Guide for Graduate Contacts

I. General Information

Who to Call and Where to Look

Who to Call in the Office of Admissions & Records

Registration Services

Records Maintenance

Study Abroad, Graduation, and Graduate Support

Document Management

Who to Call in the Graduate College

Where to Find Forms for Graduate Students

Calendars

Graduate academic calendar www.grad.uiuc.edu/calendar.htm, including thesis deadlines.

Professional development events for graduate students www.grad.uiuc.edu/mastercalendar.htm

OAR calendars - www.oar.uiuc.edu/current/calendars.html

OAR procedural calendar www.oar.uiuc.edu/staff/records/calendar.html

Center for Teaching Excellence calendar http://webtools.uiuc.edu/calendar/Calendar?calId=836

CITES workshops http://webtools.uiuc.edu/calendar/Calendar?calId=642

Each unit can create their own Webtools calendar. The service is free from campus. Once you have established a Webtools calendar, your events can be pulled into any other calendar created in the Toolbox. Likewise, your calendar can pull in (include the events from) other Webtools Calendars, such as the Campus Holidays Calendar, the Center for Teaching Excellence Calendar, and the Graduate College Calendar, etc. Go to www.uiuc.edu/webservices/calendar_process.html for more information.

Terminology and Acronyms

Banner - the campus wide integrated computer system

CAS (Course Applicability System) – a statewide system that lists course equivalents among schools throughout the state; on the web

COAR – COAR users have increased ability to make edits to Banner screens, (for example dropping a student from a course). Departments generally do not have COAR users. Graduate COAR functions are usually done at the Graduate College or at OAR.

DARwin - the program that accesses undergraduate academic history and audits it for degree completion, not used for graduate students

DGS - Director of Graduate Studies; in each department, the person, usually a faculty member, that oversees the graduate program in a unit or department; sometimes called the graduate coordinator.

EDDIE – the program that allows you to access EDW data using prepared reports that campus extracts on a regular basis

EPT – English Placement Test- used to determine English Proficiency; administered to all incoming international graduate students that score below 613 on the TOEFL.

EDW - Data Warehouse where data from all three campuses is stored

FERPA - Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) was enacted to guarantee students access to their educational records and to prohibit dissemination of educational records without the student's consent. Anyone with access to student records should take the FERPA tutorial, found at www.oar.uiuc.edu/staff/ferpa_tutorial/. In the case of any request for student information, every time you give information about a student to anyone:

• You must have a record of the request for access and each disclosure of student information;
• The record must identify the parties who requested the information and their basis for such request;
• The record of disclosures must remain in the file for as long as the educational records are maintained, except when the request is by the parent or eligible student; university officials with a legitimate educational interest; or a party seeking directory information.

If you have any questions about releasing information, call OAR's Registration Services at 3-6565.

ISSS - International Student and Scholar Services; formerly OISA; Office of International Student Affairs

NCAA - National Collegiate Athletic Association

NSLC - National Student Loan Clearinghouse; often called The Clearinghouse

PDL - Pending Degree List

SPEAK test - All international TAs must score 50 or better on this test to be qualified to TA on campus. Only offered 3 times per year.

View Direct - the program that allows you to access EDW data using prepared reports that campus extracts on a regular basis

Business Objects – A way for you to query the EDW to create reports for your unit or use pre-prepared reports that others have created. (need to attend training to access)

UI Integrate Self Service – the program students use to input data to Banner, pay their student bills, access financial aid, register for classes, etc.

Web for Faculty – the way faculty view Banner data, check class rosters, email enrolled students, see advisee records, and submit course grades

Program Deadlines

Time to Complete Degree

A master's degree candidate must complete all degree requirements, under normal circumstances, within five years of first registering in the Graduate College. With the approval of the Graduate College, a department may set a time limit for earning a master's degree that is different from the campus' general time limit. A doctoral candidate normally must complete all requirements within seven years of first registering in the Graduate College, unless the student is enrolled in a department for which the Graduate College has approved a different time limit for earning a doctoral degree. A candidate for the doctoral degree who has received a master's degree elsewhere, however, must complete the requirements within six years of first registration in the doctoral degree program on this campus, unless the department has received Graduate College approval for a different time limit. If a candidate's program of study has been significantly interrupted after receiving a master's degree from this University, and if the candidate later returns to work on a doctoral degree, he or she is allowed six years after the return to complete all degree requirements. An interruption is significant only if it lasts three years or longer. The time limit within which students in the M.D./Ph.D. program must complete the Ph.D. is 10 years after their first registration in the Graduate College. Students in the Medical Scholars Program pursuing the M.D. and the Ph.D. in a program that requires a master's degree must complete the master's degree requirements, under normal circumstances, within eight years after their first registration in the Graduate College. Students in the Medical Scholars Program pursuing the M.D. and the Ph.D. who have received the master's degree elsewhere must complete the requirements for the Ph.D. within nine years after their first registration in the doctoral degree program on this campus.

A student who has reached or exceeded the time limit for the graduate degree will not be able to continue to register without Graduate College approval of a Graduate Student Petition for an extension of time. To obtain such permission, the student's adviser and the executive officer of the student's major department must certify on a petition form or in a letter accompanying a petition form that the student is making satisfactory progress toward the degree, must indicate extenuating circumstances for the delay, and must indicate an expected completion date. Second and subsequent time extensions will be granted only in exceptional circumstances and with extensive justification.

