Orientations, Workshops, and Meeting for New Graduate Students
There are many activities available for new graduate students in days and weeks before the start of the academic year. Some of these activities are optional, some are mandatory (International students see below!). It can all be very overwhelming. We've listed some of the larger or more common activities here to help you figure out where you need to be, where you want to be, and how to prioritize your time. This is not an exhaustive list, so please be sure to check with your department or school (and OISS if you are an international student) about what other activities are available, and which are mandatory.
Orientation, Workshop and Meeting Descriptions
- Departmental or School Orientation
Check with your departmental Graduate Counselor or Student Affairs Officer for date, time and location
Most departments have an orientation meeting or event. This is your chance to learn important information that is relevant to your degree program. It may be mandatory, but even if it is not, you should attend. Don’t miss it!
- New Graduate Student Orientation
Friday, September 21, 2007 9:00 am to 4:30 pm (includes lunch!)
This campus-wide orientation program is open to all incoming graduate students. It is designed to give a general introduction to campus services and offices that are of special importance for graduate students. It is sponsored by the Graduate Student Resource Center (GSRC) and the Graduate Students Association. There will be an initial large-group session, then break-out group workshops on a range of topics, including (but not limited to) Resources for Student Parents, Keys to Success in Graduate School, An Introduction to the Graduate Student Health Plan, Establishing Residency for Tution Purposes, Balancing Life and Academics, Funding and Fellowhships, and an Introduction to the UCLA Research Libraries. There will also be a resource fair with participants from campus services and student groups, as well as graduate student led tours of campus. To register, please visit the New Graduate Student Orientation homepage.
- Entering Graduate Students Welcome Reception
Wednesday September 26, 2007 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm (includes FOOD and DRINK!)
This reception is sponsored by the UCLA Graduate Division, and is intended for all entering graduate students. You are invited to come eat, drink, and network with graduate students from disciplines from across the campus. There will be music, great food provided by the UCLA Faculty Center, and nearly all of the most important people you need to know from UCLA's Graduate Division. It is not to be missed, if you can help it! Click here to regisiter for the Welcome Reception. For more information about Graduate Division Events click here.
- DCISS Mandatory Workshops for International Students
Monday – September 24, 2007 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm in Bradley Hall, Room 215
Tuesday – September 25, 2007 from 11:00am to 1:00pm in Bradley Hall, Room 215
Wednesday – September 26, 2007 from 11:00am to 1:00pm in Bradley Hall, Room 215
Thursday – October 4, 2007 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm in Bradley Hall, International Room
Wednesday – October 17, 2007 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm in Bradley Hall, International Room
International students MUST participate in one of these workshops. DCISS will be one of your best allies in keeping your F-1 or J-1 visa status (and, if you have dependents here with you, their status too) legal and in good standing. They will help you negotiate the myriad of information produced by USCIS and the SEVIS systems, they will keep you updated on changes to visa requirements, they will assist you in exiting and re-entering the U.S. as you participate in international conferences (or go home to visit your families), and they will help you understand the critical issues regarding how to maintain your visa status, obtain Curricular and Optional Practical Training , extend the length of stay beyond completion of degree program, and the like. For more information about these workshops, please follow this link to the DCISS workshop webpage.
- Dashew International Center Orientation Program
Session I: September 4 to 7 or Session II: September 17 to 20
The Dashew International Center Orientation Program was created to help incoming international students adjust better to their new lives in the United States, Los Angeles, and UCLA, and is the only orientation program on campus designed to meet the unique needs of international students, scholars or dependants. It is also a wonderful opportunity for participants to interact with other international students and scholars as well as U.S. students and to create friendships that will last throughout their stay at UCLA. For more information, please visit the Dashew Center orientation website
- Teaching Assistant Training Program -- Campus-wide Teaching Assistant Conference
Monday September 24, 2007
In addition to any departmental TA training that your department may require for graduate students who will be TAs during the coming academic year, the Office of Instructional Development offers a campus-wide TA Training Program. This is a very useful program that gives insightful information on a wide-range of instructional topics, including Academic Integrity, Technology Resources for Classroom Use, Students in Distress, E-Campus, the Electronic Gradebook System, and the like. For more information and registration, please go to the OID website.
- Departmental TA Training
Date and Time determined by Department
Most departments will have mandatory TA training for new TAs. Check with your Graduate Counselor, Student Affairs Officer, or the faculty member in charge of the TA program in the department in which you will be teaching.
