Welcome to our graduate program. This document complements A Guide to the Mathematics Graduate Program (which contains the technical details of the program) by highlighting the resources available (advising, seminars and colloquia, computer and library facilities, etc.) and, for those who have a teaching assistantship (TAship), giving you basic information about your duties.
It is important to
keep in mind your overall responsibilities as a mathematics graduate
student: to acquire as much mathematical knowledge as possible; to
complete, in a timely manner, the requirements for your degree; and,
if you are interested in academic employment, to acquire teaching
experience. The department is eager to support you in becoming a
successful professional mathematician and educator.
Your graduate experience at GW will be enhanced by our location. Being in the heart of Washington, DC allows our students to take advantage of the many opportunities that the city offers. The ethnic diversity and cultural wealth of the Washington, DC area make this an interesting place to live and work.
If you do not already live in the Washington area, it would be wise to make your housing arrangements and familiarize yourself with the area and the department at least a few weeks before classes begin. Several activities mentioned in the next paragraph require new students to be on campus the week before the start of classes (see the Academic Calendar under "Quick Links" at My.GWU for the date that classes begin). Local newspapers and Off-Campus Housing have information on area housing. Feel free to contact your fellow graduate students for tips on finding housing.
Several activities for new graduate students are held the week before the Fall Semester begins: a Graduate Teaching Assistant Program (GTAP) organized by The Office of Graduate Student Assistantships & Fellowships; an English test and interview for international students, given by the English as a Foreign Language program; and an orientation for mathematics graduate students, organized by our department. At the GTAP, each new TA gives a five-minute sample presentation to a small group of peers and is evaluated for effective communication; all students, especially international students, are encouraged to discuss their presentation in advance with their academic advisor.
From the International Services Office, (202) 994-6860, international students can get information on organizations and support groups for graduate students from their countries. The Student Services page has links to many useful web sites.
Upon admission to the program, each student is assigned an initial advisor; this reflects our commitment to providing the support necessary for our students to succeed.
Master's students work with an initial advisor throughout their studies; Ph.D. students work with an initial advisor until they select a dissertation advisor. As much as possible, the assignment of students to initial advisors is based on common mathematical interests. As changes in interests or other circumstances warrant, students may, with the consent of the new advisor, change initial advisors.
With your initial advisor, you should formulate a long-term plan to satisfy your course and exam requirements. You should consult your advisor each semester to select courses for the following semester.
Your advisor can help you adapt to, and function successfully in, the graduate program. For Ph.D. students, it is especially important to keep your eyes open from the beginning of your graduate career for possible areas in which to write your dissertation. Discuss your interests and ideas with your advisor; if feasible, pursue some initial research projects.
The department is granted TAships (in recent years, 15 new or renewed TAships per year) to award to Ph.D. students. There may also be opportunities for research assistantships funded by faculty grants.
Each Spring the graduate committee reviews the progress of all TAs and makes recommendations to the CCAS associate dean of graduate studies on the renewal of funding. Assuming satisfactory progress toward the completion of the degree and satisfactory teaching, Ph.D. candidates with TAships are normally supported for five years (and sometimes six). Satisfactory progress is measured by course grades (the minimum acceptable graduate GPA is 3.0, i.e., B), successful and timely completion of the exams, and progress toward the completion of the dissertation.
Additional options for
financial assistance can be found via the following web sites.
Mathematical and social environment of the department
Our program offers the individual attention of a modestly-sized department while also providing a rich spectrum of areas in which graduate students can conduct their dissertation research.
There is great interaction within our community of graduate students and faculty. Among the many features that foster this interaction are the small class sizes (typically five to ten students per course), the proximity of the graduate student offices to those of the faculty, and the many seminars that give students paths into the areas of faculty expertise. You are always welcome to talk with the faculty and you are encouraged to participate in all departmental activities.
Colloquium
The colloquium aims to expose all of us to a variety of mathematical subjects and current research problems. Colloquia are important experiences that contribute to our overall awareness of the field. Everyone is strongly encouraged to attend. We ask colloquium speakers to make their talks accessible to graduates students and faculty in all areas of mathematics. Do not be discouraged if you do not understand talks in their entirety; the accessibility of talks varies, but from all talks one can at least gain an initial exposure to different areas of mathematics and their basic problems.