Old Course Work

A master's degree candidate who will be using course work that is more than five years old at the time of graduation must petition the Graduate College asking that the course work be accepted for the degree. The petition must include an explanation from the department regarding how the student's knowledge in the field meets current standards. This justification is needed for degree certification and is required when the student is placed on the degree list.

A doctoral candidate who will be using course work that is more than seven years old at the time of graduation must petition the Graduate College asking that the course work be accepted for the degree. The petition must include an explanation from the department regarding how the student's knowledge in the field meets current standards. This justification is required when the student is placed on the degree list.

Prelim

If more than five years elapse between a student's preliminary and final examinations, the student will be required to demonstrate that his or her knowledge is current by passing a second preliminary examination, which is a prerequisite for admission to the final examination. The form of the second preliminary examination need not be identical to that of the first. Scholarly publications and college-level teaching assignments may be used as partial evidence of the student's current knowledge of his or her field, but a preliminary examination committee must be appointed, an examination given, and its result reported to the Graduate College. It is not adequate to demonstrate that the student has sufficient current knowledge in the area of the thesis; rather, current knowledge in the field is defined broadly.

Defend

The Graduate College only requires Ph.D. students to be enrolled during the term in which they defend. In this case term includes the time up until the first day of the next term for fall and spring enrollment. Summer enrollment allows the student to defend up until the last day to defend for October graduation.

Deposit

Deposit Deadlines are listed at www.grad.uiuc.edu/thesis/deadlines.htm. M.S. students may deposit in May, August, October or December. Ph.D. students may deposit in May, October or December.

If more than one year elapses between the student's final examination and the deposit of the dissertation in the Graduate College, the dissertation must be accompanied by a statement from the executive officer of the student's major department to the dean of the Graduate College, c/o the Thesis Office, 206 Coble Hall. The statement should recommend accepting the thesis on the basis that it is essentially the one previously defended and should also state that the late award of the degree is appropriate.

Additional Resources

Additional resources for departmental staff can be found at the Graduate College Departmental Staff page.

II. Resources for Students

Checklist for New Students

Every department will have slightly different requirements and priorities, but this checklist should assist in developing a checklist designed specifically for your department.

ISSS Check In

International students must check in with International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS; formerly OISA, Office of International Student Affairs), 400 Student Services Building, 610 East John Street, Champaign. Office hours are 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday; phone is 217-333-1303. Important issues include application for a Social Security Number, attendance at orientation, registration for English Placement Test (EPT) if necessary, and SEVIS program validation. International students must also complete an I-9 Employment Eligibility form through their departments if they are to become employees.

Department Check In

All students should check in with their department's graduate office upon arrival on campus. Departments may have forms for students to fill out, and may distribute keys or assign mailboxes at this time. Some departments also have their own mandatory orientation programs, in addition to campus-wide orientation. Departments will vary in how and when students receive their teaching assignments. Students on assistantships might need to check in with human resources in the unit that is paying their stipend, and complete the I-9 form.

NetID and Password

The NetID and password gives access to sites and services specific to the Champaign-Urbana campus that use the Bluestem login service, such as computer labs and e-mail. Separate passwords are required for different services (e.g. one for access to a campus computer lab and another to log in to e-mail), each of which is different from the NetID password, yet these passwords can only be created by logging in to the system with the NetID and password. Student e-mail accounts are provided by Campus Information Technologies and Educational Services (CITES). Extensive information about CITES services is available at www.cites.uiuc.edu/, and students can set their passwords at https://www-apps.cites.uiuc.edu/password/.

i-card

The i-card is the University's official photo ID. The i-card is used to access certain services and facilities, such as library borrowing, computer labs, printing and copying, campus recreation facilities, health care, residence halls and dining facilities, and student elections. It also serves as a library user card and a bus pass. The i-card includes the student's University Identification Number (UIN). To log on to secure University Web sites, students need to use the UIN, a PIN number, and a password. More information, including, how to set a PIN number and password, is available at www.icard.uillinois.edu/.

EnterpriseID

The EnterpriseID may look the same as the NetID. The NetID and password are needed to set up the EnterpriseID. The EnterpriseID allows access to the statewide University of Illinois administrative system for official records in Student Services, Financial Aid, and Billing, also known as UI Integrate Self-Service. The EnterpriseID and password are needed to register for classes. To set up the EnterpriseID go to https://apps.uillinois.edu/selfservice/ and follow the steps for first-time users.

UI Integrate Self-Service

Once students have established the EnterpriseID, it is used to log onto an online system called UI Integrate Self-Service at https://apps.uillinois.edu/selfservice/. Here personal information should be verified and kept up to date. This is the way in which students input and view information from BANNER, for example, class schedules, address information, grades, and e-bills.

Advising

Many departments require that new students meet with their adviser to plan their program before registering for classes.

Register for Classes

Register online through UI Integrate Self-Service. It is important that all students be registered by the tenth day of classes. Not being registered by the tenth day may jeopardize student loans, insurance coverage, assistantship appointments, and visa status for international students. The Class Schedule, a list of courses currently offered, is available online at http://courses.uiuc.edu/.

NESSIE

Many students, particularly those with assistantships and fellowships, will need to complete payroll information in an online system called NESSIE at https://nessie.uihr.uillinois.edu/cf/. Departments will provide students with a special login and password to do this. Students will not be paid until information in NESSIE is complete.

