Welcome New Chemistry Grad Students Fall 2011!

On behalf of the Chemistry & Biochemistry faculty, I would like to welcome you to the Chemistry graduate program.   You will spend the next five years learning about chemistry, conducting research and sharing your findings in many different settings.  It will be a challenging, enriching and fulfilling experience and I hope you take advantage of all of the wonderful opportunities the program offers to shape your career in research and/or teaching.  During your graduate time at UCSC I will be your personal contact for administrative processes and procedures required by the department and the Graduate Division.

On this page you will find a detailed schedule for Orientation Week and a summary of important tasks and information you will need to be familiar with during Fall quarter and your first year.  Feel free to consult this page and the Graduate Handbook page often.

I look forward to seeing you at Graduate Orientation on September 13.

Sincerely,

Janet A. Jones
Graduate Program Cooordinator

Graduate Student Orientation Schedule - Fall 2011

All activities are mandatory except those marked *.

Monday – Friday, Sept 6-16 8 am - 5 pm	ID Cards UCSC Student ID Card Services, Bay Tree Bookstore. (Bring photo ID, Student ID number.)  No appt. necessary. Photos will be taken and cards issued.
Tuesday, Sept 13	Chemistry New Graduate Student Orientation Part I 240 Physical Sciences Bldg.  Light refreshments.
9:00 – 9:15 am	Pick up Orientation packets, meet other new students, introductions.  Light refreshments.
9:15 – 9:55 am	Seth Rubin, Graduate Program Director. Welcome, introduction to graduate program.
9:55 – 10:30 am	Janet A. Jones, Graduate Program Coordinator. Teaching Assistantship salary, tuition and fee offsets, fellowships, health insurance, loans, direct deposit.
	Graduate handbook, email, office assignments, mail, advising appointments, etc.  Questions.
10:30 - 11:00 am	Mel Porter, Academic Computing Group. Computer support, email, IT services.
11:00 - 11:15 am	Break
11:15 am – 12:00 pm	Ilan Benjamin, Department Chair and faculty. Chemistry & Biochemistry faculty introductions.
12:00 pm - 1:15 pm	Lunch with Chemistry faculty, continuing students, researchers and staff, PSB south entrance patio.  Photographs of new students 12:45–1:15 pm.
1:30 - 2:30 pm	Christy Hightower, Science & Engineering Library Library resources and the Chemistry & Biochemistry collections.  Meet at S & E Library reference desk.
2:30 – 3:00 pm	Joshua Brahinsky, Assoc. Student Employees/UAW (TAs) union, and Marc Bresler, Chemistry grad student.
3:00 - 3:30 pm	Leticia Medina, Physical & Biological Sciences Payroll, will help you complete paperwork for TA employment. Bring photo ID and Social Security card. International students bring passport with visa, I-20 and I-94.
3:30 – 4:00 pm	Select desk space in first-year grad student office, 431 PSB.
Wednesday, Sept 14 7:45 am for vanpool 9:00 am – 8:30 pm	Departmental Scientific Meeting Faculty, researchers, grad students.  If you have made a vanpool reservation, meet van at 7:45 a.m. at PSB, Steinhart Way (south entrance).  Vans leave at 8:00 a.m. sharp for Pema Osel Ling Conference Center, Watsonville.
Thursday, Sept 15	Attainment Exams
10:00 am - 12 noon	Organic Chemistry Attainment Exam 136 PSB
2:00 - 4:00 pm	Physical Chemistry Attainment Exam 136 PSB
Friday, Sept 16	Attainment Exams
10:00 am - 12 noon	Inorganic Chemistry Attainment Exam 136 PSB
2:00 - 4:00 pm	Biochemistry Attainment Exam 136 PSB
Monday, Sept 19	Academic Advising:  Your course plan for 2011-12.
10:30 am – 12:00 pm 4:00 – 5:00 pm	Individual appointments with members of the Graduate Affairs Committee.  357 PSB.
1:30 – 4:00 pm	New International Graduate Student Orientation. Classroom Unit, Rm 1.  Mandatory for students with F-1 visa status.  Bring passport, I-20 and photocopies of I-20 first page, F-1 visa, both sides I-94 and passport identity page.
Tuesday, Sept 20 10:00 - 1:00 pm	UCSC New Graduate Student Orientation Sponsored by Graduate Student Association (GSA).  Welcome by Chancellor George Blumenthal and Graduate Dean Tyrus Miller; information about GSHIP, TAPS, OPERS, Cowell Health Center.  Classroom Unit, Rm 2.
1:00 – 3:00 pm	*Barbecue Social.  Burgers, hot dogs, veggies; live music. Sponsored by Graduate Student Assn.  Sinsheimer-Stanley Forest Glen (near Media Theater).  Bring proof of age.
3:30 – 5:00 pm	Academic Advising appointments (cont’d), 357 PSB.
Wednesday, Sept 21
9:00 am-12:00 pm	Chemistry New Graduate Student Orientation, Part II.  Randa Roland, 240 PSB.
1:00-4:00 pm	Lab Safety Training.  Jim Schoonover, Environmental Health & Safety, 240 PSB.
Thursday, Sept 22	First day of instruction.

