Welcome Letter for New Graduate Students, Summer 2009

  I am pleased to welcome you to graduate study in the Department of Mathematics at West Virginia University. I am the Department’s Graduate Director, and I am writing to provide you with some information on the upcoming fall semester and pre-semester activities. Classes begin on Monday, August 24. In the week preceding the start of classes, from August 17 to August 21, the Department and the University will be having some activities for new graduate students. There are different items to be aware of, depending on whether or not you are a graduate assistant, an international student, or an M.S./Ph.D. student. A table at the bottom summarizes the information.

 Some essential activities are as follows: For all new graduate students, the Mathematics Department will have its graduate student orientation activities beginning on Wednesday, August 19.  Graduate Teaching Assistants must attend a University workshop on Monday and Tuesday, August 17-18. New M.S. students will take the Basic Exam on Friday, August 21. This exam is used for course placement and program recommendations as explained further below. More information is provided below.

 A Departmental orientation session will take place on Wednesday morning, August 19. Coffee and other refreshments will be available in the Math Dept Lounge in Room 310 Armstrong Hall from 9:30 AM to 10:00 AM. The program will begin at 10:00 AM across the hall in room 315 Armstrong Hall. Among the sessions/activities the first day will be the following:

 Meeting Department administration and staff

Overview of graduate program requirements and faculty research interests

Discussion of course offerings

Computer accounts

Tour of building & facilities

Meeting with your advisor (usually me initially) & registering for courses

 You can download PowerPoint slides from last year’s 2008 Orientation to see what we discuss.

 New Graduate Teaching Assistants are required to attend the University’s Graduate Teaching Assistant Workshop, from 8:30-12:00 on Monday and Tuesday, August 17-18. It will be held in Ming Hsieh Hall, up College Avenue from the Mountainlair. Within the Department, GTA’s will be attending sessions that will orient them to the different assignments you may have during the semester. Most of these will not occur until classes begin. More information about this will be available at orientation. Most new GTA’s are assigned work as assistants in the IML Labs. Students with prior teaching experience will sometimes be given a teaching assignment, and may be asked to give a short lecture before being placed in an assignment. If you do not have an assistantship but are interested in part-time work in the IML labs, see below.

 New M.S. students will take the Basic Exam in Advanced Calculus and Linear Algebra on Friday, from 10:00-12:00 in Room 315 Armstrong. There is also a take-home part, due back on Tuesday, August 25 and an individually-scheduled oral part on Thursday or Friday may be given in rare cases. The exam is designed to furnish us with an idea of your background in advanced calculus and in linear algebra. Based on the results of the exam, we may require and/or advise you to include certain prerequisite courses as part of your program, such as Math 451 (undergraduate advanced calculus), or Math 343 (the undergraduate linear algebra course). Information on the basic exam and topics covered is available on the department web site.

 You are encouraged to register for the fall semester over the internet, although you may want to contact me first for recommendations. Go to the address http://star.wvu.edu . Click “Star Access”. You can find information about courses by following the link “Schedule of Courses”. When you are ready to register, use the link “STAR Information System Login”. Information on how to log in is posted – you will need either your student number or your WVU Mix user name. If you don’t have this number, you can call the help desk at (304) 293-4444 extension 1. Feel free to correspond with any of the professors by email during the summer for information about courses. An email directory of faculty is available from the main department web page. I will be posting descriptions of our course offerings in the fall. Changes to your course schedule can be made after you arrive in Morgantown. Graduate Assistants receive a full tuition waiver; however student fees currently amounting to about $600 per semester cannot be waived. You do not have to pay your fees immediately upon registration – the deadline is the Friday or Saturday before classes begin.

 Special Considerations for International students:

 For new international students, the University will have its International Student Orientation for graduate students beginning at 12:00 P.M. on Tuesday, August 18 in room G-20, Ming Hsieh Hall. (Ming Hsieh Hall is the annex to Oblebay Hall, up College Avenue to your left when facing the front of the Mountainlair.) All international students are expected to attend, receiving information regarding their visa status, INS rules and regulations, and information pertaining to living in the U.S.

