WELCOME!

To our recent arrivals . . .
We’re glad you are here!

Goals of this handbook

Information








Who can help
Where to find info
Forestry Graduate Student Association
Business office policies/procedures
Computer facilities & resources
Graduate degree requirements
Assistantships
Answer your questions
Primary Purpose
Enhance graduate student personal, professional, and
social experiences within the department and University
by:
a) promoting graduate student research and ideas,
b) furnishing a forum for interaction and communication
among current, incoming, and prospective Forestry
graduate students and departmental faculty and staff, and
c) when appropriate, advocating the position of the Forestry
graduate students to the Department’s Chair, faculty, and
other constituencies.
Membership
• Forestry M.S. or Ph.D. student (advisor, co-advisor, or
committee member in the Forestry Department), and
• Currently enrolled full or part-time
Faculty Advisor
• Dr. Steve Bullard, Professor and Department Chair
Meetings
• Regular meetings held monthly
• 1st meeting this fall: Wednesday, August 27th at 5 pm
Officers
• Elected at beginning of each semester
• Term is one semester, with 2 term maximum
Recent Activities
• Invited Speakers
• Newsletter
• Reforest the Bluegrass
• Spring coat drive
• Pay raises for MS students
• Pedagogy course development
• Participation in UK Grad Conference
Upcoming Activities - Fall 2008
• Fall Social: TBD
• Fundraising Activities
• More Invited Speakers
Forestry GSA
Spring 2008 Officers
President: Joe Guthrie (jmguthrie@uky.edu)
Vice-President: Chris Reeves (cdreev2@uky.edu)
Secretary: Erin Barding (eebarding@uky.edu
Financial Officer: Ben Augustine (ben.augustine@uky.edu)
Public Relations: Lauren Dahl (Lauren.Dahl@uky.edu)
Will Bowling (Willie.Bowling@uky.edu)
Information Technologist: Lee Moser (Lee.Moser@uky.edu)
Budget & Other
Policies/Procedures
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Leslie Queary
Business Manager
 Room 216, 257-7611, leslie.queary@uky.edu


Cheryl Estes
Administrative Associate
 Room 105, 257-7596, ckindig@uky.edu


Christie Cloud
Accounting Clerk
 Room 216, 257-2516, christina.cloud@uky.edu


Reneé Williams
Extension Staff Associate
 Room 216, 257-7597, rdwill5@uky.edu

Travel

Before trip




Enjoy your trip!
After trip





Travel approval essential (if out-of-state)
Submit request to Leslie Queary (Room 216)
http://sevencolors.org/images/photo/original/globe_west.jpg
Complete travel voucher
Attach original receipts
Please include account number
Submit to Leslie
Need help? . . . Ask us!
Budgets

Please direct all questions about your
accounts and budgets to Leslie.
HR and Payroll


Please direct all questions about any
human resources aspects and payroll to
Cheryl Estes in Room 105.
To make any changes to payroll - address
change, account number change, etc.
please see Cheryl.
Worker’s Comp


If you are injured in the field or on the job,
please call UK’s Worker’s Comp office at
800-440-6285 to file the report. (please
carry this number in your wallet)
Please see Cheryl if you have questions.
Supply Purchases

Office Supplies



First check supply closet, Room 116
If item not available, please have an account number and see
Cheryl in Room 105
Lab Equipment


Please have an account number
You may use




Fisher Scientific for chemicals (call Sandy Baker at 257-2354)
Carolina Biological Supply (online or by phone)
Forestry Suppliers (online or by phone)
If all else fails, see Millie for assistance in room 120
Pro Card (credit card)

When you make a purchase with a UK
Pro-card, please:



fill out the form
attach original receipts
turn in to Christie in the Business Office,
Room 216
Reimbursements

Reimbursements may be given when:




the purchase was not with travel
the amount is more then $25.00 (if not, save receipts
until together is more then $25.00), and
is not for food or postage
Please have



Original receipt
Account number, then
See Cheryl (105) or Leslie (216).
Key Shop



If you need keys made, please see Leslie
in the Business Office for the signed form.
The key shop is behind Donovan Hall.
Donovan Hall is the building next door on
the other side of Huguelet Dr.
Car Reservations



Cars or trucks may be reserved through the
College of Agriculture Motor Pool.
Please see any of the staff to reserve a car.
You will need:






account number & user code
departure and return day and time
phone & email
destination & purpose
type of vehicle needed (truck, car, van, etc.)
who is traveling
Vans
If you will be driving a van:


