Fall 2008
Welcome to the Transportation Technology and Policy (TTP) Graduate group! The administrative home for the Graduate Group is the Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS-Davis). ITS-Davis is the center of transportation research activities on the Davis campus and is a national leader in advanced transportation technologies, travel behavior analysis, and energy and environmental aspects of transportation.
This document provides the newest members of the Graduate group with business-related items, timelines, and important dates for events in the upcoming academic year.
Computer and E-Mail Accounts
You may obtain a UCD e-mail address, login ID, and Kerberos password through the Web here. Please provide your new e-mail address to Annemarie Schaaf, aschaaf@ucdavis.edu, so that she can add you to our listserves to make sure you don’t miss any future important announcements.
Student ID Number
Your student ID number was given to you in your official letter of admission from the Office of Graduate Studies. You can access your letter by returning to the Embark Online Admission system.
Fall 2008 Registration
The Student Information System on the Web (SISWEB) is used to enroll in classes, adjust class schedules, view and print class schedules, notify the University of a change of address, view financial aid status, etc. To access the SISWEB system you will need your UC Davis LoginID and corresponding password, as well as your student identification number and PAC (Personal Access Code).
See the Fall Quarter 2008 Class Schedule & Registration Guide for more details. The TTP fall schedule is also on the Department’s web site. Another document that may aid you in your course planning is the rolling two-year listing of transportation related courses. This document is intended to help you plan ahead. However, be aware that it is subject to change! Also, many more courses will be relevant to your program of study besides those – it is just intended to show the schedule for the clearly transportation-oriented classes offered. See the Core and Approved Courses for a reminder of the curriculum requirements and electives.
Full time graduate student status is 12 units per quarter. Graduate students are not assigned appointment times and are able to register for classes during Pass 1, (the day that registration begins) on May 12th for Fall 2008 quarter. For payroll purposes students must register for at least 12 units before September 22. If you have secured a GSR position, it will be necessary for you to register by the 22nd. International students will not be able to register until you have checked in with SISS (Services for International Students & Scholars), located at 100 University House.
Your Fall quarter registration should include the two ITS seminars: our regular Friday seminar and the first-year orientation seminar. You should also register for one unit of TTP 290C every quarter, under the CRN associated with your faculty advisor. The “Graduate Research Conference” TTP 290C is basically a bookkeeping device, intended to link faculty advisors with their advisees. It is more or less a phantom unit – counts toward the 12, but with no assignments specifically expected for it (just “satisfactory progress” in general). You should always register for a unit of TTP 290C each quarter, even if you already have 12 units otherwise. The TTP 299 is reflective of actual research you may be doing, and can vary from 0 to 12 units a quarter, again under the CRN of your faculty advisor. If you are a full-time student, make sure you register for at least 12 units each quarter, using TTP 299 units as needed to complete the 12.
If you are funded as a 50%-time TA or GSR, taking two “real” courses (i.e. besides seminars, 290C, and 299) in a quarter is typical. However, consult with your faculty advisor. In some cases, faculty expect less research and more coursework at the beginning of your studies, so that you can quickly learn enough in classes to be useful to them in research. So your advisor might want you to take three real courses for the first quarter or two, and accordingly cut back on the amount of time s/he expects from you on research. If you are not working, and especially if you are trying to finish your coursework as quickly as possible, taking 3 or 4 courses can be reasonable. But we definitely do not advise taking that many real courses if you are working as well.
TTP Student Guidance Manual
Please review our current TTP Student Guidance Manual to learn more about the specifics of our program.
ITS-Davis New Graduate Student Orientation
A new student orientation will be held on Monday, September 22, 2008, 2:00 – 4:30 p.m. in the ITS-Davis Large Conference Room (Room 2022 Academic Surge). Prior to the “business” portion of the orientation, please join the annual Fall Barbeque (all students, faculty and staff invited) from noon – 2:00 p.m. on the grassy area just west of Academic Surge.
Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)
Your graduate student health insurance will become effective the first day of the quarter, Monday, September 22. SHIP may be reviewed here. If you plan to continue to carry private insurance, download the 2008/09 SHIP Waiver found on the above website. Return the form and documentation to the Cowell Health Center by September 18.
UC Davis Photo ID Cards
Go to the Mee Room of the Memorial Union (MU) either September 22nd or 23rd from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to get your ID card. All students must present a valid driver’s license or other valid legal picture identification (i.e., current passport or passport-type photograph) in order to receive their photo ID card. If you miss this window, please go to the Registrar’s Office in 12 Mrak Hall to get your photo ID.
International Student Orientation Program
Upon arriving in Davis, please check in with SISS located at 100 University House. International students are required to attend the International Student Orientation Program offered September 15th. For more information please contact SISS, e-mail: siss@ucdavis.edu, telephone: (530) 752-0864 or see their website
Mandatory Examination in English for International Students
The mandatory English Examination for New International Graduate Students is Wednesday, September 17, 9:00AM–11:30AM, in 1100 SocSci & Humanities building. Photo ID (passport) is required. This exam is independent of our department and is required no matter what score you made on the TOEFL or any other language test scores presented as admission factors. For more information, please see their website
Office of Graduate Studies Week of Orientation and Welcome (WOW)
You are invited to participate in the Fall 2008 WOW that will be held September 16-20, 2008. WOW is a week-long series of workshops, presentations and activities designed to introduce graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to the resources and services available at UC Davis. For more information, including registration, click here.
Academic Calendar
Instruction begins on Thursday, September 25th. To find out the holiday breaks and other important dates, visit the UC Davis campus calendar.