Congratulations on your admission to graduate study in the Department of English. We realize that your decision to pursue a graduate degree represents a substantial investment of your time, money, and intellectual energy. We will try to provide you with the assistance you need to accomplish your academic goals at CU Boulder.

These pages provide information for students in all three of our graduate degree programs (MA-Literature, MA-Creative Writing, PhD). Please also consult the enclosed page for information about your particular degree program.


Confirming Enrollment and Registration

When you returned your signed acceptance of your offer of admission to our office, your application was forwarded to the Office of Admissions, which will send you information about confirming your intent to enroll and paying your enrollment deposit. Once you have done so, you will receive registration instructions from the Office of the Registrar. As soon as you receive your Personal Identification Number (PIN), you can register for your fall semester courses on the Web at www.colorado.edu/plus or via CU Connect (the telephone registration system, 303 938 8110). See the enclosed page about your degree program for information on what courses to choose.

Orientation; start of classes

You should be in Boulder and ready to commence orientation on Monday, August 21. Classes begin Monday, August 28, 2006.

The campus-wide United Government of Graduate Students (UGGS), in cooperation with the Graduate School, sponsors an orientation program for new graduate students on Monday, August 21, time and location TBA. Attendance at this orientation is recommended. Information about this event will be posted at UGGS Events when it becomes available.

The English Department also holds orientation for new graduate students, time and day TBA. Attendance at this orientation is required. Please see the page about your degree program for scheduling details.

Teacher training events

The campus-wide Graduate Teacher Program sponsors the Fall Intensive Teacher Training Program on August 23-25, 2006. All TAs (MA students) and Graduate Part-Time Instructors (PhD students) in the English Department are required to attend one of the sessions on “Sexual Harassment,” and are strongly urged to attend as many of the other sessions as possible. See www.colorado.edu/gtp for a schedule.

In addition, the English Department sponsors required teacher training for its own TAs and Graduate Part-Time Instructors. See the enclosed page about your degree program for further information.

Graduate student reception

The English Department will host an informal reception to welcome all English graduate students, time and place TBA. We hope you will be able to attend.

Acquiring Colorado residency

If you are not a Colorado resident, you should take steps as soon as you arrive in Boulder to establish state residency, which will vastly reduce the cost of tuition in your second year. In addition, if you hold a teaching appointment (TAship or Graduate Student Part-Time Instructorship) in your second year, your tuition waiver will not cover out-of-state tuition. (Exceptions are made only for students who are not US citizens or permanent residents and who are therefore not eligible for Colorado residency.) Before classes begin in August, start the process of establishing state residency by obtaining a Colorado drivers license; registering to vote in Colorado; registering your motor vehicle in Colorado; and preparing to pay state income tax in Colorado.

See http://registrar.colorado.edu/Support/Residency/Residency.htm for details.

Campus e-mail

Once you have received your Personal Identification Number (PIN), establish a University of Colorado e-mail account on the web at www.colorado.edu/plus. The university administration and the English Department both consider your campus e-mail address an official means of communicating with you, so you will need to check your campus e-mail early and often. See http://www.colorado.edu/ITS/students/ for details about establishing an e-mail account.

Tuition, fees, and billing

You may check your tuition bill online at www.colorado.edu/plus. Tuition waivers and fellowships are generally not processed until August, so don’t panic if you are expecting a fellowship or a tuition waiver and you do not immediately see it on your bill. The deadline for Fall semester payment is September 1.

Financial Aid

If you wish to apply for need-based financial aid (exclusive of departmental fellowships and teaching positions), you must submit a FAFSA. See www.colorado.edu/finaid.

Housing, Transportation, and Parking

Housing in Boulder is neither cheap nor overly plentiful, so plan early to find affordable and accessible housing. Although most graduate students choose to live off campus, some on-campus housing for graduate students (including family housing) is available. Some students choose to live in outlying towns — e.g., Louisville, Longmont, Lafayette, Broomfield — and commute to Boulder. For information about housing on campus, see the Department of Housing web site at www-housing.colorado.edu. For housing off campus, see the Off-Campus Student Services web site (www.colorado.edu/OCSS), or the classified ads of the Boulder newspaper (www.thedailycamera.com) or the campus newspaper (www.coloradodaily.com).

Bus service is free (included in student fees) for CU-Boulder students with a valid student ID. See www.rtd-denver.com for bus routes and schedules. For information about purchasing a campus parking permit, see http://ucbparking.colorado.edu.

Contact us

For help with... Contact... At...
English Department matters, including registration in English classes and information about your teaching appointment or fellowship Ms. Peggy McKinney, English Department Program Assistant (303) 492-6594
Peggy.McKinney@colorado.edu
Advice about the MA-Literature and PhD programs English Dept. Director of Graduate Studies: Professor Nan Goodman (303) 492-8643
Nan.Goodman@colorado.edu
or
Advice about the MA-Creative Writing Program Prof. Jeffrey DeShell, English Department director of Creative Writing (303) 492-8952
Jeffrey.DeShell@colorado.edu
Billing questions Office of the Bursar (303) 492-5381
bursars@colorado.edu"
http://www-bursars.colorado.edu
Financial Aid Office of Financial Aid (303) 492-5091
finaid@colorado.edu
http://www.colorado.edu/finaid
Registration/enrollment status Office of the Registrar (303) 492-6970
registrar@registrar.colorado.edu
http://www.registrar.colorado.edu

For the 2006-2007 Academic Calendar, please go to: Academic Calendar