Seminars
The department offers weekly research seminars in many areas of interest to faculty and graduate students. You should attend seminars in subjects that interest you. Seminars expose you to current research and give you opportunities to meet researchers from other institutions. Seminar topics may suggest possible areas for your own research.
The graduate student seminar, of which there are typically several per year, features presentations by, or specifically targeted at, graduate students. Through this seminar you can learn about the current research projects of your peers, which may suggest what topics you might want to pursue. You should participate actively in this seminar.
Speaking in seminars is good preparation for the many future occasions when you will be asked to give talks as a professional mathematician.
Seminar and Colloquium web pages.
Graduate student community
Our department has a strong tradition of graduate students working together toward their common goal of becoming mathematicians. For instance, many students study together for courses; it is common for those preparing for the written qualifying exams to work in groups to solve the problems on the past exams; some students collaborate on research; also, from time to time TAs visit each others' recitations and offer advice and constructive criticism on what works and what can be made more effective. You are encouraged to initiate such mutually beneficial activities.
One of the department's bulletin boards is devoted to information of interest to graduate students. You are encouraged to take an active role in tailoring this bulletin board to the interests of our current students by posting, for instance, mathematical problems, news, announcements of events, and funding information (e.g., grants and prizes for graduate students).
Social events
You have a standing invitation to all social events of the department. You are welcome to join faculty for lunch with colloquium or seminar speakers.
Department and university resources
Department Main Office
The department office is a source of information and assistance in many areas. Upon your arrival, please give your home address and phone number to the office staff so that it may be entered in the departmental directory; at this time, the staff will give you your office key as well as your access code for the photocopier. Faculty and graduate students have mailboxes in the department office. The office staff can give you copies of past qualifying exams. If you receive financial support from the university, please contact the executive aide to complete the paperwork necessary to receive your paycheck. If you have teaching duties, you should get textbooks and teaching-related supplies from the department office. The staff can also provide assistance photocopying exams, quizzes, etc., for your recitations and classes.
Library
The mathematics collection is housed in Gelman Library; books are on the sixth floor and journals (shelved alphabetically by title) are on the third floor. The check-out and reserve desks, interlibrary loan services, and reference materials are on the first floor. Your GWorld ID card allows you to borrow books from Gelman Library and to make interlibrary loans. Journals are checked out and returned on the third floor. Students need an FAB card to take journals out of the building; FAB cards can be obtained through advisors.
The Aladin on-line catalog allows you to do many things from any computer, including checking on the availability of books, ordering copies of articles from remote storage, and renewing books. MathSciNet (the electronic version of Mathematical Reviews) is also available, as are the electronic versions of many of the journals to which Gelman Library subscribes.
You are encouraged to take time to browse through current issues of mathematics journals to see the variety of ongoing research. Such activity will become increasingly important to your work as you advance through the graduate program.
Computer resources
Developing computer skills is wise since computers can assist us in many aspects of our professional lives, such as in research, the preparation of manuscripts and teaching material, and electronic communication with collaborators. The department has a computer room as well as computers in each office, and you have full access to the university's computer facilities. Forms for requesting computer and e-mail accounts are available on the Information Technology Services web page.
Conference travel support
CCAS and the department can provide some support for graduate student travel to conferences. Students should work in consultation with their advisors to apply for funding before the proposed travel. CCAS support usually requires that the student give a talk at the conference; see the CCAS web page for the guidelines and application form. The department has several means to support graduate student travel, including the Rodica Simion Memorial Fund; students seeking support from the Memorial Fund should talk with the organizers of the fund; those seeking support from other department sources should talk with the department chair.
If you are supported by a teaching assistantship, you will have certain teaching responsibilities. Besides providing financial support, such duties help you prepare for an academic career. You should expect to spend about 15 hours per week on these duties, which typically include leading recitations, grading, and (less frequently) teaching courses. (If TA duties require significantly more than 15 hours per week, you should talk with the department chair or the graduate committee chair.)
