Dear All,
We hope you had a wonderful summer! Below, you'll see a list of consolidated and pertinent information from our office for this Fall into one newsletter. We trust that you will find this list useful and convenient.
Regards,
The Vice-Chairs and the ME Staff
| Thurs., 8/28/14 | Instruction Begins |
| Mon. 9/1/14 | Holiday |
| Wed. 9/3/14 | Fall 2014 Room Requests Due |
| Wed. 10/1/14 | New Course Submissions Due/Current Course Revisions Due |
| Mon. 10/13/14 | Ugrad Drop-In Advising |
| Wed. 10/15/14 - Tues. 10/21/14 | Ugrad TeleBears Advising Week |
| Mon. 10/20/14 | RRR Room Modifications Due |
| Mon. 12/8/14 - Fri. 12/12/14 | RRR Week |
| Fri. 12/12/14 | Last Day of Instruction |
| Mon. 12/15/14 - Fri. 12/19/14 | Finals |
| Fri. 5/15/14 | Academic Progress Reports due for Doctoral Candidates |
The complete Academic Calendar can be found at http://registrar.berkeley.edu/CalendarDisp.aspx?terms=current.
The Student Calendar can be found at http://registrar.berkeley.edu/stucal.html.
If you need to make any final room requests or you need to add/change discussion rooms, please notify Isabel Blanco no later than Wednesday, September 3rd.
If you will not be needing your regularly scheduled classroom during RRR Week, or will need exam review rooms during this period, please let Isabel Blanco know by Monday, October 20th
If you wish to create a new course or revise an existing one, all materials are due to Shareena Samson no later than Wednesday, October 1st.
The following materials are required for new courses and revisions:
- A new course syllabus
- A sample weekly schedule for the course
- If the course will have a final project in lieu of a final, then a sample description of such project
- If the course is a roomshare between an undergraduate and graduate course, a short explanation of how the student's work will differ depending on their status.
Please contact Shareena as soon as possible so she can provide you the appropriate materials and templates.
Because Fall 2014 will be the final semester instructors will be able to create bSpace sites, the department highly recommends that instructors begin using bCourses (if they have not already done so) or at least familiarize themselves with the bCourses system. You can find tutorials and information on bCourses at the ETS Website, http://ets.berkeley.edu/bcourses/learn-bcourses.
If you need a homework box for your course this semester, please see Melissa Varian who will be able to reserve one for you.
The Academic Progress Report, to be completed on an annual basis, is designed to assist doctoral students and their dissertation chair to stay on track with advising and other supportive activities to help facilitate the completion of doctoral work in a timely manner.
The Graduate Council of the Academic Senate requires an Academic Progress Report to be completed each year for all doctoral students after they advance to candidacy until they complete their program.
The department requires this yearly report of all research advisers of students advanced to doctoral candidacy. This year, research advisers must complete this no later than Friday, May 16, 2015, though it can be completed any time prior to that date, during the Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 semesters. Advisers can complete this form through the following website: https://gradlink.berkeley.edu/GLOW/. Please contact Yawo Dagbevi Akpawu with any questions you may have.
All future reservations made for the Faculty Club under departmental accounts must be signed for, in advance, by the department. Please see Melissa Varian for assistance with all bookings.
The Shipping and Receiving Office for ME has moved to 2120 Etcheverry Hall (details will be sent in a separate email).
In June, we were assigned a new HR administrator, Alberto Marcelo, from CSS Team 2 (ERSO) to support ME. Alberto will be occupying 6179 Etcheverry Hall on Tuesday's and Thursday's, and will spend the other days of the week in 199MC Cory Hall. Please submit all your new requests and/or questions concerning any pending visitor appointments to Alberto. His email address is: albertom@berkeley.edu. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Vicky Garcia.
As many of you know, Eng 10's last offering was in Spring 2014 and Eng 28's last offering will be Fall 2014. Additionally, as we move towards the new curriculum, Eng 25 first offering is going to be in Fall 2014.
