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GRADUATE GUIDE PART I
This orientation handbook for the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences is an insider"s look at the things you will need to know as a new graduate student from the moment you come into the department and throughout your graduate program. It is not intended to replace the academic calendar or provide a general guide to McGill University but to supplement these resources. You may find that it contains some helpful information for the duration of your graduate degree in EPS. The handbook is divided into two parts: Part I: ORIENTATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EPS
PART II: AN INSIDER’S LOOK AT THE GRADUATE PROGRAMS 1. WELCOME TO EARTH & PLANETARY SCIENCESYou have joined a dynamic scientific group in our department that is ready to support your research efforts as a new graduate student. Faculty, staff and students will do their best to make your transition to McGill as smooth as possible. Feel free to ask for advice, particularly from your fellow graduate students in EPS.An Added Welcome to New International Students If you are an international graduate student new to the department and to Canada, we extend an added welcome. Former graduate students Michael Mlynarczyk and David Dolejs have compiled a survival guide for living in Montreal and getting started in your graduate degree (Section 4). Although the survival guide has been specifically targeted at newcomers to Canada, Canadian students from outside Montreal or outside McGill may also benefit from it. 2. THE 10 MOST WANTED PEOPLE ON STAFF AND FACULTYThe human resources within the department will be invaluable to you throughout your graduate program. They have provided an outstanding atmosphere of support for a productive academic life as a graduate student.
3. GETTING STARTED AT McGILL: A SURVIVAL GUIDEThis section serves as a stepwise chronological guide to the essential steps that you will need to take upon your arrival in Montreal. Items that pertain specifically to international students are marked with an asterisk. You will need to register at the university, open a bank account, arrange for health insurance, acquire a social insurance number (SIN), and find a place to live. Guidelines are given in the booklets: "International Student Handbook" and "Welcome to McGill", which are available from the International Student Office located in the Brown Building. The International Student Office offers a range of services, including providing nformation about Canadian visas, student authorization and immigration procedures.A map of McGill University (online version at http://www.mcgill.ca/maps/), a map of downtown Montreal and a metro subway guide, which is available at any metro station, will all be helpful to you. They are also sold in the "Travel" section on the 3rd floor of the McGill Bookstore (3420 McTavish Street). UNIVERSITY REGISTRATION & FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS Initial Paperwork Visit the main office, FDA, Room 238. You will be given an incoming student package that includes some of the forms you need to get started. The rest must be taken care of online through Minerva. They are split up into three types: general, setting up your paycheques, and TA forms. General forms:
The following are forms for setting up your salary payments. Once they have been completed, please submit them to Anne Kosowski, our administrative assistant, and see her regarding the setup of your payments. The quicker you can get this done, the better, in order to get your first paycheque on time.
Teaching Assistant forms:
All forms should be filled out/signed and returned to the main office as soon as possible. The only exceptions to this rule are the Teaching Assistant Workload Form, which must wait until you have met with the professor of the course, and the Student Fee Payroll Deduction Authorization should you decide not to have your fees deducted from your pay. Other useful information can be found in the course calendar and General Information, Regulations and Research Guidelines, and other documents all available online at http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/policies/. Course selectionConsult the course listing and descriptions for the current academic year. Undergraduate course descriptions are listed by departments in the McGill University course calendar (available in the main office) and can be downloaded from the McGill website at http://www.mcgill.ca/courses/. See the program information for Earth & Planetary Sciences (under "Academic Units") for the required number of credits. The first step, which is the responsibility of the student and should be done within a week of your arrival, is to consult with Professor Don Baker (EPS Director of Graduate Studies) to discuss the requirements of your program and ensure that you understand them. Consult with your research supervisor to select your courses, then register on Minerva.. Registration Registration is done through Minerva ( http://www.mcgill.ca/minerva-students/), the web interface to McGill's database. The deadlines and late registration fees are given in the course calendar under "General Information, Regulations and Research Guidelines -> Calendar of Dates". You may register register for the next academic session through Minerva from any computer with internet access. Your student number and PIN are necessary to log into your account on Minerva. Your 6-character PIN number is initially "yymmdd" where yymmdd is the year, month and day of your birthdate, but a new PIN should be chosen right away. Once you have logged in, click on "Student Menu", then "Registration Menu", and follow the steps listed to register (either by checking the box in the Select column and clicking the Register button while in the "Look Up Course Sections" menu, or by adding the course CRNs into the "Quick Add/Drop Menu". In order to avoid the late registration fee all students must register for REGN RCGR (the Registration Confirmation course) in both the Fall (CRN=2334) and Winter (CRN=2262) terms. For further information regarding required courses, please see Section 13 on Course Load and Selection. Minerva Minerva also records your personal information, home address, grades and fee information. It is up to you to update your new address in Montreal on this system as soon as possible under the "Personal Menu". Otherwise, any hard-copy documents from McGill will be automatically sent to your address prior to arriving at McGill. The "Student Records" menu allows you to view information on your grades, and request official transcripts, and other academic-related information. You may also view your student account and print tax forms from the "Student Accounts" menu. Computer network account To gain access to a computer network account, follow the instructions in Section 8 under Computing. EPS entry codes See Kristy in the main office for the entry