You may ask to have your TA financial aid continued and your request will be considered if you have a reasonable chance to pull up; an individual can receive support, at the then-loweest department rate, in at most one academic term when GPA < 3.0.

The answer is "yes, sort of." During academic year semesters, "yes".

Doctoral Candidates registered for Dissertation during a Spring term MAY register for MAT 6980 in summer if your professor is receiving any salary from the department (for teaching or administration). Also, you may if your MajProf is supported on a grant provided the instructional effort for your dissertation is directly related to the contract project funding the instructor's salary. (http://www.ir.fsu.edu/pars/NewPARSMANUAL2007B.pdf).

If you do not specifically need the dissertation hours in summer (to have 24 by the time you will complete the degree), it is administratively easier if your summer registration (so you can be a TA or RA and get paid!) is for topics (6933/5933) with your Area Director or Dr. Case or Dr. Bellenot. However you register, you will be working on your dissertation - possibly taking a course S/U if there is one of interest. Please do not ask Ms. Diaguila to make numbers for you for dissertation with professors supported entirely on grants without specifically checking to see if the professor wants this.

Immigration rules change; always checking with the International Center is the best idea. In Summer 2007, international students who were not TAs or RAs could enroll for any desired number of program hours (or none).

International students do not have to be registered in summer unless they take classes or work for pay. The International Center tells us: Any math department international student expecting to return in the Fall, who works on a job for money or as an intern during the summer must (1) have Curriculum Practical Training (CPT) status with the International Center allows you to be a paid Intern; also (2) register for 1 hour of Internship MAT 5945r. CPT requires a form in your file in advance signed by you, your work supervisor and the faculty member coordinating your Internship (usually Grad Chair or MajProf). The Grad Chair will approve your CPT form after you provide internship information. You are otherwise NOT allowed to work or intern for pay in the Summer. Immigration rules change; remember always to check with the International Center each time you want to change status.

From the FSU Graduate Bulletin: Mathematics Department: “Requirements for the [FSU Math] MS degree in the students area of concentration, or their equivalents, are expected to be completed before admission to doctoral candidacy.“ This doesn’t mean you must get our or any other MS to do Candidacy Exam start registering for Dissertation. Rather, that you must take here or have previously completed elsewhere all the courses. Then, after passing the Candidacy Exam (presuming you have at least 32 graduate hours at FSU, or 32 at FSU with 6 officially transferred), you are eligible for an MS.

Are you a domestic or permanent resident? Please DO get your MS as soon as eligible; please do register for MS graduation in the next semester after this automatic eligibility. If you have a multi-year fellowship (Presidential, GAANN, McKnight, other outside) it is a good idea to check with the PI or grant admiistrator.

Are you an International student? CAREFUL — you must check with the International Center; for most Visa holders, Optional Practical Training (OPT), the status that allows working in the U.S., is desired. It has previously been available only upon completion of an MS or completion of the PhD. You should ask at the IC about a new SEVP regulation for "pre-completion OPT" for which you may be eligible if you have completed all course work requirements for the PhD (both qualifiers and other courses).

Regardless of which you are appointed this particular term, if you have continuing departmental appointment, you are required to complete the departmental Teaching Preparation activities, including refreshers as directed by Dr. Kirby.

If you are an International student not from an English-based country, Dr. Kirby will inform you which English class you must take each term until you pass SPEAK — whether you are at the moment appointed as an RA, a TA, or a Fellow. Dr. Kirby will also tell you what teaching preparation activities you must particpate in.

STUDY

Summer is broken into 3 terms: a long 13 week ‘A’ term and two short 6 week terms ‘B’ and ‘C’. The dates are given on the web page http://registrar.fsu.edu/extended.htm (The math department does not use the D, E or F sessions). Information from Dr. Bellenot bellenot@math.fsu.edu:

“Generally the math dept offers the standard basic math classes in the 6 week format during both B & C. These include mac1105, mac1114, mac1140, mac2233, mgf1106, and mgf1107. Most current TAs who receive summer support will be recitation instructors, although some will be assigned solo classes in calculus and higher by Dr. Bellenot bellenot@math.fsu.edu.” Dr. Bellenot further comments: “One of the big challenges of summer is finding courses for our graduate TAs to take. Usually this is done by ‘topic like courses’ or ‘very accessible subject like courses’.”

All employed TAs and RAs must register for courses during the summer. These are interesting and often broadening courses, but generally they will not satisfy requirements in your regular degree program. Students preparing for quals or writing dissertations can, with some limitations, have those as part of their hours. Summer is a good time to and . Doctoral students can sample courses outside their direct experiences and at the same time satisfy the PhD “department minor”. (2007-2009 FSU Graduate Bulletin: Mathematics Department p. 236 para. 3). ALL EXCEPT STUDENTS NEARING DISSERTATION COMPLETION WILL BE EXPECTED TO REGISTER FOR SOME OF THE SPECIAL COURSES THAT ARE AVAILABLE. S/U is okay after Doctoray Candidacy.

STIPENDS

You may ask, how can I get summer work as a TA or RA? In either case you must be a current TA/RA continuing in good standing in Fall’08. RA appointment and stipend level depends on your MajProf having adequate grant funding.

