Letter from the Dean:

If you are new to Mines, let me extend you a hearty welcome. We are very pleased that you have chosen to continue your education at Mines. As you proceed through your graduate degree program, please be sure that we in the Office of Graduate Studies are here to help you.

If you are a continuing student, welcome to the start of another academic year. We in the Office of Graduate Studies hope that you are having a great summer and that you will find the upcoming school year rewarding and productive. Whether you will be returning to campus in the Fall, or you have been working on campus during the Summer, as we wind up for the Fall semester, if you have questions or concerns, please let us know how we can help.

Over the course of the past year a number of policies and procedures have changed. Below is a brief summary of these. If you have questions, please do not hesitate in contacting the Graduate Office for clarification.

Change in Reduced Registration - We have yet again changed the requirements for reduced registration. I apologize. I am aware that we just changed the registration requirements last fall, but the changes that we implemented last year produced unanticipated complications in how the institution assesses student fees. As such, we will be reverting to the old reduced registration requirement of 4 credit hours. This is a change from 3.5 credit hours. This change has been accommodated with no incremental increase in tuition. That is, tuition at 4 credit hours is assessed at the 3.5 credit hour rate. Eligibility requirements for reduced registration are described in the Graduate Bulletin. If you have not been eligible in the past and would like to be considered for reduced registration starting in the Fall semester, remember that you must submit your approved Admission to Candidacy form to the Graduate Office no later than August 28.

Student Fees -- Please be aware that student government approved, and CSM will begin assessing three new mandatory student fees: the Recreation Center Fee ($85/semester), the Academic Construction Fee ($40/semester) and the Intermodal Transportation Fee ($35/semester). Also, please be aware that if you are on an RA or TA contract, these contracts normally do not pay the non-mandatory student fees, such as the Parking Fee or the Blaster Card fee. You should check with your advisor or department to see if they will pay these fees through your student contract.

During the regular academic year, part-time students registered for 6 credit hours or less may still apply for fee waivers. Approved waivers DO NOT include the Technology or the Academic Construction Fees. All students registered for 4 credit hours or more pay these fees regardless of being granted the waiver applicable to other student fees.

Remember, fee waivers of any sort are not offered for the Summer semester.

MS degree requirements -- CSM has approved reducing the Institutional minimum number of credit hours required for a Masters degree from 36 to 30 credit hours. Many, but certainly not all, departments have revised their Master degree requirements to reflect this new minimum. Please review the new Graduate Bulletin to see if your MS degree program has reduced its degree requirements from 36 to 30 credit hours, and if so, discuss with your department as to how this may, or may not, affect your degree requirements. For those in Combined BS/MS degree programs, please be aware that you are now allowed to double count up to 6 credit hours toward MS degree requirements ONLY those credits that are required by the degree program beyond the institutional minimum requirement of 30 credit hours.

Auditing Courses - Remember that you may, as a graduate student, audit courses (i.e., sit in on a course without receiving a grade). To do so, however, you must submit the appropriate paperwork to the Registrar's Office by the close of registration.

GSA Family Assistance Grant - In the 2005-2006 academic year, the GSA created the GSA Family Assistance Grant, in order to help graduate students defray the costs of child care or health insurance. The amount of the award is $100 per month for 10 months, payable through the student's school account in two sums of $500 per semester. More information on the program and application materials may be found at http://www.mines.edu/stu_life/organ/gsa/childcare.html

Colorado Residency - Let me remind US residents to expedite the process of obtaining Colorado residency. If you are entering your second year at CSM, be sure to apply for residency. You should submit your completed residency application to the Registrar's Office no later than August 22 to be considered for resident tuition rates for the Fall, 2007 semester.

Graduate Student Association - Lastly, I want to encourage all of you to become involved in the Graduate Student Association. The Association meets the 1st and 3rd Monday afternoons in the Coolbaugh House. The officers
for the GSA are as follows.

President - Justin Chichester
Vice President of Communications - Cary Allen
Vice President of International Students - Bello Bichi
Social Chair - Justin Engle and Merrick Johnston
Treasurer - Joe Dumesnil Fall 2007 and Aaron Sumner Spring 2008

Please feel free to contact them for more information on the Association, or if you have concerns/ideas you would like to bring to the attention of the Association.

Good luck...
Tom