University of Arkansas

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University of Arkansas

• Graduate School

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• Collis Geren
• Vice Provost for Research
• Dean of the Graduate School
• Ph.D. in Biochemistry
• Patricia Koski
• Associate Dean of the Graduate School
• Ph.D. in Sociology
• pkoski_at_uark.edu

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To Contact or Find Us

• http//grad.uark.edu
• Graduate School Deans Office
• 119 Ozark Hall / 575-4401
• Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs Office
• 119 Ozark Hall / 575-4401

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To Contact or Find Us (cont.)

• International and Graduate Admissions Office
• Dickson Street Annex (across from Bell
  Engineering), Unit 8 / 575-6246 
• Office of Graduate and International Recruitment
• 106 Ozark Hall / 575-5869
• Both of these offices will be moving to 346 N.
  Arkansas Avenue (Phoenix House north) sometime in
  September.

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The Graduate School

• Provides information to students, faculty and
  staff
• Involves students in decision making
• Creates and enforces policies
• Monitors student progress
• Advocates for the student
• Ensures quality of degrees
• Seeks and celebrates diversity

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REMEMBER

• THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IS YOUR DEANS OFFICE

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Being Successful

• To be successful in graduate school, you must be
  proactive. You have certain rights as a member
  of our community, but you also have certain
  responsibilities.

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Being Successful Rights Responsibilities
Source Lovitts, Leaving the Ivory Tower, 2001
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Formal/Work

• Be sure to find
• University policies on academic misconduct
• University policies on research misconduct
• University policies on sexual harassment
• Graduate School Student Handbook
• Departmental/program Student Handbook
• Program policies on gpa, comprehensive or
  candidacy exams, probation, etc.

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Rights

• As a graduate student, you have the right
• To be treated with respect and dignity
• To expect competent instruction and a
  high-quality degree
• To be free from sexual harassment

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Responsibilities

• As a graduate student, you have the
  responsibility to
• Refrain from academic misconduct
• Refrain from research misconduct
• Report instances of academic or research
  misconduct
• Strive for your best

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Remember the Honor Code You Signed

• The Graduate School mission is only possible when
  intellectual honesty and individual integrity are
  basic norms which are not violated.
• The pledge of the Honor Code is this On my
  honor as a graduate student at the University of
  Arkansas, I certify that I will neither give nor
  receive inappropriate assistance on the work I do
  for my degree.

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Informal/Work

• Know the organizational structure of the
  university and of your department/program
• Find both an advisor and a mentor
• Seek out other students in your program for
  networking
• Know the unwritten rules and assumptions of
  your department/program

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Rights

• You have the right to be respected as part
• of a diverse, multi-cultural community
• with many voices.

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Responsibilities

• As a member of a diverse community, you have the
  responsibility to respect and honor differences.
  This is what makes our community strong and
  provides the best possible educational experience.

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Formal/Social

• Do not underestimate the importance of formal
  social events in your department/program..

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Informal/Social

• Nor the importance of the informal social
  networks.

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Rights and Responsibilities

• Again, expect to be respected for your unique
  contribution to the University of Arkansas
  experience, but recognize that..
• This requires that you function as an ethical
  member of that community.
• Which brings us to e-mail..

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A Special Caution About E-mails

• Please remember that e-mails are never private.
• If you say something in an e-mail, be comfortable
  with seeing it on the front page of your local
  newspaper or the Chronicle of Higher Education!
• Remember that e-mails get their inflection from
  the reader, not the sender

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E-mails (cont.)

• Never use an e-mail to convey a negative emotion!
• From a faculty member to a student I cannot
  afford paying a student or putting any of my time
  with a student who is not contributing to the
  project and complaining about almost everything
  in my Lab and my instructions to my group.

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E-mails (cont.)

• Always maintain professionalism.
• From a student to a faculty member reviewing the
  students paper for submission to a journal
  edited by the faculty member The weaknesses
  in the paper occur because of the journals
  length requirement. In order to meet the
  requirement only about 35 of the paper was
  submitted. If the entire paper had been allowed
  to be submitted, many of the questions the
  reviewers posed would have been answered. I do
  not wish to resubmit any work.

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E-mails (cont.)

• Dont make illegal offers.
• From a student to a faculty member Ill do
  anything I can to get that grade backAll Im
  asking is another chance, but I learned that in
  this world nothing is freejust tell me how much
  you need for your books or for your needs and we
  can make a secret agreement between you and me.
  Nobody has to know about this.

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• or threats.
• From a student to me Since Dr. was unable
  to help me graduate this May, I decided to take
  an honorable job in Palestine with the
  Palestinian Islamic Jihad Organization to pursue
  a more noble cause freedom, justice and peace
  for Palestinians and to fight the Israel
  terrorism. (This e-mail ended up in federal
  court on a charge of terrorism.)

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A Final Word

• Being a successful graduate student requires you
  to think and act like a member of your
  profession, be proactive on your own behalf, and
  ask for help when you need it.
• Remember that
• the Graduate School is your
• Deans Office!

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Welcome to the University of Arkansas Graduate
School!

• http//www.uark.edu/grad
• Graduate School Deans Office
• 119 Ozark Hall / 575-4401
• Dr. Patricia Koski (pkoski_at_uark.edu)