Resources and Assistance
Student Services
Facilities
The Office of Graduate Studies and Research, via the Graduate College of Education, allocates to the Department of Curriculum and Instruction a very small number of graduate assistantships. (Assistantships with other departments are posted at http://www.umb.edu/hr/employment/search.html.) Five hour/week assistantships pay $1625 per semester and carry a tuition waiver. The waiver covers 25% of the activities, curriculum and other fees. Assistantships, once awarded, are renewable for up to, but not more than, three semesters. To hold an assistantship, a student should be enrolled in at least six credits of graduate work (two or more classes) and must maintain a satisfactory average.
Under the conditions of the Assistantship, the student is responsible for 5 hours of work per week from the first week of classes through to the due date for submission of final grades as defined by the academic calendar, unless a different term of employment is identified. No work is expected during spring break and intersessions (details of contract with graduate student union). If you're working in another job, studying, and attending to the usual ups and downs of life, this commitment may be hard to fulfill. Faculty members are usually flexible, but please think seriously about competing demands in your life before taking on a GAship. It complicates your student-teacher relationships if you let professors down as a an assistant.
The duties of assistantships range from office support, teaching assistance in the core courses, and research assistance. To apply for an assistantship, complete the application form and send it to the CCT Program Coordinator with a CV or resume indicating your skills, time availability, and the classes you hope to be taking. A copy will be forwarded to the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, which makes the final decisions about assistantships. It is imperative that you get this material in as soon as possible before the semester in which you need the assistantship. April 15 is a safe target date for the next academic year.
The awarding of an assistantship is based on a student's academic achievement and qualifications in relation to the needs of the Department, as well as financial need. If you are awarded an assistantship, the Program Coordinator will informally notify you of the decision, and you will receive official notification from the Office of Graduate Studies. When you receive notice, check with Graduate Studies about paperwork required. Once the semester is about to start check with them at regular intervals until you receive your checks, because, from past experience, it is possible for the process to get stalled.
Student Services
A Student I.D. is a photo identication card given through the university. With
the I.D., a student can use the resources at the Healey Library as well as take
advantage of the benefits offered through student life. A Student I.D. can be
obtained on the fourth floor of the Wheatley Building during their hours of
operation.
To check your grades online, go to http://wise.umassp.edu/logon.umspb.html?, enter your student ID number and password (PIN is mailed to you for telephone registration). From the list choose "grades."
Note that there are links to other services such as course schedule, degree audit, address view and update, bills, financial transcript, information regarding financial aid, and more.
UMass provides a free, web-based e-mail service for students that is (in theory) available for life. To use the student e-mail, connect to http://webmail.umb.edu and enter your user name and password. If you do not know your user name and password contact questions@students.umb.edu or call 617-287-6223.
The University will notify students regarding University business through this e-mail system. If you choose not to use your student account as your primary e-mail, you can arrange to have messages forwarded from the UMass account to the account you prefer. Please use the aforementioned e-mail address and telephone number to do this.
Within Academic support, Campus Center 1-1300, 617-287-6550, email: gwc@umb.edu (during semester, but not summer). Workshops and Individual tutoring. Workshops and Individual tutoring. Students who want to develop their writing process, research skills, and/or an understanding of the general expectations associated with graduate study may sign up for individual tutoring. Generally, students meet with their tutor for weekly one-hour appointments over several weeks. Request forms for tutoring can be filled in at the Center.
The Graduate Student Assembly provides Professional Development grants (PDGs) for graduate students to attend conferences, symposia, workshops and training seminars related to their field of study. Funding up to $500 is available (limit of one PDG per student per year). Applications on-line at the GSA website or in the Student Life Office, Campus Center third floor, 617-287-7975. Applications must be submitted 30 days before the event.
Facilities
The University's Library houses more than 500,000 volumes and currently receives more than 3,500 domestic and foreign journals and newspapers. The library holdings are entered in an on-line public access catalog viewable on the WWW at www.lib.umb.edu. Pick up as soon as you can a copy of the guide to using the library and its online links to other catalogs and databases. The library website also includes an on-line tutorial. UMass Boston students may obtain borrowing privileges at more 46 local college and universities.
The University's IT department, located in the Quinn Building, provides students full access
to the Internet and thus to library catalogues and academic resources
throughout the world. Students may access computer accounts either from
terminal rooms on campus or through dial-up access from home (see previous
section). Public computer labs, open seven days a week, provide access to a
large number of word processing, spread sheet, database, statistics, and
desktop publishing software packages.
Schedule of training classes offered by Computer Sevices.
The Adaptive Computing Lab and the Center for Disability Services make
available auxiliary aids and related support services for students with
disabilities such as sign language interpretation, note taking, testing
accommodation, advocacy, adapted computer equipment, and counseling. Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 offer guidelines for curriculum
modifications and adaptations for students with documented disabilities. If
applicable, students may obtain adaptation recommendations from the Ross Center
(617-287-7430). The student must present and discuss these recommendations to each
professor within the first few weeks of class, preferably by the end of the
Drop/Add period.
A Housing Referral Service is oferred by the Student Employment and Housing Services Office. Consult their website: http://www.umb.edu/students/housing/ or call 617.287.6320.