Microsoft Word - Graduate_handbook_workplace_F2021

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GraduateStudentInformation

(TheWorkplacePolicyHandbook)

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DEPARTMENTOFEARTHSCIENCES



DartmouthCollege

Hanover

NH03755

September2021



This document is intended to introduce incoming graduate students to the

Dartmouth Department of Earth Sciences (EARS) community, and to provide

guidance for all EARS graduate students wishing to make best use of EARS resources

and work toward completion of an advanced degree. The EARS faculty encourage

all students to learn from each other, and new students to take advantage of the

experience and knowledge of veteran students. The topics covered in this document

can help initiate that exchange of information. 

Information about academic degree requirements for EARS graduate students is

provided in the EARS Academic Policy Handbook as well as the Dartmouth

Organization, Regulations and Courses (ORC). Other relevant information is in the

Dartmouth Graduate Student Handbook issued by the Guarini School of Graduate and

Advance Studies (hereinafter the Guarini School).

1) EARS Departmental mission ...................................................................................... 3

2) College regulations regarding the quality of our working environment ..................... 3

3) Graduate student representation .................................................................................. 4

4) Grievance procedures .................................................................................................. 5

5) Teaching and research fellowship obligations ............................................................ 6

6) Financial support ......................................................................................................... 8

7) General thesis research-related expenses .................................................................. 10

8) Departmental facilities .............................................................................................. 12

9) Departmental seminars .............................................................................................. 13

10) The Morse Fund ........................................................................................................ 14

11) Student-run field trips ............................................................................................... 14

12) Selected logistical issues ........................................................................................... 15

13) Health and life insurance ........................................................................................... 16

14) In the event of an injury ............................................................................................ 16

15) Employment outside the Department of Earth Sciences ........................................... 16

16) International students ................................................................................................ 17

1) EARSDepartmentalmission

The Departmental mission is to achieve balanced success in undergraduate

education, graduate-level training and scholarship of the highest quality in our

chosen areas of specialization in earth and environmental geosciences, and

competitive grantsmanship in support of our research. The hard work and dedication

of our graduate students are essential to achieving all aspects of this mission.

2) Collegeregulationsregardingthequalityofourworking

environment

1. DartmouthisaSafeWorkplace— Dartmouth College is firmly committed to

maintaining an educational environment in which sexual and gender-based

harassment, sexual assault, and other forms of sexual misconduct are not

tolerated, and in which persons reporting sexual misconduct are provided

support and avenues of redress. When sexual misconduct is brought to its

attention, the Guarini School will take prompt and appropriate action to end

the misconduct, prevent its recurrence, and address its effects.

Further information can be found on the Dartmouth Sexual Respect Website:

https://sexual-respect.dartmouth.edu/

2. Dartmouth is a Drug Free Workplace—Dartmouth College prohibits the

unlawful possession, manufacture, distribution, or dispensing of illicit drugs

and alcohol by its employees on College property or as a part of its activities.

In the state of New Hampshire, possession of liquor or alcoholic beverages by

a person under 21 years of age is a violation of law and punishable by a fine.

New Hampshire and Federal laws prohibit the possession and distribution of

controlled drugs. Controlled drugs include, but are not limited to, marijuana,

cocaine, crack, heroin, and LSD. Criminal sanctions for possession and

distribution can range from fines to imprisonment. Although the College does

not intend to act as a law enforcement agency, it will not seek to protect

individuals who have violated the law. Further, the College will cooperate to

every feasible extent with law enforcement officials if an on-campus

investigation is necessary.

An employee supported by a federal grant or contract must notify his or her

supervisor of any drug conviction within ten days of the conviction. Within a

subsequent ten-day period, the College must notify the contracting agency of

the conviction. In addition, the College will within thirty days of the notice of

conviction take appropriate disciplinary action which may include termination

of employment or dismissal from the graduate program.

Employees who violate any aspect of the above policy will be subject to

disciplinary action, which may include termination of employment or dismissal

from the graduate program. The employee may also be required to participate

in a rehabilitation program.

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3. Smoking Policy—It is the policy of Dartmouth College to regulate and

minimize the effects of smoking in the workplace in accordance with State of

New Hampshire legislation. These regulations specifically prohibit smoking in

all shared work areas. "Work area" is defined as any enclosed location,

permanent or temporary, where faculty or staff perform any work-related

duties in the course of employment. In practice, this includes the entire

Department.

