Welcome Letter for New Graduate Students, Summer 2007
I am pleased to welcome you to graduate study in the
Department of Mathematics at
For all new graduate students, the
Mathematics Department will have its graduate student orientation activities beginning
on Wednesday, August 15, as outlined below. New M.S. students will take the Basic Exam on Friday. This exam is
used for course placement and program recommendations as explained further
below.
An orientation
session will take place on Wednesday morning, August 15. 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 2006 Orientation
to see what we discuss.
New Graduate Teaching Assistants will be
attending sessions later in the week that will orient you to the different
assignments you may have during the semester. Most new GTA’s
are assigned work as assistants in the IML Labs. The orientation for this
assignment will be Wednesday afternoon, from 1:30-3:00 PM in room 213/215
Armstrong, and unless you have been given some other assignment, you should
attend this orientation. New GTA’s who may receive a
teaching assignment, primarily those with prior teaching experience, will be
asked to give a short practice lecture, usually on Thursday afternoon, to a
panel of faculty. This will help us to place you in an appropriate teaching
assignment. All new GTA’s
(except for international GTA’s who do not pass the
SPEAK test, for whom it is optional) are required to take the IML teaching
seminar, Math 590. Register for one credit hour.
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 21; 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 courses as part of your
program, such as Math 451 (undergraduate advanced calculus), Math 551 (graduate
real analysis), and Math 543 (the graduate linear algebra course). Information
on the basic exam and topics covered is available on the department web site.
For
entering students in the Ph.D. program, it is possible to take the Ph.D. entrance
exam in August during the second week of classes, although most students
wait until April of their first year to take the exam. The exam is over two subjects
chosen from among real analysis, topology, algebra, and differential equations.
The exam is administered in May (a week before the end of classes) and August
(a week after the beginning of classes). If you do not pass the exam, you have
one additional chance to pass when it is next administered. If you wish to take
the entrance exam this August, please let me know by July 20 at the latest.
Some information about the exam is posted on the graduate program web site (see
information for current students).
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 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
Special Considerations for International students:
For new international students, the University
will have its International Student Orientation on Monday and Tuesday,
August 13 and 14. All international students are expected to attend, receiving
information regarding their visa status, new INS rules and regulations, and
information pertaining to living in the
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. Information about this test
will be available at the international student orientation; you can also make
an appointment for the test by sending email to Karen Allen, SPEAK Test
Coordinator, at karen.allen@mail.wvu.edu.
The test will be given on August 14 (afternoon), 15 & 16th (9:30 - 4:00)
and takes about 30 minutes. There is a fee for the test which will be paid for
you by the Department – but please check with me before taking the SPEAK test
so I can confirm your name with Ms. Allen.
The relevant University language policy may be viewed at http://www.wvu.edu/~graduate/spoken_english.html
.
Due
to federal regulations, international students who are graduate assistants will
need to initiate the hiring process by no later than August 13 -- and earlier
if possible -- if they wish to be on the payroll (and eligible to be paid) as
of August 20. 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
Graduate Assistants (GTA’s and GRA’s) :
Graduate
assistants will not receive their first paycheck until mid-September. Generally
speaking however, if you arrange to come to the Department in person before
August 1 and fill out the required paperwork (see Ms.
Graduate Assistants 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. Orientation sessions will be offered to explain the program
coverage to new GAs.
These sessions (you just attend one session) are scheduled as follows:
Thurs., Aug.
16, 3:30-5:30 pm, G24 Eiesland Hall
Fri., Aug. 17,
3:30-5:30 pm, G24 Eiesland Hall
Mon., Aug. 27,
7-8:45 pm, Shenandoah Room, Mtlair
Tues., Aug. 28,
7-8:45 pm, Shenandoah Room, Mtlair
Graduate
Teaching Assistants should also plan on attending the University’s GTA
Workshop, usually given the Saturday before classes begin, at the Mountainlair (Student Union) with registration beginning at
8:00 AM. Attendance at this workshop is required
by the University.
Graduate
Assistants will receive an office assignment and a mailbox. Unfortunately,
office space is very limited and it is usually not possible to provide
accommodations to students who are not graduate assistants.
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
. Her office is 211 Armstrong if you
would like to drop by in person, although she is very busy just prior to the
start of the semester.
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.
|
What |
When |
Where |
Who |
|
International Student Orientation |
Monday, Tuesday |
Mountainlair |
International students |
|
Employment processing (International GA’s) |
Monday at the latest |
320 Armstrong Raylene Deleon |
International GA’s |
|
Departmental Orientation |
Wednesday, 9:30 AM (Coffee in 311 Armstrong) |
315 Armstrong |
All new graduate students |
|
SPEAK Test (by appointment) |
Wednesday afternoon Thursday, Friday 9:30-4:00 |
134 Eiesland Hall |
International GTA’s |
|
Employment processing (all other GA’s) |
Wednesday at the latest |
320 Armstrong Raylene Deleon |
U.S. GA’s |
|
Practice lectures |
Thursday, times to be announced |
315 Armstrong |
New GTA’s who may teach |
|
Basic Exam |
Friday, 10-12 |
315 Armstrong |
New M.S. students |
|
Office & mailbox assignments |
All week |
320 Armstrong Raylene Deleon |
New GA’s |
|
Computer accounts |
All week |
320 Armstrong Raylene Deleon |
All new graduate students |
|
GTA meeting with IML Lab coordinators |
Wednesday 1:30-3:00 (other meetings possible) |
IML lab 213-215 Arm |
New GTA’s not teaching |
|
GTA Workshop |
Saturday, 8:00 AM |
Mountainlair |
All new GTA’s |
|
Insurance info session |
Thur, Fri, 3:30-5:30 (alternate dates 8/27-28) |
G24 Eiesland (at Mtnlair 8/27-28) |
New GA’s and any others purchasing insurance |
The
following web sites can further provide information on WVU and the Math
Department. If you do not have internet access and need further information,
please let me know.
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)
University graduate policies:
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.
Graduate
Director
diamond@math.wvu.edu