Information for New Graduate Students on Non-Academic IssuesPeter ReiherCS 201September 29, 2005: Information for New Graduate Students on Non-Academic Issues Peter Reiher CS 201 September 29, 2005


Outline: Outline Financial aid Department staff and useful department resources A little about the UCLA campus and its services


Financial Aid: Financial Aid How does a grad student pay for his education? How do you find the aid?


Forms of Financial Aid: Forms of Financial Aid Fellowships Research assistantships Teaching assistantships Readers Other methods


Fellowships: Fellowships Some are for incoming students only Others are for continuing students Often at particular stages in their careers Some are assigned by our local awards committee Some are under control of outside organizations We will send information on open fellowship possibilities to all students


Incoming Student Fellowships: Incoming Student Fellowships Paid in various ways But generally the same amount And the same conditions You are not required to work with a particular professor You do not have any particular responsibilities In some cases, you need to fill out timesheets


Research Assistantships: Research Assistantships Essentially, getting paid to do your MS/Ph.D. research Also referred to as “GSR” (the formal title) Paid for (mostly) by outside contracts and grants Under control of individual professors Can extend through the summer Most Ph.D. students eventually become RAs RA salaries range from $11,821-$14,161 for academic year Plus fees and NRT Working over summer can add ~$10,000


How Do You Get an RA Position?: How Do You Get an RA Position? At discretion of professor Most professors want proof of ability before hiring an RA Commonly by performing well in professor’s grad classes In some cases, possible to do volunteer work for professor If he’s impressed, he might hire you


Being an RA: Being an RA You work for the professor paying the money Typically being paid to do your own research Make sure you know what he expects And that you provide it RAs can work 100% time over summer And during interquarter breaks Assuming professor approves it Can’t be an RA for more than 18 quarters


GSR Title Levels: GSR Title Levels “I thought there were ten levels of GSR, so why am I not a GSR 9?” Yes, there are ten levels, but the department only uses 4 of them GSR II-GSR V Your level is set by rigid rules related to your academic progress and previous GSR experience


Teaching Assistantships: Teaching Assistantships Approximately 40 TAs each quarter Each assigned to a particular undergrad class Mostly assigned at the beginning of the year A few pop up later in the year All Ph.D. students are required to serve at least one quarter as a TA TA salary starts at $14,145 for the school year Plus fees and non-resident tuition, if required


How Do You Get a TA Position?: How Do You Get a TA Position? Apply through Verra’s office Using the standard application form Apply at the end of the spring quarter Talk to professors who will teach courses that you want to TA If you are foreign, make sure you have taken the SPEAK test Awards committee eventually chooses TAs Chosen students get formal offer letters See Josephine Aragon (4732J) to get them and sign them


How Do We Choose Who Will Be the TAs?: How Do We Choose Who Will Be the TAs? High priority given to students our professors ask for Some students were guaranteed TA positions as part of financial aid Priority given to Ph.D. students who are looking for required one quarter Especially if fairly senior Some classes require TAs with special skills


Information For Teaching Assistants: Information For Teaching Assistants Teaching assistant seminar (CS495) Required for any TA We will not assign students who haven’t taken it Can be taken concurrently But only offered in fall quarter Head TA Adam Kaplan is head TA this year (kaplan@cs.ucla.edu) He should be able to handle many small TA problems And get a start on handling bigger ones TA FAQ URL: http://www.cs.ucla.edu/classes/TA/faq.html


Being a TA: Being a TA Excellent experience if you are interested in academic jobs Assigned by department, but major feedback from the professor Make him/her happy if you want to be a TA again Also helps to make your students happy Regardless of anything anyone tells you, you must fill out an application every year Can’t serve as TA for more than three years


Readers: Readers Positions as graders for undergraduate classes Paid positions, typically less than TAs Duties are grading homework and tests


How Do We Choose Readers?: How Do We Choose Readers? Exclusively at the request of the instructor We give the instructor who he asks for So talk to your advisor or other professors you know about possible positions Prof. David Smallberg is in charge of assigning readers this year He decides which classes get reader hours


Other Funding Options: Other Funding Options TAs for other departments Especially Math Department’s Program in Computing RAs for other departments Being hired as program or sysadmin on campus Off-campus jobs The CS Mentor FAQ list has a good set of links for on-campus jobs http://www.cs.ucla.edu/Mentor/faq.html