You may need to be certified first
See Cheryl Estes for help or phone the Motor
Pool (7-7570)
Chemicals
If you will be using chemicals


You will need to complete a chemical hygiene
test first
Ask Millie Hamilton for details (TPC Room 120)
Forms

For most UK forms:
http://www.uky.edu/eForms/

Most forms can also be found in the
supply closet, room 116.
Computer Facilities & Resources
Dr. Darryl Cremeans (Data Systems Manager)
dcremean@uky.edu
Room 121-A
(121-A is in Computer Lab, Room 121)
The stuff I need to share with
the Forestry Graduate
Students
Darryl Cremeans, Ph.D.
Data Systems Manager
Darryl wears many hats

Many of which can
help facilitate your
success here
Space Committee Chairman






Desk assignments
Office allocation
Lab space needs
Storage
Renovation projects
etc
The committee has ratified a protocol that I follow when making these decisions
Departmental Safety Contact



Oversee lab
inspections
Remedy any safety
issues identified by
the Fire Marshall
etc
If you encounter anything you feel puts you at risk –
You need to report it to your major professor,
if they fail to resolve it to your satisfaction tell me.
Inventory Control Assistant

Annual inventory
(Oct-Dec)

We need you to
bring in for scanning
every piece of barcoded University
equipment you
possess.
Data Systems Manager

Tech support










dcremean@uky.edu
Office 257-1396
Cell 229-8919
Ag Helpdesk – 257-3335
UK Helpdesk – 257-1300
Network Administrator
Web master
Computer Labs
Etc
etc
Your Computer



The department endeavors to provide
each graduate student with a pc
(desktop or notebook) and a printer
If your printer runs out of ink – get an
account number from your major
professor and give it and your model to
Cheryl.
Free network printers in the lab


Please do not print frivolous documents.
Password protected to prevent abuse.
Computer Lab – Room 121








General use
Poster printing
Scanners
ARCView databases
SAS
PDF creation
Can be used for instruction
etc
Network Resources




Shortcut to Forestry
Forestry3 = file server for pc lab
Forestry4 = print server, GIS data
Forestry5 = file server for faculty, staff,
and graduate students



I: drive
I:\common
I:\home\loginID
Departmental Listservs








Forestry-all@lsv.uky.edu – every full time employee
Forestry-ext@lsv.uky.edu – all extension people
Forestry-fac@lsv.uky.edu – all faculty
Forestry-grads@lsv.uky.edu – all graduate students
(even if not hosted by Forestry)
Forestry-ps@lsv.uky.edu – professional staff
Forestry-res@lsv.uky.edu – research folks
Forestry-teach@lsv.uky.edu – forestry instructors
All-students-fore@lsv.uky.edu – all forestry students
(both undergrad and graduate)
Forestry Department Web Site
http://www.ca.uky.edu/forestry/






Faculty and Staff
Graduate School Information
Department Seminar Schedule
GSA newsletter
Grad Student pages
Etc
Parking at the Cooper
Building

Only for authorized/official reasons



Sign the white board in the back hall
Remove vehicle ASAP



(popping in for a lecture is NOT a good reason)
(if it is there >2 hours it may be removed for you)
We need to keep spaces available for visiting
cooperators, van loading, etc.
Please don’t make me have to tow you
Campus Life

Student Organizations
http://www.uky.edu/GetInvolved/StudentOrgs/

Graduate Student Congress
graduatestudentcongress@gmail.com/

Green Thumb
http://www.uky.edu/StudentOrgs/GreenThumb/

Wildcat Wheels
http://www.uky.edu/HR/wellness/wildcatwheels.html

Campus Recreation
http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/CampusRec/
Forestry Program’s
Graduate Committee
(handles academic issues)







Dr. Mary Arthur (marthur@uky.edu)
Dr. Tamara Cushing (tamara.cushing@uky.edu)
Dr. Songlin Fei (songlinfei@gmail.com,
songlin.fei@uky.edu)
Dr. John Lhotka (John.Lhotka@uky.edu)
Mr. Chris Reeves (cdreev2@uky.edu) (term is ending)
Ms. Lauren Dahl (Lauren.Dahl@uky.edu)
Dr. Dave Wagner, DGS (dwagner@uky.edu)
Forestry Department Web Pages
http://www.ca.uky.edu/forestry/




