New Graduate Information

Residency
To keep from being charged out-of-state fees after your first year, you should begin the process of becoming a resident as soon as you arrive. (Note that tuition is paid by the department or by your research advisor, not by you.) Driver's license, fishing license, car registration, voter registration, etc., are recognized indications that you are a Montana resident. Keep copies of all of these so that you can file them with your application for residency at the end of Spring semester. To obtain the form you'll need and to obtain a list of requirements, contact the Registrar's office.

Office Supplies
The department receptionist will help you find what you need. The oak cabinet in the main office will be kept filled. Please sign out any supplies you take. The FAX machine is available at 50 cents per page domestic and $1.50 per page for international. If you are using the FAX for business, sign the sheet and give the research group name for billing.

Copy machine
If you have not already done so, please obtain a copy number from the department receptionist in the main office for copying your class materials. You can also obtain a personal account number; you will be billed nine cents/page for personal copies.

Fellowship/Scholarship Information:
All information of this type is filed in a brown expandable folder located on the bulletin board across from the mailboxes in the main office. If you would like to have copies of any of this information, please have the receptionist make photocopies for you.

Seminars
All graduate students are required to go to departmental seminars in their area of interest (API, Organic, Biochemistry, Department). Graduate students who have conflicts between seminar attendance and official departmental duties (teaching lab, class, etc) are excused from seminar attendance for that time.

Pay
Payroll checks are distributed in your mailboxes on the 11th of each month (unless the 11th falls on a weekend - in which case you would be paid on the Friday before the weekend). You are paid for the month preceding the month in which you receive your check. Social Security is taken out of your paycheck if you are enrolled for fewer than six credits.

Entertaining
Graduate students are frequently invited to have lunch or dinner with visiting seminar speakers and/or prospective graduate students. Accepting these invitations is certainly not mandatory. If you are asked to go to lunch with a visitor, it is because 1) you have something in common with the visitor, which will make conversation easier, 2) your research interest is similar to that of the visitor, 3) the visitor's host/hostess asks to have you invited. If you find you cannot go to lunch or dinner, please do not ask someone to substitute - contact the appropriate person in the main office (graduate recruiting coordinator, seminar visit coordinator, etc).

Stipends
Throughout their graduate careers, students receive stipends that are competitive with those at other universities. Contact the department for specific information about stipends.

Proficiency Exams
Proficiency Exams are offered four times during the year in August, November, February, and April.

Keys
See the receptionist in the main office for keys. When you join a research group, you should ask your research advisor to authorize a key request for those labs as well.

Mailboxes
In most cases, two graduate students share a mailbox. Please do not have your personal mail delivered to the main office.

Members of the Graduate Program Committee
Valérie Copié (chair), John Peters, Pat Callis and Paul Grieco. If you have questions about departmental policies relating to graduate students, feel free to talk to any of these people.

College of Graduate Studies
Our Chemistry/Biochemistry graduate student program is almost completely autonomous. Consequently, if you need any information related to graduate school, you can probably obtain it right here in the main office. Talk with the graduate program coordinator in the main office anytime.

Computing
To obtain a Chemistry email address, contact Doreen Brown in the main office. For help with other computing questions, email help@chemistry.montana.edu.