GSBS News and Updates:
Updated March 31, 2020
We have updated the format of the GSBS Alerts page. Please see the menu at the top left to navigate through topics such as COVID-19 FAQ, student academic links, health and travel, working remotely, etc. Please be sure to bookmark this page and check it daily.
TMC parking update for March 31, 2020: To aid our member institutions and individual parking customers, TMC will be reducing non-contract parking fees in Garage 8 and the AU Lot, along with all contract rates for the month of April. More details on the GSBS Alerts Parking and Transit page.
Effective Tuesday, March 31, 2020: Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced an extension to the Stay Home, Work Safe order for the Greater Houston area. This new order runs through Thursday, April 30. See link above for complete details.
Academic milestone update: The Graduate School will be extending deadlines for academic milestones, including advisory meetings, for students in all degree programs. The length of the extensions is unknown at this time but will be based on the period of disruption due to COVID-19 pandemic. If you have questions, please contact Bill Mattox, PhD, or Brenda Gaughan (PhD students) / Eric Swindell, PhD, or Kelly Moore, PhD (MS students).
Emergency loan information for GSBS students: Students in good academic standing may apply for a 90-day interest-free emergency loan up to $1,000. More information can be found here. Students must submit an e-loan application and promissory note:
Emergency loan applications received before 4 p.m. are processed the same day. The Bursar’s office will disburse the funds the same day through direct deposit or regular mail. It’s important to make sure your direct deposit is set up in myUTH to expedite the process. Please contact Priscila Ramirez for questions on emergency loans: Priscila.N.Ramirez@uth.tmc.edu.
Effective March 29, 2020: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott expands travel/quarantine order: The governor also issued a proclamation regarding his prior Executive Order mandating a self-quarantine for individuals arriving from the New York Tri-State Area and New Orleans, Louisiana. The Executive Order now includes air travelers arriving from the following states and cities:
- California
- Louisiana
- Washington
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Chicago, Illinois
- Detroit, Michigan
- Miami, Florida
Having a hard time staying productive while working remotely? GSBS Associate Dean Cherilynn Shadding, PhD, and Assistant Director Raquel Salinas, PhD, have compiled tips for working from home. Check out these tips and more here.
Find self-care tips here on our GSBS Alerts Health and Travel page.
GSA anonymous survey for concerns during COVID-19: Unedited responses will be forwarded to GSBS Deans' Office. The GSA and GSBS Deans' Office will address issues and provide further assistance.
Stipend information: All GSBS students will continue to receive their stipends while our parent institutions implement changes to lab structures. If GSBS faculty/PIs or students have concerns regarding stipends, please contact Pat Bruesch.
GSBS 2020 Commencement: As the Graduate School and our parent institutions, MD Anderson Cancer Center and UTHealth, continue to monitor the COVID-19 outbreak, it is with considerable regret that the GSBS announces the cancellation of the 2020 GSBS Commencement Ceremony, which was to be held on May 9, 2020. Click here for more information.
The actions below are effective through April 30, 2020 (this date may be extended):
- The Graduate School administrative offices will be closed and staffers will be working remotely until further notice. This closure will minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission to patients located in the MD Anderson main hospital, which is adjacent to the MD Anderson Mitchell Building - home of the GSBS administrative offices. While we may not be in our physical offices, the GSBS staff is still here for our students and faculty. If you need to reach out to us via email, click here to find our departmental directory or email us at Talk2GSBS@uth.tmc.edu.
- All GSBS didactic courses will be moved online. The school will contact course coordinators with more information on this change.
- All GSBS students must utilize technologies, such as Webex, for all academic meetings, including advisory meetings, candidacy exams, and thesis defenses/public seminars, as well as student group events. Get more information here.
- All advising meetings with GSBS staffers will be held via phone or Webex. Contact the appropriate staff member to coordinate meeting arrangements.
- The Graduate School will be extending deadlines for academic milestones, including advisory meetings, for students in all degree programs. The length of the extensions is unknown at this time but will be based on the period of disruption due to COVID-19 pandemic. If you have questions, please contact Bill Mattox, PhD, or Brenda Gaughan (PhD students) / Eric Swindell, PhD, or Kelly Moore, PhD (MS students).
GSBS messages regarding COVID-19
March 23: GSBS COVID-19 Update: Stipend and lab information for March 23
March 20: A message about the 2020 GSBS Commencement Ceremony
March 17: GSBS COVID-19 update for March 17
March 16: GSBS guidelines for WebEx meetings
March 13: GSBS administrative offices to go online on March 16
March 13: GSBS Coronavirus Update and Information for March 13