BULLETIN BOARDS. Bulletin boards outside of graduate student offices in Loftsgard Hall are for graduate student use. All announcements concerning students will be posted on these boards. A board outside the main office is used for departmental announcements.

CAR INSURANCE. Every driver in North Dakota must have "liability" coverage. International students must have a driver's license and "liability" insurance BEFORE driving. If no "liability" coverage is secured, you must be able to show financial responsibility, e.g., $50,000.00.

CAR LICENSE. All drivers must have state, international, or other valid driver's license.

COMPUTERS. Ethernet connections are located at each graduate student desk. If you plan to use your own computer, you will need an NIC card. Dr. Hammond and his assistant, Lyle Lindberg, have a collection of recycled (not on inventory) computers that are provided on first-come-basis while supplies last. Basic Internet software (browser and email) that is freely available will be installed on the machines. Productivity software (Microsoft Office or Corel Suite) would need to be purchased or site licensed by you or your advisor. The intent is for the students to use the PC as their machine while in graduate school in the Plant Sciences Department at North Dakota State University. The student will be responsible for ALL software and other content on the computer. Laser printers are available in each graduate student cluster for low volume printing. Graduate students should provide their own paper for printing.

The following is a statement on copyright law as it pertains to copying software. The copyright law is clear. The copyright holder is given certain exclusive rights, including the right to make and distribute copies. Title 17 of the U.S. Code states that "it is illegal to make or distribute copies of copyrighted material without authorization" (Section 106). The only exception is the user's right to make a backup-copy for archival purposes (Section 117).

The copyright law makes no distinction between duplicating software for sale or for free distribution. The law protects the exclusive rights of the copyright holder and does not give users the right to copy software unless a backup copy is not provided by the manufacturer. Unauthorized duplication of software is a Federal crime. Penalties include fines of as much as $100,000 and jail terms of up to five years.

The Industrial Agriculture Communication Center (IACC) and several computer clusters on campus provide computers, printers, and software at different locations around campus. These computer clusters are open to all students. Both personal computers and mainframe access computers are available. Hours of availability vary from cluster to cluster and are seasonal, although certain clusters are available 24 hours a day, 7 days/week. The Computer Center staff offers non-credit seminars on several topics such as programming, statistical processing and presentations. Information concerning computer cluster availability and workshop offerings can be obtained by contacting Information Technology Services (ITS) at 231-8685 or www.ndsu.nodak.edu/helpdesk.

CREDIT UNION/Banking. The Financial Aid Office has short-term loans available. The Northland Educators Federal Credit Union is located at 1404 12th Ave N. Graduate Research Assistants (GRA) and Graduate Research Fellows (GRF) may borrow or deposit money. Many banks are located throughout Fargo.

DEPARTMENTAL LIBRARY. Agronomy Journal, Crop Science, Advances in Agronomy, Weed Science, Thesis papers, and some reprints, etc., are available in the departmental library located in Walster 202. Books and reprints should only be used in Walster or Loftsgard Hall, signed out on the Honor System, and returned to Walster 202 promptly.

DESK ASSIGNMENT. Each graduate student will be assigned a desk in an office in Loftsgard Hall by the department chair's secretary (PLSC main office). A bookcase, file drawers, and chair are also supplied. The desk or office may not be changed without checking with the department chair's secretary.

E-MAIL. Each student should obtain an e-mail address as soon as they arrive. Give your address to the department chair's secretary. All announcements will be posted on e-mail. Use the following address to register: www.ndsu.nodak.edu/helpdesk.

GREENHOUSE, PLOT LAND, AND SEED STORAGE SPACE. The Plant Sciences Greenhouse Committees are responsible for all greenhouses assigned to the department. Any use of chemicals, e.g., insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, etc., that might affect plant material being grown by another person should be cleared with the committee prior to use. These chemicals are to be applied only by a Certified Pesticide Applicator. PLSC hires a person to apply all chemicals. Also, only certain days and evenings are designated for fumigation and other pesticide use. The department chairman should be consulted by you and your advisor regarding use of plot land. You should contact your advisor regarding possible arrangements for greenhouse, seed storage, plant dryer, or growth chamber space.

