Welcome to
Florida State University and the graduate program of the
Department of Biological Science. We look forward to having
you join our program. The following information is aimed at
assisting you with your move to Tallahassee and to FSU. You
will find almost every thing you need to know on the web. Some
links require that you have Adobe Acrobat Reader which can be
downloaded for free athttp://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.
If you have any
questions, please feel free to contact
me.
We encourage you to arrive in Tallahassee no later
than the week of August 10. There will be little opportunity to obtain
an apartment, turn on utilities, set up a bank account, etc. during
the following week while you are attending the teaching workshop.
Access to many of the functions you need to register, pay fees, check your schedule, print unofficial transcripts, etc. require that you set-up a secure profile before you can continue. Follow this link to activate your FSU ID and FSU E-mail account: http://newnole.fsu.edu/computer.html
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Registration is on-line. Students who are U.S. citizens and who have submitted all their documents, including the health form, will be able to register during regular registration, August 18-22. International students are required to attend the International Students’ Orientation--go to http://ic.fsu.edu/newstudents/orientation.cfm for details.
Late registration begins August 25 and there is a $100 late registration fee. Your faculty advisor will be able to assist you with your course selection. Twelve credits are considered a full-time load for Florida students; nine credits for out-of-state and international students. If you encounter any problems with registering, please contact me.
Fees are due no later than Friday, September 5th. After that date there will be a
$100 late payment fee. Before paying your tuition, you will need to
come by the Graduate Office (1063B King Life Science Building) to pick up your tuition
waiver. The dates for waiver pick up are Monday, August 25 - Wednesday,
August 27.
For fall and spring semesters only, the Office of Student
Financial Services offers an installment plan for students who
owe more than $150. Further information on fee payment as well
as the installment plan can be found at: http://www.sfs.fsu.edu/.
You should have
adequate finances to cover your initial obligations since
there could be a 4-6 week delay in receiving your first
check.
Teaching Assistant Stipends:
U.S. Students: If you have not already completed your paperwork, as soon as possible after you arrive, please
contact Blair Kallestad, 644-4465, to set up an appointment to do your
paperwork. Be sure to bring two forms of identification (driver’s license,
ID card issued by federal, state or local government, school ID, voter’s
registration, etc) and social security card. If you have lost your card,
you will need to apply for a duplicate.
International Students: If you do not have a social security
card, you will need to obtain one. After you have registered, take your
admission letter from Biology to the International Student Center and
pick up their letter to take to the Social Security Office, along with
your immigration paperwork. The Social Security Office is located at
2002 Old St. Augustine Road. Directions: Travel east on Tennessee Street,
take a right on Monroe Street, left on Apalachee Parkway, take a right
on Blairstone Road and then a left on Old St. Augustine Road. The office
building is located on the left hand side of Old St. Augustine Road.
Once you receive your card, contact Blair Kallestad, 644-4465 to set
up an appointment to do your paperwork. She will need your immigration
paperwork and two forms of identification (passport/visa, school ID,
etc).
Fellowships, Research Assistantships and Training Grant
Stipends:
The teaching workshop will
be held August 18-22 in room 421 Milton Carothers Hall. Attendance is
required for all entering graduate students regardless of source of
financial support (teaching assistantship, research assistantship, fellowship,
or private funding). Please arrive each day on time so as not to be
disruptive to the speakers and the class. See workshop agenda at: http://bio.fsu.edu/~bsc1005/courses/workshop/dailyoutline.pdf
The University
provides accounts which are used by instructors and the
general university population. In addition to the university accounts, the Biology department also issues you a
separate biology email account. Both accounts can be linked so you only have to
check one e-mail. Upon arrival, if you are not a Neuroscience
student, please see Alex Stuy, 2054 King Life Science Building; (850)
644-1006 to make arrangements for an account.
If you are a Neuroscience student, please contact Jason Thigpen, 248 BRF; (850) 644-4876.
Please e-mail Judy Bowers, bowers@bio.fsu.edu, once your account as been
established.
Once you and your advisor have determined what access and which keys you will need, the advisor will contact Lynn Locke (locke@bio.fsu.edu) with your name and to which areas you will need keys/access. If you require access to entrances or areas that require the use of a swipe card, you will need to provide Lynn the last 8 digits of your ID number as indicated on your FSU ID card. The turnaround time to pick up keys is 24 hours and a picture I.D. is required to pick you keys up from the Key Bank, 150 MMA (Mendenhall Maitenance, Building A) which is located off Wildwood Drive.
Deadline: August 22, 2008
(Failure to do so may jeopardize your petition for future residency)
All non-Florida, U.S. citizens are required to obtain residency by the beginning of their 2nd year. Students must be completely independent from their parents (i.e., not claimed on tax returns, etc) for one year prior to obtaining Florida residency status. Out-of-state tuition waivers will only be given for the first year. The Office of Graduate Studies has provide the following helpful tips: New Student Info
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