It is not the intent of this policy to supersede rules for areas where smoking is

prohibited by fire, safety, and health codes or business necessity. Any other

smoking policies should be reviewed for compliance with this policy. The

Department shall provide a copy of its written rules to any member of the

faculty or staff upon request.

It is illegal for an employer to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any

individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to

his or her compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment

because the individual is a smoker or non-smoker.

It is the desire of Dartmouth College to aid any member of the faculty or staff

who smokes and would like to quit. Additional information on this topic can be

reviewed online.

3) Graduatestudentrepresentation

In all matters described in this document and the EARS Academic Policy Handbook,

any student is encouraged to voice his or her ideas or questions primarily to the

individual advisor and thesis committee. In addition, graduate students can voice

their perspectives collectively in the following ways:

1) Graduate Student Council (GSC)—One student from each of the graduate

departments at Dartmouth College is elected by his or her peers to a council which

meets regularly with the Dean of the Guarini School. The primary purposes of this

group are to present the Dean with ideas for the improvement of graduate

education and graduate life in general, and to serve as a sounding-board for the

Dean on matters of evolving College policies. Additional information can be

viewed online.

2) EARS Departmental representation—The EARS student serving as a GSC

representative, plus up to two other EARS students selected by their peers, serve

together as graduate representatives to the Earth Sciences faculty. These

individuals may attend Department faculty meetings and serve generally as the

contacts between the EARS graduate student community and the faculty.

Students should select their representatives at the beginning of each Fall term,

and subsequently meet with them at least once each term to review concerns

regarding graduate life, and to share serious concerns which will be relayed to the

faculty in a timely and constructive way.

4) Grievanceprocedures

An individual graduate student may find he or she feels aggrieved regarding, for

example, an alleged violation of the terms of agreements and guidelines laid out here

and elsewhere, a dispute about the diligence and fairness of an advisor’s supervision,

perceived issues in the mismanagement of remuneration, joint publication, as well as

issues of gender or racial bias, favoritism, or concerns about conduct. The

Department and College have established procedures to handle such grievances.

1) Allegations of scientific misconduct, violations of the academic honor principle,

and certain issues of professional and personal conduct (sexual harassment,

discrimination and other alleged violations described in the Graduate Student

Handbook under code of conduct-non-academic regulations), must be reported to

and handled by the Guarini School Office.

2) Resolution of other grievances will be a graduated process, beginning with the

student’s advisor or thesis committee. Thus, likely procedural steps for the

aggrieved student are as follows:

a) Resolution within the Department or Program

b) If appropriate, an aggrieved student should speak directly to the person who

allegedly bears responsibility for the complaint with a view to achieving

satisfactory resolution.

c) If action (a) proves inappropriate or unsatisfactory, an aggrieved student

should consult his or her graduate advisor and members of his or her thesis

committee on the matter.

d) If action (b) proves unsatisfactory, a student can request through the EARS

Graduate Ombudsperson, Graduate Program Coordinator, or Department

Chair that an ad hoc Departmental Grievance Committee address the issue.

This committee ideally should include faculty and graduate students.

i) If actions (i a-c) prove unsatisfactory, the student should contact the

Assistant Dean of the Guarini School to arrange mediation. For further

details on this process, please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook.

ii) If the Dean of the Guarini School, working together with the aggrieved

student and appropriate faculty member(s), is unable to reach a

satisfactory resolution through mediation, the student can request in

writing a formal hearing and ruling by the Dean of the Guarini School and

the Committee on Student Grievances. Formal hearings are conducted as

described in the Graduate Student Handbook (see sections titled

"Committee on Student Grievances" and "Formal Hearing" under Academic

and Conduct Regulations).

5) TeachingandResearchFellowshipobligations

Dartmouth Graduate Fellows are essential to fulfillment of the Departmental mission.

Accordingly, Fellows are required to serve as either a Teaching Assistant (TA) or a

Research Assistant (RA), each typically requiring approximately 20 hours of

associated effort each week. Duties may include providing instruction in one-or-more

course-related laboratory sessions, grading papers, exams, and problem sets, serving

as a Research Assistant under the direction of one’s research advisor, and carrying

out Departmental functions such as organizing collections, overseeing the computer

room, publishing an occasional newsletter, etc. Some specific guidelines and

obligations for meeting these requirements are as follows:

1) TAresidency— Dartmouth Fellows serving as Teaching Assistants (TAs) should

be in residence at least two days prior to the beginning of each academic term,

regardless of their specific chores, to help in the preparation of course and

laboratory materials. Ultimately, TAs are answerable to individual research

advisors and course instructors regarding exact scheduling of assigned duties.

