Graduate

A Letter to Incoming Students
University of Texas Graduate English Program
Tips from a former student

[beware-some of this material is out of date!]

Part of the Big Machine

UT is a huge university. Chances are it's a lot bigger than the place you attended before, even if you went to a huge state school. There will be red tape and bureaucracy in almost every aspect of University dealings, be it registration, paychecks, parking, or teaching. I'll try to clear some of this up below but, in general, be prepared for silliness, for things to take longer than you expect, and for many repetitive forms to come your way. In times of confusion or panic, ask the folks in the Graduate English Office for help. That's what they're there for!

 

Wayne Lesser, Graduate Advisor. Calhoun 210, lesser@mail.utexas.edu
Patricia Schaub, Graduate Coordinator. Cal 210, 475-6356, gradeng@uts.cc.utexas.edu
Amy Stewart, Graduate Coordinator. Cal 208, 471-5132, amy.d.stewart@mail.utexas.edu
Kurt Heinzelman, Director, Creative Writing Program. Parlin 121, 471-6688, kheinz@mail.utexas.edu

Money

Most of you will be working as Teaching Assistants or Assistant Instructors (TAs and AIs, from here on), which is a wonderful way to fund your own education. At UT, you get paid for the work you have already done; you do not get paid in advance. So, you'll get paid on October 1 for what you did in September (and the few days of August). THIS MEANS THAT YOU WILL NOT GET A PAYCHECK UNTIL OCTOBER 1. Keep that in mind when you are planning your summer activities, i.e., you'll want to have enough money saved up to cover August and September bills. The nice part about this is that come June, you will still get a full paycheck (for May) even though you are not working anymore and only worked half of May.

 

UT Payroll Office: Main Building 134, Mail Code G0200, 471-5271, website: http://www.utexas.edu/payroll/

Tuition Reimbursement/Benefit

If you are teaching, you also qualify for in-state tuition AND tuition reimbursement (officially called a "tuition benefit"). Good deal. Just keep in mind that you will be asked to PAY YOUR TUITION ANYWAY (which you should definitely do) and then months later, when you have forgotten that you paid your tuition, you will get a check to reimburse most of it. This process confuses everyone, even students who have been here for years, so don't be afraid to ask questions.

 

If you can't afford to pay tuition when it's due, you can take out a "tuition loan" which is a loan from the University in the exact amount you owe for tuition. (I did this every term.) Just be advised that tuition loans are "on demand" payback schedules, so the next time you get any kind of money from the university (paycheck, financial aid, or reimbursement check) the university will deduct the amount you owe and you will have a very small check. Plan ahead. See the "Paying Tuition" section below for more info on a tuition loan.

Finally, keep in mind that your tuition benefit is subject to federal tax, which usually takes about 10% of the benefit before you even see it. BUT (and this time it's a good 'but') you CAN claim a "Lifetime Learning Credit" on your April tax return, which may offset the tax you paid on the tuition benefit. The Lifetime Learning is a tax credit of up to $1,000 per year, for an unlimited number of years. (A tax credit reduces the amount of income tax you may have to pay. Unlike a deduction, which reduces the amount of income subject to tax, a credit directly reduces the tax itself.) See the IRS website to find out more about this tax credit and your eligibility.

UT Office of Accounting: Information about Tuition and Fees, and Tax Credits
http://www.utexas.edu/business/accounting/sar/

IRS: Lifetime Learning Credit Information
http://www.irs.gov/faqs/faq-kw125.html
(or go to www.irs.gov and search on "Lifetime Learning Credit")

Jobs

If you are TAing or AIing--technically 20-hour per week commitments--you may not work at a second University job during your first two semesters. After your second semester, you may take an additional University job of no more than 10 hours per week. You may get a second job that has nothing to do with the university at any time, but I would only recommend this if you REALLY have to do it (I did it for two terms). It is one way to cut back on your financial aid need, but remember you are here to go to school and you need your "free" time to read, grade (if you are TAing), and write write write.

