New Graduate Student Checklist - Fall 2005
by Pat Mills

Registration and validation (payment) 21 August 2006  (no later than)
Typically, new graduate students may register earlier in August or even July, when you arrive on campus (but not the two days prior to 21 August, as Registrar's Office is in an uproar by then)

Classes begin 22 August 2006. (Typically there are no labs the first week of class, with few exceptions.)

A handy but certainly incomplete list of things to do on arrival/registration at NM Tech

• Bring original social security card and one other form of ID.
• Bring **proof of insurance** if you do not intend to purchase student medical insurance through Tech's suggested vendor: Associated Insurance Plans. Click here for more info. Go to Residential Life, Fidel 122 with proof of insurance or to remove insurance hold on registration until proof of individual health insurance is available.
• First Priority: Before the new RA/TA contract can be signed in the graduate office, the new student must obtain
  an I-9 form. To do this, student should take their positive ID's to basement of Brown Hall, north end; see Carol Dotson in room 21 for the form I-9.
• Second Priority: Sign TA/RA Contract IN THE GRADUATE OFFICE (Cramer 214). Your completed contract puts you into NMT computer with in-state tuition.
• Virtually all RA/TA students also sign a deferred payment form for incremental payment of tuition and fees (tuition amount is included in your stipend -- deferred payment form automatically deducts a payment for tuition from each paycheck). The payroll deduction then precludes the necessity of paying total bill at Registration.

• PICK UP A BLANK REGISTRATION FORM AND ALSO A KEY FORM
• Meet with your temporary Advisor about courses to take in Fall 2004
• Fill out the paper registration slip.  Advisor signs.  Ask what "lab keys" you will need.  Write this down.
• Talk to Dr. Phillips (Hydro) or Dr. Kyle (Geology/Geochemistry) or Dr. Aster (Geophysics) to receive an office room number. Write it down. See #5 below about keys.
• Prove you have other insurance, or fill out forms for Tech Student insurance. Insurance office stamps the paper registration form that you've just completed with temporary advisor. The stamp is required before you can begin to register.

Go to REGISTRAR
located on first floor of Brown Hall. Your course schedule will be entered into the computer and an invoice generated. The deferred payment form precludes the need to go downstairs and pay (called validation). If you are not on support, proceed downstairs to Validate (pay).

Once you are REGISTERED (and in the NMT computer, you exist)
**Only then** may you proceed to:

1) Tech Computer Center - obtain an NMT E-MAIL ADDRESS

2) Campus post office (in Student Union Building, past all the construction)
This can wait, actually, for another day ...
Obtain a Campus Station c/s post office box number. This is your legitimate postal address; use it and not the department for US postal mail (or use your home off-campus address).

3) Students on support are assigned an office. Space is cramped, but it's a place to work and put your things. Dr. Fred Phillips assigns Hydro grad offices; Dr Philip Kyle assigns Geology/Geochem, Geophysics folks see Dr. Aster.

4)  To get an EES computer network ACCOUNT ... EES in-house computer labs require a personal account with a password ... Check in with EES Staff Engineer in MSEC room 337. (Note: You must already have obtained a Tech email address from the Tech Computer Center before doing this.)

5) Get KEYS. Once you know which office room #  and research lab KEYS you need, come to EES main office with the completed key request form. Keys have a long-drawn out procedure, so Info is posted in main office.

6) MSEC room 234 is the EES student lounge and Message Box room.
Find your name on the tall Message Box unit. If it isn't there, tell the office staff. The message box is NOT a c/s postal box but is instead a "message box" --  a drop-off repository for your advisor or co-workers.

7) Be certain to give the office staff your NMT E-mail Address so we can find you!
Easy: Send an email to geos@nmt.edu. Including your new office room number in this message is helpful.

• undergraduate degree, college, date of degree
• c/s box number
• email address
• office number and phone number
• title (are you an RA, TA, both, neither)
• advisor and/or supervisor names
• type of student and program (e.g., MS student in Hydrology)
• research project (send to Susan later when you know the title)

Driving New Mexico Tech Vehicles
Anyone who drives a NMT vehicle MUST take the Defensive Driving Course offered by NMT. NO EXCEPTIONS. The class is offered only on FRIDAYS at 9am and 1:30pm. You must fill out a DDC form first. Then call Carol Loar at ISD (835-5777) to reserve a spot ASAP. The course costs $30. The EES department pays for TAs, and RAs fees are paid by their supervisor's research funds.