HEALTH INSURANCE. Graduate students may purchase health insurance through the Student Affairs Office (231-7701, Old Main 100). Please check with this office regarding any questions you may have, necessary dates, and other requirements. Options for family insurance plans are available. International students should also see the health insurance section on page 23.

HEALTH-MEDICAL INFORMATION. Any registered student is entitled to medical care at the Student Health Service. Office visits are free; students pay only for procedures and medications. The Student Health Service is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. - noon and 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Limited services are provided during the summer session. Health care is available by appointment with a physician or nurse practitioner by calling 231-7331. Pharmacy services are available by calling 231-7332.

To find a doctor in Fargo, look in the Yellow Pages of the telephone directory under "Physicians and Surgeons, M.D." Below is a list of hospitals you can contact. For an emergency (ambulance or police) call 911.

HOSPITALS

       Merit Care                                   Dakota Heartland
       737 Broadway                             1720 South University Drive
       Fargo, ND                                   Fargo, ND
       234-2000                                     280-4100
       Emergency Dept.: 234-5121         Emergency Dept.: 280-4141

HOUSING (ON CAMPUS). Contact Residence Life (231-7700) or (www.ndsu.nodak.edu/reslife) for information on securing housing. A deposit is required to be placed on the waiting list. There may be a delay, depending upon the supply or demand for on-campus housing. Check with Residence Life for rental rates.

1. Bison Court or University Village (for married students) has unfurnished one-bedroom apartments and two bedroom apartments. Heating, kitchen stove, and refrigerator are furnished. The student pays electricity and telephone costs.
   
   
2. Dormitory housing is also available for "students older than average" (25 years or older). Doubles and singles are available. You must also purchase a meal plan to live in this facility. The cost of the meal plan varies, depending on the plan.

HOUSING (OFF-CAMPUS). If you choose to live off-campus, there is an off-campus housing list available from the Student Affairs Office (Old Main, Room 100). Other sources of apartment vacancies are: The Forum and Midweek (local newspapers), The Spectrum (campus newspaper), Apartment and FM Rentals Guide (ask at Student Affairs Office), the bulletin boards in the Memorial Union, and on the web at (www.ndsu.nodak.edu/reslife).

JOB PLACEMENT. The Career Services Office located at 211 Ceres Hall is the central placement agency for NDSU. Services are available to all students and alumni. There are fees for use of their services and there are no refunds. The office offers useful information for your personal job search. (www.ndsu.nodak.edu/career_services).

KEYS. Keys to the student's office and outside doors are obtained from the chair's secretary (PLSC main office). Laboratory and greenhouse keys will be supplied if needed. Student office, study rooms, departmental library, and research laboratories are available to graduate students 24 hours a day, 7 days/week. All keys must be returned to the chair's secretary when the student leaves. If you had a desk key, please leave it in your desk when you leave NDSU.

MAIL. Mailboxes are provided for graduate students in the main office. The address is Department of Plant Sciences, North Dakota State University, P.O. Box 5051, Fargo, ND 58105-5051. Mail arrives and departs twice daily (about 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.).

OFFICE TYPEWRITER USE. A typewriter is available to students in the Plant Sciences library (Walster 202). If a machine is available and the secretary approves, main office typewriters may be used on an emergency basis only.

OTHER FACILITIES. We often have joint projects with Biochemistry, Cereal Science, Entomology, Microbiology, Plant Pathology, Soil Science, etc. Their facilities should be used with great care and consideration and the major advisor will make arrangements for use of space and replacement of all chemicals or materials used, glassware broken, etc.

PARKING ON CAMPUS. A permit is required for parking on campus. GRAs are required to use student lots; GRFs can obtain a parking permit for the AR (faculty/staff) lot.

PAYMENT. Payments will be dispersed every 2 weeks. Checks may be either directly deposited or picked up in the main office. Graduate students with GRA appointment, or a GRF or equivalent stipend, will not ordinarily be paid by timeslip for any work time in the department. Graduate students without a GRA, GRF, or equivalent stipend may be employed on timeslip basis at the discretion of the project leader and with approval of the department chair, if funds are available, up to one-half time during the summer crop season or at busy times, i.e., seeding, harvest, pollination in the greenhouse, etc. Payment will be on an hourly basis, not to exceed the maximum hourly wage set for graduate students in the department. Exceptions may be made to the above policies where logical and appropriate, with the approval of the project leader and department chair. International students are expected to have financial support prior to their acceptance at NDSU.

