
The University of Alabama Graduate School is dedicated to supporting your academic and professional success through GradACTS, a comprehensive program offering workshops, training, speakers, and resources to help prepare you for your career.
GradACTS also connects you with internship and project management opportunities that enhance your coursework and boost your experience, giving you an edge over your peers. Explore our events portal for a full list of workshops, seminars, conferences, cultural events, and grant opportunities.
GradACTS Ongoing Series
Graduate Teaching Assistant Training
In partnership with the UA Teaching Academy, the Graduate School offers a series of graduate teaching workshops each year to build foundational instructional skills. This year’s sessions will focus on the following three domains – Documenting and Assessing Teaching, Cultural Competency and Teaching with AI. GTAs can earn digital badges in each of these three domains by attending three workshops and completing a required deliverable.
Beyond the Professoriate
Beyond the Professoriate is a digital career training platform available to all UA graduate students through GradACTS. In partnership with the Career Center, it offers on-demand workshops, career exploration tools, and live webinars led by the Beyond the Professoriate team. These events share a research-informed curriculum with proven strategies for job searches in and beyond academia.
To access, visit Beyond Prof’s Career Training Platform, select “The University of Alabama,” and log in with your myBAMA credentials.
Grad Lab
Grad Lab is a collaborative program between the UA Graduate School and the UA Career Center, designed specifically for graduate students. Through targeted workshops, Grad Lab provides practical tools, strategies, and career insights to help graduate students prepare for and succeed in their professional journeys—whether in academia, industry, or beyond.
CREST Training Series
The Compliance and Research Ethics for Science and Technology (CREST) Series takes an innovative approach to RCR training by providing University of Alabama investigators with a series of enrichment opportunities intended to promote and maintain a culture of ethical research and innovation. CREST Series webinars are typically one hour long and open to all UA students, faculty, and staff.
GradACTS Upcoming Workshops
Upcoming Events
Excel for Everyone – From Beginner to Intermediate
December 19
Time9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
LocationEmployee Resource Center
Weekly In-Person Blackboard Ultra Office Hours
December 19
Time2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
LocationA232, Gordon Palmer Hall
Classes Dismissed – Holiday Break (UA offices closed)
December 22
Time All Day
Classes Dismissed – Holiday Break (UA offices closed)
December 23
Time All Day
Classes Dismissed – Holiday Break (UA offices closed)
December 24
Time All Day
Classes Dismissed – Holiday Break (UA offices closed)
December 25
Time All Day
Classes Dismissed – Holiday Break (UA offices closed)
December 26
Time All Day
Classes Dismissed – Holiday Break (UA offices closed)
December 27
Time All Day
Classes Dismissed – Holiday Break (UA offices closed)
December 28
Time All Day
Classes Dismissed – Holiday Break (UA offices closed)
December 29
Time All Day
Classes Dismissed – Holiday Break (UA offices closed)
December 30
Time All Day
Classes Dismissed – Holiday Break (UA offices closed)
December 31
Time All Day
Classes Dismissed – Holiday Break (UA offices closed)
January 1
Time All Day
Classes End for Winter Interim
January 2
Time All Day
UA Offices Resume Normal Business Hours
January 2
Time All Day
Blackboard Workspace
January 2
Time9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
LocationA232, Gordon Palmer Hall
Blackboard Workspace
January 5
Time9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
LocationA232, Gordon Palmer Hall
Blackboard Ultra Café (in-person)
January 6
Time9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
LocationA232, Gordon Palmer Hall
Blackboard Ultra Café (in-person)
January 6
Time1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
LocationA232, Gordon Palmer Hall
Classes Begin for Spring Full Term
January 7
Time All Day
Monthly New Features & Updates
January 7
Time8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Location Virtual Event
Back to School with Big Days of Service– SERVE BIG – MLK Day Spring 2026
January 7
Time10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
LocationStudent Center Second Floor
First Day UA (Welcome Back Weeks)
January 7
Time11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
LocationUniversity of Alabama Student Center Great Hall
Reach Midweek
January 7
Time7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
LocationJohn England Multipurpose
Universities Against Cancer Venmo Fundraiser
January 8
Time7:00 a.m. – 11:45 p.m.
LocationOnline
Blackboard Basics
January 8
Time9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Location Virtual Event
Tabling with Al's Pals
January 8
Time11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
LocationStudent Center Plaza and Fresh Foods
Blackboard Basics/Q&A for Students
January 8
Time2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Location Virtual Event
Name that Tune (Welcome Back Weeks)
January 8
Time6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
LocationThe University of Alabama Student Center Theater
Blackboard Basics/Q&A for Students
January 9
Time8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Location Virtual Event

External Events
NCFDD
These events allow you to learn directly from the Beyond the Professoriate team. They’ll share a research-informed curriculum to help you learn proven strategies for your job search in and beyond the professoriate. To access NCFDD, click here, select “The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa” from the drop-down, choose “Activate my Membership,” complete the registration form with your campus email, and follow the confirmation email to activate your account.
Weekly Wrap-Up: Reflections & Planning for SuccessNovember 8th, 3:00pm – 4:30pm
NCFDD will set some time aside with you to wrap up your week and plan your next one. NCFDD wants you to be as successful as you can be at the start of each week so why not plan everything together.How to Manage Stress & the Haters in Your MidstNovember 14th, 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Explore the impact of unmanaged stress and negativity in academic life. Identify common stressors and learn concrete strategies for managing the physical, emotional, and mental effects of stress.Virtual Writing SessionNovember 12th, 9:00am- 10:30am
Join NCFDD for a daily writing session on Zoom! Professor Carlita Favero (Ursinus College) will give a brief intro, followed by 30 minutes of writing and closing reflections.Mentoring MattersNovember 19th, 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Mentoring is key to faculty success, job satisfaction, and career growth, but building effective programs can be tough. In this 75-minute live panel, NCFDD will showcase how three universities have successfully developed and maintained mentoring programs on their campuses.