As of Spring 2014, our transition to Eng 25, 26, and 27 will be complete. If you have questions regarding this transition or need a place to refer your advisees, please see the notes on Design Course Transition.
In May 2013, the Graduate Division announced the NRST Matching Program to begin in Fall 2014 (flyer and announcement attached). The Graduate Division will cover half of a first year Ph.D. student's NRST when a department, ORU, or PI pays the other half using an eligible funding source. This message provides details regarding program mechanics and procedures. Ph.D. students (domestic or international) who enter in Fall 2014 will be the first cohort of student eligible for the NRST match. Eligible students (based on status and funding sources) will be identified automatically. No requests for exceptions will be granted.
Eligible fund sources:
- Research funds used to pay 3284 GSRs who are appointed at 45% time or more and eligible for NRST remission
- Departmentally Restricted (DR ) funds administered by the Graduate Division
Ineligible fund sources:
- Departmentally Restricted funds that have already been matched through the Graduate Fellowship Matching Program (GFMP)
- Awards made through the DSAS system
Awarding Process:
Matching funds will be awarded automatically.
- If NRST is awarded through the fee remission process, the department, ORU or PI will be billed for only one-half of the NRST award.
- If NRST is awarded using Departmentally Restricted funds, the full NRST amount ($7551) should be entered, either in GLOW (https://gradlink.berkeley.edu/GLOW/) or on the paper form. The Departmentally Restricted fund will only be charged for half of the NRST.
Departments can confirm in GLOW that matching awards were made to their students.
Please note that the matching program does not apply to students holding appointments through LBNL.
Please feel free to contact Yawo Dagbevi Akpawu if you have any questions.
As of Fall 2014, the students will no longer be able to receive Non-Resident Student Tuition (NRST) Waivers for passing the prelim.
Beginning with the Fall 2014 applications cycle, applicants who are required to demonstrate English proficiency and who choose to use the iBT TOEFL exam must have a score of 90 or higher.
No changes have been made to the minimum required Speaking section score for GSI appointments. This remains 26. Students who score slightly below 26 (22-25) on the Speaking section are eligible to take the Oral Proficiency Test (OPT) here on campus to demonstrate readiness to teach.
New GSR salary scales can be found at http://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/1314/table22.pdf.
The Faculty Leave of Absence Form can be found here.
If you envision any sort of semester or year-long leave during the coming year, please contact Debra Chin (Academic Personnel). Sabbatical leave credits must be verified in advance. The sabbatical/leave requests must be submitted one year in advance (no exceptions), in order to meet tight deadlines for course scheduling and temporary academic staffing budget decisions (TAS).
Please submit your Sabbatical/Leave requests in writing to the Department Chair via Vicky Garcia (Department Manager). Your plan should include the purpose of the sabbatical/leave; your address if you plan to spend time away from Berkeley; if you are a Principal Investigator and need a substitute, i.e, (co-P.I.), the name of the substitute (co-P.I.). If you will be receiving other income, state the amount and source, please remember you are not allowed to receive more than 100% of your academic salary.
The Department Chair and Vice Chair of Instruction will review all leave requests in January. Approval is based on courses, academic staffing and other considerations. Once approved please discuss your request with the Vice Chair of Instruction on how your graduate student advising will be covered.
Upon return from sabbatical leave, please submit a sabbatical leave report within 90 days. For details regarding this report's contents, please see Debra Chin.
Business related travel arrangements made by UC employees can be booked through one of the two preferred Connexxus Travel suppliers, BCD Travel or UC Travel Center. The travel reservation will automatically be registered for traveler insurance coverage. Within minutes of completing the reservation the traveler will be emailed information to use in an emergency while traveling on UC business both domestically and abroad.
If you travel for personal consulting - your travel would be covered as any other personal travel. As long as you submit a leave form - reason personal - all of your usual benefits would cover you and your family in the event of an accident - death, health, etc. Please submit your less-than-7-day leave form to the Graduate Office prior to traveling.
