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_Biology Department UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA DULUTH
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INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this document is to provide a reference on matters specific to the Graduate Program in Biology. It is not intended to substitute for the information carried by the University of Minnesota Duluth Catalog, the University of Minnesota Graduate School Catalog, the University of Minnesota Duluth Graduate Student Handbook, the University of Minnesota Guidelines for Graduate Assistants, or the information available through the Graduate School's web site, but rather should be viewed as a supplement to those sources.

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DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The Master of Science (MS) degree, major in Biology, can be obtained by one of two plans, Plan A or Plan B. Plan A is designed for those individuals wishing to pursue an independent research project culminating in a thesis. Under this plan a person is able to study in depth a specific aspect of biology. Plan B is designed for those attracted to a wide variety of biological topics, who desire a broadly based program, especially for K-12 teaching or other educational pursuits. It involves taking a larger number of courses and completing one or more Plan B project/s, less extensive or original than thesis research.

PLAN A

Credits: Plan A students must complete at least 14 course credits in the major, including at least 10 credits in courses approved for the selected area of concentration; at least 6 credits of approved coursework in one or more related fields or a minor; and at least 10 thesis credits.

1. Course/Program Requirements:
   • You must select one of the following major areas of concentration within the Biology major: Botany, Zoology, Environmental Biology, or Cellular and Physiological Biology. The area of concentration will not be designated on the transcript. You must take a minimum of 10 graduate credits in 4xxx, 5xxx or 8xxx level courses in your selected major area of concentration. These courses must be chosen from the listing of Biology Graduate Program courses applicable for that area of concentration.
   • You must take Biol 8099 Biological Practitioner (1 cr), plus at least 3 additional graduate credits in 4xxx, 5xxx or 8xxx level courses from the listing of Biology Graduate Program courses. These 3 credits may be taken from any of the four areas of concentration.
   • You must take a minimum of 10 credits of Biol 8777 (Thesis Credits: Masters). These credits cannot be applied toward the major, the minor, or the related field.
2. Related Fields/Minor Field: One of the following options must be selected
   • Related Fields: You must take at least 6 graduate credits in 4xxx, 5xxx or 8xxx courses in one or more related fields. A related field will not be designated on the transcript.
     • Some or all of these credits can be taken outside of Biology Graduate Program courses.
     • Some or all of these credits can be taken in a Biology area of concentration other than your major area of concentration. If this is done, no course may be used that is also listed in the major area of concentration.

   OR

   • Minor Field: You must take at least 6 graduate credits in 4xxx, 5xxx or 8xxx courses in a single minor field other than Biology. The minor will be designated on the transcript. The Minor Field must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) for that field.
3. Other Requirements:
   • Seminar: You must present a seminar before the Biology Graduate Faculty describing your thesis research near the end of your graduate study.
   • Thesis: A thesis of publishable quality describing an original and independent research project is required. Your Advisement Committee must approve your thesis. Further details on the format and preparation of this thesis can be found in the University of Minnesota Graduate School Catalog or the Graduate School's printed thesis guidelines, which are updated periodically. You must prepare and submit three unbound copies of your thesis to the Graduate School. You or your advisor may wish to have additional copies, bound or not. See http://www.d.umn.edu/grad/plan_a.html for more details.
   • Oral Examination: You must take (and pass) a final oral examination given by your Advisement Committee upon the completion of the thesis. For further details, see the University of Minnesota Graduate School Catalog or the University of Minnesota Duluth Catalog.

There is no language requirement for the Plan A Biology program.

PLAN B

Credits: Plan B students must complete at least 14 course credits in the major, at least 6 credits of approved coursework in one or more related fields or a minor, and at least 10 credits of other approved coursework. Plan B requires one to three Plan B projects. Inclusion of 4xxx courses on degree program forms is subject to program approval.

