Getting Started

Before you Arrive

Immunizations

Student Health Center provides primary medical care, disease prevention, health education, wellness promotion, and various specialty services, including allergy injections, immunizations, gynecology, physical therapy, and HIV screening to all registered UNC Charlotte students. In addition, the Student Health Center can help students become compliant with their Immunization requirements. http://studenthealth.uncc.edu/ link to form: http://graduateschool.uncc.edu/images/stories/gradlife/orientation/immun...

Student Identification Card

ID Card Office (Student Union)
704-687-7040
Monday-Friday 8am-5pm
Supplies all student, faculty and staff, permanent, temporary and replacement I.D.’s and services the campus 49er card.

Health Insurance

Most students are required to have health insurance. For more information, go to http://studenthealth.uncc.edu/

Staying Organized

UNC Charlotte Graduate and Undergraduate Catalogs http://graduateschool.uncc.edu/academics/catalog.html

Academic Calendar http://registrar.uncc.edu/calendar.asp

Driver's License and Vehicular Registration Requirements

http://www.ncdot.org/dmv/

Tuition and Fees

Tuition rates are reviewed by the University's Board of Trustees and the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina System and set annually by the North Carolina legislature. Fees are reviewed and approved by the University's Board of Trustees with final approval pending the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina System review.

Tuition and Fees are billed by the semester for fall and spring terms and by credit hour for summer terms. Twelve or more credit hours are considered full-time for undergraduates and nine or more credit hours are considered full-time for graduates.
Please note that students will receive one combined billing statement for main campus and/or distance education courses. Distance Education charges are billed in addition to main campus charges. Since Distance Education charges are independent of main campus charges, those students enrolled in 12 or more credit hours with main campus and in one or more credit hours with Distance Education will be billed at the full time rate for main campus and for Distance Education charges. http://studentaccounts.uncc.edu/TuitionAndFees.html

University Services

Athletics
Recreational Services: http://www.recservices.uncc.edu/
Charlotte 49ers: http://www.charlotte49ers.com/
411fit: https://411fit.uncc.edu

Dining http://aux.uncc.edu/

Disability Services
Ensures access to academic programs and campus facilities of UNC Charlotte for all individuals. Students needing accommodations must register with this office. http://www.ds.uncc.edu/

Broker Health Center  http://studenthealth.uncc.edu/

Housing
On Campus housing information can be found at http://housing.uncc.edu/
A limited number of apartment spaces have been set aside for specifically for graduate students. Need a place to rent or sublet? Search the University of North Carolina Charlotte's official off-campus housing database at http://www.dso.uncc.edu/offcampus/index.htm.

ITS
ITS is a student's gateway to technological information including setting up a NinerNet Account and Help Desk information for a myriad of software programs. Prior to your arrival at UNC Charlotte, it's recommended you spend a few minutes on the UNC Charlotte web site http://www.uncc.edu/ There, you may set-up your NinerNET Account. Then use your NinerNET account to login to 49er Express (UNC Charlotte's online portal) where you can check your university email, access your student account and register for classes. http://www.its.uncc.edu/home/?p=Services-Students

Bookstore
UNC Charlotte's Book Headquarters! Located in the new Student Union. Purchase text books online. http://aux.uncc.edu/bookstore/

Atkins Library
Atkins Library is a vital academic center facilitating intellectual discovery and the exchange of ideas for the University community and surrounding region. The Library collects and disseminates relevant scholarly materials, provides a stimulating environment for learning and collaboration, embraces emerging technologies, and promotes lifelong learning.  http://library.uncc.edu/

Mental Health and Counseling
The counseling center offers individual counseling, group counseling, psychological consultation and psychiatry to students. For more information, http://www.counselingcenter.uncc.edu/

 http://aux.uncc.edu/

Parking and Transit
Parking on campus requires the purchase and display of a University parking permit or payment at meters or in the visitor decks. Permits do not guarantee a parking space, nor do they reserve a specific parking space, lot or deck. UNC Charlotte offers a FREE campus shuttle service. Look to their web site for hours of operation, routes or to purchase a parking permit. Also visit the Charlotte Area Transportation System (CATS) web site for information on bus and light rail routes http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/CATS/Riding+CATS/maps.htm
http://www.parking.uncc.edu/

Family Life

Healthcare  http://studenthealth.uncc.edu/

Office of International Programs

The Office of International Programs (OIP) strives to strengthen international education at the University as well as in the Charlotte community. On campus, it seeks to make international understanding and global awareness a fundamental part of the curriculum and an integral part of campus programming. In addition, the English Language Training Institute (ELTI) provides intensive English instruction for international students planning to attend U.S. American universities or colleges as well as for those pursuing professional training in the United States. http://www.elti.uncc.edu/ http://www.oip.uncc.edu/

