Aloha Yellow Jackets,

One of my favorite holidays of the year is coming up this week: Halloween! It is a time that invites us to play and have fun, lean into the mystique of All Hallow’s Eve, and perhaps engage our imagination and creative side. I will be showing up in costume in honor of the event! If you choose to observe the Halloween festivities this year, please be sure to take precautions for your safety and welfare, as well as on behalf of others.

Real Talk Thursdays
I want to again thank the students who joined the October edition of Real Talk Thursdays earlier this month. These monthly gatherings are designed to maintain ongoing dialogue between students and administration in an open, town-hall style format. We meet on the second Thursday of each month from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Ehmer Theater, located in the John Lewis Student Center.

The next Real Talk is Thursday, November 13th. One of the topics we will cover is how changes in Title VI – the federal legislation that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, religion and other protected statuses - may impact activities and efforts of Registered Student Organizations at Georgia Tech. We will also discuss potential impacts on RSO access to funding.

In this remaining issue of our monthly newsletter, we will cover the following topics:

• Ongoing Federal Government Shutdown and What it Means to Students
• SEWB Services for Fully Online Students
• Deadline Reminder for All New or First-Time Georgia Tech Students: Perspectives
• Campus Safety Concerns

Ongoing Federal Government Shutdown and What it Means to Students
Since October 1^st, the federal government has been in a shutdown due to a lapse in funding agreements in Congress. While this situation is unfolding at the national level, I want to share how it may — or may not — affect students at Georgia Tech.

First, the good news: federal financial aid programs like Pell Grants and Direct Loans are still being disbursed, and the FAFSA remains open for those applying for aid next year. If you’re in repayment on student loans, payments are still due, but loan servicers remain operational. That said, some services may be slower than usual, and applications for programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness or income-driven repayment plans could face delays.

Here at Tech, we’re also feeling the ripple effects. Federal research funding has been delayed, and our senior leadership team has activated a working group to manage the impact. In response to the ongoing shutdown, Georgia Tech is now limiting non-essential travel, new job offers for non-critical functions, and major purchases in order to preserve resources and maintain essential operations.

I know this uncertainty can be unsettling, especially for students conducting research, applying for federal internships, or navigating visa processes. Travel is also impacted as airports are experiencing significant delays. Georgia Tech is doing all we can mitigate the negative impacts on students. For example, more than $900,000 in new permanent funding has been allocated to colleges to support graduate students.

If you’re affected financially or in other ways, please reach out to your academic advisor, financial aid counselor, or campus support services so we can make an effort to offer relief. You can always refer to this resource page for the most current information regarding our response to the federal shutdown.

SEWB Services for Fully Online Students
Students enrolled in fully online degree programs at Georgia Tech comprise a significant proportion of our students. Many of these pathways lead to master’s degrees, of which the Online Master of Science in Computer Science (OMSCS) is one of the most popular. Official enrollment figures from Spring 2025 indicated there are nearly 21,000 students enrolled in fully online academic programs. The Graduate Student Government Association, in recognition of this major constituency, has increased opportunities for fully online students to participate in shared governance; you can find out more information on their webpage.

Fully online students hail from around the globe – some are here in Georgia, others are from another state in the US, while the majority are from countries around the globe. While fully online students are always welcome at in-person activities and programs offered here on the Atlanta campus, we also recognize the importance of ensuring that fully online students have access to meaningful support and engagement opportunities wherever they are in the world.

We have compiled a listing of digital and virtual resources available through Student Engagement & Well-Being that are available to help fully online students stay connected and informed. This is by no means an exhaustive list of what is available at Georgia Tech but hopefully offers a starting point if fully online students are in need of assistance.

Deadline Reminder for All New or First-Time Georgia Tech Students: Perspectives
Now that we have passed the midpoint of the semester, this is a friendly but important reminder for first-year undergraduate (including new transfer) students and graduate students: if you haven't yet completed Perspectives, Georgia Tech's mandatory online training on civil discourse for all new students, now is the time to get this taken care of!

Please check your inbox for an email from no-reply@constructivedialogue.org with the subject line "You have been invited to the Perspectives program." That message contains your personalized link to access the training.

We are aware that some students are experiencing technical difficulties when trying to log into the platform or access the course. You can email info@constructivedialogue.org for technical assistance. If you cannot find your invitation email and need it resent, please email vp_sewb@gatech.edu and let us know if you are an undergraduate, master’s degree, or PhD student.

Please make it a priority to complete Perspectives before the deadline of December 31, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET. If you do not complete the course by that date, you may have a hold placed on your student record, which can delay Spring registration and access to other services.

Campus Safety Concerns
Most of you likely received a GTENS notification issued on Tuesday, October 21^st at 11:04 PM.  That message stated: “An altercation occurred at West Village Dining Hall between two employees that resulted in shots being fired by one of the employees. No students were involved in the altercation and there were no injuries. The suspect is no longer on campus. There is no threat to campus. Please avoid the area.”

I wanted to share some additional information and reassurance about this incident. The altercation occurred in a staff-only area of West Village Dining Hall and involved two individuals employed by a third-party staffing agency. The Georgia Tech Police Department (GTPD) responded within one minute of receiving the initial report of a shot fired at 10:23 p.m. and quickly secured the scene. Thankfully, no Georgia Tech students or Tech Dining employees were involved, injured, or harmed. By the morning of Wednesday, October 22, Dining & Retail Services ended our relationship with this staffing agency involved, and that agency will no longer provide personnel for campus dining operations. 

 We recognize that this incident has caused concern and anxiety within the Yellow Jacket community. In today’s environment, the possibility of active threats weighs heavily on all of us. Please know that the safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff remain our highest priority. We are reviewing this event thoroughly to identify ways to strengthen both our preventive measures, communication alerts, and our response protocols.

 If you would like to ensure that you or members of your family receive GTENS alerts directly, please visit https://prepare.gatech.edu/gtens and follow the instructions under “Sign Up for Georgia Tech Emergency Notifications.”

Closing Thoughts
As always, Georgia Tech remains committed to your success. We’ll continue to monitor the federal government situation and legislative mandates and share updates as they become available. In the meantime, the change in seasons invites us to pause, reflect, and recalibrate. As you look ahead to the remaining the semester, take stock of what’s working, seek support when needed, and continue extending grace and compassion to yourselves and each other.