1. Course/Program Requirements:
   • You must take Biol 8099 Biological Practitioner (1 cr) and at least 13 graduate credits in Biology Graduate Program courses. The area of concentration for a course does not matter for the Plan B. Note that Biol 8993 Graduate Seminar and Biol 8994 Graduate Research cannot be used to meet this requirement.
   • You must take at least 10 additional graduate credits in courses numbered 4xxx, 5xxx or 8xxx in the Biology Department and/or in other departments. Biol 8993 (Graduate Seminar) and/or Biol 8994 (Graduate Research) may be used as part of these 10 additional credits. Biol 8777 (Thesis Credits: Masters) may not be used.
2. Related Fields/Minor Field:
   • Related Fields: You must take at least 6 graduate credits in non-Biology courses numbered 4xxx, 5xxx or 8xxx in one or more related fields. These credits must not be from the Biology Graduate Program courses. A related field will not be designated on the transcript.
   OR
   • Minor Field: You must take at least 6 graduate credits in courses in 4xxx, 5xxx or 8xxx courses in a single minor field other than Biology, The minor will be designated on the transcript. The Minor Field must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) for that field.
3. Other Requirements:
   • Seminar: You must present a seminar before the Biology Graduate Faculty describing your Plan B project/s near the end of your graduate study.
   • Project/s: You must satisfactorily complete one or more Plan B projects, totaling a minimum of 120 hours of effort. These projects may involve writing papers and/or certain laboratory projects. Such projects may be done either under the supervision of a Biology faculty member or a faculty member from another department, either in conjunction with a particular course or completely independent from a course. The project/s will be chosen and determined by you in consultation with your Advisement Committee. There is no requirement to submit copies of the Plan B paper to the Graduate School or department. See http://www.d.umn.edu/grad/plan_b.html for more information.
   • You must take (and pass) a final oral examination given by your Advisement Committee upon the completion of your project/s. For further details, see the University of Minnesota Graduate School Catalog or the University of Minnesota Duluth Catalog.

There is no language requirement for Plan B programs.

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DEADLINES

The following list assumes completion of an M.S. in two years. Several of the deadlines can be pushed back if it takes more than two years to complete the program, as indicated. All graduate students must be registered every semester (see Registration after completion of Formal Course Work for details). Please note: the only forms that you, as Duluth campus Graduate students, should get off the main campus Graduate School web site are the Universal Degree Program Form and Petitions. All other forms are available in the Graduate School Office, 431 Darland Administration Building.

Plan A

Fall Semester Year 1

• Register by the end of the second week of the semester. Failure to do so will result in you being placed on inactive status, resulting in the loss of your TA or RA. No exceptions
• You must register for Biol 8099 Biological Practitioner
• The selection of your Advisement Committee should be done during your first semester of graduate work (see Selection of Advisement Committee for details)
• Submit your schedule to the department head for TA assignments for Spring

Spring Semester Year 1

• Register by the end of the second week of the semester. Failure to do so will result in you being placed on inactive status, resulting in the loss of your TA or RA. No exceptions.
• File a Universal Degree Program form (see Filing of Graduate Program for details)
  • prepare a thesis proposal
  • meet with your Advisement Committee to discuss your thesis proposal
    • your Advisement Committee may also wish to review your Degree Program form
• If you wish to be considered for a Teaching Assistantship for the following academic year, you must have the Biology Graduate Faculty on your Advisement Committee submit an assessment of your progress toward the degree to the Director of Graduate Studies no later than March 15
• Submit your schedule to the department head for TA assignments for Fall

Fall Semester Year 2

• Register by the end of the second week of the semester. Failure to do so will result in you being placed on inactive status, resulting in the loss of your TA or RA. No exceptions.
• You should indicate your desire to give a Departmental seminar (see Biology Seminars for more details) during the semester preceding the one in which it would be given. This should be directed to the Departmental Seminar Coordinator, whose name can be obtained from the Biology Department Office.
• Submit your schedule to the department head for TA assignments for Spring

Spring Semester Year 2

• Register by the end of the second week of the semester. Failure to do so will result in you being placed on inactive status, resulting in the loss of your TA or RA. No exceptions.
• After the Universal Degree Program form has been approved by the Graduate School and the thesis is ready to go to the reviewers, pick up an Application for Degree form from the Graduate School Office, 431 Darland Administration Building
  • This form must be completed and returned to the Graduate School office by the first day of the month you plan to take your oral examination in

  
  OR

  • If you are planning to participate in the spring Graduation/Commencement Ceremony, you must file the Application for Degree by March 1 (or the first working day of March)
    
