WELCOME TO OUR NEW INCOMING GRADUATE STUDENTS IN MATHEMATICS!

There are probably a lot of questions that you might have when first starting the graduate program in the Mathematical Sciences department. We will try to include a lot of those questions below. In the meantime, there are a few essential things that you will need to take care of your first semester of graduate study:
  1. Your User Account: You will need to make sure that you apply for a Department computer system account. This includes an email address, webspace, and server space for saving files (our systems department backs up all servers regularly). 

    An application can be downloaded from their forms page at http://www.cs.kent.edu/systems/forms.html. After you turn in your application to the Graduate Secretary, it is a VERY good idea to go to the system's homepage at http://www.cs.kent.edu/systems/index.html  and review all the information they offer there.

    To save files to your own user space, it is probably best for you to map a network drive on your office computer so that you can save and track files on a network drive (similar to your C: drive). Simply open your windows explorer, click on 'tools', and select 'Map Network Drive'. In that window, select the letter that you want the drive to represent, and simply type in the server name followed by \homes (for example: \\excalibur.math.kent.edu\homes). ...click finish. You should then be able to access your local user space on 'My Computer'.
         
  2. The MATH-GRAD email list: When you arrive to the campus and establish a Departmental email address, the next step is getting yourself added to the "Math-Grad mass email list". This is a listmail that is used for sending notices to all math graduate students. If there is an important announcement, then it will be sent to you IF you are on the Math Grad listmail. If you have an important announcement that needs to reach ALL graduate students in the department, then you can send the email to the Math Grad listmail. It is strongly requested that every MATH graduate student sign up for this e-mail list. To sign up, send an e-mail (from your new math or Kent State email address) to math-gradinfo@math.kent.edu with "subscribe to grad listserv" in the subject line. The graduate secretary will approve your subscription and you will receive a confirmation email. Should you ever need to remove yourself from the list, send e-mail to the same address with the word "unsubscribe from grad listserv" using the e-mail address you used to sign up for the list. To send an e-mail to everyone on the list, send e-mail to grad@math.kent.edu. This list should only be used for official communications, or for messages that are really appropriate to send to all graduate students. Do not use this e-mail list to send out spam, ads, etc.
        
  3. ORIENTATION: At the beginning of each Fall semester, there are orientation meetings for all graduate students. Each orientation is different depending on if you are an international student or U.S. student, or if you have an assistantship or you are unsupported financially. It is important that you make plans to attend these orientations the week (or earlier) before the Fall semester.

    You should receive emails about these orientations. If you have not received notice of them at least a month before the semester, then you should try to make contact with the graduate secretary to make sure that your current email is correct in her files or to make sure that you are on the list. (Please keep in mind that once you are admitted to Kent State, then the "@kent.edu" email address is considered their official means of communication with you. Please check this regularly.)

    The University usually posts their orientation schedule for teaching assistants online at http://www.kent.edu/rags/ONTAP/index.cfm.

    There is also a Graduate Student Welcome meeting in the Math Department on the Tuesday before Fall semester (usually at 1:00 pm).

    IF YOU ARE ENTERING DURING SPRING SEMESTER: Please contact the graduate secretary to make sure that you are notified of special orientations before the semester, as these are usually less frequent and smaller sessions than Fall semester. 
      
  4. REGISTRATION: Make sure that you pay attention to posted registration deadlines on the www.kent.edu website. To register, you will need to login to your flashline account and use the "Student Tools" tab.

    How do I login to flashline? check here

    What do I register for? This is a good question to ask the graduate coordinator if you aren't sure what to register for. Most students start by taking any courses required of them through conditional admission, or they take some of the sequence courses recommended in the graduate catalog for Pure or Applied Math. Those in the Secondary Teacher's program have a more rigid course outline.

    How many hours should I take? This depends on you. If you have an assistantship, you are required to take 8 or more hours. It is recommended that you don't overextend yourself far beyond that though since you have 20 hours of service work for the department on an assistantship. If you are teaching in the department part time, you will also have your hands full, so anywhere between 4-8 hours should be fine. Again, it is up to you and how much time you have to dedicate to your coursework. If you are unsure, talk to the Graduate Coordinator.
 
 
 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

The Mathematics and Computer Science Building
What does the building look like? How old is it? What makes it special? Most questions about our building are answered at this link. 