codes to the computer room, lounge and photocopier room (Section 4). McGill Student ID card A few days after your registration, the Registrar's Office will be able to issue you a McGill student ID card. Starting September 1, you can obtain your student card at the Admissions, Recruitment and Registrar"s Service Centre, Room 205 in the James Administration Building. You will need to bring your student ID number (e.g. given in your letter of acceptance), one piece of photo identification (e.g., passport, driver's license), as well as a document showing proof of citizenship (for Canadian students) or proof of legal status (for international students) if you have not already mailed it in. You will be registered for health insurance (International Student Health Insurance Plan or through the Post-Graduate Students' Society; see item below on health insurance). Your new student ID card also has a bar code for library access and the sports facilities. Expect to wait in line for about one hour. Fee payment You are required to pay university fees (e.g., tuition, student society). You may access information on the amount due, as well as the breakdown of the fees through Minerva on your Student Accounts menu. Payment of fees can be done from your bank, at a banking machine (ATM), through telephone/internet banking, by pre-authorized debit (e-cheque, see http://www.mcgill.ca/student-accounts/e-bill/ for information on setting this up), by mail or by wire transfer. When paying by mail, cheques, money orders or bank drafts should be made payable to "MCGILL UNIVERSITY" in Canadian funds. Please ensure that your family name and student number are written on the front of the cheque. If you are expecting a major scholarship (e.g., NSERC, FQRNT, McGill Major) and have not received it yet, or you simply do not have the money at the moment until you have had the chance to build some up from your salary as a graduate student, you can ask Anne or Kristy in the main office for a deferral of fee payment and they will pass along the request to the appropriate person in Student Accounts. You may also choose to have your fees deducted from your paycheques over the course of the school year by filling out and submitting the Student Fee Payroll Deduction Authorization form, although requesting a deferral is more common. *Open a bank account To receive direct payment of your teaching or research assistantship, you will need to open a bank account. The major banks in the vicinity of McGill are: the Royal Bank of Canada (branches on McGill College, the corner of Sherbrooke and Peel, and the corner of St-Catherine and Stanley), Bank of Montreal (branch on the corner of St-Catherine and University), CIBC (branches on Aylmer and Metcalfe), TD Canada Trust (branch on University between President Kennedy and de Maisonneuve) and Scotia Bank (branch on the corner of Sherbrooke and McTavish). The Royal Bank also runs several banking machines on the McGill campus (e.g., McConnell Building, Burnside Hall) which can be used to make your fee or bill payments directly. Before opening an account, ask for information about student accounts and the associated payment/credit cards. Consult any bank branch for detailed information. To open a student account, you will usually need an official letter from the department to confirm that you are a full-time graduate student (ask Kristy in the main office for the letter), two photo-bearing pieces of identification (preferably passport and student ID card), your student visa authorization and your lease. Once you have the bank account, you will need to submit the information through Minerva in order to receive direct-deposit payments. This form can be found under your Student Menu -> Student Accounts Menu -> Direct Deposit Bank Account. Be sure to fill out both parts ("Bank account used or student-initiated payments" and "Bank account used for payroll-initiated payments"), as the first is for fellowships (namely the Provost's Graduate Fellowship, which each new graduate student receives) and the second is for the rest of your payments (teaching assistantships and graduate student stipends). *Apply for health insurance The Post-Graduate Students Society (PGSS, http://www.pgss.mcgill.ca ) has offered an insurance plan, on a compulsory basis, to McGill graduate students since 1995. The compulsory nature of the plan is based on the concept of "group insurance" which offers better coverage at better premiums (i.e. price) for a larger group rather than a smaller one. The plan functions as "supplemental" insurance, meaning that it will cover those costs which are above and beyond what is covered by provincial Medicare. Because the plan functions as supplemental insurance, coverage on provincial Medicare from a Canadian province is an eligibility requirement to obtain coverage on the plan. Therefore, international students are normally not eligible for coverage on the PGSS health insurance plan. As per the University"s regulations, all international students must obtain "equivalent to Medicare" coverage so that they can be welcomed into a hospital emergency room in case of major incident. This "equivalent to Medicare" coverage is provided by the International Students' Office and is often referred to as the Blue Cross plan. International students who do not have a Medicare card are charged for the Blue Cross international student health insurance plan. This plan is administered by the International Students Office, located in the Brown Building (3600 McTavish St., suite 3215). Contact them for details about coverage, enrolment and any other related questions. *Apply for social insurance If you are supported by a research assistantship (RA) or a teaching assistantship (TA), McGill requires that you apply for a social insurance number. The closest office is located at 1001 De Maisonneuve Boulevard East (2nd floor, phone (514) 522-4444, fax (514) 283-6085) and is open weekdays at 8:15 a.m. (9:30 a.m. Thurs) to 4:00 p.m. You may download the application form from the Government of Canada website ( http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/sin/index.shtml ) or pick one up at the nearest office. You may apply through the mail or in person, although it is safer to do so in person so that you do not have to part with your documents. These documents must be originals. Bring your passport, Study Permit / Student Authorization (issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada) AND the Employment Contract form from McGill University or from an employer on campus (the EPS main office can make one up for you). Expect to wait in line for 30-60 minutes. Accepting scholarships Each incoming graduate student is awarded a fellowship called the Provost's Graduate Fellowship (aka your "signing bonus"). This is $1,500 for MSc students and $5,000 for PhD students. To accept this award, as well as view information on this and other Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies-administered