Notes for Newly Admitted Students
Now that you have joined the Program, we hope you become immersed in your learning, enjoy the intelligent and diverse student body, and, along with faculty and alums, contribute to knowledge and practice that builds on critical and creative thinking.
The directory is available by request to all CCT students and alums who submit updates of their addresses and other information (form). It is designed to foster on-going support, communication, and the sharing of resources among current and former students, and others who have been associated with the Program.
To include you in the CCT community, we ask students to send us notes about yourself as soon as you are admitted. You might write this as a precis of your application to the CCT, including: General background (e.g. teacher education, curriculum development, science for middle school education); Specific interests and priorities you have as a student, scholar, teacher, artist, computer wizard, philosophizer; Work experience and projects you have completed in the past; Problems and topics you want to focus on in future study/work; Workshops you can offer; Other resources you can offer CCT or other CCT'ers. These notes will also be forwarded to your CCT advisor and other CCT faculty to help them get to know you.
When you are ready to register for fall and spring courses, you can do so on-line via http://wiser.umb.edu. Follow the instructions on the page if you need to look up your User ID or if you are logging on for the first time and do not know your password. Adding and dropping courses and registering for summer/winter courses can also be completed through WISER.
Matriculated students MUST get the permission of the Program co-ordinator to take on-line versions of courses that are also offered face-to-face. We want our M.A. students to be part of the face to face community, so permission will be granted only in exceptional circumstances (such as the
student has moved to California and needs that course to graduate).
Individual advisor: Once you are admitted you will be assigned a general advisor to help you plan your program of study. Please contact the Program's Coordinator if you have not been informed who your advisor is, or if you want to change your advisor for any reason.
New Student Orientation: Just before or during the first week of the fall and spring semesters there is usually an Orientation for new students combined with a CCT Community Gathering. Please make every effort to attend.
News from CCT: New students will be added to the distribution list for periodic news related to CCT and should email the program office (cct@umb.edu) to keep us informed of any changes in your email address. (The news takes the form of a wikipage with links to additional information.)
CCT Program Coordinator: Early in 2001 the College of Education eliminated its Program Director title, but the Coordinator for CCT continues to undertake the duties of the Program Director. It can be hard without support staff for this person to find time to follow up on completion of incompletes, coach students who need to wrap up their syntheses to graduate, and check in with students who have not registered for courses, have taken official or unofficial leave, have deferred their matriculation, and so on. In these stretched circumstances, please respect the following guidelines to help CCT
faculty serve students:
1. For advice on your studies, consult the CCT handbook or website before contacting your advisor or the Faculty Coordinator. Submit a course plan as soon as you are admitted and use this as a basis for discussions with your
advisor.
2. Make explicit written contracts for incompletes. If you don't finish the incomplete before a year has gone by, remind the faculty member to submit a grade based on the work you did finish. Otherwise the incomplete gets automatically turned into an "IF" (which stays on your record and means you have to pay to take the course again). If you have 4 or more Incompletes and/or IFs the Graduate School bars you from registering for further classes.
3. Once you have matriculated you should register for the following semester's courses during the official registration period in November/December and April/May. If you have not registered by the end of that period, the Program coordinator may register you for a course you planned to take or an independent study so you don't get charged late fees. You can drop this at any time before the first class without any cost.
4. If you take leave from studies for a semester, the Program Coordinator will register you for the program fee, which will appear on a bill from the bursar. If you don't pay this, you will have to petition for readmission and pay all the back program fees and late fees. If there is some hold on your record, the Program Coordinator will let you know and you will have to submit the program fee form with the required payment before the end of the add/drop period in order to avoid a late fee of $50.
5. Inform the Program immediately if your phone, address, or email changes.
6. When you get a notice from the Program inquiring of your situation or plans, please respond - don't put us in the situation of having to chase you up.
7. Before the start of the synthesis semester, finish the Processes of Research & Engagement course (CCT692), arrange a reader for the synthesis, and get a proposal approved -- or postpone taking the synthesis course for another semester. Don't use pressure of getting your studies finished (e.g., for a pay raise) as a reason to pressure faculty to waive requirements/ reduce expectations. Jumping ahead always lead to backfill that involves more work for your synthesis advisors/readers.
8. View the resource constraints on CCT as an opportunity to develop peer and other horizontal relationships -- to seek support and advice from peers (and alums), and to give support and advice to them when asked for.
Curriculum & Instruction Advising: You are also welcome to visit the Student Services Office for the Curriculum & Instruction Department (W-2-119) to ask for advice or forms. Visit the office or call 617-287-7625 for information and to confirm open hours.