Staff
Faculty
Programs
Department Seminar Calendar
(for other UK seminars:
http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=hpp5hqgd56q
ot5lle6e57sua88%40group.calendar.google.com)

Etc.
Grad School Web Pages:
Provide Links to Most UK Info



Home page: http://www.rgs.uky.edu/gs/
Click on “New Graduate Students”
Click on “Graduate Student Orientation”







Bulletin
Academic Calendar
Computing Services
University Libraries
Health Insurance
Etc.
Grad Student Listserv
(http://www.research.uky.edu/gs/GSListserv.html)
More Pointers to Resources
(examples)

Statistical Consultant – College of Ag
(Angela Schörgendorfer)
(schorgen@ms.uky.edu)
(http://www.ca.uky.edu/research/graduate_statistical_consultant.htm)

Preparing Future Faculty Program
(http://www.research.uky.edu/gs/PFF/index.html)
More Pointers to Resources
(examples)

Graduate School Travel Funds
(http://www.rgs.uky.edu/gs/fellowship/supportfunding.html)

External Fellowship Application Award
(http://www.rgs.uky.edu/gs/fellowship/EFAA.html)
How Do I Earn My Degree???

If you are not in M.S. (Forestry) degree program
see Director of Graduate Studies of your academic program
 see your academic program’s web pages, e.g.:

http://www.as.uky.edu/Biology/GP/current.htm
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/entdept/eg1.htm

If you are in the M.S. (Forestry) degree program
see the following several slides
 see http://www.ca.uky.edu/forestry/academics.php
 also, visit Dave Wagner (DGS) if you have questions

M.S. (Forestry) Degree
Requirements

Plan A: 24 graduate credits plus thesis
Plan B: 30 graduate credits

Fulfill other requirements of




Forestry Graduate Program
Graduate School
Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE)
M.S. (Forestry) Degree
Requirements
(Plan A and Plan B)

Specific Courses






FOR 601 (3 credits; take this your 1st Fall Semester)
FOR 602 (3 credits; taught odd-year Fall Semesters)
FOR 770 (take 3 times; taught every Fall & Spring)
Instructional experience in undergraduate course
Exit seminar
Oral final exam
FOR 770 Topics/Instructors
Fall 2008
•
•
•
Agroforestry Systems (Hill)
Wild Canid Ecology, Management, and Conservation (Cox)
University Forestry Teaching (Wagner, for TAs only)
Spring 2009
•
•
•
Research Ethics (Kalisz)
Environmental Monitoring: Acquisition of Field Data and Analysis (Barton)
University Forestry Teaching (Wagner, for TAs only)
Fall 2009
•
•
•
Agroforestry Systems (Hill)
Continuous Cover Forestry (Lhotka)
University Forestry Teaching (Wagner, for TAs only)
Spring 2010
•
•
Title “to be announced” (Arthur & Paratley)
University Forestry Teaching (Wagner, for TAs only)
Instructional Experience
Opportunities (Examples)
FOR 100 (Introduction to Forestry)
 Dave Wagner, Fall & Spring
FOR 101 (Introduction to Wildlife Conservation)
 Tom Barnes, schedule TBA
FOR 200 (Map Reading and Aerial Photogrammetry)
 Jim Ringe, Spring
FOR 340 (Forest Ecology)
 Mary Arthur, Fall
FOR 360 (Wood Technology and Utilization)
 Jim Ringe, Spring
FOR 376 (Silvicultural Practices)
 Jeff Stringer, Summer
FOR 402 (Forest Entomology)
 Lynne Rieske-Kinney, Fall
FOR 430 (Forest Wildlife and Range Management)
 Mike Lacki, Fall
BIO/NRC 420G (Taxonomy of Vascular Plants)
 Rob Paratley, Spring
M.S. (Forestry) Degree
Requirements
(Plan A and Plan B)
Graduate School & CPE Course Requirements:




 2/3 of minimum credits in “regular” courses (16
credits Plan A; 20 credits Plan B).
 1/2 of minimum credits in 600- or 700-level
courses (12 credits Plan A; 15 credits Plan B).
(Thesis, practicum, internship credits don’t count.)
 1/2 of minimum credits in courses with FOR prefix
(12 credits Plan A; 15 credits Plan B). (Thesis,
practicum, internship credits don’t count.)
 3/8 of minimum credits in 600- or 700-level FOR
courses (9 credits Plan A; 12 credits Plan B).
(Thesis, practicum, internship credits don’t count.)
M.S. (Forestry) Degree
Requirements
(Plan A – Thesis)
Graduate School & CPE Course Requirements . . .
Here’s the bottom line (for most Plan A students):


