July 2021 - New-gradstudents - mailman.cs.vt.edu

VT COVID-19 vaccination requirements
by Cliff Shaffer 03 Aug '21

03 Aug '21

A critical issue for faculty and students hoping to return to something more like "normal" this Fall semester is the COVID-19 vaccination status for the on-campus population. VT is mandating that generally students should be vaccinated, with various exceptions, and that vaccination status be verified. There is a *lot* of fine print associated with this. Information is available at: https://ready.vt.edu/vaccinations.html This includes information for incoming international students who might have difficulty with access to a WHO-recognized vaccine dose. Please look through this information carefully. If you are vaccinated and have not already done so, please upload proof of vaccination. -- Dr. Cliff Shaffer Professor and Associate Department Head for Graduate Studies Department of Computer Science Phone: (540) 231-4354 Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061 WWW: www.cs.vt.edu/~shaffer

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New Graduate Student Services Office on Blacksburg Campus
by Trey Mayo 29 Jul '21

29 Jul '21

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Reminder of VT COVID-19 vaccination mandate
by Cliff Shaffer 22 Jul '21

22 Jul '21

I am looking forward to meeting you in August! However, if you will not be attending Virginia Tech this Fall, please let me know so that I can remove you from this email list. (If you deferred, we'll create a new list for people arriving in Spring, so don't worry about getting information!) This is a reminder that incoming students for Fall semester need to upload their vaccination information or otherwise submit the appropriate form by August 6. After that, they will begin blocking accounts and removing students from classes. I appreciate that there are difficulties for many international students related to access to a vaccination, or with having a non-WHO approved vaccination. There is a process for dealing with this. For general information, please see https://ready.vt.edu/vaccinations/student-vaccine-faqs.html, and in particular be aware of this FAQ answer in particular: *I am an international student or I am traveling abroad and I do not have access to a vaccine that is authorized by the FDA or WHO. Do I still need to be vaccinated by the Aug. 6 deadline?* Students who do not have access to one of the approved vaccines must submit the International Vaccination Compliance Form <https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=hGiVYK0Q-kCGPU8yweOjerA…> by the Aug. 6 deadline. This will prevent a “hold” from being placed on their student account or being dis-enrolled. Once students arrive in the US, they will need to schedule an appointment with Schiffert Health Center <https://healthcenter.vt.edu/appointments.html> or another provider (New River Health District clinics <https://www.nrvroadtowellness.com/where-to-get-vaccinated> or CDC Vaccine Finder <https://www.vaccines.gov/search>) to receive a COVID vaccine and any other required immunizations (e.g., Tetanus, MMR, Hepatitis B, Meningitis) as soon as possible before classes start. -- Dr. Cliff Shaffer Professor and Associate Department Head for Graduate Studies Department of Computer Science Phone: (540) 231-4354 Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061 WWW: www.cs.vt.edu/~shaffer

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Update - Second Registration Window for Fall 2021 - August 2nd through August 27th with start time
by Trey Mayo 20 Jul '21