• At least one week prior to your oral examination, notify the Graduate School office of the date. This will ensure that they get the Thesis Reviewers' Report form and the Examination Report form to the chairman of your committee before the date of your oral examination
• Give your seminar
• Take your oral examination (see Final Oral Examination for details)
• The signed Thesis Reviewers' Report form and Final Examination Report form must be submitted to the Graduate School Office, 431 Darland Administration Building, by the last working day of the intended month of graduation
  • Please note: the Thesis Reviewers' Report is retained by the committee until they are satisfied with the thesis
    
• Submit three unbound copies of your thesis, signed by your adviser(s), to the graduate school by the last working day of the intended month of graduation with a $10.00 check made out to the University of Minnesota.
  • Instructions including guidelines for your thesis are available in the rack outside the Graduate School Office, 431 Darland Administration Building
    
• Before leaving the Department permanently, finish a Graduate Student Exit Interview Checklist with the Department Office. You will not graduate if this has not been done.

Plan B

Fall Semester Year 1

• Register by the end of the second week of the semester. Failure to do so will result in you being placed on inactive status, resulting in the loss of your TA or RA. No exceptions.
• You must register for Biol 8099 Biological Practitioner
• Select your Advisement Committee during your first semester of graduate work (see Selection of Advisement Committee for details)
• Submit your schedule to the department head for TA assignments for Spring
  

Spring Semester Year 1

• Register by the end of the second week of the semester. Failure to do so will result in you being placed on inactive status, resulting in the loss of your TA or RA. No exceptions.
• File a Universal Degree Program form. (see Filing of Graduate Program for details)
  • Identify how you will satisfy the requirement for Plan B projects.
• If you wish to be considered for a Teaching Assistantship for the following academic year, you must have the Biology Graduate Faculty on your Advisement Committee submit an assessment of your progress toward the degree to the Director of Graduate Studies no later than March 15
• Submit schedule to department head for TA assignments for Fall

Fall Semester Year 2

• Register by the end of the second week of the semester. Failure to do so will result in you being placed on inactive status, resulting in the loss of your TA or RA. No exceptions.
• You should indicate your desire to give a Departmental seminar during the semester preceding the one in which it would be given. This should be directed to the Departmental Seminar Coordinator, whose name can be obtained from the Biology Dept. Office (see Biology Seminars for more details).
• Submit schedule to the department head for TA assignments for Spring

Spring Semester Year 2

• Register by the end of the second week of the semester. Failure to do so will result in you being placed on inactive status, resulting in the loss of your TA or RA. No exceptions.
• After the Universal Degree Program form has been approved by the Graduate School and the project paper is ready to go to the reviewers, pick up an Application for Degree form from the Graduate School Office, 431 Darland Administration Building
  • This form must be completed and returned to the Graduate School office by the first day of the month you plan to take your oral examination in
• At least one week prior to your oral examination, notify the Graduate School office of the date. This will ensure that they get the Project Reviewers' Report form and the Examination Report form to the chairman of your committee before the date of your oral examination
• Give your seminar
• Take your oral examination (see Final Oral Examination for details)
• The signed Project Reviewers' Report form and Final Examination Report form must be submitted to the Graduate School Office, 431 Darland Administration Building, by the last working day of the intended month of graduation
  • Please note: the Project Reviewers' Report is retained by the committee until they are satisfied with the thesis
• Before leaving the Department permanently, finish a the Graduate Student Exit Interview Checklist with the Department Office. You will not graduate if this has not been done.

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PROGRESS IN GRADUATE WORK

In addition to the aforementioned deadlines, the Biology Graduate Program evaluates your progress in graduate work with the following criteria. If any one of the criteria is not met, a hold will be placed on your registration. To remove the hold, you must prepare a plan for how you will remedy the situation to the satisfaction of the DGS and the your advisor. Failure to adhere to the plan will result another hold on your registration.

1. Deficiencies: The prompt completion of any course deficiencies indicated to you in your acceptance letter.
2. GPA: A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better in all graduate level courses listed your degree program form.
3. Incompletes: A maximum amount of 1 incomplete credit on your record at any one time.
   • If the course in which the incomplete credit occurs is taught annually, you have one year from the end of the course to complete the remaining work.
   • If the course is not taught annually, you must present a plan for timely completion of the remaining work that is agreeable to the instructor of that course.
4. Code of Conduct: Professional standards are discussed in the required Biological Practitioner course (Biol 8099), but include prompt attendance at classes you take and teach; keeping office hours; a willingness to chip in and help with additional and reasonable assignments when called upon (such as helping instructors grade during finals week); and conferring deference and respect on colleagues, faculty, staff, and the public.
   • The Biology Department expects you to act in accordance with the University Code of Conduct. Serious and repeated breaches of professional standards will be brought to the attention of the DGS, Department Head, and/or Dean of the Graduate School. One or more of these individuals will then meet with you and your advisor to discuss appropriate measures to rectify the situation. In extreme cases, dismissal may be an option.
   • Also consult the following:
     • Standards of Student Conduct Enforceable by University Agencies
     • Professional Ethics and Responsible Research Conduct
5. All graduate requirements must be completed within 7 years from the date you first register.