Each TA may request, when Dr. Stiles stiles@math.fsu.edu distributes a query in February, either full-summer or half-summer appointment. Those who request full-summer must be ready and willing to work all 13 weeks. Teaching needs must be met and flexibility in term of availability is recommended if you want a half-summer appointment.

Summer TA work is not guaranteed but budget permitting the department will offer TAs near to pro-rated appointments for full- or half- summer based on departmental needs, number of continuing TAs needing summer support, and academic records of those requesting work. Even if you are appointed full-summer, you will need to plan ahead because your biweekly stipend may be slightly lower than during the regular year; and you might request full-summer but only get half, depending on budget constraints. Summer appointments will be for the period worked and due to budget constraints are lower than the TA academic year biweekly so you will need to plan ahead. (But we will try to get as near the regular biweekly as possible.) Signing and returning Dr. Stiles’s query by the date requested is necessary for consideration for summer work.

Every term students “think” they will graduate in a particular term and run up on this — this time almost all the students intending April are going to have to be August. PROSPECTIVE PHDS — PLEASE PLAN AHEAD. YOU — not your major professor or Esther Diaguila advisor@math.fsu.edu or Dr. Bettye Anne Case case@math.fsu.edu — ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FINDING OUT FROM FSU Graduate Bulletin: Mathematics Department AND OGS THE DATES YOU MUST MEET.

One or two terms before degree is expected you must read the Bulletin especially p. 48-52 and also see Esther Diaguila advisor@math.fsu.edu/Dr. Bettye Anne Case case@math.fsu.edu to check requirements.

The following does not take the place of your own checking but a good rule of thumb is

WHERE DOES THE 8 WEEKS COME FROM?

(1) 4: It is “academic courtesy” that you get dissertation to committee 4 weeks prior to defense. This means that if committee members want to require a full 4 weeks (Note that this can be and has often been slightly waived — also you can substitute a more polished draft a week or so before... unless you have some faculty member who insists that what they get originally be the final product.)

(2) plus 4 = 8: You MUST schedule defense at least 4 weeks before the Graduation Date for that term.

bac October 2008

The Candidate negotiates and reminds the Supervisory Committee regarding defense time/place.

The Major Professor sends, several days before the defense, an e-mail notice to colleagues — usually copying student alias.

The Major Professor posts detail on TWIM (or asks Dr. Steve Bellenot to do so at least 10 days in advance). (TWIM = This Week in Mathematics.)

Priscilla Travis pulls it from TWIM and posts it in the bulletin board beside 208 LOV

Candidacy Exams may be handled similarly, or with a narrower distribution, depending on area custom and MajProf preference.

Qualifiers always begin Tues or Wed the week before classes start in Aug and Jan.; some may occasionally be scheduled in May.

You are expected to take "basic qualifiers" at the first time they are offered after you complete the sequence (if you are taking on 2-sem.) or the first offering after you finish a single-semester course (e.g. take MAMI and NUMPDEI in Jan., but a year-sequence ending in Apr. is taken in Aug.; in Jan '09, AlgI&II should be taken by those eligible.) Prompt taking/passing of quals is necesary to show the timely degree progress necessary to be awarded funding beyond an MS at the end of Year2.

A hint: Making excellent grades in your courses may have double value: all areas except FinMath have some form of exemption for excellent work. See online Guide for you area; further questions should go to your area Director (or the Grad Chair).

More information about some of the qualifiers is posted at http://www.math.fsu.edu/~quine/guidelines.html; Login = math; Passwd = quals

FIRST, the committee is officially appointed by the department chair; your MajProf suggests an appropriate balance. There must be at least three committee members who hold tenure-track lines in the Department of Mathematics. If your MajProf is in matehmatics, there must be a Co-Director with tenure-track line in the Department of Mathematics. The "university representative" on a PhD Supervisory Committee does NOT need to have any relationship to the research, and MUST NOT have any connection with the MajProf or student (such as joint initiatives) which could be construed as conflict of interest. Think: . This prof is often called an "outside member" and people often look for someone who can "help with advising." But that is not an expected function of the position and may even be at cross purposes with it: We were reminded at GPC, that the Univ. Rep. is a monitor/policeman, present to report to the Deans of A&S, Grad Studies, the Provost and the President [within a week of the defense] that everything was procedurally appropriate. (The President or Rector of universities once upon a time attended all defenses... one or two a year, that was ... no longer practical!) The University Representative must have approval to direct dissertations in the home department. Those listed in the current Bulletin as Courtesy Faculty may be appointed MajProf by the chair if they hold appropriate doctoral faculty status through the Graduate School; they may not be appointed as university representatives on committees.

Internships (1 hr MAT 5945 Graduate Professional Internship) can be registered for grad students from any area; can be registered with your Director or bac. Like any , the student finds the Internship. (Exception: those who sign up through registration at the London FSU Center work with the Director there to arrange.) Below is an example which Karmel may have already sent you of the sort of thing available — you have to dig.

International students working in the US must be registered (this costs $$) if they are going to be paid on a summer Internship. Summer registration isn't necessary for U.S. Citizen/Residents, and international students working in their home countries. I will try to facilitate registration during the Fall term when probably a tuition waiver can be used.

Short version, procedure: See Ms. Diaguila BEFORE THE TERM YOU WILL INTERN. She has FORMS to be filled out at the beginning, and signed in approval by the work supervisor. At the end student must write a report of the activities undertaken.