COVID-19 Updates for BISC Graduate Students (3/17)

Graduate Advising

All advising staff will be working from home until at least Tuesday, April 14th.  Ashley, Paloma, Adolfo, and I will be available by email for any questions.  Should you need to talk to us, we can also arrange for phone calls or zoom meetings. 

Summer Support Forms

Please email us your summer support forms, if you have not already done so.  Despite the current situation, or deadlines for entering your summer support to ensure timely payment have not changed.  Your forms were due to your advisor on Friday, March 20th.  Scans are preferred.  You may obtain e-signatures from your advisor, if necessary.

Spring Classes

All Spring classes will continue to be offered remotely for the remainder of the semester, including laboratory courses.  You will be able to complete your courses via Zoom and this decision will have no impact on your academic progress. 

Graduation and Commencement

Students will be able to complete the semester and graduate. International students with specific concerns about travel, visas, and online capability should contact the Office of International Services at (213) 740-2666 or ois@usc.edu; other students concerned about online capability should contact (213) 740-6291 or covid19@usc.edu.

The university is postponing commencement activities originally scheduled for May 15th. An in-person, on-campus celebration that will take place once travel and large group events become safe and permitted.

Qualifying Exams and Dissertation Defenses

All oral qualifying exams and dissertation defenses may now be conducted remotely, if desired.  Permission of the department and Dean are required.  If you intend to complete your oral qualifying exam or dissertation defense remotely between today and the end of the spring semester, please email me to request approval.  I will coordinate departmental and Dean’s approval for you. 

Research Continuity

You should have all received a detailed email from the USC Graduate School last week detailing the expectations related to your continuing research in the labs.  Please review this email carefully and work with your PI to set a plan that works best for you.  The university is asking for you to complete as much of your lab work from home as possible and to adhere to good hygiene and social distancing practices when in the lab. If you did not receive the email from the graduate school, please let me know and I will forward it to you. 

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If you have questions related to this information or if I can be of assistance to you in any way, please feel free to contact me.

- Douglas Burleson