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SELECTION OF AN ADVISEMENT COMMITTEE

All new graduate students enter our program with a faculty sponsor as their initial advisor to assist in formulating a class schedule for the first semester of study, sometimes in consultation with the DGS. During this first semester you must decide upon a permanent advisor and choose the members of your Advisement Committee. The procedure for selecting your advisor and your Advisement Committee is the same regardless of whether you follow Plan A or Plan B. Your major advisor typically functions as the chairperson of your Advisement Committee and assists you in course selection and planning, and unless otherwise approved it is expected that your Advisement Committee will serve as the committee assigned the task of reading your thesis (Plan A students only) and of administering your final oral evaluation.

Procedure:

1. Select a potential major advisor from the list of Graduate Faculty whose indicated interest most closely matches your own (listed on Biology Graduate Program Web Page). Talk to him/her to determine the feasibility of acting as your major advisor. In consultation with this tentative major advisor, you should then select as least 2 and not more than 3 additional individuals to comprise your Advisement Committee.
2. Select 2 to 3 additional members, including
   • A faculty member holding a graduate appointment in Biology who is designated for your major area of concentration (if Plan A).
   • One or two individuals from your related field(s) or minor(s). These individuals do not need to have a graduate appointment in Biology, but must have approval by the Graduate School to serve on Advisement Committees. A list of all individuals who have such approval, as well as the major/minor fields for which they are approved, is available through the "search the faculty roster" link on the Graduate School (UMTC) web page. If you have a minor, there must be an approved member representing that field on your Advisement Committee.
3. Complete a Degree Program Transmittal Form to present to the Biology DGS and submit to the Graduate School.

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FILING OF GRADUATE PROGRAM

Shortly after the composition of your Advisement Committee has been approved by the Biology DGS, you should design your full graduate program in consultation with your major advisor.

1. Provide all committee members with a copy of your proposed program of coursework, undergraduate and graduate unofficial transcripts, and
   • Plan A: Submit to your Advisement Committee a detailed outline of your intended research, including objectives and methodology. Your Advisement Committee may ask that you provide them with periodic progress reports, either oral or written, concerning your thesis project.
   • Plan B: Submit to your Advisement Committee a detailed outline of the exact manner in which you will meet the requirement of one or more Plan B projects. Your Advisement Committee may ask that you provide them with periodic progress reports, either oral or written, concerning your thesis project/s.
2. Call a meeting of your committee, at which all committee members must be present to approve your proposed plan.
3. Fill out a Universal Degree Program Form which includes a Degree Program Transmittal page and a Degree Program for (see example for Degree Program below) within the first two semesters of your graduate study. This form must be signed by your advisor and submitted, with a current transcript, to the DGS, who will forward it to the Graduate School Office.

If you find it necessary to revise your program and/or Advisement Committee, you must obtain the current amendment forms from the University of Minnesota Duluth Graduate School Office, complete them, and submit them to the DGS. Pending approval, the DGS will forward them to the University of Minnesota Duluth Graduate School Office for final approval.

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FINAL ORAL EXAMINATION

A final oral examination is required of all Biology candidates for the M.S. degree. Although the University of Minnesota Duluth Catalog discusses the possibility of a final written examination, it is our policy not to offer a written final examination. Your oral examination will generally last 2 or more hours and, unless both you and your Advisement Committee consent otherwise, the examination is not open to the public. In addition to questions addressing your thesis or project/s, you can expect questions dealing with subjects indirectly related to your research or project area, including general knowledge of biology. A majority vote of your committee is required to pass. If a majority vote is not obtained, you may be given an opportunity to retake the oral examination. This option of a second examination will require the unanimous consent of your committee. THIS EXAMINATION IS TAKEN ONLY AFTER THE PLAN A THESIS OR PLAN B PROJECT/S HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.