Financial Aid

Student Financial Services, in the Student Services Building, is where you handle this.  In general, we recommend borrowing as little as possible.  Most of us, once we were settled, found we could get by on our TA salaries, however meager they might seem.  Let's face it, unless you are secretly famous, these are not our most financially secure years and the less debt you can graduate with, the better.  If you DO opt for financial aid (I took a lot my first term), you will need to choose a bank to lend it to you, and many of us recommend UFCU (University Federal Credit Union) which has great rates on Student Loans and, incidentally, a great car-loan program if you suddenly find yourself needing to buy new or used wheels.� To arrange financial aid matters, you will receive paperwork in the mail, but you should also go to the office when you get to campus to make sure everything�s on track.

 

UT Student Financial Services
Office of Student Financial Services
The University of Texas at Austin
100 West Dean Keeton Street
Student Services Building, 3rd floor, Suite 3.200
(512) 475-6282
http://www.utexas.edu/student/finaid
finaid@www.utexas.edu

University Federal Credit Union, Main Branch
2244 Guadalupe Street
(512) 467-8080
(800) 252-8311
http://www.ufcu.org

Health Care

TAs and AIs qualify for staff medical coverage through UT. It's pretty good. We gripe about the high copays for prescriptions, but the care and expertise of the doctors available through the insurance plan have impressed me. You'll figure it out as you go along, but like all HMO-type systems, there will be a remarkable number of steps and appointments to get done what you need to get done. In the end, I've been referred to some great specialists in Austin.

 

The Office of Human Resources will send you a packet asking you to select an insurance and dental plan, as well as elect vision, life, and disability insurance if you want to. Keep in mind that once you select your options, you cannot change them again until the following JUNE, so select carefully. If you want some advice from current students, you may want to send a query to the broken-eggs listserv (see below). Or you can contact the Office of Human Resource Services directly.

If you are not a TA or AI, you can buy a term of student insurance (for a couple hundred bucks) and keep your care at UHS. The student insurance is not as good as the staff insurance (since most undergrads still rely on their parents' policies) but it'll get you through your term.

Office of Human Resource Services, Benefit Services
North Office Building A (NOA)
101 E. 27th St. (corner of Wichita and 27th St)
(512) 471-4343
(800) 687-4178
Campus Mail Code J5600
http://www.utexas.edu/hr

Housing

We all dream of those charming little bungalows that have great character, hardwood floors, and rent to die for. Wonderful-but these can be hard to find, unless you've been here for a while, or you hear about them by word of mouth. Many of us live in those generic-looking apartment complexes for at least our first year, until we find that perfect place.

There are several services that can help you locate apartments (I like "Apartment Finders") and duplexes or houses ("Habitat Hunters" comes highly recommended). We strongly recommend that you check out a place you want to rent BEFORE signing a lease for it. The money you spend on making a trip down here can save you a lot of hassle in the future, if the apartment isn't everything it was promised to have been.

If you simply can't make it down here to inspect a place before you sign a lease it, be in touch with one of the Graduate Coordinators. They can usually round up a volunteer to check out an apartment for you, and report back to you the results of the inspection, so that you're not faced with any surprises when you move here.

And if you are REALLY at a loss, find yourself homeless, or need more guidance, ask the Graduate Office for help.

Apartment Finders Services
2109 Rio Grande St.
Austin, TX, 78705
(512) 322-9556

Habitat Hunters
503 West 30th St.
Austin, Texas 78705
(512) 482-8651
(800) 482-8651
http://www.habitathunters.com/

Orientation and When You Should Arrive

The English Department has mandatory orientation sessions for all first-time incoming students, usually held during the week before classes start. There will also be a welcoming session and party for incoming students, where you can meet each other, the returning students, and the faculty. The English Graduate Group (EGG) also usually sponsors a few casual happy hours during orientation week so you can further socialize and ask questions of more senior students. These are good opportunities to get to know your milieu; since you're a small group, it's easy to feel lost in the sea of other UT students.

So, when you are planning travel arrangements for your big move to Austin, we suggest arriving at least two weeks before classes begin, so you can attend orientations and take care of as much of the paperchase as possible before your other responsibilities kick in.