fellowships that you may have been awarded (such as the Lorne Trottier Science Accelerator Fellowship and some other departmental in-house awards) go to your Student Menu -> Financial Aid Menu -> My Financial Aid and Awards. In order to receive payment on these fellowships you must accept the award online and have filled out the direct deposit bank account information. FINDING A PLACE TO LIVE IN MONTREAL Graduate student residences McGill University offers two main types of University housing to graduate students: single bedrooms in shared-facilities houses and single occupancy apartments. Details on housing can be found at, http://www.mcgill.ca/residences/graduate/houses/. The shared-facilities houses are single-gender or coed, fully furnished, with a common room and a common kitchen, and are located at 3559 University St, 3647 University St, 3653 de la Montagne, 3661A Peel, 3704 Peel, 3710 Peel, and 429-522 Pine. Applications for graduate housing are available through e-mail at the Graduate Housing Office (3641 University St, 398-6050). Applications for graduate housing are available through e-mailing the Graduate Housing Office ( 3641 University St, 398-6050). All leases are for a 12-month period with an option to renew (provided you are a full time registered McGill student). Leases commence either on August 15th or September 1st. Rent for the first month of the lease is due upon your acceptance of the housing offer. Although it is convenient to live in these residences during your first year at McGill, the monthly rent is above the average for Montreal. You may prefer to rent an apartment privately. Private apartment The search for an apartment can be made easier by consulting the listings available through the McGill Off-Campus Housing website ( http://www.mcgill.ca/offcampus/ ), by consulting internal postings on bulletin boards at McGill or online (such as at http://www.mcgill.ca/classified/), and by scanning the classified ads in local newspapers. The Off-Campus Housing also includes helpful information regarding things like leases and roommates. Most McGill students live in an area, called the McGill "Ghetto", immediately adjacent to the McGill campus on its eastern side. Accommodations usually become available during the summer months and during the first week of September for a one-year lease. Simply look for the "À Louer" or "For Rent" signs in the windows or at the entrances and call for an appointment to view the apartment. You can rent a "1 1/2"(one room for bedroom and kitchen, separate bathroom) up to a "4 1/2" (2 bedrooms, living room, kitchen, bathroom) or more, depending on whether you prefer to live alone or wish to share accommodation. Rooms are generally not furnished; electricity, heating, and phone or internet connection are often not included in the rent. Towards the end of August and the beginning of September, garage sales provide good opportunities to purchase second-hand furniture (posted on the street in the "Ghetto" or in the hall at McGill). You can also try the Salvation Army (1620 Notre Dame West Street) and other stores that specialize in second-hand furniture. SOCIETIES & SOCIAL ACTIVITIES Post Graduate Student Society (PGSS) Every graduate student at McGill is automatically a member of PGSS. The headquarters are located at Thomson House (3650 McTavish, between Dr. Penfield and Pine), which serves all graduate students. Early in September, the PGSS organizes a series of events for new graduate students: Graduate Student Orientation (at Moyse Hall), Principal’s reception, and a Wine & Cheese party (at Thomson House). As a graduate student, you can use all the facilities at Thomson House (e.g., cafeteria, bar). Announcements of individual activities are available on the bulletin board at the entrance and are usually circulated on posters or by e-mail. *McGill International Student Network The McGill International Student Network (MISN) is located on the ground floor in suite 1100 of 3600 McTavish (between the Brown and Shatner Buildings). This society organizes language classes, various activities and social events throughout the academic year (e.g., Wine & Cheese party, field trips). The International Student Day is usually at the end of September and offers free entry to various cultural and historical spots in Montreal, accompanied by a reception on Mount Royal. During the registration period, further information and the schedule are available in the MISN lounge, on their website at http://www.misn.ca/ or by calling 398-MISN. This shared facility is a good place at which to meet other international students. The Adams Club The Adams Club is the society for graduate students in Earth & Planetary Sciences. (See Section 5). AMENITIES
4. GENERAL INFORMATION THAT YOU WILL NEED SOONER OR LATER
5. THE ADAMS CLUB The Adams Club is the society of graduate students within EPS and is responsible for coordinating several of the departmental academic and social activities, usually in conjunction with our undergraduate counterpart, the Monteregian Society. Every grad student within the department is an automatic member of the Adams Club although a nominal yearly membership fee is charged to participate in social events at a reduced (or no) cost; in the end, it is a bargain. Responsibilities The Adams Club is responsible for coordinating the Current Research Seminars (See Departmental Academic Activities). The graduate student executives are also responsible for the initiation and completion of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Science Symposium, a yearly event held in March. In addition, the Adams Club also organizes several of the main social events within the department (e.g., BBQ, Wine & Cheese, Christmas Party, Graduate Student Symposium) in collaboration with the Monteregian Society. Graduate students supply labour for the BBQ and provide financial support for the Wine & Cheese and the Christmas Party. A contest for the design of the departmental T-shirt is also held each year, coordinated by the graduate students and open to all who wish to participate. Executive Positions Normally, elections and/or volunteers for executive positions are held or declared early in the Fall term after the Departmental Wine & Cheese Party.
Support for Fellow Grad Students One of the most important aspects of the mandate of the Adams Club as a society for graduate students is to provide advice to fellow grad students in a variety of functions:
Announcements for our departmental academic activities are usually made in advance by e-mail and on the departmental website: http://www.eps.mcgill.ca.
7. DEPARTMENTAL SOCIAL ACTIVITIES A variety of social events take place throughout the academic year. Some occur on a regular basis; others are initiated more spontaneously. Take advantage of the chance to get to know the faculty and your fellow grad students and undergrads in a less formal setting. These events are normally announced well in advance by e-mail.