TAs are expected to be in residence during the entire academic term in which they

are teaching.

2) Grad‐groupgradingsessions—AllTAsareeligibletobecalledupon atany

time to assist in the grading of examinations for the large, introductory courses.

To facilitate the distribution of the grading load, professors will attempt to

provide to their TAs, early in the term, the estimated number of extra graders

needed for exams or papers. At the end of the term, this grading may well extend

into the between-term breaks. If a Teaching Assistant has made the proper

arrangements with his or her advisor to take leave, the student is still responsible

to his or her fellow-students for his or her share in the mid-term or final grading

of the examinations in the introductory courses.

3) Summerabsence—Because Dartmouth operates on a year-round, 4-term basis,

and because there are undergraduate courses offered during the summer term, it

is necessary that some teaching fellows be in residence during that term. We

make every effort to accommodate thesis research and other plans of graduate

students during the summer term.

4) TAassignments—The assignment of teaching duties will be made in accordance

with the Department's research and instructional needs. If a student has a strong

preference for teaching in a specific course, we urge the student to consult the

professor in charge of that course at least two terms before the course is offered.

While we cannot guarantee that all wishes will be met, we will do our best. When

a student has been assigned to a course, it is the student’s responsibility to seek

out the professor in charge to establish the TA’s duties and schedule. If duties

include grading course assignments and exams, it is important that materials be

graded and returned promptly.

5) Companyduties—In addition to teaching and/or research duties, each student

will be assigned a 'company' duty to ensure that teaching rooms and labs and

research equipment are kept in operation, the computers and software are

serviceable, a periodic newsletter is written, etc. These duties are rotated each

term.

6) Vacation—Each graduate student is entitled to 3 weeks paid vacation during the

year. The timing of any vacation and/or prolonged absence from the Department

should be considered with one’s Departmental obligations and research schedule

in mind, and should be discussed with one’s advisor.

7) CollegeDrivers—Some of the undergraduate courses include field trips that are

led by graduate teaching assistants. As a result, a TA may be required to drive a

college van, which in turn requires that the student be ‘van approved’ by the

College. This is an important responsibility for which all graduate students are

encouraged to be prepared as soon as possible. TAs on the STRETCH may also be

required to drive a van towing a trailer. Please contact the Departmental

Administrator for further information and review the College Driver Policy online.

8) Professionalconduct&ethicstraining—All graduate students are expected to

hold themselves to the highest standards of professional conduct. Toward this

end, allfirst‐yeargraduatestudentsarerequiredtoparticipateinaCollege‐

widetrainingprograminthebasicsofprofessionalethics. More information

about this program can be viewed online.

Over the last several years, an EARS faculty member has convened one of the

training sessions in professional ethics. We encourage new EARS graduate

students to enroll in this session if at all possible, as it is oriented to Earth Sciences

and thus potentially more applicable than sessions taught in other departments.

In 1962, the Dartmouth student body voted to adopt the Academic Honor

Principle – that "all academic activities will be based on student honor". As

members of the Dartmouth community, and as potential mentors of Dartmouth

undergraduate students, all graduate students should be familiar with this

principle. Please review the key elements of this policy online (https://student-

affairs.dartmouth.edu/policy/academic-honor-principle).

College policy concerning a consensual relationship between a graduate student

and any student or employee he or she supervises or evaluates can be viewed

online (https://sexual-respect.dartmouth.edu/policy/consensual-relationships-

policy).

6) Financialsupport

1) Stipend and tuition—All Dartmouth Graduate Fellows (whether one is a

Teaching Assistant or a Research Assistant) in Earth Sciences receive a twelve-

month tuition fellowship and additional monthly stipend, the levels of which are

set annually by the College. The amount of stipend support is indicated in

individual acceptance letters.

i) Duration of support—Normally, a student in the EARS M.S. program

receives support for a maximum of 7 terms (One term is more or less 3

months long; Dartmouth operates year-round with four terms per year).

