FAQ's

Kent State will issue you an email address, as well as the Math Department. Your Kent State email can be forwarded to your Math email. Both of these MUST be checked constantly for urgent messages.

There is also a section of the above site that is meant strictly for MATH Graduate students. It has MANY resources and information about your program, seminars, procedures, and people in the department. TAKE TIME TO LOOK AT THIS VALUABLE LINK!

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

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.

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

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: Misty Sommers - in other words, ME!  Feel free to ask me anything. I might not always know the answer, but I will probably know who to ask. If you need help with anything feel free to email me at mtackett@math.kent.edu or mlsommer@kent.edu, or if you would like to get to know me, I have my own webpage as well (if you didn't notice already - I tend to put everything on my webpage). Just click on the Misty's website link above.

***Please note that International students 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?
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.

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

Graduate Assistantship Application - Use 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.

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?)

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

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

Cleveland Immigration Office information

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

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].

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/. 

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

Orientation

Department of Mathematical Sciences
Orientation Week Schedule
This is for those graduate students who will have assistantships or be teaching as part-time instructors.

FOR 2008 (TENTATIVE):
TUESDAY, AUGUST 21

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Meet the graduate faculty and course coordinators in the faculty lounge on the 3rd floor

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Meet your course coordinator in 114 MSB

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23

1:00 – 3:30 p.m. Meet your mentor, then prepare and give mini-lesson presentation in 109 MSB

THURSDAY, AUGUST 24

12:30 – 1:30 p.m. General meeting with undergraduate coordinator 228 MSB

1:30 – 2:30 p.m. General meeting with course coordinator 108 MSB

Kent State University ONTAP Schedule:
This is a required orientation for all new incoming graduate students who will be teaching or on support.

http://www.kent.edu/rags/ONTAP/index.cfm - International and domestic students, look here for information on the University's Graduate Orientation program for Graduate Assistantships.

Also, you are encouraged to attend the Friday morning workshops that the ONTAP program is offering. They will be covering some of the workshops that you will be missing as a result of our departmental orientation. Please check with ONTAP earlier in the week to make sure you have an updated schedule of workshops.

Kent State University English Class (for non-US students):
Debra Drusedow is in charge of this testing/course

Required Exam:
If you are considered an International Student Graduate Assistant (non-US citizen), then you are required to pass an English exam (both written and oral/aural) by the University and State. If you do not pass either of these exams, you will be required to take an English speaking and/or writing course the first semester that you are here. You will be notified of the times of these exams, as well as course options if you do not pass it. 

Required Class:
If you do not pass the English exam, then you will need to take the courses that they give you permits into. This would be either (or both) the course on Written Academic Discourse, or the Oral Academic Discourse. If you have passed both exams, but feel that your dissertation writing could use some improving in your English, then you are welcome to inquire about the Written Academic Discourse course.

Optional Class:
There is a "English Conversation Class" for learners of English as a second language and for new international students. It teaches Idioms, slang, pronunciation and English for everyday speaking. Also covers reading, discussing, and listening to the news. If you are interested or want more information on this class, call Philip at 673-1492 (27997).

Email and User account

Here are the instructions on how to add yourself to that list:
The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science maintains an e-mail list that is used to contact all graduate students when necessary. It is strongly requested that every MATH graduate student sign up for this e-mail list. To do so, send an e-mail (from your new math or Kent State email address) to mtackett@math.kent.edu with "subscribe to grad" 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" 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.

ACCOUNT
The System's department:  If you have any questions about other services that are available by signing up for a user account, then you should 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'.

WEBPAGE
Here are directions for creating your own personal webpage (taken directly from our systems FAQ page)

Creating a homepage (or multiple linked pages) is not difficult, but you need to do some preparation, write some HTML code, and test your page(s). The following steps should get you started:

1. Create the public_html subdirectory in your home directory. Just issue the following commands at the Unix prompt:
cd mkdir public_html
The cd command gets you to your home directory. The mkdir command actually creates the public_html directory, which will be the home for all of your personal Web pages. We'll call this your HTML directory from now on.

2. Create the index.html home page. When people visit your Web site, the first page they will see is your home page. This page is in a file called index.html in the subdirectory public_html in your home directory. You just created the directory in Step 1, now you need to create the file.

3. Set file and directory permissions so others can read your work. The Unix file and directory access permissions limit who can read your files and directories. To allow people to read your Web pages, you need to change the permissions on a couple of directories and files. Issue the following commands at the Unix command line:
cd
chmod go+x.
chmod go+x public_html
chmod go+r public_html/*.html

The chmod go+x . changes the access permission on your home directory to allow others to get to your Web pages. The other chmod commands change the permissions on your Web directory and its files. NOTE: Web pages must be readable by group and other, but you should never have any files that are writable by other. For more information on file permissions, see the manpage for chmod.

4. Get your link added to the department's list of user pages If you have accomplished the steps above, you should be able to see your homepage by pointing a browser at http://www.math.kent.edu/~yourname where yourname is your system login. If so, your page is ready for release. Check to make sure your links work correctly and then let the webmaster know that you have a page ready and your page will be added on the Department's website. You can add as many pages to your site as your disk quota allows.

UPDATED ON: 06/12/08 09:18 AM

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