8. DEPARTMENTAL FACILITIES COMPUTING Upon registration McGill will grant you a student e-mail account (firstname.lastname@mail.mcgill.ca). It is important to note that all official information, announcements and messages from McGill will ONLY be sent to your McGill e-mail account (please read the official McGill policy on e-mail communication with students at http://www.mcgill.ca/files/secretariat/E-mail-Communications-with-Students-Policy-on.pdf). Please check your e-mail often as all Departmental notices regarding registration, scholarships, departmental announcements, etc. will be sent out that way. Pay attention to all notices and messages coming from Anne, Kristy and Angela, or you may miss something important! Getting Started Each graduate student is given $1,000 by the department to aid in the purchase of a personal computer, as stipulated in the departmental admission letter. It is important to get a network computer account on Pebbles and Cobbles (EPS servers), which will grant you space on a network drive as well as ensure that you are added to departmental e-mailing lists. Brigitte Dionne is the resident computer expert for our departmental lab (Room 209). To apply for a network computer account, fill out one of the forms included in your departmental welcome package or posted outside Brigitte's office (Room 209A, off the computer lab inside Room 209) and put it in her mailbox in the main office or return it directly to her. Your account will be created usually within one or two days; check back with Brigitte to see if it is ready. Brigitte will give you a login name and password on Pebbles and Cobbles that will allow you to login to any of the departmental networked computers. What do we have? As a graduate student you should purchase your own computer using the $1,000 one-time departmental grant, as the main computer room in FDA 209 is an undergraduate computer lab. If for some reason you should need it, it houses eight Intel PCs. WinXP is available on the PCs with standard packages for word processing (Word), spreadsheets (Excel), graphics (PowerPoint, CorelDRAW, Adobe CS), internet access (Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer), electronic mail (Mozilla Thunderbird) and includes also a few scientific software (MATLAB, PASW, Grapher, Surfer). Two scanners are also available in the computer room. You can print in black and white on the HP LaserJet 4050N or HP LaserJet 4250dtn printers, and in colour on the HP Color LaserJet 5550hdn, all printers being located in the computer lab. Please note that you will be charged for pages printed. Brigitte sends out summaries of your submitted jobs to the printer approximately once per month. You should arrange to pay for your printing with Angela in the main office once you receive a notice by e-mail. Most supervisors pay for research-related printing for their graduate students, but you should consult with them about it to be sure. You can create a home page on Cobbles and link it to the EPS web site: To create your own web page, login to your Cobbles account and create a file called index.html in the directory www. A skeletal index.html file looks something like this, <html> <head> <title>Banana's Own Web Page</title> </head> <body bgcolor="white"> This is the main body of my web page. This is the <a href="http://www.eps.mcgill.ca">EPS</a> home page. </body> </html> Your web page address would then be http://www.eps.mcgill.ca/~banana using the above example. Brigitte periodically updates the computing facilities and will notify you of any changes or additional software/hardware by e-mail. Do not install any software yourself on any departmental computer! LABORATORIES Safety Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) training is a legal requirement for all individuals working with chemicals, and therefore all students who will be working in any of the departmental laboratories must take a WHMIS course. McGill offers the course several times a year, and you will be informed by e-mail at the beginning of each term of the dates that WHMIS courses will take place during that semester. It is your responsibility to ensure that you sign up for this course to obtain your certification. This certification should be updated every three years. One graduate student representative will be part of the Department Safety Committee to ensure that all safety policies and any possible changes in such are related to the students, as well as communicate student concerns to the Committee. GEOCHEMICAL LABS The Geochemical Laboratories are analytical facilities within EPS. Glenna Keating is the chief technician and Isabelle Richer is senior technician. The laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art wet-chemical laboratories, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic absorption (AA: flame, hydride generation with flow injection, and graphite furnace) and an ion chromatograph. All of the instruments are fully automated with auto-samplers and computer systems. The Geochem Labs also supervise the crushing and grinding facility (FDA 010). The Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) facility, supervised by Dr. Bill Minarik, allows for determination of the concentration of trace elements in very small spot sizes on a variety of geological materials. It is part of the GEOTOP-UQÀM-McGill Research Centre and the McGill Geochemical Laboratories facility. A laser ablation system enables in situ ICP/MS analyses on spot sizes down to 10 microns and concentrations of 1 part per million or less. You should discuss any planned use of the analytical facilities with your research supervisor before requests are directed to the Geochemical Labs (514-398-4881). Before you submit your request to Geochemical Labs, gather as much available information as possible (or available) about your sample. For example, identify the analyte, estimate its expected concentration, stipulate the limit of detection required, describe sample treatment and preparation, and estimate concentrations of other elements in your sample (large concentrations of matrix elements could be a source of interference for a particular analyte). Each request for use of instruments or analyses must be accompanied by a project form, signed by your research supervisor; it must be renewed every four months for ongoing projects. Distilled and Nanopure water are available for your use from the Geochem Labs (FDA 202). Users should be aware of the following facts: 1. Nanopure or de-ionized water is a very aggressive leaching agent. Within a few hours of storage in any container, except possibly Teflon, it will leach material from the walls of its containers, whether they are made of glass or of some plastic material. That is why Nanopure water should never be stored. It should always be prepared fresh just before use and must not be used for any procedure unless it is specified for it. 2. When in doubt, use distilled water. 3. Nanopure water is detrimental to the walls and soldered connections of water baths and other containers if used for long-term storage (more than 48 hours). 