Table 2.

PhGS′ suggestions for improving the teaching process and facilitating students’ academic growth in the context of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Themes	PhGS′ suggestions
Classes	Make the online classes as interactive as possible
	Be accessible and responsive to students through e-mail, office hours, and regular check-ins
Communication	Ask department chairs to filter and re-send important e-mail communications from the institution to make sure students do not miss important information
	Have frank and open conversations about the students' concerns regarding things such as graduation delays due to stay at home orders and other COVID-19 restrictions
	Point out to students the changes/adaptations made in the syllabus due to the pandemic (ex. the number of assignments, quizzes, exams, presentations)
Acknowledge needs	Manage expectations around work performance and consider factors such as stress, anxiety, mental health, and the living situation of the students
	Take time to specifically acknowledge students' work by writing encouraging words in replying to students' e-mails
Student-centered approach	Conduct polls and surveys with PhGS′ about going back to classes, using their office spaces, in addition to reaching out to them directly for an individualized approach
	Develop a targeted approach for engaging with and helping international PhGS, in particular, for advising them about the implications for international travel and department policies
	Make a point to have one-on-one advisory conversations with students rather than relying on group check-in calls
Mentorship & non-academic support	Continue to cultivate and practice good mentorship relationships with adaptations as needed for the COVID-19 context (ex. how to conduct job searches and interviews during a pandemic)
	Offer non-academic support (i.e., asking students about their living situation, about their health, and offering to discuss any other matter they may need assistance with)
Departmental environment	Create a departmental culture that ensures students are free to express their concerns, challenges, and issues and offer help rather than comparing them with the other students who may not be experiencing the same issues
	Actively maintain collaborative research environments (ex. organizing seminars with guest speakers to have students exposed to other types of research from their own)
	Organize more online social events to help maintain social contact amongst students and faculty
	Send a symbolic gift (i.e., a postcard, a sticker) to PhGS as an acknowledgment of their work during the COVID-19 pandemic