Thus, the M.S. should be completed in two years. Ideally, a Ph.D. candidate

is supported for a maximum of 17 terms. Thus, the Ph.D. program should

be completed within five years.

ii) Intheeventofcompeting,externalsupport—If a student is supported

by funds from a source other than the College while in academic residence,

he or she will receive no stipend from the College unless the level of

support is less than the then-prevailing Dartmouth stipend rate. In that

case, the College will attempt to make up the difference.

2) Financialassistance—Students requiring additional financial assistance should

consult the Guarini School to explore the possibility of obtaining a student loan.

3) Travel expenses to attend professional meetings to present research

results—Information regarding general research-related expenses is given in

Section 8 of this document. Here, we introduce the process for obtaining

reimbursement of expenses related to travel to professional meetings to present

one’s research results.

a) If a student presents a paper at a professional meeting, reimbursement for

some, or all, of the associated travel expenses may be provided, upon

application, by the Guarini School and the EARS Department. According to

College policy, a student will receive support for attending only one such

meeting while a graduate student at Dartmouth, whether that support is

awarded by the College or the home Department. Support for attending

additional meetings may be available, however, especially if drawn from

outside funds. In general, the Department encourages students to apply first

for support from the Guarini School Office, and then to apply to the

Department. However, this course of action may not always be optimal;

individuals are strongly encouraged to consult with their advisors and the

EARS Departmental Administrator regarding the optimal use of funds for

research-related travel well in advance of the proposed travel. Successful

requests for reimbursement of costs of research‐related travel, made

eithertotheGuariniSchoolOfficeortotheEARSDepartment, must be

madewellinadvanceoftheproposedtravel,andmustincludearecord

ofallsuchfundsawardedtodate.

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b) Dartmouth College has an agreement with Travel Leaders to help arrange with

travel arrangements with preferred travel providers. Contact information can

be found online.

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4) GeneralguidelinesforrequestingfundsfromtheGuariniSchool

a) The Guarini School has a limited fund for graduate students who want to

attend a professional conference or participate in a professional

development workshop. This fund can be used for transportation,

conference registration fees, and hotel expenses (excluding meals). Travel

expenses for students supported on research grants should be paid from the

research grant.

b) The travel allowance provided is uptoamaximumof$1000. (It is our hope

that additional Departmental funds will sometimes be available.) Reduced

fares are often available to individuals who buy their tickets early.

https://graduate.dartmouth.edu/admissions-financial-aid/awards-

grants/travel-awards

c) General guidelines  for requesting Departmental funds—Request for

support is made by letter to the Department Chair, giving the name of the

professional meeting, the title of the paper to be presented, a detail of

expenses, and tabulation of previous meeting support.

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d) Please keep two key points in mind for reimbursement requests:

i) All requests for expense reimbursement must be include original,

itemized receipts.

ii) Submit all necessary forms for reimbursement within 30 days of

the incurred costs.

GeneralReimbursementPolicies:

The College will only reimburse expenses incurred in connection with College

business that are appropriately documented by the employee, student, or visitor.

• Reimbursement will be made based on actual and reasonable expenses

incurred for necessary business expenses or approved per diem amounts.

• The basic policy governing travel and business expenses is that an individual

should neither gain nor lose funds while traveling or conducting College

business.

• The College will not reimburse travelers for expenses that are inherently

personal in nature such as childcare, clothing, personal recreation,

entertainment, etc. Reimbursable expenses must have a valid, business

purpose.

• Assuming a reasonable level of comfort and convenience for the traveler,

every effort should be made to keep College expenses to a minimum.

To ensure success in the reimbursement process, please heed these

guidelines.ConsulttheDepartmentalAdministratorwellbeforetheevent.

7) Generalthesisresearch‐relatedexpenses

1) The Department has several sources of funds for graduate research: grants

garnered by professors, grants garnered by students, and Departmental funds.

First and foremost, we rely on external sources of funds (grants) to support our

research. Departmental funds should be viewed primarily as backup if grant

applications fail, or as seed money when not enough work has yet been done to

justify writing of a grant. That said, the Department has traditionally made funds

available during a student’s graduate program. With no guarantee that such

funding will continue in the future, the current schedule of funding is as follows:

i) M.S. Thesis Research: $2,000.00

ii) Ph.D. Summer Research: $1,000.00

iii) Ph.D. Thesis Research: $2,000.00

(1) Professional meeting at which student presents: up to $750.00 (once)

(2) Total M.S. Funding is $2,750 and Total PhD. Funding is $3,750.