20 Jul '21

The Web Add/Drop Period for the Fall 2021 semester opens Monday, August 2nd *at 8 p.m. ET (yes, in the evening)* and runs through Friday, August 27th in HokieSpa <http://hokiespa.vt.edu>. The points below will help you with navigating this process. What does this mean? It means that you will have the opportunity to register for your fall 2021 courses. We encourage you to register as early as possible in this window, to improve your chances of getting the classes that you want for the fall term. When do Fall 2021 classes begin? Fall 2021 classes will begin on Monday, August 23rd. What other registration-related deadlines (e.g., last day to add or drop and to avoid tuition penalties) should I know about the fall term? Please see the Academic Calendar <https://www.registrar.vt.edu/dates-deadlines/academic-calendar/2021-2022.ht…> on the Office of the University Registrar’s page for all important registration-related deadlines. You will also eventually find the tuition and fee schedule for fall 2021 on the Bursar’s website <http://bursar.vt.edu>. Please note that the last day to drop a class without tuition penalty is Monday, August 23, the first day of classes. I see there are sections of the same course offered at Blacksburg and the National Capital Region? Does it matter which one I sign up for since they’re all VT? Yes, it very much does matter, even if they are often the same course offering given by the same instructor. You should sign up for sections associated with the campus that you enrolled at. Please be sure to review the Timetable of Classes <https://onecampus.vt.edu/launch-task/all/timetable?terms=timetable> closely when registering for classes. Make sure that you select the right campus on the top menu when you are looking at the schedule. Do not choose Falls Church campus. Northern Virginia students must select NCR. For in-person (face to face) or hybrid classes: Blacksburg students should sign up for classes listed for the Blacksburg campus. National Capital Region (NCR) students should sign up for classes listed for the National Capital Region (NCR). Often the same exact course is available at both campuses but there are TWO separate CRNs (Course Registration Number). You MUST register for the CRN corresponding to your home campus. Depending on the location of the instructor, the actual course is offered at one campus and is broadcast via Zoom to the other campus. Please do not try to register for a CRN at a campus that you do not attend, as you will get a campus restriction error. For online classes (synchronous or asynchronous): Any student may sign up for a virtual campus course. What do I do if a class I want/need is already full? Please fill out this form <https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6ShepdPgWRo3vlI> to have your request reviewed. You will be notified at a later date of the outcome. We appreciate your patience during this process. We will not consider such requests until at least August 2. What if I am an accelerated undergraduate student? Unfortunately, you will not be able to register for graduate level classes on your own in HokieSpa during this window. To register for graduate level classes, please fill out this form <https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6ShepdPgWRo3vlI> to have your registration processed. We will process these requests as we get them. What if I get a major restriction error? Then you must have the course force-added for you. If it is not a CS course, then you must ask the department that is offering the class, we cannot add you. For CS courses, we will consider such requests starting August 2nd. What if I get a campus restriction error? Are you sure you are registering for the right campus and the right CRN? Remember, you MUST register for the CRN corresponding to your home campus. What if I [still] get a campus restriction error, even if I am trying to register for a course on my campus? Then it could be that there is some problem with your records that you need to get fixed. Please check Hokie Spa, and contact the Registrar’s office at registrar(a)vt.edu <regsitrar(a)vt.edu> or (540) 231-6252. What if I want to register for a 4000 level course? CS undergraduate courses must be force-added using the undergraduate force-add process <https://cs.vt.edu/Undergraduate/ForceAdd.html>. What if I want to register for a cognate course? CS does not own these courses, so any force-add requests must go to the home department. What if the course has a prerequisite listed on the timetable? You should ask the instructor of the course if your background prepares you to take it. Please note that if the prerequisite is CS5044, then all CSA majors already have this prerequisite. What if there is a hold on my account? Then we can’t add you to the course either. You have to get the hold removed. As always, should you need assistance or have any questions, please contact your respective Graduate Coordinator below: - M.Eng. - all students - Samantha Pipkin (samanthap(a)vt.edu) - M.S./Ph.D. students - NCR campus - Roxanne Paul (roxpaul(a)vt.edu) - M.S./Ph.D. students - Blacksburg campus - Sharon Kinder-Potter ( skpotter(a)vt.edu)

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GRA opportunity: MS level
by Cliff Shaffer 15 Jul '21

15 Jul '21

The Complex Networks and Security Research (CNSR) research laboratory, co-directed by Profs. Tom Hou and Wenjing Lou, has an immediate opening of a GRA position for a Master level graduate student. In this role, you will support the software development efforts of a demo for a MURI project on low-latency communication systems. Candidates should - have a B.S. degree in CS; - have good communication skills; - be a self-motivated problem solver, willing to learn new tools, and able to work independently. If interested, please send your resume to Prof. Hou at thou(a)vt.edu. -- Dr. Cliff Shaffer Professor and Associate Department Head for Graduate Studies Department of Computer Science Phone: (540) 231-4354 Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061 WWW: www.cs.vt.edu/~shaffer

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Invitation for CSA New Student Orientation - Wednesday, August 18th - 2-430 p.m.
by Trey Mayo 13 Jul '21

13 Jul '21

Hello, We hope that you are having a good summer. As we get closer to the start of the fall term, we want to provide you with some more information on the New Student Orientation for Computer Science and Applications. CSA New Student Orientation Wednesday, August 18th 2 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Blacksburg Students: Torgersen Hall Room 3100 - Map: https://goo.gl/maps/H9U84BG4HHgHgdgR6 - National Capital Region students: Room 214, Northern Virginia Center - Map: https://goo.gl/maps/X2Nv9KqqEh72TKop7 - Streaming option available. Zoom link provided via email closer to the orientation date. RSVP if you plan to attend at: https://forms.gle/8Udd71DnjZqrfsnd7 Refreshments will be provided after the formal program. If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Trey Mayo at (540) 231-0780 or treymayo(a)vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event. *Also, we would like to take this time to remind everyone to check out VT Ready (http://ready.vt.edu <http://ready.vt.edu>) for the latest information on COVID-19 vaccine requirements and other important information.* We look forward to seeing you at orientation!