Information

For more information on everything from calendars to fellowships, see the Guide to Graduate Life at Illinois at www.grad.uiuc.edu/survivalguide/, which is updated annually.

Final Official Copies of Transcripts

Transcripts sent during the admission process are often sent before an undergraduate student officially completes the degree and therefore do not show degree conferral. Students must make arrangements for copies of their final official transcripts to be sent to the GPA in order to enroll for their second semester of study.

Tuition and Fee Waivers

Waiver-generating Appointments

Waiver-generating appointments are defined as assistantship appointments ranging from 25 percent through 67 percent time for three-quarters of the semester, or fellowships which are awards providing a living allowance of at least $3,000 per semester and requiring no services in return.

See the Graduate College Handbook for the benefits associated with waiver-generating appointments.

Tuition and Fee Waiver Questions

Questions regarding tuition and fee waivers for UIUC graduate assistants should be addressed to Financial Aid at 333-0100. The point person is Grant Nohren at 333-3330. For a list of fees go to www.admin.uiuc.edu/policy/code/article_3/a3_3-505.html and for fee assessment, refund and amount questions, start at www.oar.uiuc.edu/current/financial/.

The AFMFA (Academic Facilities Maintenance Fund Assessment) fee is assessed to those students who began before summer 2003 and after April 2006, and the new Library/Technology fee is assessed to all new students.

Stand-alone Waivers

A stand-alone waiver may be granted by the disciplinary college as a means of supporting a graduate student in the absence of a waiver-generating appointment (assistantship or fellowship). The request must come from the disciplinary college because tuition funds go to the college, not the department. By making the request to the Graduate College for a stand-alone waiver, the disciplinary college agrees to forgo the tuition income. The campus tuition waiver policy can be found at www.grad.uiuc.edu/policies/tuitionwaiver.htm.

Tuition and Fee Assessments

Tuition and fee assessments for Graduate Students are based on several factors including program of enrollment and residency. Tuition and fee charges are also related to the number of semester hours for which students register. The number of semester hours will fall into one of four ranges, as shown in the table below.

For a breakdown of fees assessed at each credit range, see www.oar.uiuc.edu/current/financial/grad_fees.html.

Campus Fellowship Policies

Students on fellowships, defined as awards providing a living allowance of at least $3,000 per semester and requiring no services in return, will receive a waiver-generating appointment regardless of the fellow’s academic program. This applies to fellowships originating on- and off-campus. For individual students who receive fellowships from agencies outside the University system, departments select those who receive accompanying tuition waivers. In cases of dispute, the Graduate College will decide whether an award is a fellowship. Tuition waiver income lost due to fellowships is not reimbursable. It is not possible to combine a base-rate only graduate assistant tuition waiver with other partial tuition waivers (such as a waiver of non-resident tuition) to obtain a more complete waiver of tuition.

Service

Service is not required of students with fellowships, although it is required of students with assistantships.

Enrollment

Acceptance of a fellowship or traineeship appointment carries with it the agreement that the student will pursue a full program of study while on appointment. Stipends paid during the fall and/or spring semester require registration of at least 12 hours during the semester of the appointment. A student with a twelve-month fellowship or traineeship appointment is also required to register for at least 4 hours in an eight week course during the summer.

Concurrent Appointments

Fellows are prohibited from holding two major awards concurrently (fellowship, traineeship, grant, tuition payment award or comparable support from any government agency, state, federal or foreign, or from any foundation, corporation or similar organization). Any award offer should be reported immediately to the Graduate College Fellowship Office, where the determination will be made whether the two awards may be held concurrently.

Unless otherwise restricted by the granting agency or unit, all fellows may at the discretion of their department and the Graduate College carry additional appointments as assistants of up to 50 percent time, providing they conform to the minimum registration requirements of twelve hours. Questions about concurrent appointments should be directed to both the department and the Graduate College Fellowship Office.

Taxability of Fellowships

Although fellowship stipends are taxable income, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) does not require that universities report fellowship income or withhold income taxes on such income for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Taxability of the stipend is a matter between the fellow and the IRS. Therefore, no income taxes are withheld from the stipend payments, no Form W-2 is issued on fellowship income, and fellowship income is not reported to either the state or federal governments. For more information on the taxation of fellowships, consult IRS Tax Topic 421 - Scholarship and Fellowship Grants (www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc421.html). International students on temporary visas from countries without a tax treaty with the U.S. with fellowships must have income taxes withheld. International students should go to the Payroll Office, 100 Henry Administration Building, 506 S. Wright Street, soon after their arrival on campus to have their tax residence status and eligibility for tax treaty benefits determined. For more information on taxation for international Fellows, consult IRS Publication 519: Tax Guide for Aliens (www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p519.pdf - PDF).

Thesis Deposit

Students with fellowship appointments must notify the Graduate College in advance of thesis deposit as it may result in a change in the terms of the fellowship award, including termination.

Checklist for Graduating Students

Each department will have somewhat different considerations and requirements, but this checklist should assist in developing a custom checklist designed specifically for your department. See the thesis office checklists for more helpful information at www.grad.uiuc.edu/thesis/
thesishandbook/appendixA.asp#section01.