Financial Matters

You should have already received a statement via your student portal for Fall quarter charges.  Fee credits are applied to your account in mid-September.  These include the TA tuition and fee fellowships, and Supplemental Non-Resident Tuition fellowship.  You must be enrolled in at least 5 units before funds will be paid on your behalf.  The deadline for payment of graduate fees is Fri, Sep 30.  You may disregard the earlier due date that appears on your statement--this is for undergraduates only.

Salaries and stipends: Regents fellowships, Cota-Robles stipends and Bridge to the Doctorate stipend checks will be mailed at the beginning of the quarter to the address you provide in your portal.  Regents fellowships will be paid in Fall quarter ($5000 or less) or Fall and Winter quarters in equal installments (more than $5000).  TAships and GSRships are salaried positions with monthly paychecks:

Fall quarter paychecks: Nov 1, Dec 1, Jan 2
Winter quarter paychecks: Feb 1, Mar 1, Apr 1
Spring quarter paychecks: May 1, Jun 1, Jul 1

Enrollment

Enroll in classes through your student portal using your AIS user name (W + your 7-digit student ID #) and password (########).For technical support call (831)459-4357 or email help@ucsc.edu.  If you have not already done so, please enroll in the following courses:

Chem 292 Departmental Research Seminar (2 units), #018163

Chem 296 Teaching Chemistry (2 units), #018166

Select one (5 units):
   Chem 291A Organic Research Seminar, #018157
   Chem 291B Biochemistry Research Seminar, #018159
   Chem 291C Inorganic Research Seminar, #018161
   Chem 291D Physical Research Seminar, #018162

Core courses and Electives (enroll in 5-10 units now or after your advising appointment, send email if you need a permission to override prerequisites):
   Chem 200A Advanced Biophysical Methods (5 units), #018180
   Chem 240C Organic Structure Analysis (3 units), #018099
   Chem 240E Modern Synthetic Methods (3 units), #018101
   Chem 256C Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (5 untis), #018124

If you have been advised to take a course to meet the organic or physical Attainment Requirement (ie you are not taking one of these Attainment Exams), enroll in the appropriate course:
   Chem 143 Organic Chemical Structures and Reactions (5 units), #108039
   Chem 163A Quantum Mechanics (5 units), #018059

If you will be enrolling in more than 19 units, send email so I can raise your units limit.  The raised limit will take effect the first day of class (Sep 22).

Statement of Legal Residence

You should complete a Statement of Legal Residence and return it to the Officer of the Registrar so that your resident status can be determined for tuition purposes.  Failure to file this form will result in your being classified as a California non-resident and you will be billed for Supplemental Non-Resident Tuition.

International Students

You are required to attend the International Graduate Student Orientation and Visa Check-in, Monday, Sep 19, 1:30-4pm, Classroom Unit Bldg: Rm 1.  Bring the following documents:
1.  Your passport and your original I-20.
2.  Photocopy of both sides of your I-94 card.
3.  Photocopy of your F-1 visa page from passport.
4.  Photocopy of the first page of your I-20.
5.  Photocopy of your passport identity page (photo and valid dates).

For more information visit the Office of International Education web site.