1. Pick up an Application for Degree form from the Graduate School Office, 431 Darland Administration Building, and submit it by the first day of the month in which you will be taking your oral examination
2. Provide all members of your Advisement Committee with a clear and complete copy of your thesis or project/s at least 2 weeks prior to the date on which your oral examination is to be given
3. Notify the Graduate School Office, 431 Darland Administration Building, of the date of your oral examination at least one week prior to your oral examination. This will ensure that they send the Master's Thesis (plan A) / Project (plan B) Reviewers' Report form and Examination Report form to the chairman of your committee before your oral examination
4. Return the signed Master's Thesis (plan A)/ Project (plan b) Reviewers' Report form and Examination Report form to the Graduate School Office by the last day of the month in which you take your oral examination

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BIOLOGY SEMINARS

All Biology graduate students will attend the Biology Seminar Series. Each graduate student will give at least one seminar in this series as a part of the degree requirement. Your seminar can be given during the summer, but please recognize that attendance will be low.

Arrange to present your seminar at least one semester in advance. Contact your advisor and Departmental Seminar Coordinator to schedule it.

• Plan A: This seminar is typically given at the completion of the thesis research and describes the nature and results of the research.
• Plan B: This seminar typically describes one Plan B project.

GRADING POLICY

The grading system applicable to graduate students is described in the current University of Minnesota Duluth Catalog and the University Senate Policy. In addition to these statements you should be aware of the policy regarding grading in 4xxx and 5xxx courses. Instructors are permitted to hold graduate and undergraduate students who are in the same class to different standards of academic performance and accomplishment. The syllabus must make clear what the different standards will be for the different groups of students who may be enrolled in the class. It is felt that this policy serves to delineate the difference in performance expected of graduate students as compared to undergraduates in courses at this level.

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FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

Graduate fellowships, awards based on academic merit, are available to new and currently enrolled graduate students at the University of Minnesota. The Graduate School Fellowship Office administers University-wide fellowships. Applications may be printed from the Fellowship Office web page and sent to the Fellowship Office by the designated deadline. The Office also administers the National Science Foundation Fellowships program. Forms for these purposes may be obtained by writing directly to the Graduate Fellowship Office, 422 Johnston Hall, 101 Pleasant Street, S.E., University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0421.

The Biology Graduate Program awards Summer Fellowships, Tuition Fellowships, and Travel Fellowships, all of which are funded by the Graduate School. The application procedures for a Summer Fellowship, which provides for personal living expenses, will be announced to you. Tuition Fellowships, which pay for tuition that assistantships, scholarships, or other fellowships do not, and Travel Fellowships for presenting talks or posters on research at a professional meetings may be applied for in any semester; contact the Director of Graduate Studies.

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DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF TEACHING ASSISTANTS

Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) are employees of the Biology Department; a teaching assistantship is not a fellowship. The Biology Department views the GTA program as our opportunity to teach you how to teach, a skill that can be very important in future job applications. Details and obligations of GTAs will be provided in a separate informational package given to each assistant at the time of his/her original appointment. More information is available in the University of Minnesota Guidelines for Graduate Assistants.

1. Scheduling: GTAs must turn in their schedules in mid-August and mid-December so that teaching assignments for the following semester can be assigned; therefore, they must register for classes before the semester begins. GTAs will be assigned to teach lab sections of undergraduate classes. The Biology Department makes every effort to match the GTAs with courses that utilize their expertise and interests
2. Supervision: A specific faculty member (or members) will be the direct supervisor(s) of the GTAs. They may
   • ask that the GTA assist with lectures
   • ask that the GTA help in the preparation of laboratory materials
   • ask that the GTA help in the and proctoring of examinations
   • discuss the material to be taught
   • offer suggestions as to its presentation
3. Attendance: All teaching assistants must be on campus the week before classes begin each semester (to meet with instructors and help set up laboratories, classes, etc.) until the end of finals week (to assist grading final exams, etc.)
4. Supplies: Grade books and answer sheets are available in LSci 206. Contact the Office Staff for assistance.
5. Evaluation: All faculty under whom you assist must submit an evaluation of your work to the Department Head. This will likely include responses to student evaluations distributed at the end of every semester.
6. Continuation: If GTAs are interested in subsequent years of support, they should notify the Biology Department Head early in Spring Semester. The Department Head will consider the evaluations and academic performance in determining GTA extensions.
7. Grievances: If at any time you feel that unreasonable demands are being made of you relative to the percent-time of your appointment, you should first discuss this with the supervising faculty member. If this does not prove satisfactory, discuss the situation with the Biology Department Head.