Masters (who are required to deposit) and doctoral students – Make an appointment with the department format checker; follow format instructions found on the Graduate College website at www.grad.uiuc.edu/thesis/. Ph.D.s must register during the term of final defense.

Add name to degree list/Apply for graduation – Students can add their name to the degree list using UI Integrate Self-Service until the tenth day of classes; after that complete the form at www.grad.uiuc.edu/thesis/forms.htm.

Commencement – Information can be found at www.admin.uiuc.edu/commencement.

Audit of degree requirements by the department – See Pending Degree list section of this handbook (sometimes done by the adviser, sometimes by the graduate contact or director of graduate studies).

Address update – Student should update their diploma address on UI Integrate Self-Service.

General reminders – These will vary from department to department but may include reminders such as:

• Empty contents of mailbox and/or locker
• Terminate parking space
• Return equipment, library books, etc.
• Turn in departmental keys
• Check out with personnel staff (vacation/sick leave, final pay, etc.)
• Check student account and reconcile outstanding balances

Other – Some departments will require completion of an exit survey

Alumni – You are already a member of the University of Illinois' Alumni Association. Explore your benefits at www.uiaa.org/urbana/.

III. Registration

Full-time Student Status

In March of 2003 (revised April 19, 2005) the Graduate College Executive Committee adopted a policy defining a full-time course of study for graduate students. This policy can be found at www.grad.uiuc.edu/policies/fulltime.htm.

Graduate students need to be full-time for a variety of reasons, and different rules apply in different situations.

Full-time status may be required:

• By the academic program
• For certification related to student loans and certain types of non-University medical insurance policies
• For fellowship and traineeship appointments
• For purposes of Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS) reporting

If a graduate student wishes to drop below 12 hours in a fall or spring semester the following should be considered:

• Is the student taking ESL courses recommended or required as a result of the English as a Second Language Placement Test? For purposes of load, these courses will count as the equivalent of 4 graduate hours, even if the course credit is recorded as zero hours.
• Does the student currently have an assistantship of 25% to 67%? If so, and if the student does not have a waiver-generating fellowship or is not enrolled in an academic program that requires more hours, registration for 8 hours in a fall or spring semester is considered full-time.
• Does the student's academic program require a minimum number of hours of credit?
• Does the student have loans that might come due with a reduction in hours of credit? The student should consult their lenders (school, bank, or loan agency). Note that for purposes of loan deferral only, zero credit registration in GC 599 will count as full time registration.
• Will a decrease in hours affect any non-University insurance policies the student holds?
• Does the student hold a traineeship or fellowship? These students are required to maintain a full course load each term of registration unless a reduced course load has been approved by the Graduate College Fellowship Office. This is true even if they also have an assistantship.
• Is the student on an F-1 or J-1 visa? If so the student should contact International Student and Scholar Services.

Graduate students are advised that if they are not registered for at least a half-time load in a particular term, they will be subject to Social Security and Medicare deductions for that term.

Withdrawal and Cancellation

Cancellation and withdrawal from a term are both requested using the same form, found at www.oar.uiuc.edu/staff/pdf/records/Withdrawal.pdf. Cancellation of registration is only permitted if a student has not attended classes and has not used any university services. Cancellation should be done by 5:00 on the last business day before classes begin. If cancellation is approved, tuition and fee charges are refunded. A student is withdrawn from the semester, rather than cancelled, when the decision is made after classes begin. The student is refunded on a pro-rata basis. The withdrawal refund policy can be found at www.oar.uiuc.edu/staff/records/tuition.html.

Registering for Thesis or Dissertation Credit

(different kinds of 599 and when to use them)

Departmental 599

Registration in 599 indicates that the student's research is expected to result in a thesis or dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master's or doctoral degree. Registration for 599 credit is required if a thesis or dissertation is being completed as a degree requirement.

Tuition for graduate students registered for departmental 599 is based on their resident or non-resident status, program of enrollment, and the number of hours for which they have registered. After a doctoral student has completed a minimum of 96 hours of graduate credit he or she may wish to register for zero hours of 599. Fees assessed to students registered for zero hours are reduced and can be found at www.oar.uiuc.edu/current/financial/grad_fees.html. Tuition for students registered for 0 hours is also assessed, but is the same for residents and non-residents.

Departmental 599, In Absentia

If a student must do research in the field or in a library or laboratory away from campus, he or she may petition to register in absentia. A student is eligible to register in absentia if he or she is located at least 50 miles away from campus. A petition for registration in absentia will ordinarily be approved for a degree candidate who has not exceeded the time limit for the degree and who has satisfied his or her department that the circumstances warrant recommending approval to the Graduate College. In absentia registration is less likely to be approved for a doctoral student who has not passed the preliminary examination. Master's degree candidates are less likely to be approved for in absentia if they have not completed the residence credit required. Tuition for graduate students registered in absentia is based on their resident or non-resident status and the number of hours for which they have registered. The only fee assessed of students registered in absentia is the General fee. Because students registered in absentia are not paying any fees, they have no access to any fee supported services or benefits from the University, including health insurance. For information about the General fee, see below.