Once you arrive

Getting your UT ID and EID

You�re probably familiar with how important your student ID card is. At UT, your ID card serves as your library card, your gym pass, and your bus pass for any Capital Metro bus (don�t pay 50 cents, just flash your ID at the driver and ride for FREE!).� The ID Center is in the Student Services Building, G1.408, 100 W. Dean Page Keeton St. (formerly 26th St.), at the north end of the ground floor. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, 471-4334.

When you go to get your student ID, you will also be asked to choose a UT Electronic ID number (UT EID).� This username and password will allow you to get the most out of UT�s numerous web sites that require confirmation of your identity.� Don�t forget your UT EID.� If you do, you may find yourself standing in line for hours waiting for something you could have accomplished online in about five minutes.

Registration

Advising and registration for incoming students takes place during the week of orientation. During advising, you'll meet with your Graduate Advisor to discuss the course offerings for the upcoming semester, how they fit in with your proposed studies and requirements, and to outline the specific courses that you'll be taking that semester. The English Department posts its graduate course descriptions on its website and on a bulletin board outside the Grad Office in Calhoun Hall. We suggest that you read these descriptions BEFORE you meet with the Graduate Advisor for your advising appointment.
English Department, Graduate Courses
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/english/graduate_programs/courses/ (scroll down to "Courses" and click on appropriate semester)

After you are advised, the Graduate Coordinator will "put you on the list" for the English classes that you want to take. Some English classes will require you to get permission from the instructor or to do something else special, but most do not. The Coordinator may also be able to register you for some out-of-department classes, but for others you'll have to go to those departments and register there, through their own Grad Coordinator.

Keep in mind that this is a HUGE university (did I say that already?) and you will be assigned a window of time-an "access period"--during which, and ONLY during which, you may be registered. You can find your access period by looking in the front of the Course Schedule book, which you can buy from the bookstore or borrow from the Grad Office. (The access period for new and readmitted students is usually in the beginning of the week before classes begin.)

You'll also have to clear any bars that you may have before you can register. These are typically in the form of library fines from last semester that you hoped would be forgotten (usually not something that new students have to worry about), but they may also be non-financial in nature, for example a transcript that you were supposed to turn in but didn't. THESE BARS MUST BE CLEARED BEFORE YOU CAN REGISTER, and this usually means going to the Registrar's office in the Main Building (the UT Tower) to settle them. When your bars are cleared, and your access period has arrived, the Graduate Coordinator will officially register you for classes.

Paying Tuition

Pretty soon after you register, you will get a mean-looking bill from UT, with not much time to pay it. Remember that YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY IT EVEN IF YOU ARE RECEIVING A TUITION BENEFIT. If you don't pay by the deadline, you'll lose your classes and you'll have to wait until the next access period to register.

But, if you can't send them a check right away, never fear. Most of us choose to pay through a tuition loan (as discussed above in the "Tuition Reimbursement/Benefit" section), financial aid, or even with a credit card. You can go to the Bursar's Office in the Main Building to do this, but I recommend using the "TEX" phone registration line at 475-9950. To pay by tuition loan, hit option 33. To pay by credit card or financial aid, select option 24.

UT Student Financial Services
About Short-Term Loans: http://www.utexas.edu/student/finaid/info/requests.html (scroll down to "Emergency and Tuition Loans" )

Keys

You'll need a University key to get into your mailbox, your TA office, and your study cubicle, if you have one. Sounds easy, but it's not.

To get a key to any place on campus, you must get a "key permit" from the appropriate authority. In your case, this will probably be the Graduate Coordinator. It may someone else, either in the Division of Rhetoric and Writing (DRW) or in the main English Office; the Coordinator will let you know. Once you acquire your golden ticket, you must follow the yellow brick road across campus to the Service Building (SER) at 24th and San Jacinto, where Lock and Key services is located. At the beginning of the semester, there's usually a line of graduate students just like you trailing out of door. They are waiting outside because the Key Office is the smallest office in the world and can only fit about 10 people in it at one time. Everyone else must wait outside in the blazing sun until someone has been served, or passes out from heat exhaustion.