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THESIS RESEARCH EXPENSES

Certain expenses will be incurred during the conduction of your thesis research or Plan B project/s for the purchase of chemicals, supplies, services, certain pieces of equipment, etc. As these needs arise, you should notify the faculty member supervising your research or project, usually your major advisor. If that faculty member has outside grant support, those funds may be used to meet your needs. If no outside funds are available, your advisor may forward your requests to the Department Head. Within reasonable limits, the Department may attempt to provide some measure of support for your research. In the past, certain graduate students have applied on their own for outside funding for their research. Although this approach will entail considerable work on your part and only limited resources exist, it does provide excellent experience in the art of "grantsmanship," a trait that might come in handy subsequently in your professional career. The Graduate School occasionally offers workshops in grant writing.

It is the student's responsibility to pay all expenses incurred in the production and copying of all versions of the thesis or Plan B papers, as well as any binding of the final version.

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RESEARCH INVOLVING ANIMAL AND HUMAN SUBJECTS

If your research involves animal or human subjects, you must apply for clearance through appropriate review councils. This is discussed further in the required Biol 8099 Biological Practitioner course. For further details, consult the following web sites.

• Research involving human subjects
• Research involving animal subjects

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REGISTRATION AFTER COMPLETION OF FORMAL COURSE WORK

Regardless of whether you have taken all the courses and thesis credits that you need, the Graduate School requires registration every semester.

To continue to receive a TA or RA, you must be registered as a full-time student.

1. You may register for 6 credits of Biol 8777 (Thesis Credits: Masters) and devote all of your efforts to your Plan A thesis, or for 6 credits of Biol 8994 (Graduate Research) and devote all of your efforts to your Plan B project(s).
2. If you have completed all coursework and thesis credits required by the program, you may apply for Advanced Master's Status, which would allow you to register for only one credit of Biol 8777 or Biol 8994 and still be considered a full-time student. You must apply for this; it is not automatically given. Deadlines for application are usually in October for Spring Semester, in April for Summer, and July for Fall. These deadlines will not be extended. See the DGS for specific deadlines for each year.

If you no longer have or need a GTA or RA

1. You may register for Grad 0999, a no-credit, no-tuition, no-curriculum course the Graduate School has created specifically for those students who have taken a job or no longer need to be registered as a full-time student. This option for continuing registration should be used as a last resort only. It is best to consult the DGS on this option before making a final decision.

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OFFICE AND LABORATORY SPACE

If you are a GTA in the Biology Department, we will assign you office space including desk and filing facilities at the beginning of the year. The Biology Department will make every effort to provide office space for graduate Research Assistants and graduate students whose primary "home" is outside of the Department (e. g., NRRI). Because office space is not extensive, you will share a room with at least one other person. Most GTAs retain the same desk and office for the entire year, but in some instances it is necessary to shift office assignments from semester to semester. Generally, offices assigned during the academic year will be available for your use during the summer.

If you are following a Plan A program, laboratory space will be provided you once you have selected your thesis advisor.

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KEYS

If you are assigned office or laboratory space, you will be provided with a key to the those spaces as well as a key to open the outside doors of the Life Science Building and a key to all common areas (206, 93, teaching labs, prep rooms) in Life Science for Biology graduate students. It is Departmental policy not to issue master keys or keys to the stockroom to students. If you find it necessary to have keys for other rooms or purposes, notify your advisor.

It is important that you use these keys only for your own purposes and they should not be given to anyone else. Upon leaving the Graduate Program, it is essential that you return all keys assigned to you to the Departmental Secretary or a hold will be placed on your records--including receipt of your degree and release of your official transcripts.

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GRADUATE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES

The mechanism for selection of Graduate Student Representatives is for students to determine; normally Graduate Student Representatives are elected by the other Graduate Students. Regardless of the manner of selection, it is necessary that the DGS is informed of the results. This will insure that the Representatives are notified of all necessary meetings and will receive copies of the minutes of meetings

Department Committees/Meetings
The Biology Department prefers that one Graduate Student Representative be present at all department meetings and Biology Graduate Faculty meetings.