GC 599

GC 599 is a registration option intended for loan deferral only. Students with specific loan repayment questions should consult their lenders (school, bank, or loan agency). Advanced doctoral students have the option of registering for GC 599 under certain circumstances. To register for GC 599, a student must: (1) have a guaranteed student loan that would require immediate repayment if the student were not registered for the minimum credit required by the lender to defer the loan; (2) not have any financial assistance that would cover tuition and fees; (3) have passed the preliminary examination prior to the term in which he or she wishes to register for GC 599; and (4) have completed all Graduate College and departmental requirements for the degree except for completing the dissertation, defending, and depositing. Students who are required to complete a mandatory internship as part of their degree requirements may also register for GC 599 provided they comply with items 1, 2, and 3 as stated above; in some cases these students will have deposited their theses prior to the internship period. In order to enroll in GC 599 students must meet all of the above criteria, and they must also complete and submit the Application for Enrollment in GC 599 (PDF) form to Graduate Student Academic Services.

Students who are enrolled in GC 599 are not eligible for additional educational loans. Registration for GC 599 is always zero hours, and tuition and fees assessed of the student reflect this. The only fee assessed to students registered in GC 599 is the General fee. Because students registered in GC 599 are not paying any fees, they have no access to any fee supported services or benefits from the University, including health insurance. For information about the General fee, see below.

Fees

The General Fee is a fee to support certain fixed costs of fee-supported buildings (Intramural Physical Education Building, Ice Arena, Assembly Hall, Illini Union, etc.) on campus. To utilize programs (e.g. IMPE) students must pay the service fee, which is a fee to support salaries, programming, general expenses, and utilities for campus auxiliary service units such as the Illini Union, the Assembly Hall, and Campus Recreation. Student e-mail accounts remain active when registered for 0 hours.

Probation Clarification

The complete probation policy, in effect as of fall 2004, is posted at www.grad.uiuc.edu/policies/probation.htm. Important points about the policy include:

• Of all the factors that may determine satisfactory academic progress, the Graduate College Probation Policy only monitors overall graduate grade point average.
• Most factors that determine satisfactory academic progress are monitored by the student's degree program; students may also be placed on probation or dismissed from the Graduate College, upon recommendation from the program, for failure to meet these requirements.
• The probation policy does not have a warning phase; students are placed on probation at the end of any semester in which the overall graduate grade-point average does not meet the program’s minimum; the minimum GPA for each graduate program can be found at www.grad.uiuc.edu/policies/min_gpa.htm.
• A student admitted to the Graduate College on limited status due to low undergraduate GPA must meet the degree program's minimum overall graduate GPA at the end of the first semester of registration, or be dismissed from the Graduate College.
• A student placed on probation has one semester in which to raise his/her overall graduate grade-point average to the program's minimum. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the Graduate College.
• All petitions to appeal dismissal must contain strong program support and strong justification based on other factors pertinent to the program's determination of satisfactory academic progress.

IV. International Students

Social Security Eligibility and Application

F-1 OR J-1 *P-1-00209* Students

1. Determine their eligibility to apply for the SSN
   1. They must have been physically present in the U.S. for at least 10 days
   2. They MUST have an offer of employment
   3. They MUST have completed check-in procedures at International Student and Scholar Services
   4. If they are in F-1 status they must be registered for classes (Students in J-1 status do not need to be registered)
2. Prepare the application materials they will need to take
   1. completed application form
   2. university admission letter
   3. passport
   4. I-94 card
   5. I-20 or DS-2019
   6. ISSS letter of eligibility
      1. In order to obtain the ISSS letter of eligibility, the student must bring a letter verifying employment or a pay stub, and their I-20 or DS-2019.
      2. F-1 students are required to be registered to obtain a letter of eligibility.
   7. photocopy of their I-20 or DS-2019
   8. photocopy of the ID page in their passport
   9. photocopy of I-94 card
   10. photocopy of the visa page in their passport and
   11. pay stub or letter verifying your employment
       1. the letter verifying on-campus employment must include:
          1. identity of student employee
          2. job description
          3. anticipated or actual employment start date
          4. number of hours student is expected to work
          5. employer identification number (EIN) (37-6000511 for UIUC)
          6. employer contact information, telephone number, and name of student’s immediate supervisor
          7. original signature
          8. signatory's title
          9. date
3. Apply at the Social Security Office – 101 S. Country Fair Drive, Champaign, IL 61821 (orange or green bus line) -- Phone: (217) 398-5399

Note: J-1 students whose DS-2019 was not issued by the UIUC must obtain an eligibility letter from their J-1 program sponsor.

Reimbursement of Foreign Nationals

For instructions on how to pay visiting nonresident alien consultants, scholars, and dignitaries, whether they are employees of the University of Illinois or not, including awards, see www.obfs.uillinois.edu/.

Payments to foreign nationals that benefit the student, such as scholarships and awards (generally payments to a student account that are not processed through payroll), can be classified as taxable income. In cases where payments for credit to a Foreign National student account is processed on the SAR form or DAWS, the information about the payment will be updated in Payroll for withholding and reporting purposes some time after the payment. If taxes are due, the amount will be grossed up, and the department making the payment will be charged for the difference. See https://www.obfs.uillinois.edu/obfshome.cfm?
level=2&Path=foreignsecure&XMLData=scholarships for more details. (You will have to login to access this page.)

Thesis Deposit and Visa Status

ISSS (International Student and Scholar Services; formerly OISA) tells F-1 and J-1 students that they remain in status either through their final semester of registration or through the end date of their assistantship appointment, if the assistantship appointment ends a bit after the end of the academic semester (December 31, for example).