It is crucial to balance your teaching obligations and your own coursework and research: on the one hand, undergraduates and the department rely on you to be an effective TA; on the other hand, your primary duty is to develop into a professional mathematician. You are encouraged to discuss this and other teaching issues with your advisor and other faculty members, and with fellow TAs.
Recitations
A typical TA assignment includes running three 50-minute recitations per week for a particular introductory course, such as one of the calculus courses. Recitations are class meetings with groups of around 25 students during which assigned problems are discussed; their goal is to reinforce the material presented in class.
There are many sources of information on conducting recitations, including two activities that are held the week before classes start: the department's orientation and the university's Graduate Teaching Assistant Program (GTAP). You are also encouraged to discuss how to handle your teaching duties both with the faculty member you will assist and with your fellow graduate students.
In the weeks before classes start, find out from department office or the Schedule of Classes what your TA assignment is, get the textbook from the department office, and contact the professor in charge of the course. In addition to running the recitation itself, your duties may include attending lectures, holding office hours, writing and administering quizzes, grading quizzes or homework (but not both in a week), proctoring exams, and assisting the professor in grading exams.
The recitation leader's role is to help students learn by supporting and complementing the professor's efforts. Recitations should reinforce the lectures. Typically, in a recitation session you should answer students' questions about lecture material, examples, and homework problems. It is very important to always be up to date on what is covered in the lecture, what homework is assigned, and all announcements made in class.
Each course and recitation section has an official maximum enrollment. Consult with the instructor before signing additional students into a recitation section. Only the instructor should sign additional students into the lecture.
If you have to miss a recitation, you are responsible for providing a reliable substitute (usually another TA) and informing the course instructor of the arrangements you have made; you should also inform the department office of the dates you will be away and who will substitute. You should give the substitute all necessary information so that your class will be conducted as if you were there.
You should schedule and announce office hours, which provide students with the opportunity to ask you for help; consult the course instructor on how many office hours you should hold per week. With the aim of maximizing the amount of time that graduate students can work in their offices undisturbed, graduate student office hours are held in Monroe 253 (the Math Lab), not in offices.
Be aware of GW's Code of Academic Integrity. If you detect academic dishonesty in a course for which you are a TA, please bring it to the attention of the course instructor; he or she should handle the case.
It is important that your interaction with students be strictly professional. Avoid any conflicts of interest, even perceived conflicts of interest. You cannot receive compensation of any kind for tutoring students in any course in which you are an instructor, teaching assistant, or grader, even students in sections other than yours.
Each year, the department evaluates your teaching to determine whether your performance as a TA is satisfactory. A satisfactory evaluation is required for renewal of support.
Teaching a course
Occasionally, graduate students have the opportunity to teach a course on their own. This allows graduate students to gain teaching experience in a situation in which they have full responsibility for the course: planning the lectures, assigning homework, formulating exams, and giving grades. This opportunity is given only to students who have proven themselves to be competent, organized, and effective TAs.
It is important to observe the department syllabus (available from the department office) and to have expectations of the undergraduate students that are consistent with those of the department. You should consult your advisor or other faculty members about the level of the exams and the grading procedures to be used. The department syllabus also lists a number of items that must be included on course syllabi.
As when leading recitations, when teaching a course your office hours should be held in Monroe 253 (the Math Lab), not in offices.
Instructors must include information about GW's Code of Academic Integrity on their written syllabus and (briefly) mention it on the first day of class. The cover page of each exam should also mention the code; simply having the sentence "You are bound by the Code of Academic Integrity" suffices. If any cases of academic dishonesty arise in a course you are teaching, please talk with the department chair or the graduate committee chair before taking any action.
Private tutoring
The department secretary maintains a list of graduate (and undergraduate) students who are interested in being hired by students in introductory courses (e.g., calculus) as private tutors; the department makes this list available to students who inquire about tutors. If you are interested in being on this list, please talk with the secretary and tell her what courses you are interested in tutoring for. (Remember, you cannot tutor students in any section of a course for which you are a TA.) Also, talk with your office mates about the current rates that private tutors charge.
While tutoring can provide a useful source of income, it is important that you do not let it slow your progress in the program --- your own mathematical development is of the utmost importance.
Updated 28 August 2007.