1. Department Meetings:
   • Provide input
   • Provide information to fellow students concerning any changes in policy made by the Biology Department
2. Graduate Faculty Meetings:
   • Provide input
   • Provide information to fellow students concerning any changes in policy made by the Graduate Faculty
   • representative will have voting rights EXCEPT
     • on matters pertaining to student acceptance
     • awarding of financial support
     • evaluation of a student's academic progress
     • decisions regarding adding or deleting members to or from the Graduate Faculty

University of Minnesota Duluth Graduate Council
Graduate Student Representatives for the University of Minnesota Duluth Graduate Council are chosen on a campus-wide basis-seats are not allocated to every graduate program.

Other Committees:
At various other times there may be additional committees on which Graduate students should be represented.

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LIBRARY FACILITIES

There is no specific Departmental Library within the Life Science Building. Instead, you will find books and journals in the University of Minnesota Duluth Library, the Geology Library (second floor of Heller Hall), and the NRRI Library. Details on Interlibrary Loan are available at the Interlibrary Loan web page.If you need assistance in performing a literature search using electronic databases, please contact the staff at the Main Library Reference Desk (726-8100). The Biology Dept Accounts Specialist can set up a copy code for you to do photocopying at the Library and you will be billed monthly for charges.

Literature searches can also be done through use of Biological Abstracts, and Science Citation Index, print versions of which are in the University of Minnesota Duluth Library. Computer-based versions of Science Citation Index, Biological Abstracts, BIOSIS, JSTOR, Current Contents, and other computerized search programs are available through the Library's web page.

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COPYING FACILITIES

The copy machine is in Life Science 206. Before you are issued a copy code you need to be trained by the Office Staff. You will be issued a code for personal copies for which you will be billed monthly. If you are a GTA you will be issued a separate code for that purpose.

Guidelines

1. When making less than 25 copies for use in teaching, use the code number assigned to you for that purpose.
2. If you are making more than 25 copies submit them to the Office Assistant to run them on the Rizograph. Please provide at least 24 hours lead time.
3. If making copies for research, you must obtain your advisor's research copy code.
4. If you are making personal copies, use your personal copy code. You will be billed for any copies you make under this code.

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SECRETARIAL SERVICES

Secretarial services in the Biology Department office are not generally available to graduate students or graduate assistants. Students are encouraged to prepare their own documents on the facilities in Life Science 93.

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MAIL FACILITIES

Biology Graduate students have mail boxes located in Life Science 206. Mail is delivered to and picked up from the Department once a day, late morning . Because Departmental announcements and other information pertinent to graduate students will be placed there, it is important that you check your mailbox frequently. Please feel free to use these boxes as a means by which you can distribute information to other graduate students and/or faculty. If you wish to mail items out, there is a collection box in Life Science 221.

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EMAIL

All Graduate students are provided with an email account through the university. Information can be found at http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/email/.

The Biology Department maintains an alias of Biology Graduate Students: biolgrad@d.umn.edu.

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DEPARTMENTAL STATIONERY

At times you may find it is necessary to use Departmental stationery for certain correspondence. If you desire, you may obtain Departmental letterhead and envelopes from the Office Staff.

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DEPARTMENTAL STOCKROOM

The Department maintains a chemical and general stockroom in the basement of the Life Science Building. Any removal of equipment or supplies by graduate students for teaching or research must be arranged through the department's Stockroom Coordinator.

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TELEPHONE AND FAX USE

There are telephones for graduate student use in Life Science 93 and in your assigned office space, and a fax machine in the Biology Office, LSci 221. If you need to place a long distance call or fax pertaining to your work in the Biology Department, contact the Office Staff for assistance. Personal fax service is available in Campus Books. Information is available at http://www.umdstores.com/customer_service/services.html.

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COMPUTER AND TYPEWRITER USE

Graduate students have priority for the use of the typewriter, computers, printer, and scanner in Life Science 93. This equipment is not to be taken out of this room for use elsewhere. Please keep your permanent storage on the hard drive to a reasonable level. It is strongly recommended that you store your files on floppy disks, since files stored on a general use hard drive could be accidentally deleted or altered.

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APPROPRIATE ELECTIVE COURSES FOR PLAN A BIOLOGY PROGRAM

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