V. Departmental Processes

ApplyYourself for Graduate Admissions Processing

ApplyYourself (AY) is the company that provides the software and database used for collecting and processing graduate applications to UIUC. Data used for creating and admitting applicants is interfaced with Banner nightly.

How to Access ApplyYourself

For new user access to ApplyYourself, contact Graduate Admissions at gradadmissions@uiuc.edu. If a new user will also be entering ratings to admit applicants, the Unit Security Contact for their unit must also contact AITS to request they be added as an Academic Admissions Rater.

Department users access the AY WebCenter to access submitted applications. The URL for the WebCenter is:

https://webcenter.applyyourself.com
Client ID: uiuc-grad
User ID: <>
Password: <<your AY password>>

If you forget your password, you can click 'Need Help?' in the login box to have a new password created and sent to your email account.

How to Use ApplyYourself

The AY WebCenter has links to training on every page. From the Main Menu, the Training Links under Resources offer a variety of training and job aids. There are scheduled online basic training sessions, recorded sessions, PowerPoint slides, and 2-3 page Quick Reference guides on most topics including: Navigation and Searching, Online Recommendations, Printing, Letters and Labels, Emails and Posting Messages, Exporting Data to Excel, Reports, Applicant Analysis, and other topics. In addition, Graduate Admissions has put together helpful AY training information specific to UIUC at: www.grad.uiuc.edu/admissions/workshops/.

ApplyYourself Technical Support

Applicants or Recommenders having problems logging in, uploading documents, or other technical support problems should use the AY Tech Support links found on every page of the application or recommendation system. For non-technical problems or questions, contact Graduate Admissions at gradadmissions@uiuc.edu.

Pending Degree List

Degree Processing Calendar
www.oar.uiuc.edu/staff/records/grad_processing.html

Instructions for Completing the Pending Degree List
www.oar.uiuc.edu/staff/records/grad_pending.html

Pending Degree List, Audit by Departments
www.oar.uiuc.edu/staff/records/grad_pending_audit.html

This process is currently under review, and training for this process will be occurring in the spring semester. Stay tuned!

Name Change Procedure

Information regarding name changes is available at www.oar.uiuc.edu/current/graduation/namechange.html.

A request to change your name must be made in person at the appropriate office.

If you are a student and have never been employed by the University, present legal documentation (such as a social security card, marriage license, passport, and/or court order) reflecting your new name to Registration Services, 901 W. Illinois Street.

If you are a student and current employee at any University of Illinois location, present your updated Social Security Card, as legal documentation reflecting the change, to the person responsible for human resources in your employing unit. In addition, review the Personnel Information tab in NESSIE for other places you may need to update your name.

If you are a student and have not been employed by the University within the last 18 months, present legal documentation (such as a social security card, marriage license, passport, and/or court order) reflecting your new name to Registration Services, 901 W. Illinois Street.

If you are a student and your employment with the University has ended within the last 18 months, present your updated Social Security Card, as legal documentation reflecting the change to the academic Human Resource office at 807 S. Wright St., Room 420.

If you are currently employed or were previously employed by the University of Illinois, employee names on record with the University must be the legal name on record with the U.S. Social Security Administration. If it is not, both the employee and University can be in violation of Federal tax laws.

Explanation of Preliminary and Doctoral Examinations

See www.grad.uiuc.edu/gradhandbook/gradhandbook/chapterVI/ for more details about requirements for the Ph.D. program.

Stage I – is the time from initial enrollment as a graduate student to completion of a master's degree or its equivalent; some departments will have qualifying exams during this stage.

Stage II – is the time period between completion of the master’s degree or equivalent through completion of all departmental requirements (except defense and deposit of the dissertation), including passing the preliminary examination. At the end of stage II the student is "ABD" (all but dissertation) and is formally a candidate for the doctoral degree.

Stage III – is the time between completion of stage II and deposit of an approved dissertation, and includes the final defense.

Qualifying examinations – Some departments have qualifying exams within the first few years of the program. The purpose of these exams is to ensure that a student has sufficient general knowledge in the field to proceed successfully toward the doctoral degree. Often qualifying exams are only given at specified times of the year.

Preliminary examinations – the Graduate College requires a preliminary examination for completion of Stage II of graduate study (e.g. for admission to candidacy). The format and scope of the preliminary examination varies from department to department, in part depending upon whether or not there has already been a qualifying examination. Preliminary examinations may be oral or written, but most often include both components. The oral component is generally intended to review the feasibility and appropriateness of a student's dissertation research proposal. Passing the preliminary exam indicates that the student is ready for independent doctoral-level research. Some departments will set deadlines by which a student is expected to have completed the preliminary examination. Each department determines whether or not students are allowed a second attempt to pass the preliminary examinations. This policy must be clearly stated in each department's written regulations or guidelines.

Final examination – The Chair is responsible for convening the final examination committee, conducting the examination, and submitting the Certificate of Result of Final Examination to the department in which the student is enrolled and to the Graduate College. All voting members of the committee must be present at and participate in final examinations. In exceptional circumstances the Graduate College will allow up to two voting members to be present and participate via electronic communication media such as speakerphone or videoconference link. Students wishing to take advantage of this option should also seek approval from the department. The committee chair and the defending student, however, must be physically present at the final examination (e.g. presence by teleconference is not acceptable). Decisions of the final examination committee must be unanimous. Final examinations are oral and open to the public.