And here's another tip: the office is open only from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. They're not fooling about that 4 p.m. thing. If you happen to be one of the dehydrated masses waiting outside as 4 draws nigh, you will probably be turned away at 4 no matter how long you have been waiting. So go early. This line advances just about as fast as a slug, so bring a book, or two. And maybe some sunscreen.

Copying

If you are teaching for the English Department, you may use the copier in Chez Cal (the Graduate student lounge in Calhoun) to duplicate your course materials. The copier requires a personal numeric code in order to begin duplicating, and each person has a limited number of copies assigned to his/her copy code. To get your code, see the Graduate Coordinator.

 

If you teach for the Division of Rhetoric and Composition (that is, if you are AIing a RHE course) you should use their copier to xerox course materials. Ask about this during DRC orientation.

COMPUTER-RELATED ITEMS

E-mail Addresses, IF accounts, and Dial-up Service
You probably have your own e-mail address already, so why should you get a UT one? First of all, the mailbox itself is free. But more importantly, it will make it easier for your students and the English department to get in touch with you-almost everyone has an you@mail.utexas.edu account.

But there are a few things you need to do before getting your e-mail address. The first is getting an Individually Funded (IF) account from Information Technology Services (ITS). This randomly assigned username and password will be your key to using computers anywhere on campus, including those at the library, and will soon become as familiar to you as your ID number. Your IF account keeps track of all the charges you might acquire from using computer services (not all are free, but most are cheap). Once you have a UT EID, you can receive an IF account online.

Information Technology Services (ITS)
New IF Accounts: http://www.utexas.edu/cc/account/
ITS Help Desk: http://www.utexas.edu/its/help/
(512) 475-9400

There are computer labs all over campus that you can use with your IF account for free. To check you e-mail at the labs, you will need a floppy or zip disk in order to retrieve your mail. If you have a computer at home and you want to use the web or check e-mail there, you need an Internet Service Provider (ISP). ACITS offers a really cheap dial-up ISP called TELESYS which costs 30 cents a day.

To learn more about Telesys, visit: http://www.utexas.edu/cc/telesys/
If you already have an ISP and you don't want to switch to Telesys, go to: http://www.utexas.edu/cc/docs/email03.html

Purchasing Basic Software

As a UT student, you qualify for discounts on several popular software packages and operating systems (i.e., Macintosh or Windows) for your home computer; some Microsoft products are even free. All of this is handled by the Software Distribution and Sales Office (SDS).

 

Some products SDS handles include:

For a full list of software and to find out about pricing, visit: http://www.utexas.edu/its/sds/students.html

Software Distribution and Sales Office
Computation Center Building (COM), Room 14
475-9221
http://www.utexas.edu/its/sds/

Purchasing Hardware and Specialty Software

If you are on the market for a home computer or a laptop, or if you just need an upgrade to your current system, the UT Campus Computer Store offers special educational prices on new hardware (Compaq, Gateway, and Apple computers and accessories) and specialty software that you can't buy through SDS (such as Adobe and Macromedia programs). For pricing and specials, visit their website or visit the store in person.

 

Campus Computer Store
Open 8am to 6pm, Monday - Friday
475-6550
210 E. 21st Street VRC 2.102A
http://www.campuscomputer.com/

As the home of Dell, Freescale, and Samsung, Austin is also rife with discount and used computer stores. Considering this, you may want to compare used models before you buy new. You'll see some places such as Mr. Notebook in the University area; others are spread throughout Austin. My advice is to search the yellow pages on this one, or ask advice from other grad students on the broken-eggs listserv.

Listservs

Broken-Eggs: This is the English Graduate Group (hence, 'EGG') e-mail list. I'd recommend signing up for it now and reading it for a little while to get the feel. We talk about all sorts of things here, send out invites for English-related talks, discuss grad student issues, argue about library books, and compare dentists. You can post a message here to inquire after neighborhoods to live in, etc. The volume averages between 5-10 messages per day. Here's how to get on the list:

 

If you would like to subscribe to Broken-Eggs send an email with no subject line to Majordomo@lists.cwrl.utexas.edu. In the body of the text, write: �subscribe broken-eggs�. For a complete list of commands on subscribing, unsubscribing, or other tasks, email Majordomo@lists.cwrl.utexas.edu with the phrase "info broken-eggs" in the body of the message.

