Message to grad students and postdocs about updates on travel, health & campus activity

Susie Brubaker-Cole, Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Stacey F. Bent, Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs provide an update on travel, health, and campus activity.

Dear graduate and professional students,

As the end of spring quarter approaches, we want to share our deep admiration for your adaptability and perseverance over this academic year. You have done a tremendous job keeping yourself and your community safe, while continuing to make progress toward your academic and career goals.

We are writing to highlight some reminders and also share Stanford’s most recent COVID-19 guidelines with the promise to share more information about summer plans soon. We are pleased to see campus and the surrounding areas opening up; we also recognize that many of you and your families elsewhere in the world continue to be deeply affected by the pandemic. 

Two Quick Reminders

• Today, Wednesday, May 26, 2-3 PM: In a Campus Conversation, President Tessier-Lavigne and Provost Drell will reflect on this academic year and discuss plans for next year. They will be joined by Lloyd Minor, Dean of the School of Medicine, and Elizabeth Zacharias, Vice President for Human Resources.
• By Friday, May 28, 11:59 PM: We encourage you to complete the first-ever, campus-wide DEI survey. You should have received an email with a unique access link from Provost Drell the week of May 10. This survey is an important part of our efforts to understand the experiences of all campus community members, including your experiences as graduate and professional students, and to ensure progress toward our campus DEI goals. Each person who submits a survey will receive a $10 gift card.

Updated COVID-19 Guidelines

• The Health Alerts update on May 18, 2021 provides a summary of changes to face coverings, travel, and campus gatherings. Keep an eye out for summer updates as California and the county provide further re-opening guidance. 
• Recently updated university-sponsored travel policies now allow for most domestic travel without prior approval, and international travel will be allowed with prior approval beginning June 14. University-sponsored travel must be booked using Stanford Travel services, which now has options designed specifically for students. 
• Please get vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as you can with whatever vaccine is available to you. Stanford’s COVID-19 Vaccination page includes extensive information about the university’s vaccine requirement and vaccination availability.
• As soon as you are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, please update your health record with Vaden Health Services (separate from Health Check) by July 30, 2021 to prevent getting a hold placed on your fall quarter registration.
• Please check Grad Updates for current COVID-19 information and plans for summer and fall quarters.

Looking Ahead

• Stanford Graduate Summer Institute 2021 applications are open; the next deadline is Sunday, June 6. Don’t miss this free opportunity to explore new subjects, experiment with new ideas, and meet new people. Week-long, immersive courses start Tuesday, Sept. 7.
• Congratulations to Sanna Ali and KC Shah, the newly elected Graduate Student Council co-chairs, who will represent the graduate student community next year.
• For doctoral students whose progress has been delayed due to COVID-19, please discuss your timeline and funding with your faculty advisor to determine if a teaching or dissertation fellowship may be appropriate for your situation.
• As always, we welcome your suggestions for how our offices can support you and enrich your graduate studies at Stanford. 

In closing, congratulations to all who have graduated or are preparing to graduate in 2020-21! We hope you are proud of all you have accomplished. The world is awaiting your energy and dedication. And, of course, we look forward to seeing those of you continuing your studies on campus soon.

With best wishes for a healthy summer,
Susie and Stacey

Susie Brubaker-Cole
Vice Provost for Student Affairs

Stacey F. Bent
Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs
Jagdeep and Roshni Singh Professor in the School of Engineering