Only original signatures are acceptable on the Certificate of Committee Approval and the Certificate of Result. Only voting members may sign the Certificate of Result. Non-voting members do not need to be present at the final examination. Voting and non-voting committee members may sign the Certificate of Committee Approval.

Ph.D. Committees, Exams, and Faculty Information

This is a quick checklist to confirm that preliminary examination committees and final examination committees meet the Graduate College requirements. For more information, see the Graduate College Handbook, www.grad.uiuc.edu/gradhandbook/.

Preliminary Examination Committees

Preliminary examination committees follow the rules for final examination committees (below) except it is very unusual to have non-voting members on a preliminary examination committee. The Committee is dissolved if the Graduate College is not informed of the result of the preliminary examination within six months after the scheduled examination date (committee may be reinstated in certain circumstances; see the Graduate College Handbook).

Final Examination Committees

Final Exam Committees require:

• A minimum of four voting members,
  • At least three of these four voting members must be members of the Graduate Faculty
  • At least two of these four voting members must also be tenured
• If there are more than four voting members on the committee, at least half of the voting members must be members of the Graduate Faculty
• The Chair must be a member of the Graduate Faculty
  
  A January 2004 revision to the Policy on Doctoral Committees, allows the Graduate Faculty requirement to be met by term members of the Graduate Faculty who retired or resigned with tenure for a period of three years following their resignation or retirement; that period may be extended at the request of the unit, so long as the faculty member remains actively involved in the graduate program.

Final examination committee membership is requested by the unit head via the Request of Appointment of a Doctoral Committee form www.grad.uiuc.edu/forms/appointdec.htm, which must to be submitted to the Graduate College at least three weeks in advance of the examination date. After approval by the Graduate College, final examination committees are officially appointed by the Dean of the Graduate College.

Graduate Faculty

To determine if a person is a member of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Graduate Faculty, see www.grad.uiuc.edu/policies/gradfac.htm. Faculty members appointed to a tenure-track position are automatically recommended for membership in the Graduate Faculty. The process for nominating individuals who are not tenure-track faculty for membership in the Graduate Faculty involves writing a letter to the dean of the Graduate College explaining why the department believes the appointment is appropriate. Included should be information about why Graduate Faculty status is necessary, what the person's role will be as a member of the Graduate Faculty and the person’s academic background that would justify such appointment. The letter should also state the length of time for which the person is to be appointed and include a CV.

Individuals who are not on tenure-track appointment must have the level of credentials expected of tenure track faculty to be granted membership in the Graduate Faculty. In particular, there should be significant evidence of professional achievement, such as current publications, grant support, conference contributions, and teaching. Additional information is provided at www.grad.uiuc.edu/policies/gradfac.htm.

Voting Non-Graduate College Faculty

If a non-Graduate College Faculty member is to serve as a voting member of a committee, a justification must be provided on the second page of the Request for Appointment of the Doctoral Committee form, and a CV should be included.

Completing the Request for Appointment of Doctoral Examination Committee Form

FOR DEPARTMENTAL USE ONLY

Departmental procedures for completing the request form vary, so students should contact their department for detailed information.

Note: Although we have not been strictly enforcing #4 below in the past, effective immediately, we will be strictly enforcing this requirement.

The Request for Appointment of Doctoral Examination Committee Form is located at www.grad.uiuc.edu/forms/appointdec.htm.

1. Complete and submit the form early!
   • Forms should be sent to the Graduate College at least three weeks in advance of the examination date.
   • This form initiates the creation of the Certificate of Result for the examination. Thus the committee will not be able to indicate the examination result if the request is not sent early enough for the paperwork to be processed. One week is a minimum. If the request form is not able to be processed in time, a member of the department will be responsible for securing the needed signatures, as students may not be in possession of the certificate of result at any time.
2. Make sure the Examination committee meets the Graduate College rules. The rules in full can be found at www.grad.uiuc.edu/gradhandbook/chapterVI/section02.asp, but the main points are below:
   • The committee must have at least four voting members.
   • At least three must be Graduate Faculty members. To see if a person is a member of the Graduate Faculty, search the Graduate Faculty Database.
   • Two members must be tenured. Tenure status is also available in the Graduate Faculty Database.
   • The Chair (and contingent Chair, if designated) must be a member of the Graduate Faculty.
   • The committee should include members from more than one area of specialization.
3. If the form is for a final examination, it should be verified that the student’s preliminary examination has been recorded in Banner. The Preliminary result can be found in Banner on the SHATCMT form (be sure to go to the next block). If it does not show in Banner, a final examination committee will not be appointed by the Graduate College.
   • If the preliminary result has not been recorded, OAR will need a copy of the appointment of the preliminary examination committee as well as the Certificate of Result from the preliminary examination.
   • Both pieces should be faxed to Beth Brown or the Graduation Unit at OAR, 333-6383 and fax 333-3305.
4. The request form needs to be signed by the Unit Executive Officer before it can be sent to the Graduate College, and some units may require additional signatures.
   • The Unit Executive Officer signature on the form must be that of a faculty member listed as a departmental authorized signature, approved to sign for doctoral committees.
5. Forms should be sent to the Graduate College Thesis Office, 801 South Wright Street, 204 Coble Hall, MC-322, Champaign, IL 61820-6210. Her phone number is 333-6278.
6. Frequently Asked Questions
   • Can an expert in the field who is not a member of the University of Illinois Graduate Faculty serve on a committee?
     • Yes, they may be appointed as a non-voting member by indicating such on the form. Or the advisor may ask they be allowed to serve with a vote if the request form is accompanied by the person's CV and a justification for voting status from the major advisor or committee Chair.
   • What if a tenured member of the committee has retired?
     • For doctoral committees only, the Graduate Faculty requirement can be met by term members of the Graduate Faculty who retired or resigned with tenure for a period of three years following their resignation or retirement. That period may be extended at the request of the unit, so long as the faculty member remains actively involved in the graduate program.
   • Can the committee be changed after the committee paperwork has been completed?
     • Yes. Complete a new form, and check the box at the top marked Substitution/Change/Deletion.
   • What if a department wants to grant someone Graduate Faculty status, or they should be a Graduate Faculty member, but they are not in the database?
     • Contact the person in your department that annually reviews the Graduate Faculty listing. The contact person can request membership for a faculty member that is not listed. If the faculty member is tenure-track, they can be added via the web by the authorized person. If the person is not faculty, the Unit Executive Officer can request Graduate Faculty membership by sending a letter of justification and a copy of the person's CV to the Graduate College.

