Information You Should Know - Fall 2008
Department of
Chemistry Graduate Program
Orientation Information and
Important Websites
Orientation
Info/Important websites can be found at: www.chemistry.msu.edu/Graduate/orientation/welcome.htm.
Placement Exams
All
incoming graduate students are required to take three Placement Exams designed
to evaluate their background in the traditional areas of Chemistry. The first
exam tests background knowledge in Analytical and Physical Chemistry. The second
and third exams cover undergraduate training in synthetic chemistry and focus
on material traditionally taught in Inorganic and Organic Chemistry. The
information obtained from these exams will be used to establish a course work
plan that will help prepare each student for research, and to make initial
teaching assignments. Placement exams will be administered on the first day of
the Chemistry Department Orientation for the Fall Semester.
Course Information
Course
descriptions and schedules are located on-line at: www.msu.edu/current/index.html.
PID Number/PAN Number
Your
PID number is your student number. It is a nine digit number resembling A12 34
5678. Your PAN number is a four-digit number that is used with your PID number
to enroll for classes by means of computer enrollment. These numbers remain the
same for each semester that you enroll. You should remember these numbers for
frequent use. (The PAN number is a personal and confidential number that should
not be shared with anyone.)
Enrollment
All
incoming graduate students will enroll for classes during the Chemistry
Department Orientation Program. Your initial advisor will help you determine
the courses that you should take. Your PID and PAN numbers are needed in order
to enroll, and you will receive these numbers at the Chemistry Department
Orientation. Additional information on how to register and add or drop courses
will be covered during Orientation.
Degree Granting Transcripts
A
copy of your degree granting transcript should have been received by the
Admissions and Scholarships Office at MSU. If it has not been submitted, you
should arrange with your previous school(s) to have the degree granting
transcript(s) sent directly to Admissions and Scholarships (250
Student ID Card
Students
will have an opportunity to get their student ID cards during the Chemistry
Department Orientation Program. However, students can also obtain their IDs on
their own at the Registrar’s Office (Room 50 Administration Building). This
card is needed in order to use campus facilities such as the library, pool and
exercise facilities, etc. and to receive student discounts.
Health Insurance
Health
insurance coverage is provided by the University to all Graduate Assistants.
You will receive a paper describing the health insurance coverage in the folder
you receive at the Chemistry Department Orientation, and a health insurance
representative will be there. To enroll
a spouse or children, contact Ann Eure (517-884-0144, eure@hr.msu.edu) if your name begins with
A-K, and Tabatha Dixon (517-884-0170, dixont@hr.msu.edu)
if your name begins with L-Z.
An
Access Card for Chemistry
& BPS (Biomedical & Physical Sciences) Buildings
In
order to have access to the Chemistry & BPS building on evenings and
weekends, you will need an access card. To request an access card, e-mail
Room Key for the
A
key request form will be included in your Orientation folder which will allow
you to get the appropriate key from the sub-basement stockroom (B1 Chemistry).
Parking
Parking
on the MSU campus is restricted.
Students who have a Graduate Assistantship are eligible to purchase a parking permit from the MSU Police Department. The MSU
Police Department issues graduate assistant parking permits by semester.
Students with a Graduate Assistantship may obtain a permit on-line
(www.dpps.msu.edu), providing their assistantship has been approved on the MSU
system. If your assistantship has not been approved yet, you will need to take
a copy of your appointment form to the Police Department to receive a parking
permit. You should attempt to obtain a Parking Permit prior to the Orientation
Program, if possible. One day parking permits will be available to students for the first
day of the Chemistry Orientation Program. Please park in the Shaw Street Ramp
located directly across from the
The Chemistry
Graduate Program Guide
The
Chemistry Graduate Program Guild is the Ph.D. and M.S. degree manual of requirements.
You will receive a hard copy of the Gradual during the Department of Chemistry
Orientation. An electronic version is
located at: www.chemistry.msu.edu/Graduate/grad_current.asp#info.
I-9 Form (
Each student is required to complete an I-9 Form for employment before a paycheck will be issued.
You must bring the following with you to the
Chemistry Department Orientation:
Domestic: Original Social Security Card and a Driver’s License or State ID card. These documents are needed to process your I-9 Form, which is required to process your Graduate Assistantship. Domestic students will complete the I-9 Form during the Chemistry Department Orientation.
International: The Chemistry Graduate Office must receive the original I-9 Form in order to process your Graduate Assistantship. Your original Social Security Card should be brought to the Chemistry Graduate Office as soon as you receive it so that a copy of the card can be made and sent to the Payroll Office. International students will complete this form and apply for a Social Security Card during either the Summer English Program or the International Teaching Assistant Orientation Program. The Office of International Students and Scholars (103 International Center) is responsible for completing this paperwork, and international students should submit the completed original I-9 Form to the Chemistry Graduate Office.
Paychecks
All
MSU Graduate Assistants are paid once a month. Your Fall Semester employment period
begins on August 16, 2008, and you will receive your first paycheck on
September 15. Subsequent paychecks will be distributed on the 15th of each
month (or earlier if the 15th falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a holiday).
Arrangements for direct deposit of paychecks should be made on-line at: www.epayroll.msu.edu.
W-4 Forms (Federal and State
tax withholding forms)
Domestic
students can fill out their tax forms on line at: www.epayroll.msu.edu.
International students must fill them out at the Payroll Office (350
Administration Bldg.). These forms must be received by the MSU Payroll Office
prior to the first graduate assistant payroll date (September 15), and cannot
be processed without a Social Security Card.
Tuition/Fees
All
graduate students appointed as Graduate Assistants through the Chemistry Department
have their matriculation fees covered, and receive a tuition waiver of 9
credits per semester for Fall and Spring Semesters and 4 credits for Summer
Term. Students paid as Graduate Assistants are required to carry a minimum of 3
credits in the Ph.D. degree program and 6 credits in the M.S. degree program
per semester for Fall and Spring and 3 credits in the Summer. The payment of
student fees, approximately $21.25 per semester for domestic students and
$46.25 for international students, are the responsibility of the student.
Questions regarding your registration bills should be addressed to the Student
Accounts Office, 140 Administration Building,
E-mail Address
Please
set up an e-mail account through Dr. Tom Atkinson (123D Chemistry) after you
arrive at MSU. You will need your PID and PAN numbers in order to do this.
Textbooks
Textbooks
for graduate students are available at the MSU Bookstore in the