Directions to the Department
To get to Kent State from various highways follow the directions on the KSU home page. The Mathematics and Computer Science Building is located two buildings southeast of the Student Center on Summit Street, between Campus Center Drive and Rhodes Road. The building is easily spotted due to the wavy roof. 
On the Kent State University Maps and Directions page, our building is located on the south end of the KSU Campus Map.

GOT AN IPOD? Download a map for your ipod HERE.

The city of Kent, Ohio
 

Kent Time


Kent, Ohio is a city full of history, culture, diversity, and trees! Let's not forget the squirrels... If you would like to learn more about Kent, Ohio, you can visit the Kent-Ohio webpage, or you can also see what the weather is like by visiting weather.com and typing in zip code 44240.

Here is what http://www.kentohio.org/  has to say about our wonderful city:
Nearly 200 years ago, what is now the City of Kent was two villages known as Carthage and Franklin Mills. The town fathers renamed the village "Kent" in 1864 to honor Marvin Kent who, in 1863, was responsible for bringing a railroad through town that played a major role in the village's development. Kent was incorporated as a village in 1867.

Kent became known as the "Tree City" when, in the late 1800s, John Davey, an expert horticulturalist, planted hundreds of trees throughout the city. He also trained people in the caring of the newly planted trees. Mr. Davey later founded the Davey Tree Company which is still in existence today.

Today, Kent is the largest city in Portage County and according to the 1990 census, the population is 28,835.

LIFE and LIVING in The city of Kent, Ohio
If you are not familiar with Kent or the Northeast part of the US, you might wonder what living expenses and life around this area is like. There are some common questions that I have been trying to answer for my current students as the questions come to me, and I will try to keep track of them for you on my "LIFE LINKS" page. I'll also try to update what the living expenses might be like as well. The International Student Handbook (useful for citizens too) also has some great information on life in Kent, Ohio including banking, utilities, transportation, etc. at this site: http://www.dept.kent.edu/oia/isss/life.htm

Expenses in Kent: (as of May 29, 2007)

  • Automobile Gas prices:$3.29/gallon (found at http://www.akrongasprices.com/Kent/index.aspx)
  • Grocery prices:  look for sales ads from http://www.aldifoods.com/ and http://www.gianteagle.com using zip code 44240.
    (approximate prices for some popular items)
    Toilet paper - 12 rolls for 6.49
    Milk - $2.39/gallon
    Cheese - $3 for sliced cheese
    Bread - $2.19/loaf
    Eggs - $2/dozen
    Hamburger - $1.99/pound on sale
    Cereal - $3/box
    Shampoo/Conditioner - $1.50 to $4.00 a bottle depending...
  • Clothing prices: For newer clothing, Target and Wal-Mart have the best prices on clothing ($5-$40), however there is also a Kohl's, Macy's, Fashion Bug, and Gabriel Brothers in Kent. Just outside of Kent (in Chapel Hill) there is a mall with numerous clothing outlets, as well as many second-hand clothing stores in Kent, Stow, Ravenna, and Chapel Hill.
  • Rent prices: Can be anywhere from $350/month to $800/month, depending on area, size, and whether your utilities are included or not. (Utilities would be gas, electric, water, phone, garbage disposal.)
  • Buying a new car: usually starts around $12,000.
  • Buying a used car: You can get a decent used car starting from $1000 (or less sometimes), but it depends on the make and model and you should ALWAYS find out the history of the vehicle before buying... check here for local auto ads: http://autos.ohio.com/
  • Books for graduate students: This varies semester to semester... to find out your book costs, go to http://www.kent.edu/ and click the drop-down box that says "KSU Quick Links". There is an option for "bookstore" there. When you get to the bookstore, simply click on 'books', then 'textbooks', select the main campus and the term and look up the books for your classes there.
  • KSU Parking Pass for automobiles: Passes start around $111 and up
  • KSU Parking Pass for motorcycles: $10
Our Staff
Q: Who is the Graduate Coordinator?
A: Artem Zvavitch. He is on the third floor. He is the full-time Graduate Coordinator. You are welcome to talk to Dr. Zvavitch at anytime. His email address is zvavitch@math.kent.edu. If it is not urgent, then it is best to talk to the Graduate Secretary (me).