To register, click on the link, and look at the bottom of the screen under the heading "Accessing the Trip Insurance Enrollment Form": http://www.ucop.edu/risk-services/loss-prevention-control/travel-assistance/enrolling-in-uc-trip-insurance.html.
All course instructors are required by campus to follow the exam guidelines at http://registrar.berkeley.edu/Default.aspx?PageID=finals.html and http://academic-senate.berkeley.edu/committees/coci/handbookTOC
In addition, the department would like to remind instructors that every exam (excluding take home exams), no matter what the situation, should be proctored by qualified personnel such as the instructor him/herself, a course GSI, or an academic colleague. It is our policy that ME Staff should not serve as proctors.
It is also our policy that each student be given a proper space to take the exam. This space should provide a reasonable level of quiet, privacy and comfort for the student. In the case of disability accommodations, the space must also meet the criteria listed in the student’s Letter of Accommodation (listed in the Faculty/Proxy Portal (https://dssonline.berkeley.edu/scarab/faculty/). Classrooms and conference rooms are ideal spaces.
Please keep in mind that inequity in requirements between possible exam spaces, environments, and proctors could pose pedagogical issues that may certainly lead to grade grievances.
The campus has posted new RRR Week Guidelines at http://academic-senate.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/committees/coci/rrrguidelinesweb_1.pdf.
Final Exam Guidelines are posted at http://registrar.berkeley.edu/Default.aspx?PageID=finals.html.
Please note that, according to Department policy, the only type of calculators that are allowed during undergraduate examinations are simple models such as the TI-30XS or TI-83/84 Plus. This policy, in place for several years now, was implemented to help ensure a level playing field for all students during exams.
Information regarding campus grade and credit code definitions can be found at http://registrar.berkeley.edu/current_students/academic_records_transcripts/gradeskey.html.
Information regarding the repetition of grades can be found at http://registrar.berkeley.edu/current_students/academic_records_transcripts/courserep.html.
Information about the removal of incomplete grades can be found at http://registrar.berkeley.edu/current_students/academic_records_transcripts/igrades.html.
Dear Colleagues:
The Berkeley Campus adopted an Academic Honor Code two years ago, endorsed by the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate, the ASUC, the Graduate Assembly, and the University Administration: "As a member of the UC Berkeley community, I act with honesty, integrity, and respect for others." A critical element of a successful Honor Code is ensuring that faculty make a conscious effort to discuss academic integrity in their courses, and many do so already. In order to facilitate these discussions and to clarify the spirit and intent of the Honor Code, the ASUC and Academic Senate have developed an Honor Code Guide for Syllabi that is intended to be used either verbatim or adapted by faculty for inclusion into course syllabi.
All incoming students, both undergraduate and graduate, are introduced to the Honor Code as part of the registration process, and prominent placards stating the Honor Code are displayed in all general assignment classrooms. Additionally, an Academic Integrity webpage has been developed with multiple resources and relevant information for both instructors and students.
If your department is interested in further exploring pedagogical approaches to promoting Academic Integrity in line with Berkeley’s Honor Code, custom workshops are available upon request through the Center for Teaching and Learning by emailing teaching@berkeley.edu.
Best wishes for the academic year,
Catherine P. Koshland
Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education
If you wish to report a student for Academic Misconduct, the proper form can be found at http://sa.berkeley.edu/conduct/reporting/academic.
Faculty responsibilities in regard to students with disabilities can be found here: http://dsp.berkeley.edu/facresponsibilities.html.
Additionally, an FAQ for instructors can be found at http://dsp.berkeley.edu/faq.html.
The Office of the Dean of Students in collaboration with the Tang Center's Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) distributed campus-wide the Gold Folder Faculty/Staff Reference to Assist Students in Distress and facilitated in-person trainings. The Gold Folder is designed as a quick reference guide to help faculty and staff identify signs of an emotionally distressed student and access appropriate resources to help themselves, the student, and the campus community.
A web version of The Gold Folder can be found at http://uhs.berkeley.edu/goldfolder/.