International Students/Scholars Office
Information for the new international student. Be sure to check the ISSO calendar for the New International Student Orientation held each semester. Up-to-date information for international students can be found at the International Student/Scholar Office's website (http://www.isso.uncc.edu/index.htm)

Course Advisors

PhD: Dr. Dennis Livesay and Dr. Jennifer Weller

Master's: Dr. Cynthia Gibas and Ms. Elise Marshall

Student Computing Resources and Guidelines

Student Computing: Guilt Free Computing link to http://labs.uncc.edu/basics/guiltfree.html

Virus Protection http://labs.uncc.edu/basics/antivirus.html

Bioinformatics and Genomics Computing Labs in the Bioinformatics Building
The Professional Science Master's computer lab and study area is on the third floor of the Bioinformatics Building in room 304. Mac environments. In addition, there is wireless connectivity throughout the Bioinformatics Building for those students with their own portable computing product.

The Bioinformatics PhD students computer lab and study area is located in Bioinformatics 302. The seats are assigned and computers are provided. New Bioinformatics PhD students must state which operating system they prefer.

In addition, room Bioinformatics 104 is also available to students registered for Bioinformatics computing courses. Card swipe access for students is requested by the respected faculty member at the beginning of the semester.

CCI Student Computing Labs in Woodward
A state-of-the-art computer lab on the third floor of Woodward Hall provides both Windows and Linux environments available to anyone registered in a CCI course. In addition, there is wireless connectivity throughout Woodward Hall for those students with their own portable computing product.

Ordering Computers
College of Computing and Informatics strongly recommends computer ownership.
For ordering information, please go to: http://labs.uncc.edu/basics/compguide.html

Student Computer Registration http://labs.uncc.edu/

Graduation and Commencement
The University holds commencement ceremonies for Fall and Spring graduates. More information about commencement and graduation is found at: http://www.uncc.edu/graduation/

Graduate School's guidelines for Graduation http://graduateschool.uncc.edu/graduation/information.html

The College of Computing and Informatics hosts a reception for graduates and their family guests immediately following commencement.

Security Awareness Information and Programs

The Campus Police work to ensure the overall safety of the UNC Charlotte campus. Blue light phones, which connect to the Campus Police Department, are available throughout the campus. In addition, the University offers a Campus Escort Service. Students should report safety concerns to the Campus Police. In addition, SafeRide is a disability and safety campus transport service operated by Parking and Transportation Services. Electric vehicles provide transportation on the inner campus core for individuals with mobility disabilities during daytime hours and across the campus for everyone during the evening hours. Visit SafeRide at http://www.saferide.uncc.edu/ http://police.uncc.edu/

Students who have been accepted into the program often have several questions about housing, travel, what to do when you arrive, what items to bring for grad school, what books to buy and where to buy them, what are some foundation books, etc. Please send your questions to bioinformatics@uncc.edu

If you are interested in communicating with current students, please join the student facebook group BiAS: Bioinformatics Assembly of Students.

Bioinformatics International Graduate students’ steps, Week 1:

Arrive at least 1 week early! Classes begin on August 23, 2010 and you are expected to arrive before the first day of school.
You may purchase your first semester of books weeks before you leave for the US.
Once you have arrived after surviving the flight/customs/baggage claim etc., you will need to have an arranged ride (taxi, friend, etc) and then be on your way to your home/apt that you have also arranged.
Get settled into your home.
In your first week visit the following:

• Report to ISSO (International Student and Scholar Office | UNC Charlotte http://www.isso.uncc.edu/advisor.htm ) once you arrive on campus. They will also have a mandatory orientation.

• Report to Union to the Student ID Office to receive your Student ID card (bring proper documentation, schedule of courses and ID such as passport)

• For the PhD program, report to Dr. Dennis Livesay (Bioinformatics Track Director) and/or your adviser, for the Master's program, report to Dr. Cynthia Gibas, report to Business Service Coordinator, Ms. Trish Artis, and meet the Coordinator Ms. Elise Marshall.

• Attend the Department Orientation the first Friday of the semester. Orientation will be held August 27 at 2pm in the new Bioinformatics Building in Room 105.

• Attend all classes and arrive at least 10 minutes early for first class of the day. Other classes, you should be 5 minutes early.

•  Meet your colleagues & resources (fellow PhD students, Postdocs, Master’s students, faculty and staff).

Confirm that the Health Center has received your immunizations and ensure that you have your insurance information