2) Thefollowingguidelinesstrictlyapplytothisfundingschedule:

i) An estimate of the full budget for thesis research, with brief justification,

should be submitted to the Department at the time any research project is

formally proposed. This includes proposals for research pursued in partial

satisfaction of requirements for the M.S. or Ph.D. degrees. The budget

should contain all expected research expenses, including cost for the use of

outside or Departmental instruments.

ii) Research expenses should be charged to one’s advisor's grant if it is

appropriate to do so under the terms of the grant as interpreted by

Principal Investigator and Research Grant Manager holding the grant

award.

iii) We expect that students will apply to outside funding agencies before

asking the Department for research support beyond the schedule

identified above.

iv) For students whose research costs are not covered by outside grants, or

who have not yet received a response from the granting agencies, the

Department will make every effort to cover expenses associated with

thesis-related research, but we can make no guarantee. Requests to the

Department for funds should include a brief rationale for the request, a list

of the outside funding agencies approached, any results, positive or

negative and the Departmental Funding Form (attached).

v) If outside support is obtained after the Department agreed to provide

funding, the Department should be reimbursed for all expenses already

made which would be covered by the grant. This policy helps to preserve

Departmental funds for otherwise worthy projects for which efforts to

obtain outside support fail, and which could not be carried through in the

absence of Departmental funds.

vi) The Department does not cover outside costs relating to thesis preparation

such as typing, photography, paper, duplication of figures and maps,

bindery charges, etc.

vii) Summer and Thesis Research funds may not be used to attend

professional meetings or field trips.

viii) The Department strongly encourages students to present their

research at one or more professional meetings. The conditions to be met

for a student to obtain College or Departmental support for attending his

or her first professional meeting include that the student be presenting

research conducted as part of his or her Dartmouth degree requirements.

If this is the case, students are generally encouraged to first apply for a

Graduate Student Travel Award (GSTA) from the Guarini School. Notethat

therequestforaGSTAmustbemadepriortoattendingthemeeting.

Departmental support may be used to supplement the GSTA to pay for the full cost

of attending a single meeting. To the degree that funds allow, Departmental

support can also be used to attend a second professional meeting. Students

should consult with their advisor concerning funding and other issues prior to

submitting an abstract to any professional meeting.

Securing support for attending additional meetings is normally the responsibility

of the student and/or advisor. Most professional societies offer student travel

awards and students are encouraged to explore these options. In exceptional

cases, a student may apply to the Department for additional travel support.

Additional funds will only be considered if:

 the student applies for additional funding in writing to the Department Chair

before any commitment is made to attend the meeting, and

 the request is accompanied by a written explanation from the advisor

indicating the significance of the student's contribution to the meeting

presentation and attesting to the lack of funding from alternative sources.

8) Departmentalfacilities

The fulfillment of the Departmental missions, and indeed our daily lives in the

Department, are made easier and more enjoyable with access to our shared facilities

and amenities. The following provides an overview of some of these.

1) Scientific equipment and laboratory facilities—All scientific equipment in

Departmental laboratories is available for use by our research students and staff,

provided the use is clearly research-related and the potential user is familiar with

the proper operation of the equipment. Any student interested in having access

to one of our facilities or a piece of scientific equipment should obtain permission

and guidance on proper use before attempting to use it. Continued access to any

or all of facilities by an individual is contingent upon his or her thoughtful and

courteous use of the facilities. Failing to meet these requirements could result in

revoked privileges; persistent failure to meet these requirements could result in

dismissal from the EARS graduate program.

Additional information on the capabilities and availability of our various scientific

facilities can be reviewed on the Department website.

2) Communalcomputingfacilities—MacIntosh and PC computers are available in

room 217 Fairchild. These computers may be used by all members of the

Department for commonly shared computing needs, including access to College

compute clusters, electronic mail, and Departmental file servers. The graduate

student "computer Czar", or most veteran graduate students for that matter, can

provide information regarding the software available. Data and other files can be

saved to Geo, the Departmental server.

3) Telephones are available in all graduate student offices for calls placed within the

US.

4) ThecopymachineinRoom216 is available to all in the Department; the code

for the copier for graduate students is 6105. Printers are available throughout the

Department for Department-related printing only (locations include Room 216—

mail room, and 217—student computer lab. In the event of operational or

maintenance issues, please contact technical staff member Ed Meyer.

