Departmental Student
Services: Who Does What
Admissions Office Admit Packet includes:
§
admission offer
§
housing information & application
§
financial aid handbook
§
response form & return envelope
Admissions Office Accept Admission Packet (“X packet”) includes:
§
welcome letter from Dean
§
MMR inoculation info & Health Services Information
§
disability form
§
academic Calendar
§
Dean’s BBQ invitation (Fall only)
§
orientation invitation (Fall only)
§
Credit Union information
§
AcIS Computing Account info
§
Passport to NY
Department/Institute must distribute the following to new students:
§
GSAS Bulletin
§
Facets
§
course lists and program checklist
§
additional relevant information on program rules, perhaps
assembled as student handbook
§
departmental/Institute advising information, list of
faculty, etc.
§
PIN number for phone registration
§
phone registration information and how to check phone reg.
appointments
Department/Institute should distribute the following to new students:
§
departmental/Institute welcome and/or admission letter
§
departmental/Institute orientation invitation (even just a
casual meeting so new students can meet each other, program rules can be
described, questions answered, etc.)
§
information about how to obtain ID
Department/Institute should obtain the following information on new students:
§
Email address so students can be contacted on short notice
about departmental/Institute events, course changes, announcements,
etc.—students should be added to as many listservs as possible so they feel
included in what’s going on in the Department(s)/Institute (the chief concern
of many interdisciplinary MA students is loneliness/lack of connection to
program/other students)
§
Student’s address and phone number (correct in SIS if
wrong)
§
Most departments keep a copy of the student’s application
materials and set up a folder for each student. Correspondence with the
student, permission forms, evaluations of academic progress, etc. should be
filed in these folders.
Department must distribute the following to ongoing students
§
academic Calendar
§
course lists (or direct them to courses website if
appropriate)
§
progress toward degree memo, with details about
requirements completed and points accumulated
§
also verify ongoing students’ addresses and phone-numbers
Sample Orientation & Relevant Handouts
1.
Introductions
§
Who in
Department/Institute is responsible for providing specific services
2. Academic Program and Degree Requirements
§
Students should keep
list in mind to avoid taking classes that can’t count towards degree.
§
Make clear rules
about how many classes must be taken for E credit, R credit, P/F.
Residence Unit System
(2000-01 rates)*
All students need to
complete two Residence Units
Residence Unit $13,171.00
Half Residence Unit
(Three or fewer courses) $ 7,136.00
Quarter Residence
Unit for designated part-time
M.A programs only (Two or
fewer courses) $4,122.00
Extended Residence
(per term) $6,585.00
*
Note: look for revised numbers for 2001-02.
Anticipate a 4.5% increase in tuition rates.
§
Student should start
thinking about topic early in the program; discuss format, demands of scholarly
writing, range of analytical methods
§
Discuss with students
the fact that some courses require special permission of the instructor or
department; such approval is usually required when the class size is limited or
when the course requires a specialized background or advanced preparation; SIPA
has a specific registration process for its classes and GSAS students are not
permitted to take some SIPA classes—review with students if relevant to your
program of study
§
Discuss phone
registration & PIN numbers
§
The Office of the
Registrar, 205 Kent, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday; the
telephone registration number is (212) 854-8282
§
Students must obtain
the written approval of the director on a special form issued by the Registrar
to drop courses or make other program changes
§
There are deadlines
after which courses cannot be dropped and the course grade will be an automatic
F; this is generally 4 weeks prior to end of semester
§
Failure
to attend classes or unofficial notification to the instructor does not
constitute dropping a course and will result in an F
§
For
courses dropped after the last day of change of program, no adjustment of
tuition will be made
§
Must maintain an
average of B or better to remain in good standing
§
Review expectations
of scholarly conduct
§
Degrees are conferred
in October, February, and May.
§
The respective
deadlines to apply for graduation are August 1, October 1, and December 1.
§
The graduation
application form is on the web (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/registrar/applicat.txt);
students should print the form, complete it, and drop it off at the Registrar's
- 201 Kent or at Department/Institute if the Department/Institute prefers;
Department/Institute should make copy for student file (form instructions are
at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/registrar/DegreeApp.html
and commencement information is at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ceremonies/
)
§
Explain how to find
academic advice
§
Discuss faculty
interests/areas of research
§
Students can change
their address on the web at Student Services Online at https://www.ais.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/ssv/ssol or visit the Registrar in 205 Kent
§
Jim Cunha in 107 Low
manages the leaves of absence (LOA) and withdrawal process for all GSAS
students
*
The LOA form is available for pickup at 107 Low. Students take the form to
their department for authorization and return it to 107 Low. There is no
readmission form for a LOA because the system expects the student to return at
the appointed time; they can just register as usual after the LOA is finished.
*
The withdrawal from program form is also available in 107 Low. Jim Cunha
collects these forms and processes them through the Registrar. Withdrawal
application date affects the amount of the refund to which students are
entitled.
§
Students who do not
register for a semester without applying for a LOA will need to complete a
readmit form (available in 107 Low) to register in future semesters. Eric
Gemunder is responsible for this process.
