information

Introduction

The information below is especially pertinent to new students as they move to Morgantown and begin their graduate studies.

Orientation programs

Most programs provide orientation sessions for new graduate students either before classes start or during the early part of the fall semester. Information is available from advisors and program directors.

The Office of Graduate Education and Life (OGEL) has tentatively scheduled a new student orientation session to be held on Monday, August 17, for newly-admitted graduate and professional students, pending further state and university guidelines on social distancing due to COVID-19. If your program is not offering an orientation session, we encourage you to attend. The OGEL orientation is not required; nonetheless, we strongly encourage newly admitted graduate students to attend because it covers a wide range of topics that may be helpful to your academic and personal success at WVU. This year, our orientation session will also include Title IX training. It is important to note that some academic programs offer new student orientation programs during the fall term and we recommend that students attend their academic program’s orientation if it conflicts with the OGEL new student orientation schedule.

Again, you are not required to attend this event; however, if you do plan to attend, we request that you complete this online form for planning purposes. Even if you don’t complete the survey or if your plans change, you are welcome to attend all or part of the orientation.

Orientations sessions are scheduled for new graduate teaching assistants. More information is available from ITeach. 

Getting your Mountaineer Card: The official photo identification card of the University is known as the Mountaineer Card. Issued to students, faculty, staff and others, it provides access to WVU services, buildings and events. You can learn more about the Mountaineer Card from WVU Information Technology Services.

Required and Optional Training for New Graduate Students

Students should consult with their program directors to determine which of the following online or face-to-face training programs are required or recommended for them.

• Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) Orientation Modules, which include:
  
• FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act)
• Academic Integrity and Dishonesty
• Diversity and Accessibility
• Integrating School and Life
• Pivot – system to identify research funding opportunities
  
• Human Subject Research Training through the CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative) program
  
• Animal Welfare Regulatory Training
  
• Responsible Conduct of Research Education and Training
  
• Conflict of Interest in Research Training through the CITI program
  
• Title IX (general information). See also Prevention Section information about training for Title IX, Sexual Harassment, Harassment and Hostile Work Environment Prevention, SAFE Zone)
• Crime Prevention Center (information) and Training (videos plus Q&A) from the University Police