4. In general, Nanopure water is used for preparing solutions for trace element analysis. For all other uses, distilled water is the preferred choice. 5. Nanopure water is expensive to prepare. As a reference, 4 litres of Nanopure water from Fisher Scientific costs $115.00. For use of other analytical facilities, such as the centrifuge in FDA 202, or the freeze-drier in FDA 351, please see Glenna Keating. Use of the Geochemical Labs in the Department is charged to research grants, although exceptions may be made through the Chair for students without funds and with a limited amount of work. Whenever possible, the grad students actually do the analytical work after having been trained by the laboratory staff (Glenna Keating, Isabelle Richer, and research assistants). For low-volume work, it is more cost effective and efficient for the lab staff to run the analyses after the grad student has prepared the samples. Charging procedures differ for the various facilities and analyses. Further information and price lists can be obtained from Glenna, Isabelle or Bill. A few important words about hazardous waste disposal... For full details on hazardous waste disposal, you should consult the McGill Laboratory Safety Manual. Wastes should not be discharged into the building's drain-system. Containers for hazardous waste are provided for waste disposal. Improperly labeled waste will not be accepted. Over-filled and/or leaking containers will not be accepted. Incompatible chemicals should not be combined. When in doubt, ask the technical staff or phone Waste Management at 5066 Liquid Waste Disposal: 1. Yellow containers are for inorganic waste only. White containers are for organic solvents and oils only. 2. Fill containers only 3/4 full. 3. Label containers legibly and completely with the labels available from the Waste Management Program. Use the full written name for chemicals, not the chemical abbreviations (e.g., hydrochloric acid instead of HCl). 4. Do not mix acids (pH<7) with bases (pH>7). 5. Fill 1/4 of yellow containers with water before adding corrosives. 6. Store full waste containers in a well-ventilated location, away from through-traffic areas. Empty waste containers can be obtained from your laboratory manager or the staff of the Geochemical Laboratories. Liquid waste is picked up on a regular basis, but Waste Management must be informed of its location and access must be provided when required. Solid Waste Disposal: 1. Fill out the lab chemical inventory form available from the Waste Management Program and send it via internal mail or facsimile (4633). 2. Await instructions from Waste Management or your Hazardous Waste Coordinator. Chemical Reagent Bottles: 1. Remove the cap from the bottle and allow volatile materials to evaporate into a fume hood. 2. Rinse the bottle three times with tap water and let dry. 3. Remove or obliterate the label. 4. Discard the uncapped bottle with the regular garbage. Sharps and Broken Glassware (uncontaminated): 1. Label a puncture-proof container with the word sharps and the name of the Principal Investigator. 2. Accumulate broken glass and other sharp waste in the container. 3. When full, close and seal the container and discard into the regular garbage. MICROANALYSIS LABORATORY The department is equipped with an electron microprobe (EMP) apparatus and an atomic force microscope (AFM). Applications of the EMP range from imaging metal zonation in hydrothermally deposited minerals to analyzing the compositions of crystals in human and rodent brains. The AFM (Digital Instruments Dimension 3100) is available for the study of surface micro- and nanotopography in air or liquid in a wide variety of modes. Most of our AFM research involves imaging, in tapping or contact mode, the growth and dissolution features of natural or synthetic crystals. We have recently investigated growth features on magnesian calcite, barite, natural and synthetic diopside and natural pyrite. For use of these microanalysis facilities, grad students should discuss their applications with their research supervisor, obtain authorization, and then contact Lang Shi (MacDonald Harrington Building, B08; lang.shi@mcgill.ca), who supervises the facility. Grad students who want to use the instruments are trained by Lang and become qualified operators for their own research. For more information on the capabilities of these instruments, contact Lang Shi. Jeanne Paquette (FDA 214; jeanne.paquette@mcgill.ca ) and Alfonso Mucci (FDA 201; alfonso.mucci@mcgill.ca) can provide additional information on the AFM. PETROGRAPHIC SERVICES George N. Panagiotidis oversees the thin-section/polished section laboratory (FDA 006). Rock-saws, grinding wheels, and the coring drill press are also available for you to use in FDA 010. Your research supervisor should supply blades for the rock-saw. If you need to have grain mounts, thin, polished thin, or doubly polished sections made, you should prepare/slice the rocks yourself and submit the chips to George with a petrologic work requisition (available in the main office, FDA 238). You will also need your research supervisor's approval (signature and account number) for the work requisition. For service outside the Department, students often use Vancouver Petrographics Ltd, but please see your supervisor in case they have a different preference. For efficient service in the early part of the academic year (after everyone has returned from the field with their rock pails filled), you should sort the "high-priority" samples to submit for your first batch. After the high-priority work has been processed and returned to you, then you can submit the lower-priority samples. Any special requests can be discussed with George in person. To use the rock crushing and grinding facilities (FDA 010), you should consult Glenna Keating (FDA 207A) for the recommended procedures. To use the rock preparation lab (FDA 009), please contact George. MICROSCOPY Petrographic microscopes are stored in lockers in FDA 210. Students are assigned individual microscopes for use in labs; they should be promptly returned to the lockers after each session. If you will be undertaking a large amount of microscope work and would like to remove a microscope to your office for long periods of time, there is a limited number available. For further information see George N. Panagiotidis (FDA 006) or Don Francis (FDA 316). You will be expected to pay a deposit of $30 if you are assigned a microscope. The full deposit will be returned to you when the microscope is returned to the department at the end of the academic term if it is in good working condition. COLD STORAGE The department also operates a cold room (FDA 004) for temporary storage of research samples (e.g., core, sediment and water samples). For access, contact Anne Kosowski. 9. FREQUENTLY USED FACILITIES OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT ELECTRON MICROSCOPY The Facility for Electron Microscopy Research is an outgrowth of research undertaken at the informally named Electron Microscopy Centre (EM Centre) of McGill University. The state-of-the-art imaging and analytical facilities of FEMR are used to derive structural, compositional, morphological, elemental, and molecular information from diverse materials. These materials include biological tissues, biomimetic materials, high-performance synthetic materials, polymers, colloids, and materials of importance in both Earth and interplanetary studies. The facilities and instruments of FEMR are currently housed in the Strathcona Anatomy & Dentistry (SAD) Building (transmission electron microscopes -TEM) and the Wong Building (scanning electron microscopes - SEM). The scanning electron microscope facilities available within the Department of Mining, Metals and Materials Engineering (Wong Building) include a field-emission SEM and variable-pressure SEM and a gold-palladium coating facility. Information about access to facilities generally, are available from the Director, Professor Vali (hojatollah.vali@mcgill.ca) and the Manager, Dr Kelly Sears (kelly.sears@.mcgill.ca). Information specific to the facilities in the Wong Building is available from Helen Campbell (local 2541, helen.campbell@mcgill.ca). Within the EPS Microanalysis Laboratory, SEM is also available; our instrument is not strictly dedicated to that application, however, and higher priority is given to electron microprobe analysis. Should you need instruction on the operation of the SEM, you can arrange an appointment with the SEM teaching assistant or Lang Shi (lang.shi@mcgill.ca), the electron microprobe technician. COLOUR PHOTOCOPYING Colour photocopying is available through the Engineering Undergraduate Society in the McConnell Engineering Building or through local graphic service outlets (e.g., SYGRAF 846-9786, Copie Express 288-0288). COLOUR PRINTING If you do not have access to colour printing via your supervisor"s facility, colour printing can be done through local graphic service outlets (e.g., SYGRAF 846-9786, Copie Express 288-0288) and within other departments on campus. LARGE-SCALE PRINTING Large-scale printing (i.e., poster or map size) is available through local graphic service outlets (e.g., Groupe Repro Tom Desmarais, 4120 rue St. Catherine, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1P4, (514) 939-4016). Several grad student posters that have been presented in recent scientific meetings are on display in the main hallways (2nd and 3rd floors of FDA) and are good examples of the poster presentation capabilities available locally. McGILL LIBRAIRIES Every academic session, the McGill libraries offer workshops for users. Announcements are usually posted in the libraries and are frequently circulated by e-mail. There are several libraries on campus; those most frequently used by EPS users are Schulich (PSE), Walter Hitschfeld Geographic Information Centre, Blacker-Wood, and McDonald Campus. You will need your student ID card to check out any library materials. Most of the journals and databases that you will need are available electronically on-line from the McGill library system. Also available is CISTI ( http://cat.cisti.nrc.ca/search), username = fgh74087, password to be obtained from Professor Olivia Jensen), a service with which you can request a copy of a specific journal article, that is unavailable electronically or in hard copy format from the library, and will receive it within 48 hours. Interlibrary loans are also available upon request. For more information on how to use the libraries and the searching tools therein, keep an eye open for library workshops or contact the library personnel. McGILL PRINTING The print shop at McGill (local 6300) is where many of the course notes are printed and bound. Additionally, the print shop also makes business cards (at your expense) should you wish to flaunt your new McGill credentials at the next international conference you will be attending. 10. WHAT IS GOING ON AT OTHER UNIVERSITIES IN MONTREAL? Universite du Quebec à Montreal (UQÀM)
11. FINANCIAL SUPPORT: WHERE TO LOOK All graduate students admitted to the Department are guaranteed a minimum level of financial support for a period of two years in the case of a MSc and four years in the case of a PhD. This comprises a TAship and graduate student award (top-up) from the Department and a graduate student stipend (RAship) from your supervisor. The amount is indicated in the letter of acceptance, which you will have received when you were admitted to the Department. If you are unsure of your entitlement you should see Anne Kosowski for clarification. Students who arrive in the Department with a major scholarship (e.g., NSERC or FQRNT) do not receive a graduate stipend but are eligible to hold a TAship. It is important to note that the salary you receive will likely not be evenly distributed throughout the year, due to factors such as the lack of a TAship during the summer months or possible delays in setting up the reception of their first paycheques upon arrival. Students should not assume that they will be able to evenly divide their yearly net salary by 12 in order to make a monthly budget for personal expenses such as rent. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your salary breakdown, please see Anne in the main office. SCHOLARSHIPS There are many major government scholarships (e.g., NSERC, FQRNT) for which students are encouraged to apply. In fact, if you qualify for a major scholarship outside McGill, you must apply for it in order to be considered for either internal departmental or McGill scholarships. University scholarships (e.g., McGill Major Awards) are listed online at http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/fellowships/grad and in the Graduate Fellowships and Awards handbook found at http://www.mcgill.ca/courses/). Note that if you are successful in obtaining a major scholarship, you are not eligible for a departmental graduate student stipend. Smaller scholarships are available from a variety of sources, e.g., GEOTOP and CIM. If you are successful in obtaining one of these scholarships, your Graduate Student Research Stipend may be reduced by an amount equivalent to 60% of the value of the scholarship. There are also scholarships that are awarded strictly to cover the cost of a small research project that could be part of your main research and which might not otherwise be funded, e.g., from GSA and SEG. The value of these scholarships is typically in the range $1,000 to $5,000. Finally, the department distributes a set of internal scholarships that range in value from $1,500 to $15,000. They are awarded on academic merit to suitably qualified and eligible EPS grad students (those who don't have a major government scholarship or major scholarship from McGill, and have not exceeded their eligibility period, i.e. have not started MSc 3 or PhD 5) and, so it is not necessary to apply for them. A departmental scholarship meeting is normally held in May to decide on the distribution of scholarships for the following academic year. As discussed above for small scholarships from sources outside the Department, if you are successful in obtaining one of these scholarships, your Graduate