5) For general convenience, a refrigerator to store milk, lunches, etc., a toaster, and

a microwave oven are in Room 216. Additionally, coffee is available there for a

nominal fee. Please exercise common courtesy in using these facilities. For

example, food stored in the refrigerator should be labeled with name and date so

that outdated food can be regularly discarded. Anything not labeled will be

discarded regardless of expiration date. In general, all are responsible for keeping

clean the refrigerator, coffee-machine(s), counter tops and sink.

Inaddition,werequestthatthefollowingpoliciesbestrictlyupheld:

1) To assure the privacy of academic records and for legal protection, and to guard

against theft and/or use of our facilities by unauthorized people from outside the

Department, alladministrativeofficesandRoom216aretobelockedandoff‐

limits after normal office hours. Everyone is responsible for fulfilling this

policy.

2) SleepingovernightintheDepartmentisinviolationofrulesandpolicies set

by our College insurers. Campus police patrol the Department at night and will

request that those present leave the building unless legitimate work is being

undertaken.

3) Please exercise a sense of professional decorum, common courtesy, and

commonsense in one’s day-to-day residency of the Department. Issues that have

come up in the past prompt us to request specifically that musical instruments or

radios be played only in personal offices with the door closed and the volume

turned low. Bicycles or pets may be kept in one’s office only if they do not

interfere with anybody's well-being (such as allergies, fear of dogs, etc.).

9) Departmentalseminars

In addition to requirements associated with one’s Teaching and Research

Fellowships, all graduate students are expected to contribute to the intellectual life

of the Department. Such contributions include participation in our Departmental

seminars, as follows:

1) Departmentalresearchseminars—Typically once a week during the academic

year, the EARS faculty host a Departmental Seminar during which visitors or

Dartmouth faculty present aspects of their current, ongoing research.

Departmental faculty regularly use these occasions to recruit and screen

candidates for positions within the Department. These seminars are excellent

opportunities for all graduate students to keep current with state-of-the-art

research, and to reflect on the art of successful scientific communication (sooner

or later we all must give such talks!) Additionally, engaged turnout for such

events, of course, reflects well on the Department. All graduate students are

required to attend these seminars as part of their professional training.

2) Geolunch—Graduate students are responsible for organizing and hosting

“Geolunch” – an hour-long seminar that typically occurs during Tuesday

lunchtimes. Geolunch seminars are given by primarily by EARS faculty, research

scientists and graduate students but associated faculty, visitors and

undergraduate students may also present. This is an informal setting where

people bring and eat lunch and the Department commonly supplies pizza. Typical

seminars report on ongoing research projects but can include topics such as past

research projects; future research proposals, plans and ideas; teaching strategies

and experiences; and career experiences.

Each graduate student, while in residence, is expected to present a Geolunch

seminar once each year. Graduate students are encouraged to plan an appropriate

time for their Geolunch seminar during an academic year when they will have

additional Departmental presentations (i.e., the Master’s thesis defense, Ph.D.

summer research defense, and Ph.D. thesis defense), so as to space out these

different presentations.

10) TheMorseFund

Generous alumni have established the Morse Fund in honor of Grace & Roger Morse,

two former, long-serving and beloved members of our administrative staff. The Fund

is designed to support the study of Earth Sciences. Specifically, the fund will be used

for purposes proposed by undergraduate and graduate students, subject to College

policy and approval by the Earth Sciences Department Chair, to support and improve

the educational experience and learning environment available to the students. Uses

could include, for example, funding a field trip, buying equipment for the student

computer lab, or supporting items or events that foster both social and intellectual

interaction among all members of the Earth Science community. A committee of three

students, each elected by one of three constituencies on their own initiative,

undergraduate declared majors and minors, Masters candidates, and Ph.D.

candidates, will decide on the use of the Morse Fund each year. Additional

information about the Morse fund can be viewed online.

11) Student‐runfieldtrips

The Departmental faculty recognize that the mind is enriched by field experiences.

Graduate students occasionally organize such trips and seek Departmental support.