Non-Resident Tuition (NRT): Non-Resident Tuition (NRT) All non-California residents must pay NRT Department pays NRT of TAs, RAs, fellowship recipients NRT is currently set at $14,694 per year In addition to fees Drops when you are advanced to candidacy Currently to $4898 per year But only for three years


California Residency: California Residency Determined by UCLA Registrar’s Office Just because you were an undergrad in California does not mean you’re a resident Check with the registrar to be sure They can also give advice on establishing residency Takes one year Special form available from registrar Incoming student financial aid for US citizens only guarantees NRT support for 1 year


Fee Deferrals: Fee Deferrals RAs and TAs can get a deferral of their registration fees (and NRT) Only if there’s a problem Doesn’t defer the portion you pay Does not reduce fees, just defers slightly when they get paid Usually by two months Talk to Josephine Aragon (4732J) if you need this done


Useful Department Resources: Useful Department Resources The staff (and what they do) The facility Rooms and what’s in them Basic administrative stuff


The Department’s Basic Philosophy Concerning Grad Students: The Department’s Basic Philosophy Concerning Grad Students You’re all adults If we give you information and the opportunity, we assume you’ll take care of stuff for yourself We want to make things easy And we’ll help you if you have troubles But we don’t want to hold your hands for daily business


The Staff: The Staff Only listing members who typically interact with grad students Josephine Aragon (4732J) TA letters, timesheets, hiring paperwork Van Dao (4731N) Parking Susana Gayedon (4403) Graduate office assistant Gertrude Lewis (4732K) Department finances


The Staff, con’t: The Staff, con’t Verra Morgan (4403) Graduate office Jackie Trang (4732F) Head of department staff Terry Valai (4732D) Chair’s secretary, also handles swipe keys


The Facility Staff: The Facility Staff Pete Follett (3413) Head of facility staff Charlie Fritzius (3413) Sets up and handles grad student accounts Steve Sakamoto (3413) Peter Schultze (3273)


What Does the Facility Do?: What Does the Facility Do? Handles departmental networking Wired and wireless Runs departmental servers Disk servers, DNS, web, mail, firewall, etc. Manages graduate workstation room Oversees grad student accounts Lots of other stuff less visible to grad students


What You Get From the Facility: What You Get From the Facility High speed network access Wireless networking covering the department Workstation access and maintenance Web page hosting Mail service Printing and scanning capabilities Security services (e.g., a certificate issued by the department) Consulting on problems related to the above


What the Facility Needs From You: What the Facility Needs From You Responsible behavior If you have a lab machine, make sure someone is taking care of it You, an assigned system administrator, somebody If you’re going on vacation, turn it off or get someone else to take care of it If you request openings in firewall, make sure you take care of them If things change with your machine, inform the facility Patch your machine, especially for security patches Pay attention to the emails concerning OS security If they tell you to do something, do it


Where to Go For What: Where to Go For What Your advisor First stop for all academic questions Graduate office – 4403 BH Handles many issues of graduate academics Forms related to breadth requirement, various tests, approval of academic program, leaves of absence, etc. Also handles admission and transfers Reasonable first stop for any problem that you have that doesn’t seem to belong elsewhere


Where to Go For What, Con’t: Where to Go For What, Con’t Department office – 4732 BH suite Many staff members there Deals with most issues of employment Deals with parking and swipe keys Graduate Workstation Room – 3286 BH Unix and Windows workstations you can use Through them, access to other departmental computing/communications resources Hangout for grad students with too much time on their hands


Where to Go For What, Con’t: Where to Go For What, Con’t Facility Office – 3413 BH Department computing accounts Facility-related problems CSUA lounge – 3750/3811 BH Undergrad student association lounge But grad students seem welcome Another place to hang out SEAS Cafe – 5800 BH Sells food, coffee, drinks, a few sundries Open during the academic year, most of summer


How Do We Get In Touch With You?: How Do We Get In Touch With You? Typically through email For things related to multiple students, messages are sent to dist-grads You need to be sure you have an account listed in dist-grads Departmental ones will be listed there Pay attention to email to this address from the staff!