Other Listservs: The English Department also hosts several other listservs for student-based interest groups corresponding to concentrations (such as Ethnic and Third World Lit., Poetry & Poetics, and Creative Writing, and Computers & English listservs). Some of us also receive mail from interdisciplinary lists (such as the Women's Studies, Asian American Studies, or African American Studies listservs) or intercollegiate lists (such as UPenn's Call for Papers listserv). Each listserv has different rules of membership and conduct, and each has a different owner. How do you sign up? Ask fellow student in your concentration how to join, ask the folks on broken-eggs, or attend one of the semi-annual meetings your interest group may sponsor.

 

For Creative Writers

By now you probably know that there are two graduate writing programs happening on this campus. Yours is the 2-year MA program through the English Department supported by teaching and fellowships. The other is the 3-year MFA program through the Michener Center for Writers (MCW) supported by fellowships. MAs have one area of specialty (fiction or poetry) and MFAs have two (fiction, poetry, playwriting, and/or screenwriting). MA students can and do and should take classes over at the Michener and MFA students can and do and should take classes over here in the English Department. We all use the same faculty and often do activities together. Get to know both worlds; they are wonderful.

 

The staff supporting the MA program are all in the English Department; the English Graduate Coordinator can usually help you with most run-of-the-mill things like registration, course descriptions, and the like. In addition to the English Graduate Advisor who handles both creative writing and literature students, you also have a Creative Writing Program Director who will advise you at registrations and an Assistant Director who is a fellow grad student and can answer many of your questions from a student's point-of-view. Be sure to ask them about the student reading series, guest writers, and how to sign up for the creative writing listserv. Again, use all of your resources here.

MA Creative Writing Program
Kurt Heinzelman, Director, Creative Writing Program. Parlin 121, 471-6688, kheinz@mail.utexas.edu
Noel Radley, Assistant Director, Creative Writing Program, noelradley@mail.utexas.edu
MA Creative Writing web site: http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/english/programs/creativewriting/index.html

Michener Center for Writers (MFA program)
Ryan Fisher, Program Assistant, MCW: RCFisher@mail.utexas.edu
The J. Frank Dobie House, 702 East Dean Keeton, Austin, Texas 78705
512-471-1601
MCW web site: http://www.utexas.edu/academic/mcw/

In Closing, Miscellany

Make sure you: get your student ID ASAP, keep maps handy, eat at the Salt Lick, go to Austin City Limits, sit in on all the readings by famous authors, swim at Barton Springs, carouse with your colleagues, go running at Town Lake, visit the Alamo, eat at Rudy's (not to be confused with Ruby's), and Krispy Kreme and Mother's and the Clay Pit and Z'Tejas.  Drink margaritas at Trudy's.  And Fonda San Miguel.  Realize you don't have to live in Hyde Park or French Place to be cool.  Take the bus to campus.  Discover the copy machine in Chez Cal.  Go to at least one home football game.  Go to concerts at the Cactus Cafe.  Use the Gregory Gym and the Rec Center-- people pay thousands of dollars for gyms not as nice as the ones we get to use for free. Check out the HRC and the LBJ Library.  Use your teachers and your colleagues while you've got 'em.  Write write write.

 

Welcome, and get ready for the adventure.

 

And here are some Web sources for even more info:

The UT English Department: http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/english/ The UT Austin website (on which you can find all faculty, staff, and student contact info, campus maps, course schedules, and everything else UT): http://www.utexas.edu The UT Library website (from which you can recall and renew library books and look up call numbers through UTNetCAT, and find full-text articles and abstracts online): http://www.lib.utexas.edu For everything about Austin and what to do/how to live here, try: http://www.austin360.com or http://austin.citysearch.com Our beloved independent paper, The Chronicle, will be your lifeline in Austin for arts events, movies, and stimulating articles: http://www.austinchronicle.com

last updated (partially), May 22, 2008