§
International
students need to stay in touch with the International Students and Scholars
Office (ISSO), 524 Riverside Drive, regarding visa status and other relevant
matters; leave visa issues to ISSO
Campus tours
Group information
sessions are conducted weekdays throughout the year at 10am and 2pm. Guided
tours of the campus immediately follow the sessions at 11am and 3pm. Each last
an hour and begin at the Visitor Center in 213 Low Library. Reservations are
not necessary for groups under ten. Please note there are information sessions
or tours on University holidays. For more info, contact the Visitors Center at
212-854-4900.
Library Tours &
Hours
Contact individual
libraries, see Facets, or visit library web-site at (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/)
301 Philosophy Hall,
854-2889
Open from 10:00 am to
5:30pm, Monday through Thursday, and 10-5 on Friday. Students may study and
relax, check e-mail, CLIO, the internet or eat lunch and visit with friends.
The New York Times is delivered daily. There is usually an afternoon tea &
cookies from 2pm-5pm.
The lounge can also
be used (for free) for Departmental/Institute student events.
Events
§
Events website (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/newrec/prod/calendar.html)
§
Under New York State
law, as of September 1991 any student born after January 1, 1957, must be
vaccinated against measles twice. Students who cannot prove they have been
vaccinated twice or have had the measles or are immune to them, may not attend
classes, participate in University-sponsored events, or come onto campus. For
more information regarding the State law, contact the University Health Service
Measles Line at (212) 854-7210.
§
Students must also
demonstrate immunity for mumps and rubella (German measles). Columbia also
requires a recent tuberculosis skin test (PPD), for which students will be
mailed a form.
Two categories of
student are required to maintain full-time status, and the Department/Institute
should help make students aware of the consequences they face if they fail to
maintain full-time status.
§
International
students studying on F-1 or J-1 visas can be in violation of their legal status
if they fall below full-time registration
§
Students living in
University housing will be asked to leave their housing if they fail to remain
full-time students
§
In addition, some
students may need to remain at ½ time status or better to defer school loans
SAMPLE CHECKLIST
Graduate School of Arts
& Sciences
Quantitative Methods in the
Social Sciences Master of Arts - 108 Low
Program
Checklist
Date__________ Name________________________________________
Thirty points are required for the degree; they must
be approved courses within your program and distributed in accordance with the
following specific requirements.[1]
QMSS
G4010 Theory/Methodology (3
points) ______
QMSS G4015 Data
Analysis for the Social Sciences (4 points) ______
QMSS G4201 QMSS Research Seminars (2 points) ______
QMSS G4022 QMSS Research
Seminars (2 points) ______
QMSS G5999 MA
Thesis (4 points) ______
Electives
(Chosen in Consultation with a Faculty Adviser)
Social
Sciences Electives (6 points):
______ ____________________________ ______
______ ____________________________ ______
Research
Methods/Statistics Electives (6 points):
______ ____________________________ ______
______ ____________________________ ______
Research
Methods/Statistics or Social Science
Elective (3 points):
______ ____________________________ ______
Final Paper Topic:
Final Paper Advisor:
Month
|
Sample Things to
Do
|
|
January |
§
Offer Orientation to new students in first two weeks
of month, if applicable §
Registration for spring semester §
Finalize advertising, brochure mailings §
Review student grades §
Update lists & files with new students (emails,
mail, etc.) §
Authorize Feb. grads §
Submit list of next academic year’s course offerings
to Lenore Hubner |
|
February |
§
Do final advertising §
Remind all students to apply for grad if necessary §
Remind ongoing students to see program advisor to
complete checklists before choosing courses in their last semester(s) |
|
March |
§
Plan End-of-Year Party or thesis presentation event,
if applicable §
Review applications for fall semester §
Make & send summer course lists, if applicable §
Make & send preliminary fall course lists, if
applicable §
Send out registration mailing to continuing students §
Book high tech classrooms for spring if necessary,
order books http://www.labyrinthbooks.com/index2.htm |
|
April |
§
Arrange for course evaluations to be distributed §
Early fall registration is early April |
|
May |
§
Authorize May grads §
Registration opens for summer around April 25th |
|
June |
§
Review student grades §
Send students yearly progress reports |
|
July |
§
Send registration mailing to new fall students with
phone reg. Info & PIN # §
Make final fall course lists, if applicable §
Remind students to apply for grad for October if
necessary §
Send orientation invitation to new students (offer
orientation in Aug/Sept) |
|
August |
§
Set up a (e-mail) “buddy system” for new students |
|
September |
§
Update list with new students (email, mail, etc.) §
Authorize October grads §
Book high tech classrooms for spring if necessary,
order books http://www.labyrinthbooks.com/index2.htm |
|
October |
§
Remind ongoing students to see program advisor to
complete checklists before choosing courses in their last semester(s) §
Compile & mail approved course lists for spring
semester |
|
November |
§
Review applications for spring semester, if applicable §
Early registration for spring semester (for current
students) §
Send out registration mailing to continuing students §
Plan January advertising/brochure mailings §
Update brochure & website, if necessary §
Arrange for course evaluations to be distributed |
|
December |
§
send out mailing for orientation for new students, if
applicable §
send out revised course listing to all students, if
applicable |
[1] Introductory Statistics is required for students who have not taken it. These students can take courses such as ANTH G6205, POLS W4910, PSYC G6002, or SOCI G4074 to meet this requirement in the semester before the student enters the QMSS program.