How Do I . . . (I): How Do I . . . (I) Get an office with a desk? Usually done through advisor Talk to him/her Get a telephone? Fax access? Xeroxing? Also done through advisor For TAs, talk to Adam Kaplan about Xeroxing Print stuff? Use printers in Graduate Workstation Room Or in lab you work with Be responsible If you waste too much paper, we’ll need to install print quotas If you print it, pick it up


How Do I . . . (II): How Do I . . . (II) Get parking? Talk to Van Dao (4731N) RA/TAs only It’s not free Limited number, first-come, first-served Can also work through campus parking service Arrange a leave of absence? Talk to your advisor Fill out paperwork available from Verra


How Do I . . . (III): How Do I . . . (III) Hand in a timesheet? Josephine will post the maximum number of hours for the month Get a form from the Department Office Fill it out and get your advisor to sign it If it’s not on time, your pay may be delayed a month Include your account number Get that from your advisor, if you don’t know it Return it to Josephine’s office (4732J)


How Do I . . . (IV): How Do I . . . (IV) Get a swipe key? From Terry Valai (4732D) Most grad students need to get one Gives access to graduate workstation room If you’re working with a faculty member, may give you access to their lab Requires $10 deposit (refunded when you return the key)


How Do I . . . (V): How Do I . . . (V) Find housing? There’s a new graduate dorm Weyburn Terrace Some slots might still be open there Useful UCLA housing web site: http://www.cho.ucla.edu Where should you live? Up to you Nearby is convenient, but expensive Further out is cheaper, but more commuting


How Do I . . . (VI): How Do I . . . (VI) Get to know my fellow students? Say hello in classes Share a cookie at a 201 seminar Attend a departmental events Set up a student event yourself Arrange a student event? Talk to Verra She can arrange to discuss it with other folks in the department Get in touch with EGSA officers


How Do I . . . (VII): How Do I . . . (VII) Complain about something? Depends about what Talk to your advisor or Talk to Verra or Talk to the Graduate Vice Chair (Dr. Palsberg) We’re generally open to handling reasonable complaints and requests


Some Useful Web Links: Some Useful Web Links CS Mentors program: http://www.cs.ucla.edu/Mentor Registrar’s calendar: http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/calendar Enrolling for classes: http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/soc/enroll.htm Schedule of events on campus: http://www.calendar.ucla.edu


A Little About UCLA: A Little About UCLA It’s a big, active campus Always lots going on Many resources available to you because you’re a student Often free or discounted


Student Health: Student Health Your fees include student health insurance Pays for many health services Major facility is the Arthur Ashe Center Next to the John Wooden Center Offers primary care plus many other services Many free, small fees for some http://www.studenthealth.ucla.edu


Sports and Fitness: Sports and Fitness UCLA has many fine intercollegiate teams And an active intramural sports program Also many health and fitness classes you can take for free (small fee for some) Several fitness facilities you can use for free John Wooden Center, Sunset Recreation Center, etc.


The Arts: The Arts UCLA has strong programs in visual and performing arts Many concerts, plays, exhibits all over campus Royce Hall is one of the premiere music venues in LA UCLA has one of the world’s biggest film archives, and a film screening program to match The Fowler Museum on campus shows exhibits of anthropology and sociology


Other Campus Activities: Other Campus Activities Many campus-related groups for students Mostly supported through student associations Many famous lecturers visit the campus Sculpture garden Botanical garden Well-stocked libraries Geffen Playhouse and Hammer Museum


Eating on Campus: Eating on Campus The Bomb Shelter (in Science and Engineering quad) The Coop and the Treehouse in Ackerman Union Coffee shop in Kerkhoff Hall Other coffee shops elsewhere on campus Synapse in Gonda Hall Several North Campus facilities http://www.calendar.ucla.edu/dining.html


Buying Stuff: Buying Stuff Student store in Ackerman Union stocks many useful things Discounted computers available to students in Ackerman Annual Halloween sale in Bearwear section of Ackerman A smaller selection of useful items in SEAS Café


Transportation: Transportation Los Angeles is an automobile city You probably want one Bicycles are useful in some areas Reasonable bus service Offered by several different cities Discounted fares available for students Some light rail/subway None near campus http://www.transportation.ucla.edu/tshome.htm


In Conclusion,: In Conclusion, Welcome to the department and UCLA We all want you to succeed here We’re here to help you We hope you’ll have a great time during your studies here