VI. Banner

Course Level

With the Banner system, courses are indicated as "graduate" or "undergraduate" on the student record based on the student's level, not the level of the course. This means that if departmental restrictions are not placed, an undergraduate can enroll in any class, including 500 level classes. The student will receive credit for the class on the undergraduate portion of their transcript. If a department wishes to restrict enrollment in a 500 level class to graduate students, the department’s schedule maintainer needs to place a restriction on SSARRES. If a course has been established as a Sectional course, with separate undergraduate and graduate sections, an undergrad can take the grad section with permission by the dept/instructor (no need for GC approval just to take the course), but the course level STILL will be recorded as a 1U (Urbana undergrad) course because the student is an undergrad.

Any class (100 level to 600 level) taken by a graduate student will be recorded on the graduate portion of a graduate student's transcript and will be calculated into the graduate GPA. Departments may have restrictions concerning the level of courses that will apply toward a graduate degree.

It is unlikely that requests for change in credit level will be approved for students who are not in a BS/MS program.

Searching for a Record

In Banner, for screens that include ID and name in the key block, you can use the ID and Name Extended Search screen to find a person or student record. The example below uses SGASTDN, but it will also work in SPAIDEN, SFAREGS – most any screen where a name is in the key block.

Press the Tab key on your keyboard to get to the blank line next to the ID block.

Type in the last name or the first syllable of the student's last name with a wildcard (%) after it and press enter. For example, for a student with the last name Carlton, you could type Carl% and press enter. Do not click the magnifying glass to use the ID and Name Extended Search.

You will now see the ID and Name Extended Search screen:

Banner will return with a list of all students who match the criteria for that name (including previous names). For example, Carl% brought back 1305 results (the number next to the Cancel button). You can view the search results by clicking on the arrow next to the Search Results box. This will show a list of records and if you search for a unique last name, you may be able to find the record in the pull down. However, you will most likely need to narrow your search using one or more criteria on this screen including:

Person/Non-Person (i.e. Vendor)/Both
State/Prov
Zip/PC
Name Type
SSN/SIN/TFN
Date of Birth
Gender

If you have a SSN, this may be the only additional criterion you need. With the 1305 Search Results for Carl% indicated in the top right, you can type in the SSN in the SSN/SIN/TFN field and now click the magnifying glass in the ID and Name Search popup to narrow the search.

Note: If Banner does not find any records based on the date of birth, Default will by shown in the Search Results box and the number of results will be 0. To clear the search, click the blue Rollback icon. The search results will be returned to the previous number (in this case 1305).

If the search was successful, the search results will be reduced to only those persons who match your narrowing criteria. To view the names, click on the arrow next to the Search Results box.

Note: If the name is indented, the student has had a name or ID change and the indented record is associated with the record immediately preceding the indented name. ID changes can occur for a number of reasons; in particular, a prospect who submits an application will have an '@' ID changed to a UIN.

If you find a match, click on the name. The record will be brought up in the screen from which you began the search. If you do not find a match, click the blue Rollback icon to clear the search results. You can try using different criteria such as date of birth, zip code, etc.

You may also try beginning the name search over using more generic criteria, and then use more specific criteria to narrow your search.

Glossary of Terms

Screens

* = option from SGASTDN

Reports

• You can view a complete list of standard reports at https://www.ds.uillinois.edu/reports/
  Directory/Browse.aspx.
• More information about how to get access to reports is available at www.ds.uillinois.edu/web/Home/
  GetAccess/StdReports.aspx.
• View an on-line tutorial to see how to view, print, and refresh reports in EDDIE University Documents at www.ds.uillinois.edu/InfoView65/menu.htm.
• To access EDDIE go to https://eddie.ds.uillinois.edu/wijsp/.
• For instructions for using View Direct, see www.oar.uiuc.edu/staff/pdf/
  records/View_Direct_Instructions.pdf (PDF).
• To access View Direct go to https://apps.uillinois.edu/support/documentdirect/index.html.

EDDIE

View Direct

* _._ will be filled in with numbers that correspond to the term and the year, so these will vary from report to report.