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Second Registration Window for Fall 2021 - August 2nd through August 27th
by Trey Mayo 06 Jul '21

06 Jul '21

The Web Add/Drop Period for the Fall 2021 semester opens Monday, August 2nd and runs through Friday, August 27th in HokieSpa <http://hokiespa.vt.edu>. The points below will help you with navigating this process. What does this mean? It means that you will have the opportunity to register for your fall 2021 courses. We encourage you to register as early as possible in this window, to improve your chances of getting the classes that you want for the fall term. When do Fall 2021 classes begin? Fall 2021 classes will begin on Monday, August 23rd. What other registration-related deadlines (e.g., last day to add or drop and to avoid tuition penalties) should I know about the fall term? Please see the Academic Calendar <https://www.registrar.vt.edu/dates-deadlines/academic-calendar/2021-2022.ht…> on the Office of the University Registrar’s page for all important registration-related deadlines. You will also eventually find the tuition and fee schedule for fall 2021 on the Bursar’s website <http://bursar.vt.edu>. Please note that the last day to drop a class without tuition penalty is Monday, August 23, the first day of classes. I see there are sections of the same course offered at Blacksburg and the National Capital Region? Does it matter which one I sign up for since they’re all VT? Yes, it very much does matter, even if they are often the same course offering given by the same instructor. You should sign up for sections associated with the campus that you enrolled at. Please be sure to review the Timetable of Classes <https://onecampus.vt.edu/launch-task/all/timetable?terms=timetable> closely when registering for classes. Make sure that you select the right campus on the top menu when you are looking at the schedule. Do not choose Falls Church campus. Northern Virginia students must select NCR. For in-person (face to face) or hybrid classes: Blacksburg students should sign up for classes listed for the Blacksburg campus. National Capital Region (NCR) students should sign up for classes listed for the National Capital Region (NCR). Often the same exact course is available at both campuses but there are TWO separate CRNs (Course Registration Number). You MUST register for the CRN corresponding to your home campus. Depending on the location of the instructor, the actual course is offered at one campus and is broadcast via Zoom to the other campus. Please do not try to register for a CRN at a campus that you do not attend, as you will get a campus restriction error. For online classes (synchronous or asynchronous): Any student may sign up for a virtual campus course. What do I do if a class I want/need is already full? Please fill out this form <https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6ShepdPgWRo3vlI> to have your request reviewed. You will be notified at a later date of the outcome. We appreciate your patience during this process. We will not consider such requests until at least August 2. What if I am an accelerated undergraduate student? Unfortunately, you will not be able to register for graduate level classes on your own in HokieSpa during this window. To register for graduate level classes, please fill out this form <https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6ShepdPgWRo3vlI> to have your registration processed. We will process these requests as we get them. What if I get a major restriction error? Then you must have the course force-added for you. If it is not a CS course, then you must ask the department that is offering the class, we cannot add you. For CS courses, we will consider such requests starting August 2nd. What if I get a campus restriction error? Are you sure you are registering for the right campus and the right CRN? Remember, you MUST register for the CRN corresponding to your home campus. What if I [still] get a campus restriction error, even if I am trying to register for a course on my campus? Then it could be that there is some problem with your records that you need to get fixed. Please check Hokie Spa, and contact the Registrar’s office at registrar(a)vt.edu <regsitrar(a)vt.edu> or (540) 231-6252. What if I want to register for a 4000 level course? CS undergraduate courses must be force-added using the undergraduate force-add process <https://cs.vt.edu/Undergraduate/ForceAdd.html>. What if I want to register for a cognate course? CS does not own these courses, so any force-add requests must go to the home department. What if the course has a prerequisite listed on the timetable? You should ask the instructor of the course if your background prepares you to take it. Please note that if the prerequisite is CS5044, then all CSA majors already have this prerequisite. What if there is a hold on my account? Then we can’t add you to the course either. You have to get the hold removed. As always, should you need assistance or have any questions, please contact your respective Graduate Coordinator below: - M.Eng. - all students - Samantha Pipkin (samanthap(a)vt.edu) - M.S./Ph.D. students - NCR campus - Roxanne Paul (roxpaul(a)vt.edu) - M.S./Ph.D. students - Blacksburg campus - Sharon Kinder-Potter ( skpotter(a)vt.edu)

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