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Information for Arriving Students

Guide Contents

This guide contains information that will benefit you as a graduate student at Penn State. The guide is broken down in to three sections:

Items Needed

This section lists all items required to process your graduate appointment for you to receive your monthly stipend;

Getting Started

This section contains information that will aid you in getting settled in the Department of Mathematics;

Important Information

This additional information will aid you in many various aspects from telephones to transportation.

You do not need to understand everything in this guide immediately, but use it as a quick reference for the many questions you will have. All forms referred to in this guide will be provided to you upon your arrival at Penn State. If you have any immediate questions, you may e-mail Becky Halpenny.

Department of Mathematics Training Program for Graduate Teaching Assistants

The Department provides training in teaching skills for all new graduate students. Training meetings will take place throughout the fall semester each Tuesday in room 106 McAllister from 1:00pm - 2:00pm. Attendance is mandatory for new graduate students, whether or not you will have a teaching assignment for your first semester.

We will have a welcome lunch on Thursday, August 25 at 12:00 noon in 114 McAllister Building.

Teaching is a challenge and a joy, and it can also seem like an awesome responsibility--especially if you are new to the American university system. Our training program aims to give you the skills you need to succeed in the classroom and to answer your questions and concerns. We will address practical questions (such as, where do I find the chalk?), expectations (what will my students be like?), classroom strategy (how should I prepare for my first class?), assessment (what do my students know?), and university policy.

Find information about the full spectrum of Departmental support for graduate teaching assistants at the Teaching Resources page.

The program is managed by Professors John Roe and James Sellers with the assistance of a team of experienced graduate TAs. Please feel free to contact Professor Roe if you have any comments or suggestions regarding our training program.