Annual Conference
GCGS Annual Conference 2023
Graduate Education Looking Forward and Moving Forward

Dear Colleagues:
The Georgia Council of Graduate Schools will host its annual conference Thursday, April 27, 2023 to Friday, April 28, 2023 at the Clayton State University campus in Morrow, Georgia. The theme of this year’s Georgia Council of Graduate Schools (GCGS) Annual Conference 2023 , broadly conceived, is, "Graduate Education: Looking Forward and Moving Forward."
Distribute the conference announcement widely across your campuses to involve your program directors, graduate faculty, and staff engaged with graduate education and the support of graduate students. Please send questions to info@georgiacgs.org.
Best Regards,
J. Celeste Walley-Jean, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)
Dean, School of Graduate Studies & Inclusive Engagement
Clayton State University
GCGS President 2022 - 2023
Guest Speakers
Sonia J. Toson, JD, MBA, CDP
Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer
Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, GA
Charmaine E. Troy, Ph.D.
Associate Director of First-Generation Student Initiatives
First-Generation Student Initiatives
Georgia Institute of Tecnology
Atlanta, GA
Conference Information
Location
Clayton State University
2000 Clayton State Blvd, Morrow, GA 30260
Harry S. Downs Center (Thursday, April 27th)
Student Activities Center (Friday, April 28th)
Campus Map & Directions: Click here
Registration
Conference Registration fee (faculty & staff) - $175
Conference Registration fee (students) - $75
3MT Showcase Presenters = complimentary
Annual Membership Renewal fee - $75
You have the option to register for the Spring 2023 conference and also renew your institutional membership fee (if needed) with one purchase.
Register Here
Agenda
Thursday, April 27th - Harry S. Downs Center
Registration
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Pre-Conference Workshop - Equity in Graduate Admissions: Fundamentals of Equity in Graduate Admissions
Description: This session presents data and research about the role of typical admissions practices in maintaining racial/ethnic inequalities in graduate education, as well as strategies for more equitable processes and outcomes. Suitable for a wide variety of audiences, practical strategies for rethinking typical admissions criteria and processes are introduced, with a focus on equity-based holistic review and embedding attention to equity throughout the admissions process. All aspects of this session are rooted in current research. Participants will learn how common admissions mindsets & practices tend to inhibit access for underrepresented groups, and they will be introduced to tools like rubrics that may improve diversity & equity as part of holistic review processes.
To learn more about Equity in Graduate Education and the IGEN (Inclusive Graduate Education Network, or IGEN) network click here.
Opening Reception
Friday, April 28th - Student Activities Center
Registration
Breakfast & Keynote Speaker
Break
Session I (Concurrent)
Session II (Concurrent)
Break
Session II (General): First-Generation Student Initiatives
Break
Lunch & 3MT Showcase
Closing Remarks
GCGS Business Meeting
Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Showcase
Did your institution host a Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition in Fall 2022 or Spring 2023? The 3MT Showcase will run as a lunch plenary session on Friday, April 28th at 12:00 pm. During the session, your institutions 3MT winner(s) will have an opportunity to give a three-minute oration, engage in a discussion about their research and meet other 3MT winners and representatives from institutions across the state of Georgia.
Hotel & Local Information
Clayton State University, located only 15 miles from downtown Atlanta and 10 minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, is a beautiful lakeside campus that housed state-of-the art facilities. The campus is the only University in the country adjacent to both the Georgia Archives and the National Archives and Records Administration Southeast Region, which is free to the public.
Past Meetings
GCGS Spring Conference 2022
May 19 - 20, 2022
Host Institution: Georgia Institute of Technology
In-person
GCGS Fall Business Meeting 2021
October 27, 2021
Host Institution: Clayton State University
Location: In-person & Virtual
Meeting Minutes (coming soon)
GCGS Spring Conference 2021
April 29, 2021
Host Institution: Kennesaw State University
Virtual
GCGS Fall Business Meeting 2020
GCGS Spring Conference 2020
Conference cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.
GCGS Fall Business Meeting 2019
October 23, 2019
Host Institution: University of Georgia
Griffin, GA
Meeting Minutes - Coming Soon
GCGS Spring Conference 2019
May 16 - 17, 2019
Host Institution: Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA
GCGS Fall Business Meeting 2018
October 24, 2018
Host Institution: Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, GA
GCGS Spring Conference 2018
April 19 - 20, 2018
Host Institution: Middle Georgia State University
Macon, GA
GCGS Fall Business Meeting 2017
GCGS Spring Conference 2017
April 27 - 28, 2017
Host Institution: Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA
GCGS Fall Business Meeting 2016
October 4, 2016
Host Institution: Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA