Graduate Student Information

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This page is intended primarily as a resource for new graduate students as a permanently accessible and updated supplement to orientation materials. Current and former graduate students are encouraged to add content, but please maintain the formatting on each page for simplicity of use.

Please update the relevant semester for each topic in accordance with any major modification.

Contents

[edit] Phone App

The m.Clemson app is available for free, and includes lots of helpful information, including:

  • campus maps
  • access to Blackboard
  • the university events calendar
  • athletics information and news
  • library access
  • online Redfern appointment scheduling
  • easy way to call Tiger Transit or campus security


App for Android, or available in the iTunes store.

[edit] Map

A map of the Clemson area has been developed for new graduate students that includes overlays of the CAT bus route and useful locations. Clemson Graduate Student info map


If you feel any important map points or categories immediately useful to a new graduate student are missing, please email <[email protected] > with the subject line "CU Grads Map". For locations, please include the name, the type of location (i.e. horse farm, apartment complex, etc) and the street address. The map was voluntarily created and curated, so updates and amendments will occur at makers' discretion.

[edit] Student orientations

Please add these dates even if the event has passed so that future students know what to anticipate.

[edit] Graduate students

(Fall 2012)

Sunday, August 19: 1-4 pm, Tillman Hall Auditorium

[edit] International students

(Fall 2011)

Friday, August 19: 9 am-4:30 pm, Tillman Hall Auditorium

[edit] Teaching assistants

(Fall 2011)

[edit] Departmental

Please see Graduate Student Orientations by Department

[edit] Academic calendars

Fall 2011

Spring 2012

Long Summer 2012

Summer I 2012

Summer II 2012

Minimester A 2012

Minimester B 2012

Minimester C 2012

Minimester D 2012

Extended Academic Calendar Fall 2011 - Spring 2013 PDF

[edit] Graduate Student Fees

(Fall 2011)

Deadline for receiving payments: by mail--Aug. 17, walk-in and credit card--Aug.23.

Fall 2011 Fees PDF

Explanation of Fees PDF

Fees not explained in the above document are explained and quantified below, along with a brief explanation of tuition fees.

[edit] Tuition/Graduate Assistant Fee

(Fall 2011)

Regular graduate student tuition rates vary by department. All students on assistantship pay a heavily-reduced fee regardless of department or residential status. Tuition By Department

[edit] Student Activity Fee

(Fall 2011)

This fee supports Graduate Student Government, PEGs, and a variety of social graduate activities arranged by CGSG. -- $20

[edit] Laboratory Fee

(Fall 2011)

This fee is charged for a course you have registered for, generally one which will consume materials or require specialized equipment, and varies in amount in accordance with the specific course. Spring 2011 Lab Fees by Course Code

[edit] Student Insurance Fee

This fee pays for the mandatory graduate student health insurance for the fall semester. A larger payment (~$300 additional) is made prior to the spring semester which will cover spring and the summer sessions for year-round coverage. These fees can be waived as described in the #Graduate Health Insurance section if you are already covered on another insurance policy.

  • Fall 2011: $582
  • Spring 2012: $851

[edit] Matriculation Fee

(Fall 2011) $5

[edit] Graduate Career Center Fee

(Fall 2011)

$2 This fee covers any career services provided by the Michelin Career Center. This includes, but not limited to, workshops, resume clinics, and career fair services.

[edit] Transit Fee

(Fall 2011)

$33 This fee covers the services provided by the CAT bus to make it free for everyone to ride.

[edit] Campus Recreation Fee

(Fall 2011)

$50 This covers the services provided by the campus recreation department, including but not limited too, access to Fike Recreation Center, fitness classes, indoor pool, and tennis courts. Campus Recreation homepage

[edit] Software License Fee

(Fall 2011)

$12 This fee covers software licenses. For example, you can get a wide variety of software installed on your personal laptop for free through CCIT.

[edit] Other Fees

Although, in theory, every graduate student must eat and sleep, these are labeled as "Optional Fees" on your tuition statement because graduate students may choose to do neither on campus. They must be added by accessing "My Account University Account Information" on the SIS website, except for housing which is applied for in advance (see #on-campus housing).

  1. On-campus Housing - If you choose to live on-campus, fees will be applied depending upon the building you are assigned. Fees Listed By Housing Assignment
  2. Meal Plan - A meal plan allows you entry to on-campus dining halls serving prepared meals. Prices and options for each type of plan can be found in advance. Fall 2011 - Spring 2012 Plan Prices
    1. Be advised that dining halls are generally closed over long holidays and breaks, so you should make other arrangements for those times. Locations and dining hours are available online. Dining Hall Locations and Hours
  3. Tiger Stripe - This fee will place an available balance of equal size on your Tiger 1 Identification card. Tiger Stripe FAQs
  4. Parking permits - If desired, this fee can be added to your bursar bill prior to the semester. See #Parking permits and lots.
  5. Health Fee - This fee covers your visits to the Redfern Health Center. This is different from your health insurance. If you pay this fee then seeing a nurse practitioner or a physician at Redfern will be free of charge. ($131 for Fall 2011)

[edit] Financial resources

As a graduate student, it is part of your responsibility to Clemson (and preparation for your post-graduate career) to seek outside funding. The University may support you, but it is your responsibility to attempt financial self-reliance. Remember that even if you cannot personally apply for a particular grant, your advisor or the University might apply based on your well-presented plan, and you could benefit by access to new resources or a larger stipend.

Every outside scholarship, fellowship, or grant that a graduate student brings in will either result in:

  • Greater area revenue -> more options for you and successive generations of Clemson students for entertainment, activities, dining, shopping, etc
  • University revenue freed up for another purpose -> more course offerings, campus improvements like bike trails, another assistant in your lab to share the work, etc

And both will result in:

  • Your CV looking better, both because your worth was apparent to an outside party, and because you actively sought and pursued opportunities

Please seek outside funding even if you are comfortable with your current financial situation; it will serve both you and our community.

[edit] Assistantships

This document outlines the types of assistantship available at Clemson, their responsibilities, and the abbreviations commonly used to describe each position. Types of Assistantship PDF

A new assistantship database has been created recently (Aug, 2011). Please encourage your departmental contacts to add to and update the database. Assistantships Database

Please remember that these assistantships are jobs in addition to your usual work, so a research assistantship means you do someone else's research and still find time for your own. A teaching assistantship means you grade thirty papers and then find time to read your journal articles. Remember before applying for a new assistantship that these are work!

Here is a link to Assistantship FAQs.

Make sure to ask your advisor about available assistantships if you have not already been given one. In addition to providing a small salary, assistantships entitle you to in-state tuition rates, discounted fees, and subsidies.

[edit] Fellowships and scholarships

All fellowship recipients are granted in-state tuition and fees (in addition to the fellowship), which should provide added incentive to apply. Graduate Fellowship page

The U.S. Government keeps a list of well-known scholarships, grants, and "safe" scholarship search sites:

SC state does not have much funding for graduate students at present. SC Commission on Higher Education

Numerous smaller scholarships are often indexed by commercial scholarship search sites like [FastWeb.com; but while typically legitimate, they are also filled with adds waiting to be clicked by the unwary. Use at your own risk!

[edit] Fellowships and Scholarships by Department

Please see Graduate Fellowships Listing By Department

[edit] Research Grants

  1. Links to Federal grant programs which Clemson has successfully used in the past.
  2. Some grants are internal to the university, or must undergo a competitive selection process within the university before a few final applicants are chosen for the university to submit.

[edit] Travel Grants

Graduate Student Government provides students with the opportunity to apply for Professional Enrichment Grants (PEGs) which provide funds (up to $1000) to defray costs associated with conferences and research, including travel costs. You may only apply for a single event each semester, and Spring/Summer are currently bulked together. This means you must apply for summer events during the Spring application, and you may only submit one event for Summer/Spring as a whole. Applications are completed and submitted online using PEGAS, a system developed by the Clemson Graduate Student Government expressly for this purpose.

Although many people do not receive PEGs, most people that have legitimate costs and actually complete the application are awarded funds.

Further information for applicants may be found at the [PEGAS Applicants page].

[edit] InfoEd

InfoEd is a curated funding opportunity search engine which the university uses.

  • To get started using InfoEd, check out the SPIN system by following these instructions.SPIN Instructions PDF
  • To get email updates of your common search results, customize the SMARTS system following these instructions.SMARTS Profile PDF

An additional resource may be found at the Clemson [InfoEd instructions page].

[edit] Student Loans

You should not need to take out student loans for a graduate degree. Special circumstances or undergraduate education may warrant loan debt, but because years of graduate school are years of professional income forgone, nearly all programs and schools support graduate students financially. With few exceptions, if you are forced to assume debt for your graduate education, you should seek the same education in another program or institution that will support you financially.

Student loan debt is not forgiven by filing for bankruptcy.

If you decide to take out student loans for any reason, make sure to weigh the cost of your loans with interest against a realistic expected salary in your field. An increasing number of students must make monthly payments equal to or greater than a home mortgage, sometimes for decades, because of casual student loan acceptance. For information on types of student loan and how to obtain them, please see Student Loans.


For information on Federal repayment programs, consolidation, and debt management, see Student Loan Repayment.

[edit] Funding/Grant Proposal Workshops

Please see Funding Workshops for an up-to-date list of Clemson workshops that aid in identification and/or capture of funding opportunities.

[edit] Healthcare

This handy flowchart has been developed to help you choose the right healthcare provider in a given situation, prioritizing urgency, seriousness, and cost. This is intended primarily for fee-paid students with graduate student health insurance, but still outlines the probable lowest-cost course of action for those holding private insurance coverage. Healthcare Decision-Making Flowchart

[edit] Immunization requirements

  1. Updated immunization requirements may be found on the Redfern Immunizations page.
  2. Completion of this form is requird for registration. Required Immunizations Form PDF (Fall 2011)
  3. Completed immunization forms may be faxed to 864-656-0760, handed in at Redfern Health Center, or mailed to the following address:
Redfern Health Center, Room 61
Clemson University
Box 344054
Clemson, SC 29634-4054

[edit] Graduate Health Insurance

Health insurance is required for all graduate students. This year our provider is Pearce and Pearce.

  1. Graduate students must accept your insurance fee or have it waived prior to the semester to maintain enrollment.
  2. To accept (be billed for on your tuition statement) graduate health insurance, visit the online enrollment page.
  3. To waive graduate health insurance because you are covered under another provider, submit your information online:
  1. You must enroll your spouse and dependants before September 19, 2011.
  2. A detailed list of plan benefits for the 2011-2012 school year is available. Plan Benefits PDF
  3. In the U.S., your insurance card should be carried on your person at all times in case of emergency. You can print your insurance card by logging in after enrollment. Pearce and Pearce Student Login After login, click on the top tab labelled "Benefits" and under "Your Benefits" select "Print ID card".

Student health insurance benefits are explained in plain language with commentary in the Graduate Student Health Insurance article.

[edit] Basic medical care

Redfern Health Center on campus is your primary medical provider if you use graduate student health insurance, or if you have paid the health fee. At Redfern, many simple diagnostic tests are performed free or at reduced cost. The pharmacy also provides many drugs, prescription and OTC at reduced cost, so it is a good idea to consult them for availability and price before bringing your prescription to an outside pharmacy. If more specialized or urgent care is needed, a Redfern doctor will refer you to a private doctor's office off-campus. Under the graduate student health plan, you must have a referral from a Redfern doctor to be covered

[edit] Emergency medical care

In the U.S., emergency room (ER) bills can cost easily thousands of dollars, which you will be expected to pay personally. Under the student insurance plan, you may be required to personally pay up to $10,000. Consequently, your first choice for after-hours and weekends urgent care should be Clemson Health Center on Tiger Boulevard. Costs are less expensive and the ambulance is free from on-campus and local off-campus locations. Other urgent care facilities will also be less expensive than ER visits, but students may be required to pay ambulance costs. If you are on campus, use a campus phone to dial 911 rather than using your mobile phone--this will connect you with a close, free ambulance provided by the university instead of a private ambulance which may not respond as quickly and will almost certainly cost more. If you are unsure whether your condition warrants emergency attention, call the free nurse-triage hotline at 855-771-6077 to have your questions answered by a Registered Nurse (RN). This service is free for anyone in the Clemson area, regardless of student or employee status. (Helpful hint: If you are bleeding profusely, do not call the hotline and attempt to describe your condition. Just go.) For serious, life-threatening injuries, several local ERs are available. In these cases, you should call 911 or go immediately to the ER rather than visiting Redfern or urgent care.

  • A full list of local urgent care centers, emergency rooms, and hotline numbers may be found here.
  • An overlay of Redfern, local urgent care centers, and local emergency rooms may be found on the Clemson Graduate Student info map.

[edit] Counseling and Psychological Services

Although many assume that happy/functional people will not need counseling or psychological help, in reality nearly every graduate student will benefit from CAPS services. Graduate school is an inherently stressful prospect which requires most students to juggle:

  • school work
  • paid work
  • personal research
  • family responsibilities
  • tight finances
  • frequent travel
  • personal health
  • community and organization commitments
  • leisure activities (good joke, right?)
  • absence of support network -- most move away from family and friends
  • development of social/career networks
  • honing of time management and administrative skills

In short, while most graduate students love a challenge, equally as many will get more than they bargained for in terms of responsibilities and stress. CAPS can offer even the most successful student services, like helping with communication, time- and stress-management skills, homesickness/culture shock, social anxiety, gender and diversity issues, setting boundaries (incredibly important when so many things want your time and energy) and a person who is legally and ethically bound not to repeat any vented frustrations about your advisor/coworkers/professors/students.

These services are largely covered by your health fee--it would be silly not to use any that might help you better manage your life! More information is available on the CAPS website. CAPS is located inside Redfern Health Center.

[edit] Wellness Benefit

Students with graduate health insurance have $300 per year to spend on certain types of preventative health care. Immunizations, well exams, STD screening, OB-GYN testing, and other preventative services can be covered by this benefit. The benefit can be used directly (i.e. you do not pay anything) at Redfern Health Center, or you may pay out-of-pocket at a different provider, keep your receipts, and then #file a claim with Pearce and Pearce.

In the past, this benefit has been used to help cover IUD purchase and insertion.

This year, the benefit will no longer cover allergy testing or ADD/ADHD testing.

[edit] Vision care

New this year, students with graduate health insurance have a $300 (per year, not semester) vision benefit. This can be used to pay for eye exams and contacts or glasses. Exams will require a $15 copay per visit, so one annual exam will still cost you $15. Exams for contact lenses will cost more than exams for glasses only (usually by $20-50, Fall 2010). Inexpensive eye exams ($90-120, Fall 2010) can be had from optometrists in association with large national chains, such as Walmart, Sam's Club, or Sears. Private practice optometrists may provide better service, but are generally more expensive.

Many students may be unaware of how inexpensive good prescription glasses have recently become online, because brick-and-mortar store prices have not fallen concurrently. By law, your optometrist is required to provide you with an understandable, correct, written prescription at your request. You may then purchase corrective lenses online, or later return to the same store without suffering any loss. Some bulk discount stores also over inexpensive prescription glasses and contacts. Glasses and contact lens sites and bulk discount stores that students have used with good results in the past are:

Students pay out-of-pocket and are reimbursed for up to $300 of costs (not including $15 co-pay) by insurance. Keep your receipts and then #file a claim with Pearce and Pearce. Reimbursement may take several weeks, budget accordingly!

[edit] Dental health

Students with graduate health insurance may receive two free annual cleaning/oral evaluation sessions and one free annual bitewing X-ray. Students pay out-of-pocket, and are reimbursed 100% by insurance. Further, up to three fillings per year are reimbursed up to $35 per filling. Keep your receipts and then #file a claim with Pearce and Pearce. Reimbursement may take several weeks, budget accordingly!

[edit] Student Disability Services

Student Disability Services (SDS) documents disabilities in a confidential manner and provides appropriate accomodations for affected students. To ensure equal learning opportunities, SDS can arrange for many aids including:

  • extended test time
  • speech recognition systems
  • assistive listening devices
  • captioning
  • sign language interpretors
  • tutoring
  • note-taking
  • additional CAT bus stops
  • parking permit accomodations
  • housing accomodations

SDS will require qualified, recent documentation of any disability, and require re-testing if supplied documentation does not meet their criteria. Documentation Requirements for Student Disabilities Disability-related housing must be requested in advance of the school semester. Disability Housing Procedures

FAQs

SDS Home

[edit] File a Claim

If you are using the Clemson student health insurance plan, you may file a claim by following the steps below:

  1. Make a copy of your receipts for the procedure or items. Retain the original in a safe place for your own use, and in case the copy becomes misplaced.
  2. Write your name, school (Clemson), CUID #, and the appropriate benefit (wellness, vision, dental, etc) covering the items/services on each receipt. This should ensure that the claim is applied and filed correctly.
  3. Mail the receipt to either:
  • MedCost
P.O. Box 25307
Winston-Salem, NC 27114-5307
For MedCost preferred providers (a list of preferred/less expensive doctors in the area, found using the Medcost Provider Locator.
  • Pearce Administration
PO Box 2437
Florence, SC 29503
For all other claims (non-preferred providers, vision, dental, etc.)

[edit] Housing

[edit] Main campus

[edit] Off-campus

Off-campus housing is plentiful, provided you act well in advance of the semester, and can be relatively inexpensive compared to other areas of the U.S. (around $500/month for an unshared, furnished apartment.) In addition to many apartment complexes, many single-family homes are available, although it may take longer to find an acceptable choice. Many professors and other Clemson residents own very nice rental houses that they rent cheaply to Clemson students--these can often be found by driving around neighborhoods checking for handwritten rent signs and fliers on campus bulletin-boards. However, if you do not have the leisure of weeks or months to look, a rental agency is probably your safest bet for finding a suitable place quickly.

Available off-campus housing can be searched at the Clemson Off-Campus Housing Finder.

The City of Clemson and University have also produced an Off-Campus Living Guide PDF.

Check out locations on the CU Graduate Student Info map.

[edit] On-campus housing

FOR THE 2013-2014 SCHOOL YEAR (starting fall '13) : NO on-campus housing will be available to Graduate Students.

On-campus housing for graduate students is limited to Thornhill Village and Lightsey Bridge II apartments. No on-campus housing is available for married students or families. Graduate students have limited space reserved on-campus, so contact the assignements coordinator Darlene Mahaffey <[email protected] > immediately upon acceptance to request on-campus housing.

Housing_in_Clemson

Check out locations on the CU Graduate Student Info map.

[edit] Greenville/CU-ICAR campus

[edit] Charleston/Clemson Restoration Institute campus

[edit] Where are Central/Seneca/Pendleton etc.?

The town of Clemson does not extend much farther than the University campus, and thus several towns lie within easy walking distance (<1 mile) of campus. The CAT bus route serves the nearby towns of Seneca (to the West), Central (to the Northeast), and Pendleton (to the Southeast). Much off-campus housing will therefore be found in one of these three towns if it is not found in Clemson proper.

Lake Hartwell defines the Southwestern border of campus. Anderson (20 mins South) and Greenville (30 mins Northeast) are two larger cities which offer amenities and shopping that cannot be found within the Clemson area. Anderson is reachable by CAT bus route. Greenville frequently hosts major cultural events and concerts, has an international airport, and a wide variety of specialist stores.

Other nearby towns frequented for field trips, cultural events, or other attractions include Walhalla, Westminster, Six Mile, Pickens, Liberty and Easley. Many locals will assume that you are familiar with these locations when giving directions.

Zoom out on the CU Graduate Student Info map to see surrounding towns.

[edit] Transportation

[edit] CAT bus line

The CAT bus is a free bus service with routes between campus destinations and off-campus student housing complexes, shops and stores, and surrounding towns.

CAT bus lines are visible on the CU Graduate Student Info map, and additional maps and scheduling information can be found at the CAT bus website.

Put the CAT bus number (864-654-2287) in your mobile phone immediately. You can find out how far a bus is from your stop by calling the number. Also, if you are confused by the CAT bus system, call the number to arrange an appointment and a Clemson student or employee will teach you how to use the system.

[edit] Off-campus transportation

In addition to the CAT bus, a shuttle leaves hourly from the Hendrix Center to the Research Park (includes ITC,Rich Labs, and AMRL).

The shuttle runs Mon-Fri from 7 am - 6 pm, leaving on the hour and arriving at the research park ~20 mins later. Stops include AMRL, Rich Labs, and Ceramic and Materials Lab.

[edit] After-hours

Between 6 pm-6 am every night, Tiger Transit runs between campus destinations; it does not run downtown or off-campus. Rides can be requested by internet or by phone (864-656-333). Remember to put the number in your phone before you need it. Tiger Transit appreciates the following if you are requesting a ride:

  • Please indicate the number of passengers in your request.
  • Shuttles can accommodate no more than three people per ride coming from parking lots. This is to ensure that there is space on the shuttle for others waiting for rides around campus.
  • If you are in a parking lot, be sure to include the parking lot number and the aisle number you are parked in, as well as the make and color of your vehicle.
  • Stay in your vehicle with the doors locked and lights on until the shuttle arrives.
  • Please be at the pick-up point without delay. If a driver cannot locate a rider in a reasonable amount of time, the driver will have to leave to avoid delaying others waiting for rides. The rider will then receive a call from the automated system informing them that they have missed their ride.

Further information can be found on the Tiger Transit website.

[edit] Parking permits and lots

Parking is a limited and sought-after resource on campus during the school year. Consequently, parking services expects close adherence to their regulations and permissions. Ticketing may be expected even if a parking lot is deserted if your permit does not specify that time/place as acceptable parking for your vehicle. Ticketing is virtually guaranteed if your vehicle is left unattended in an incorrect, busy on-campus lot for any duration. Most graduate students with vehicles can expect to need one of the following permit types:

  1. Student - $134/yr or $67 fall-only. Several types of these are assigned for various parking locations, but all are equal in cost. Student Permits Information
  2. After 5 pm - $67/yr This cannot be used to park on-campus before 5 pm. After 5 pm Information
  3. Motorcycle/Moped/Motor Scooter - $24/yr Motorcycle Information
  4. Carpool - $37.50 per semester Carpool Program Information
  5. Disability Access - Disability Access Information

Clemson Parking Map PDF

Parking Citation Fees, Appeal or Pay Online


[edit] Biking

Biking (bicycle or moped/motorcycle) is highly encouraged as part of Clemson's environmental awareness effort. Mopeds and motorcycles have inexpensive parking, and bicycle racks are provided near most campus buildings.

Clemson recently implemented CU Bike, a program to encourage bicycling by Clemson students and employees. The program offers:

  • A bike shop with tools available two nights of every month.
  • Commuter bicycles rented by year ($50), semester ($30), or month ($10). Bike rental info

Some bike lanes exist in the Clemson area but most are not well-connected, and bicyclers may expect to share the road with vehicles regularly. These concerns have been brought to the attention of both local and University government, who have expressed desire for change but no concrete plans to date. While many people in the area have used bicycle transportation for years, please see the two caveats listed under #walking and be proactive and alert in protecting your own safety.

Clemson's Bicycle Policy

[edit] Walking

Because Clemson is contained within such a small area, most things are within walking distance. But please heed two caveats:

  • Many locations are hotter than SC and drier than SC, but Southern culture encourages enjoying yourself outdoors and a certain degree of stoicism. Locals frequently succumb to heatstroke, non-locals can get heatstroke and not even realize what is happening to them--this is seriously dangerous and may result in brain damage or death. Make sure that you stay out of direct sun and drink plenty of water during our summer months. Mayo Clinic Heatstroke guide
  • The population of Clemson has a high turnover rate and one of the primary attractions of a college campus (for people of all ages) is social activities. Consequently, many drivers will at some time be paying more attention to finding their destination or conversing with friends than they are to pedestrians. Although Clemson recently passed a law against texting while driving, the shocking truth is that some people will also continue this behavior. Many new students may come from large cities and initially believe our drivers to be innocuous, but a month or two driving back roads should quickly disabuse them of this notion. You have not known fear until you have nearly been mown down by a Ford F-250 going around a blind curve on a low-traffic road at 70 mph while texting, and later realized the driver did not even register your presence. SC prides itself on courtesy, but only if the driver actually notices you, so please be careful around intersections and in areas without sidewalks.

[edit] Air travel

For those traveling long distances from home or to conferences each semester, remember to check flight fares from your destination airport to Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP), Charlotte/Douglas International Airport (CLT), and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). Often fares from these airports will differ wildly, sometimes significantly enough to warrant a friend or co-worker shuttling you. Clemson-Oconee County (CEU) airport is directly across the lake from campus, but more expensive fares and limited selection of connecting airports may be expected.

[edit] Local shops by category

Check out the overlays available on the CU Graduate Student Info map.

[edit] Childcare

[edit] Child Development Center

For students with children on the main (Clemson, SC) campus, the Clemson Child Development Center is located near campus and offers reasonable fees and scholarship programs based on income, as well as accepting child care vouchers. Nearly all full-time students with children may be eligible for child care vouchers, which are a free social service that will partially or totally pay the cost of child care for both U.S. residents and many legal aliens.

Clemson Child Development Center homepage

Child Development Center tuition rates

[edit] After School Programs

Because Clemson is located on the border of three different counties, and the Greenville campus lies in a fourth, all areas have been listed for your convenience.

After school programs by county, linked from the [South Carolina Afterschool Alliance (SCAA)]:

[edit] Child care vouchers

  • The SC Department of Social Services offers vouchers to eliminate or defray the cost of child care for low-income, full-time parents through the ABC Child Care Program. The vouchers are available to U.S. residents and many legal aliens. Low-income full-time students have a very good chance of meeting the criteria.
  • The Head Start (3-5 yrs) and Early Head Start (0-2 yrs) are federally-funded programs for young (0-5 yrs) child care, administered through the SC Department of Social Services. It is only available for extremely impoverished families, and will hopefully not apply to any Clemson students but is provided just in case.
MS. VENIE JONES, MANAGER
S.H.A.R.E. EARLY HEAD START
PROGRAM 652 RUTHERFORD ROAD
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA 29609
EMAIL: [email protected]
PH:864-235-5829
FAX:864-235-583

Listing of Head Start contacts by region, PDF

[edit] My family qualifies for assistance, but should we use it?

The most recent data compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau indicates a mean pay increase of:

  • $41,084 annually (Bachelors -> PhD)
  • $28,841 annually (Masters -> PhD)
  • $12,243 annually (Bachelors -> Masters)

Assuming current tax brackets and reported mean salaries for each degree, this means:

  • Bachelors -> PhD results in an additional $11,503 Federal tax dollars and $2,876 State tax dollars annually
  • Masters -> PhD results in an additional $7,210 Federal tax dollars and $2,019 State tax dollars annually
  • Bachelors -> Masters results in an additional $3,060 Federal tax dollars and $857 State tax dollars annually

Obviously situations differ, but one year of your increased tax generation post-degree pays for the equivalent of (assuming $100/wk child care):

  • 143 weeks of free child care (Bachelors -> PhD)
    • OR you have "paid back" 6 years of completely free care for one child in 2.2 years of working
  • 92 weeks of free child care (Masters -> PhD)
    • OR you have "paid back" 4 years of completely free care for one child in 2.3 years of working
  • 39 weeks of free child care (Bachelors -> Masters)
    • OR you have "paid back" 2 years of completely free care for one child in 2.7 years of working

Assuming that you intend to remain employed for more than two years after finishing your degree, you will not be a net drain on our tax system, but instead generate net profit, if using social programs for child care helps you finish your degree.

[edit] Additional resources

[edit] Registration

Students can register for their courses online using TigerWeb at tigerweb.clemson.edu.

Make sure to check the location of each building as you register for courses so that you can arrange off-campus transportation and housing well in advance.

[edit] Registration dates

These dates may be found on the academic calendar for each semester.

Fall 2011 - Graduate students may register for Spring and Summer courses beginning October 31.

[edit] Off-campus building alert!

Check your schedule for these every semester!

Clemson's MBA program and several others ARE NOT LOCATED IN CLEMSON. Multiple university buildings within the Clemson area are not located on CAT bus routes. Please locate the buildings on your schedule well ahead of time to avoid transportation or housing issues.

The CU Graduate Student Info map provides locations of off-campus buildings and university buildings not located in the Clemson area.

  • Advanced Materials Research Center
  • Agricultural Service Center
  • Archbold Tropical REC - Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica
  • Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology - Georgetown, SC
  • Bob Campbell Geology Museum
  • Botanical Gardens
  • Calhoun Field Laboratory/"The Bottoms"
  • Cherry Farm (and Insectaries)
  • Clemson Apparel Research
  • Clemson at the Falls - Greenville, SC
  • Clemson Conservation Center - Charleston, SC
  • Clemson Engineering Technologies Laboratory
  • Clemson Research Park
  • Clemson University Horse Center
  • Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) - Greenville, SC
  • Coastal REC - Charleston, SC
  • Cooper Agricultural Service Laboratory
  • Ed Garrison Livestock Arena
  • Edisto REC - Blackville, SC
  • Entox Labs
  • Equine Center
  • Information Technology Center (ITC)
  • LaMaster Dairy Center
  • LG Rich Laboratories
  • Morgan Poultry Center
  • Musser Fruit Research Center
  • Pee Dee REC - Florence, SC
  • Plant Germplasm Research Laboratory
  • Sandhill REC - Columbia, SC
  • S.C. Foundation Seed
  • Simpson Experimental Station
  • Starkey Swine Center
  • University Center - Greenville, SC

[edit] Legal Aid

As part of the services obtained by Graduate Student Government, one 30-minute session of legal consultation is available for $15 to any graduate student (budgeted up to 60 individuals per semseter.) You may request one of these sessions using the CGSG Legal Aid website.

[edit] Graduate Student Government

In addition to an elected Executive Branch and appointed cabinet members, each graduate degree program is permitted two student senators, each with one vote. Please contact CGSG if your program does not have two senators, as Graduate Student Senate participation is an efficient means of communicating your peers' needs. If your needs are not met by your program or the university, contact your Senator by Program or the relevant CGSG Cabinet Member]. More information can be found at Student Government or Clemson Graduate Student Government.

[edit] Student Activities

[edit] All students

  • The Campus Recreation page hosts information on a variety of programs and facilities including:
    • Bowling, air hockey, table tennis, darts, billiards, darts, and arcade games at the Union Recreation Center
    • Fike fitness courses offered on a calendar
      • To make this class schedule visible on your Google calendar, just add [email protected] on the "Other Calendars" sidebar on your personal calendar.
    • Free movies and other events from CLEMSONLiVE.
    • Clubs and organizations including club sports and intramural teams can be found at the Campus Life student organizations site.
      • A list by category can be found here.
  • If you like the outdoors, the Clemson Experimental Forest comprises a ridiculously large acreage (17,500) with hiking and bike trails, waterfalls, beaches, and other scenic attractions.
  • The Botanical Gardens offers several attractions in addtion to a beautiful stroll or place to run, including:
  • The Brooks Center offers free and reduced-cost admission to concerts, shows, and other performing arts events.
    • Upcoming events
    • Free for everyone
    • Student rush events provide students reduced-price tickets in advance, or are free with your CU ID if you show up 1 hour before the show until all remaining seats are taken. (Cheap in advance, free last-minute but no guarentee of admission at any given event.) [Student rush events]

[edit] Graduate students only

  • GSG hosts grad-student social events throughout the semester, including trivia, karaoake, and fancy parties. Keep an eye out for emails!

[edit] Off-campus

  • Spitoono is an annual "redneck" music festival for charity with free admission, inexpensive beer, and assorted food and crafts vendors. The festival is now held behind the Armory. Bring your own chair.
  • South Carolina and especially the low-population portions of the upstate depend heavily on tourism to survive. The Greenville daily Groupons and Living Social deals often have student-affordable prices for events such as zip-lining, SCUBA diving, white water rafting, horseback and ATV riding, wine tasting, DIY stained glass art, and more--all located in various small towns across the upstate, many nearer to Clemson than Greenville.

[edit] Out of Town

  • The Greek Festival is a festival in Greenville that occurs every summer - usually in early May. Here, you can eat Greek food and observe Greek dancing and can learn about the Greek Orthodox Church, but mostly eat yummy Greek food. There is a similar festival in Anderson in September.
  • The Greenville Scottish Games - now called Gallabrae is an annual festival in Greenville that celebrates Scottish heritage. It usually occurs around the May 27th weekend every year and is full of things to watch and do, including sheep herding using Border Collie dogs, Bagpipe and Drum bands, Scottish dancing, Caber Tossing (which is throwing around small trees), axe throwing, food eating, many Celtic band performances, and for some unknown reason, a British car show. This event is held at Furman University in Greenville.
  • The Upstate Farm Tour is an annual summer event that occurs usually in early June. It is when a large number of farms are open for visiting and provide tours and sell their products. You have to take your own vehicle to the locations, and likely you won't be able to get to all the farms, because there is a large number and it takes some time to drive to each. There is a wide variety, including goat, chicken, and pig farms; pick your own berry farms; apple or peach orchards; Alpaca farms; mushroom farms; and dairy farms. Many places even have refreshments for sale.

[edit] Departmental Information

[edit] Blackboard

Many courses may assume familiarity with the Blackboard/MyCLE online coursework system. Blackboard provides computer access to course materials and updates, allows submission of written work for grading, provides updated course averages, and can create and grade quizzes. Teaching assistants may be required to gain further familiarity with the site to update grades, and provide quizzes and coursework to undergraduate classes. Blackboard/MyCLE

[edit] Campus alarm/siren system

A piercingly loud siren sounds over campus (and can be heard several blocks away from campus) to provide safety warnings. A spoken message giving the nature of the warning follows. These are frequently activated to warn of lightning during our frequent thunderstorms, but may also indicate more serious threats such as tornados, armed individuals, and nuclear station warnings. While the goal of this section is not to encourage complacency, it is to reassure you that the noise you may perceive as an air-raid warning usually heralds a light rain.

You may sign up for a text messaging or email service, CU Safe Alerts (instructions linked below), to be immediately informed of the reason for any siren warnings.

Warnings and Alerts page

[edit] Important Academic Guidelines

[edit] Deadlines for your graduation timeline

In order to graduate at the time of your choosing, in addition to contending with committee members and your own research struggles, you need to submit paperwork marking various occasions in your degree work well in advance of graduating. One form needs to be filled out to show you have completed your coursework, another to announce your intent to defend your thesis/dissertation, and a third to show you have completed your comprehensive exams and defense to the satisfaction of your committee. For example, if you intend to graduate in December, you must submit your GS2 (coursework completed form) by August, and order your diploma in September.

Link to deadlines for 2011-2013 anticipated graduation dates

[edit] Thesis/Dissertation Submission

Thesis/dissertation requirements and the usual order of steps for degree completion may be found here. A supplemental page with links to all relevant forms, checklists, and criteria may be found here.

[edit] Academic Resources

  • Nearly anything that cannot be found in Clemson's library can be requested through interlibrary loan. Using your employee ID, you can also request to have hard-copy journal articles scanned and emailed to you (up to 30 pages.) Document Delivery info
  • Clemson's Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation (OTEI) offers brief 2-3 hour workshops on topics like:
    • Finding research funding
    • Teaching effectively
    • Developing material for distance learning or multimedia classes

Any workshops you attend are recorded on a non-graded transcript seperate from your official transcript, which can be referenced or attached for future CVs to display your interest in remaining current with resources and technologies.

OTEI Workshops Listing and Registration

OTEI home

  • RefWorks is an online citation and storage program. You can store your journal articles on the site to access them from any computer, share them with another person, and generate ready-made citation lists in any format by selecting the sources you've used. You only need to enter the information for a given resource once, and the rest is done for you. This is especially useful for storage journal articles that are only accessible by paid users, so that the retrieval process is easier later on.
  • The Palmetto Cluster at Clemson is one of the largest supercomputers in academia, and is available to all Clemson students and employees. Many types of research that would otherwise be impractical or lengthy because of computational limits can be performed on this machine, like molecular dynamics modeling or sequence alignment of entire genomes. If your work might be made easier or provided new avenues of research through this resource, request an account--any student can request basic access.
    • Information about the Palmetto Cluster and use can be found on CCIT's Palmetto page.
    • Requests for resource allocation (a Palmetto account) can be found here.
    • Workshops for learning to use the supercluster (Intro to Linux, Intro to Palmetto, Intro to Parallel Programming) can be registered for at the CCIT training page. Like the OTEI courses, these are documented on a seperate, non-graded transcript for future use in documentation of continued learning.
  • CCIT offers a variety of software downloads and licenses on the CCIT software page.