Q: Who is the Chair of the Department?
A: Andrew Tonge. Dr. Tonge is located in the main office on the second floor of the building. If you would like to know more about him, feel free to visit his webpage at http://www.math.kent.edu/~tonge/.

Q: Who is the Graduate Secretary?
A: Nancy Gregory- Nancy is the current Graduate Secretary at the department, but a new Graduate Secretary will be in place by next Spring semester. If you have questions, you can still ask anyone in the office, or just email math-gradinfo@math.kent.edu.

Forms and Paperwork
Q: Now that I have been accepted to Kent State, what do I need  to do?
A: Once you have become a graduate student, you need to visit the department and arrange an advisor (or talk to the Graduate Coordinator). This can be done anytime in that first year. That advisor (or the Grad Coordinator) will help you decide what courses you need to start with. After that you can register for classes. Next you need to fill out a form, issued by the system department, to apply for a computer account within the building. This provides you with a login for the labs in the building, as well as a departmental email address. Your department email address is CRITICAL in contacting you with important information about the graduate program. Make sure that you tell me your email address after it has been established, so that I know how to communicate with you (Refer to the Math Grad listmail info in the section below). You can download an application here.     If you are going to have an assistantship: you will receive an offer letter in the mail. I must receive a response from you with your signature which lets me know if you are accepting the assistantship. Then there is a packet of forms that I will give (or mail) to you to fill out. These are forms from our Human Resources department that are mainly for their records. They deal with your tax and payment information. After you fill these out, you will need to sign a contract that I have in my office. This contract as well as the HR services forms will be turned in, and your assistantship is officially processed.

***International students***
...must fill out their I-9 form with the international office FIRST.
...must fill out the Federal, State and City tax forms with Sandy in the Payroll office. To make an appointment with her call 330-672-8641.

Q: I'm coming from outside the United States - are there special forms or processes that I need to take care of before I get to campus?
A: Yes. If you are an international student, and you have not received any information from the International Department, then you should contact them regarding your I-20, and your visa information. You should have also filled out an Ethnic Data Form and a Financial Worksheet (included with your admissions materials). The phone number for the International Student and Scholar Services office is: (330)672-7980. You can also visit their webpage at http://www.kent.edu/cicp/isss/ - also see the links in the next section.

Don't forget to check out the Policy on Role and Status of Graduate Student Appointees - It should have been included with your offer letter. If it wasn't, please let me know.

You should also have received the Mathematical Sciences Graduate Student Handbook. This is a link to that handbook.

Financial Aid

http://www.sfa.kent.edu/ - The Financial Aid website for Kent State University

Graduate Assistantship Application - Go to this page to apply, or re-apply for a Graduate Assistantship. A Graduate Assistantship requires you to work 20 hours per week for the Department of Mathematical Sciences while receiving a stipend and tuition waiver. To continue your assistantship, you must show progress in your graduate program and maintain at least 8 hours of study per semester.

Great links for new incoming students! (not JUST international students!)

http://appling.kent.edu/kentlingua/helplink.html - (scroll all the way down) Kent Lingua help pages, The Graduate Student Organization for Translation and Languages

THE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT HANDBOOK - has a ton of information for international students (and even maybe for citizens?)

International Student and Scholar Services

http://www.dept.kent.edu/oia/isss/ - The ISSS department website

http://www.dept.kent.edu/oia/ - The Office of International Affairs

http://www.dept.kent.edu/oia/isss/issbkind.html - The international student handbook

http://www.admissions.kent.edu/newtemplate.asp?topicid=3 - International Students should look here for answers to frequently asked questions about admissions and forms

http://www.immigration.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/index.htm - International downloadable forms

Immigration and Naturalization Offices

Main site: http://www.uscis.gov/

Cleveland Immigration Office information

1 (800) 375-5283 - Toll free number for general information

Your Kent State I.D. - The FLASHcard (for students who are not already enrolled at Kent State)
Q: What is it?
A: The FLASHcard is your Kent State University ID card and more. Your card will let you take materials out of the KSU Libraries, access services such as SRWC & athletic events, and purchase goods and services both on and off campus. If you have a food plan, you will use your FLASHcard to purchase meals in our cafeterias. You may also deposit money on your FLASHcard and create a debit account. This plan, now known as FLASHcash (previously called the Golden FLASH Card), will allow you to make purchases both on and off campus wherever the FLASHcard is accepted.