Student Research Stipend may be reduced by an amount equivalent to 60% of the value of the scholarship. If you would like more information about these scholarships, you can consult the Graduate Fellowships and Awards handbook under "Earth and Planetary Sciences" or talk to your research supervisor. Graduate student and postdoc funding information on stipends and research assistantships can be found here: http://www.mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/funding/. GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH STIPEND Each graduate student supervisor is required to provide a Graduate Student Research Stipend to each of his/her graduate students representing an amount that, when combined with their TAship and departmental stipend, will guarantee these students a minimum level of disposable financial income (after tuition fee payments) of approximately $14,700 per year for MSc students and $15,700 per year for PhD students. The exact amount is adjusted for inflation each year, and depends first on the student's program (MSc or PhD) and year, and secondly (in the case of MSc only) on whether the student is from Quebec, the rest of Canada or outside Canada. Supervisors may raise their support level above those recommended as the minimum. If students receive merit-based financial awards (e.g. departmental scholarships), supervisors are expected to ensure that these awards are reflected in the students' ultimate remuneration (the Graduate Student Research Stipend may not be reduced by more than 60% of the value of the merit-based financial award, with the NSERC award level as a ceiling. DIFFERENTIAL FEE WAIVERS Differential Fee Waivers (DFW) are available only in the Summer session to international MSc students. The Department is allocated 1-2 DFWs each summer to award to deserving international MSc students who are between MSc 1 and MSc 2. Students who are awarded a DFW must fill out a form (available through the main office) in order to register as a full-time student for the Summer session. As students normally do not pay fees in the Summer semester and are only considered to be "Thesis Continuing" (this particular type of registration happens automatically each Summer), we realize that the awardees of this DFW will not have anticipated having to pay fees. The Department will ensure that you are given the money to pay these fees. The student then saves money later by reaching additional session sooner, since additional session students do not pay the international tuition supplement. This may seem a bit confusing, but should you be awarded a DFW and have more questions, Anne will be able to help you out. LOANS AND BURSARIES Consult the Graduate Fellowships and Awards handbook for student loans, bursaries, and fellowships for student exchanges and travel. POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS The Graduate Fellowships and Awards handbook also includes information about applications and deadlines for post-doctoral fellowships. Please take note that the department does not provide any financial support to grad students who are beyond their MSc2 or PhD5 years (in the form of TAs or departmental scholarships), so plan carefully. Any additional financial support beyond MSc2 or PhD5 is strictly up to the individual research supervisor. 12. TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS: YOU DO HAVE A CHOICE! Teaching assistantships (TAs) are positions for which you may apply. Applications for returning students are available either in the main office or underneath the TA postings on the bulletin board between the lounge and Chair's office (FDA 231). In the future all applications will be completed and submitted online; you will be informed of this change when it has become official, but until then paper applications are still accepted. The advantage is that you can apply for the TA of your choice (rating of your top three preferences). You can also indicate that you are willing to be assigned to any other TA position for which you are qualified (i.e., based on your research discipline or courses previously taken). Keep in mind that your TA assignment is subject to the needs of the department, student course requirements and scheduling conflicts. Note that new graduate students (September entrance) are assigned TAships by the Chair for the Fall term. The choice of TA might be particularly useful for your self-development within your graduate program. If you wish to develop your own teaching skills, broaden your general knowledge, explore a topic peripheral to your thesis, develop a weak area, or even prepare for your PhD qualifying exam, then an appropriate TA position can help you to reach your goals. Several TAs within the department are "hands-on" interactions with undergraduates in a teaching capacity: others are strictly marking assignments and proctoring exams. You can inquire about the nature of the TA by contacting the course instructor or by talking with experienced TAs before you submit an application. TAs who are assigned to undergraduate courses usually have a combination of the following responsibilities:
Take note of the application deadlines, which Anne Kosowski usually announces in advance by e-mail. TA assignments are normally announced before classes start, but usually cannot be finalized until after the first week of classes. When you are informed of your TA assignment, consult the course instructor as soon as possible since your services may be needed right away. Payment for your TAship will be made in semi-monthly installments by direct deposit during the academic term, and is based on 80 hours of work over the semester. As a TA, you are automatically part of the Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM). Information on this TA union is available online at http://agsem-aeedem.ca/. All TAs are required to meet with the instructor of the course that they are TAing to complete the Teaching Assistant Workload Form, and then submit it to Anne in the main office. This form is included in your welcome package, but if you need another, they are online: http://www.mcgill.ca/files/hr/TA_workload_all_0608.pdf. Please note that although the forms says that a full TAship is based on 180 hours of work per semester, the TAships for Earth & Planetary Sciences courses are based on 80 hours of work per semester. It is suggested that each TA keep a copy of the signed form. ADDITIONAL TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS During the summer session, the department has a number of additional TA positions available. If you are not planning to go into the field during the summer session (May and June), this is a good opportunity for additional TA experience and financial support. Anne Kosowski advertises these positions through e-mail when they become available. You can respond by e-mail and will receive a final summer TA listing shortly afterwards. 