At least 24 total credits (16 credits in “regular” courses)
One, 3-credit, 600- or 700-level FOR course, in addition to the 9
credits of FOR 601, FOR 602 & FOR 770 (thesis, practicum,
internship courses don’t count)
Additional M.S. (Forestry) Degree
Requirement
(if your undergraduate degree
is not “Forestry”)
3 undergraduate forestry courses, chosen
from the list at:
http://www.ca.uky.edu/forestry/degree.php
(In some cases, students may fulfill one of these courses with
the same course used to fulfill the “instructional experience”
requirement. Requests for approval must be made to the DGS
well in advance of the semester when this would occur.)
Tips for Smooth Progress
1. Your advisory/examination committee




Ideally, establish committee during 1st
semester
Choose in consultation with major professor
http://www.rgs.uky.edu/gs/masters_exam.pdf
At least 3 faculty


Majority (and chair) must be UK “graduate faculty”
(≥ 1 “full” member; “graduate faculty” membership
list is on Grad School web pages)
Majority of members must be in Forestry Graduate
Program
Tips for Smooth Progress
2. Consult frequently with major professor
and committee
3. Plan all coursework by end of 1st semester
4. Plan thesis research project (Plan A) by
end of 1st semester
Tips for Smooth Progress
(continued)
5. Stay on top of deadlines
http://www.research.uky.edu/gs/ImportantDates.html

“Application for Degree” (due near beginning of final semester)
http://www.research.uky.edu/gs/DegreeCard.pdf

“Request for Final Examination” & “Thesis Approval” (both due 2
weeks before exam)
http://www.research.uky.edu/gs/FinalExamRecomm.pdf
http://www.research.uky.edu/gs/ThesisApproval.pdf


Final Examination “latest possible date”
Thesis final copy (due within 60 days of successful final
examination)
(“Graduate School Forms” link on Graduate School home page)
http://www.research.uky.edu/gs/gsforms.html
Tips for Smooth Progress
(continued)
6. Don’t be afraid to petition substitutions
(but do so early in your program)
7. Questions along the way? Try the DGS!
Electronic Theses

Advantages



Experience & skills
Rapid worldwide access
Cheaper than paper

Recommend prior approval of advisor

http://www.uky.edu/ETD/
Full-Time (20 hours per week)
RAships & TAships: Benefits

Stipend

Tuition paid on your behalf (for graduate courses)

“Major-medical” health insurance policy
(this is not “Student Health”)

RAs & TAs do pay some “fees”
TAs & RAs: Tuition for
Undergraduate Courses

Undergraduate course tuition is paid on behalf of
TAs & RAs IF:



TA or RA also registers for  9 graduate credits during
a semester when undergrad course is taken
OR
Undergrad course is required for degree AND is taken
for letter grade (i.e. not Pass/Fail)
Otherwise, graduate student TAs and RAs
generally pay tuition for undergraduate courses
Health Insurance Coverage for
Funded Graduate Students
“Major-medical” health insurance




This is not “Student Health”
UK pays insurance premium for student
TAs & RAs may enroll dependents (but student
pays any extra insurance premium)
For more information . . .


http://www.research.uky.edu/gs/fellowship/healthcoverage.html
Graduate School Insurance Coordinator (7-3261)
Recreation and Student Health Fees


Mandatory for full-time students (≥ 9 credit hours)
Recreation fees



Student Health fee:



$59.75/semester
Permits use of, e.g., the Johnson Center
$180/semester
Covers only minor needs, e.g., doctor visits
Part-time students (< 9 credit hours):


Recreation fee is mandatory ($5.90/credit hour)
Student Health is optional and must be specifically
requested if you want it ($180/semester)
“Student Health” Fee

For more information . . .


Student Billing: 257-3406
Student Health



http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/UHS/
323-5823
Remember . . . “Student Health” is different
from the “major-medical” insurance policy
provided to funded graduate students
Assistantships:
Responsibilities




Satisfactory progress toward degree
Satisfactory research and/or teaching
performance
Responsible to major professor and/or
teaching supervisor
Full-time commitment to degree progress
(e.g., other jobs usually not permitted)
Questions? Comments?
Please see Dave Wagner (Director of Graduate Studies, Forestry)
209A T. P. Cooper Forestry Building
dwagner@uky.edu