Q: How do I get it?
A: In order to get your Kent State University FLASHcard you must come to room 104 in the Kent Student Center with a photo I.D. It is located just off the lobby next to Huntington Bank and are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Q: What is the Residence Hall food plan?
A: The Food Plan is a prepaid dining plan that is required for all Kent State University residence hall students. The Food Plan is preloaded onto your FLASH account before you arrive.

Any money not used in the fall will carry over into the spring semester. Money from the spring semester does not carry over into the next academic year and is non-refundable.

Your food plan can be used in any of our Dining Services locations. When you go to purchase your meal, just give your FLASHcard to the cashier and the amount of the sale will be deducted from your account. Be sure to check your account balance after each purchase. If you run out of money don't worry, more can be added to your account. For details on how to do this please refer to the question "How do I add more money to my accounts?."

Q: What is FLASHcash?
A: FLASHcash is a prepaid purchase plan ideal for students, faculty, staff, or anyone who frequently visits the Kent State University Campus. It works like a credit card in reverse. You make an initial deposit to your account, and charges are deducted as you make purchases, much like a debit card issued from your bank. Money on this account carries over yearly and is fully refundable.

Q: How do I add more money to my account?
A: · Visit room 104 in the Kent State Student Center and make a deposit via check, credit card, or cash.
     · Use a DART (an ATM type machine that accepts cash). There are three DART machines that you can choose from. One is located on the first floor of the Kent State University Library next to the copiers. Another DART machine can be found in the first floor lobby of the Kent Student Center adjacent to the Student Government Offices. The third DART machine is located in the Business Building adjacent to the computer lab on the 2nd floor.
     · You can also add to your account by going on line

Q: Do I need any other ID?
A: No. The FLASHcard is the only ID you will need on the Kent State University campus although it does not hurt to carry another form of personal identification.

Q: What if my FLASHcard is lost or stolen?
A: The first thing you MUST do is report it to the FLASHcard Office. This is especially important if you have money on your account. There are a number of ways to report a missing card. First you can stop by the FLASHcard office and both report your FLASHcard missing and pick up a new card at the same time. If it is a weekday during the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., and you are unable to stop in at the time you realize that you card is gone, you can call the FLASHcard office and they will remove your card from the system. When you have time you will have stop by to pick up a new FLASHcard. Finally, if the FLASHcard office is closed at the time your card is lost or stolen, you can "turn off" your account with the cashier of any Dining Services location.

No matter how you "turn off" your card, you will need to bring one form of photo identification and a replacement fee of $10.00 to the FLASHcard office in order to pick up your new FLASHcard.

Q: What if my FLASHCard is damaged?
A: Bring your damaged card to the FLASHcard Office. You will be issued a replacement free of charge.

Q: What if I have money left on my FLASHcash account?
A: If you have money left on your FLASH Cash account at the end of the semester, it will transfer over to the following term. The balance on your FLASH Cash card can be refunded back to you at any time. To obtain a refund please call the FLASHcard office at (330) 672-CARD [2273].

Travel
Q. When should I arrive?
A. All new graduate students must plan on arriving to Kent State about a week and a half before classes start. International students should contact the International Student and Scholar Services office to discuss when their flight should arrive, but International Student Orientation is usually before all other Graduate Orientation. All students with assistantships should make sure they arrive in time for ONTAP Graduate Student orientation. Arriving a day or more early will help you process any paperwork that might need to be done if you have an assistantship.

I'm not sure what questions you might have about International Travel, but I'm sure they would best be answered by International Student and Scholar Services at http://www.dept.kent.edu/oia/. 

Living Arrangements
Q: How do I make living reservations ON campus?
A: You need to contact Residence Services. They have an online application form that you need to fill out and turn back in.

Q: How do I find an apartment OFF campus?
A: The Center for Student Involvement  has great resources for living off campus at this website: http://dept.kent.edu/csi/CommuterStudents/CommuterResources.html.  There might also be a copy of their apartment list that you can view by clicking here. If you are an international student, I HIGHLY suggest that you view this information from the international office before searching for an apartment: http://www.dept.kent.edu/oia/isss/life.htm#housing

 
 
 

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This page was last modified on September 24, 2009