13. COURSE LOAD AND SELECTION The graduate program constitution (see Appendix) stipulates course loads and selection for MSc and PhD programs. MSc: Item 20: "A student in the MSc program is required to take at least 4 graduate courses (12 credits) of which only one may be a reading course, during his/her first 2 years of graduate study." There is no requirement to fulfill all of your course requirements in the first year of the Masters program; you can spread out your course load over the duration of your degree program if you wish. If the available courses do not meet your needs, consider the reading-course option and discuss it with your research supervisor and advisory committee (Part II, Section 15). It may be more prudent to satisfy your course requirements during your first year of study since the workload of the thesis typically becomes heavier as deadlines approach during your second and final year of study. PhD: Item 11: "Students in the PhD1 year must take a minimum of 6 courses (18 credits) of which at least 4 must be graduate-level courses and up to two may be graduate-level reading courses. Assignment of courses in the PhD1 year is by the Thesis Advisory Committee." Item 12: "A PhD1 student must obtain a GPA of 3.3, with no individual grade below 3.0 (B) to progress to PhD2. If these criteria are not met, the student may enter the MSc program, provided no grade is below 2.7 (B-); otherwise the student must withdraw from the graduate program. In the case of students transferring from PhD1 to MSc, only those PhD1 courses meeting the criteria for the MSc program are admissible as credits towards the MSc" Item 13: "In the PhD2 year, students must take a minimum of 2 graduate-level courses (6 credits), neither of which is a reading course. A GPA of 3.3 is necessary to remain in the PhD program." The implication is that the PhD1 student must take 6 courses (18 credits) in the first year of enrollment in the graduate program and do well in them before continuing to PhD2. PhD students must take 2 courses (6 credits) during the PhD2 year, whether they entered the program at the PhD1 or PhD2 level. Therefore, a student who entered at PhD1 is required to have accumulated a total of 8 courses (18+6=24 credits) at the end of their PhD2 year. A student who entered at the PhD2 level is required to have accumulated a total of 2 courses (6 credits) at the end of their PhD2 year. Students who enter the program in the PhD2 year are not entitled to reading courses as credit. All students (MSc and PhD) beginning graduate studies in EPS in the Fall of 2004 or later must register for EPSC 666 (Current Issues in Geosciences) in the first or second (January entrants) semester (excluding the summer semester) of their program. PhD students must take the course in their first year, i.e., before their comprehensive oral exam. This is a seminar course taught by all the EPS professors, intended to give graduate students a broad appreciation of the geosciences. It may be taken either as one of your required course credits or as an extra course, but it is a mandatory requirement for all graduate students. Students who complete a MSc in the Department and have already taken the course are not required to retake it if they register in the PhD program. Please consult with the Director of Graduate Studies (Don Baker) and your supervisor to determine how this course will fit into your program. In order to avoid the late registration fee all students must register for REGN RCGR (the Registration Confirmation course) in both the Fall and Winter terms. MSc students must register for EPSC 697, 698 and 699 (Thesis Preparation I, II and III) over their first three semesters, and PhD students must register for EPSC 700 (Preliminary Doctoral Examination) in their first year. You are not required to register for the Summer semester; this will happen automatically and your transcript will show it as "Thesis Continuing". You do not have to pay any tuition fees during this time unless you are an international MSc student who has been awarded a Summer DFW (see the section on Differential Fee Waivers in Section 11). Courses can also be taken in other departments at McGill or at other universities (e.g., UQÀM) for credit. Note that the course-load guidelines in the graduate program constitution are the minimum requirements. You, your research supervisor and/or thesis advisory committee may consider that additional courses are necessary to properly prepare you for your research. Students must register (and pay fees) annually up to and including the term of graduation. Outstanding tuition fees must be paid before graduation. A graduate student registered in the Winter term who graduates in February will have their Winter registration and fees cancelled at the end of February. However, a registered student in an academic year (not on a leave of absence), who has completed the residency in a thesis program, and who meets the August 31 (or last working day of August) thesis submission deadline to the GPSO (Thesis Office), does not need to register for the following academic year. The student should not expect to graduate in the Fall of that year, but must graduate by Fall graduation of the following year at the latest. Otherwise the student must be reinstated and will be charged retroactive registration fees for all unregistered sessions (terms) up to and including the term in which they graduate. Students who have already registered for the year must fill out the Request to Cancel Graduating Program Registration form found at http://www.mcgill.ca/files/gps/regcancel.pdf in order to delete their registration at the time of their submission of their theses. 14. TRAVEL REGISTRY Students who will be traveling internationally (e.g. anywhere outside of Canada, including the United States) are now obligated to fill out a Travel Registry, even if the travel will only last for a day or two. In order to be able to fill one out, you must first send an email to either Anne or Kristy and request that a registry form be created for you. This email should include information on what type of activity you will be doing (e.g. research, field work, attending a conference, etc.), when it will take place, and the country in which you will be doing it. Anne or Kristy will then send you an email notifying you that the form has been created, and you will also receive a notification when you sign into Minerva. The created form can be found under the Student Records menu in your Student menu on Minerva. You must then fill out all the mandatory fields in the form before leaving on your trip, and you will receive monthly email reminders through Minerva until the form has been successfully completed. If you need to change something later and find that you cannot do so because the form has been completed, contact Kristy or Anne to open up the form again for you. If you are going to be doing field work in a remote area of Canada it is suggested that you fill out a travel registry (so that we know where you are!). In this case you will not have the information needed for the Supplemental Health Insurance, as such things are not required in Canada. However, since the fields in that section are mandatory, just put in 0's. |
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