PHOTOCOPYING. Use of the departmental copier by graduate students is limited to project-related materials (ask your advisor or the chair's secretary). A coin operated copier is available for graduate student use in Loftsgard 480A. The Copy Shop in the Memorial Union is also available for all students.

PLANT SCIENCES GRADUATE STUDENT COUNCIL. The Graduate Student Council is the governing body of Plant Sciences graduate students. There are annual elections and anyone who is currently a Plant Sciences graduate student is eligible to run for office.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. The bus stops near NDSU on a specific schedule with various stops before the final one at the downtown station. To go to West Acres Shopping Center, you will need to transfer to another bus downtown. For more information regarding scheduled times and stops for the various numbered buses, check the bus schedule or call: Metropolitan Area Transit (MAT bus) 232-7500.

Taxi Service can be obtained by calling: Yellow Checker Cab Company 235-5535.

PURCHASES. Consult your advisor regarding purchase of supplies. Certain procedures must be followed for all purchases and those involving on-campus purchases are very specific.

RESEARCH FACILITIES. Laboratory, greenhouse, growth chamber, and field space for research or teaching purposes are available to all students within reasonable limits, although certain equipment or space may be restricted to certain work or projects. Equipment, vehicles, etc., in general are available to all. Most items are used primarily by specific projects but may be available when not in use by the project. The major advisor and project leader responsible for the equipment should be consulted regarding its use, and the equipment should be maintained in good condition. Equipment of the USDA should not be used without permission of the USDA scientist concerned.

SECRETARIAL SERVICE. Graduate students in the Department of Plant Sciences may have final copies of the following done without charge:

       Plan of Study
       Thesis Proposal
       Abstracts for Graduate Seminar
       Overheads and Slides for Graduate Seminar
       Slides/Posters for Society Meetings (ASA, CSSA, WSSA, ASHS, etc.)

The department's laser printer can be used for the FINAL printed copy of a thesis. The secretary can provide the necessary computer commands for laser printing, but it is the student's responsibility to insert commands into the document. Printing must be done without interrupting the daily activities of the secretarial staff and the student must get permission before using the laser. Any printing in excess of one (1) final copy will be charged (per page) to the student.

Some departmental secretaries also do extra typing (other than mentioned above) after hours and will charge a fee. See the chair's secretary for information.

SICK LEAVE. Sick leave privileges as 12-month employees (8 hours/month).

SMOKING. Smoking is not permitted in any state building. All graduate student office space is "non-smoking."

SUPPLIES.Notebooks, photocopying, and other materials required for course work are personal expenses. Laboratory supplies for research may be purchased through your advisor's project account, and, of course, requires permission by your advisor.

TRAVEL REGULATIONS (PROJECT RELATED). Individuals must complete a "blanket" travel authorization form annually which covers trips less than 50 miles outside of the North Dakota border. Travel authorization forms must be completed for each trip farther than 50 miles outside of the North Dakota border. All out-of-state authorization forms must be completed at least two weeks prior to travel.

A travel expense voucher is completed after returning from the trip and turned in to the PLSC main office at the end of each month you traveled. Receipts are required for lodging and most other special items except food. There is a maximum in state and out-of-state per diem for meals and lodging. Reimbursement usually is made by check within two weeks after the travel voucher is submitted. Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo, Casselton, Prosper, Absaraka and Northwest 22 are considered normal place of employment and, therefore, expense vouchers are not submitted for time spent at these nearby locations.

TRAVEL TO PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS. All travel funds for GRAs and GRFs to regional or national meetings must be from Project Grant or Gift sources. Travel is dependent upon approval of NDSU administration. Travel policy interpretation or approval may vary at times, depending on the number of travel requests to a single meeting or conference, availability of funds, justification for attending, etc.

Air travel may be approved for GRA or GRF students to one national meeting during their graduate career at NDSU if the student is presenting a paper and/or interviewing for a job. Funds must come from Grant or Gift money.

Subsistence is determined by the department chair, but graduate students (and faculty) are expected to claim only actual costs. Registration fees will be paid on Society membership basis if approval is obtained from NDSU administration on the travel request. (Society membership fees are a personal responsibility.)

VACATION LEAVE. Annual leave privileges as 12-month employees (8 hours/month)