 Any graduate teaching assistant (GTA) whose native language is not English and who has not taken the Test of Spoken English (TSE) with a score of 50 or higher is required to take the SPEAK Test at WVU, given on multiple occasions the week before classes. It is also recommended for international students who are research assistants as they may become teaching assistants in the future. GTA’s who do not pass the SPEAK test will be required to take English classes as recommended based on the results, and their duties, as assigned by the Department, will not involve working directly with students. The exam will be given on August 19 and 20;  information about this test will be available at the international student orientation; you can make an appointment for the test by sending email to Karen Allen, SPEAK Test Coordinator, at karen.allen@mail.wvu.edu. Identify yourself as a graduate student in Mathematics; our Department will pay the fee for the exam.

 Due to federal regulations, international students who are graduate assistants will need to initiate the hiring process by no later than August 17 -- and earlier if possible -- if they wish to be on the payroll (and eligible to be paid) as of August 24. You will need to supply the documents necessary for certifying your eligibility for employment. You will also need a social security number (which you can apply for at the International Student Orientation). Please see Ms. Raylene DeLeon in the Mathematics Department Office as soon as possible (if you arrive in Morgantown earlier), but no later than Monday, August 17.

 Graduate Assistants (GTA’s and GRA’s) :

 Although graduate assistants are on the payroll beginning August 16, you usually do not receive your first paycheck until mid-September. However, if you arrange to come to the Department in person before August 1 and fill out the required paperwork (see Ms. Raylene DeLeon), you should be able to receive your first paycheck on August 31. This is particularly recommended for students who live in the area. Please contact Ms. DeLeon by phone (304-293-2011) or email (deleon@math.wvu.edu ) to make an appointment if you are stopping by during the summer. In either case be sure to bring your Social Security card along with any immigration documents, if applicable, with you. International students without a Social Security number can apply for one in Morgantown when they arrive. For domestic students (U.S. citizens), you should see Ms. DeLeon no later than Wednesday, August 19 to begin your employment paperwork.

 Graduate Assistants (either teaching or research) are provided with a hospitalization and limited illness insurance plan at no extra cost. Other students may purchase this insurance. This plan is supplemental to benefits covered by the Student Health fee, which must still be paid by students, including GA’s. A packet containing insurance information will be given to you when you arrive. Informational sessions will be held early in the semester as noted in the table below.

 Graduate Assistants will receive office space. Raylene Deleon will give your office assignment. Graduate Assistants may use Department copiers for work-related copying. Meredith McCardle will give you a pin number for copying. We will try to find office space for students that are not graduate assistants; check with Raylene DeLeon to see if space is available. Mailboxes should be available for all students. Meredith McCardle will give you a mailbox key and box assignment.

 For students who are not graduate assistants, the Department does have a limited number of part-time positions in a number of capacities, including assisting students at the Institute for Mathematics Learning Computer Laboratory. The number, and nature, of such positions depends on needs, scheduling, and available funding, and is generally not determined until near the beginning of the semester. However, if you are interested in being considered for such positions as may arise, send an email with your course schedule to Betsy Kuhn, the Lab Manager, at bkuhn@math.wvu.edu . Identify yourself as a Mathematics graduate student.

 All graduate students should apply for a computer account. Applications will be distributed at our new student orientation and can also be obtained from Ms. Raylene DeLeon in the main office. It is important to obtain such an account as soon as possible and to check your email frequently, as most communications are done via email.

 Here is a schedule listing various activities taking place the week before classes. The list is not necessarily exhaustive.

The following web sites can further provide information on WVU and the Math Department.

 Main WVU web site: http://www.wvu.edu/

Admissions and Records web site: http://www.arc.wvu.edu

Student life: http://www.wvu.edu/~studlife/      (various information, including off-campus housing)

General University graduate policies and information: http://www.wvu.edu/~graduate/

Main Math Dept web site: http://www.math.wvu.edu/

Information for WVU students: http://www.wvu.edu/current/

(containing links to graduate catalog, schedule of courses, web registration)

Direct link to STAR system (for web registration): http://star.wvu.edu

Information on graduate program: http://math.wvu.edu/drupal/node/23

(Contains this letter, graduate handbook, information on basic exam, course information, etc)

 If you need further information, or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, by e-mail, phone or letter. I look forward to seeing you in the fall, if not sooner.

                                                             Harvey Diamond

                                                            Graduate Director

                                                            diamond@math.wvu.edu