To earn this support, a field trip must be approved by the faculty at large, and

approval is provided only if the following can be demonstrated in a well-crafted 3-5-

page proposal prepared by the graduate students. The field trip must:

1) provide meritorious scientific content, including a well-designed field guide;

2) have a well-designed, comprehensive and reasonable budget;

3) invite participation of all members of the EARS Department (undergraduates and

faculty as well as graduate students);

4) be scheduled and limited in duration in consideration of our Departmental

mission, namely, balanced success in teaching and high-quality and productive

scholarship and research.

In addition, the faculty expect that:

5) field guides will be made available to them;

6) the project will include a post-trip, oral presentation reporting on the expedition

to the Department during a Geolunch as soon as is convenient.

When a proposed graduate field-trip earns faculty approval, the Department will

typically cover expenses associated with acquisition of maps, preparation and

printing of field guides, lodging, approved forms of ground transportation, and up to

60 percent of group-travel airfare booked with Travel Leaders. The Department may

cover other costs on a case-by-case basis but does not cover food expenses.

12) Selectedlogisticalissues

1) Housing—Housing in Hanover and near Dartmouth is limited, so early action in

finding and securing suitable accommodation is recommended to all.

i) The College leases a limited number of apartments to first-year graduate

students. Inquiries about these apartments should be addressed to Mr.

Gary Hutchins, Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies,

Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755.

ii) Married graduate students have access on a first-come/first-served basis

to apartments in Sachem Village, a college-owned housing complex located

about 1.5 miles south of the Dartmouth Green. These apartments are also

occasionally available to single students if there are openings. Inquiries

should be addressed to the Office of Rental Housing, 7 Lebanon Street,

Hanover, NH 03755.

iii) Many EARS graduate students have, by preference or necessity (as

availability of College housing is not assured), found suitable

accommodations elsewhere in the surrounding region. The Office of Rental

Housing has a computer listing of private rentals. This listing can be

accessed online.

2) Travel—Interstate Highways 89 and 91 meet at White River Junction (WRJ), VT,

located 5 miles south of Hanover. Vermont Transit offers bus service between WRJ

and Manchester Airport, Boston and New York City. The Dartmouth Coach (no

College affiliation) operates several trips each day between Hanover/Lebanon

and Boston with stops at Boston’s South Station and Logan Airport. Dartmouth

Coach also offers daily service to New York City. Current information regarding

Dartmouth Coach schedules and fares can be found online.

3) Amtrak provides daily passenger service aboard the ‘Vermonter’ from

Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York, and intermediate points to WRJ.

Information regarding train schedules and fares can be found online. There is a

small airport in West Lebanon with service to and from Boston via Cape air. Taxi

service is available to WRJ and Lebanon.

4) Parking—Availability of parking in central locations around campus is limited,

and regulations are strictly enforced. There is ample parking in large communal

lots within a 15-minute walk from the Department. Parking anywhere on campus

requires registration of one’s vehicle with the College. Additional information can

be reviewed online.

13) Healthandlifeinsurance

1) Health insurance—Students are required to have health insurance. Upon

enrollment at Dartmouth each student will automatically be billed for individual

coverage under the Dartmouth Student Group Health Insurance Plan. Dartmouth

will then credit the student’s account for the amount of a single coverage. If a

student can prove that other adequate coverage is in hand (i.e., provided on

parent's or spouse's plan), then coverage under the Dartmouth Student Group

Health Insurance Plan will be waived. Coverage of a spouse and/or child is not

automatically included in the Dartmouth Plan; however, health coverage for one’s

spouse and/or children is available through the Dartmouth Plan at additional

expense. Further information and rates for the Dartmouth Group Health

Insurance Plan can be found online.

2) Life insurance—All graduate students should be aware that students are not

coveredbyanyformoflifeinsuranceunderwrittenbytheCollege. This is the

case even though students may conduct field research or instruct in the field

under the direction of the Dartmouth faculty.

14) Intheeventofaninjury

In the event of serious injury, contact the Departmental Administrator and the

Guarini School as soon as possible.

15) EmploymentoutsidetheDepartmentofEarthSciences

The policy for compensated work outside of one’s home academic Department is

governed by the Guarini School and articulated in the Graduate Student Handbook as

follows:

Graduate students who are fully supported (a full tuition scholarship

and a full stipend) cannot normally receive additional payment from

Dartmouth College for services rendered and cannot normally accept

employment outside the College while enrolled. Exceptions may be

granted in cases of unique academic or professional benefit or

documented financial hardship. Any exception will normally not

exceed 8 hours per week and must have the written approval of the

graduate student's advisor, Department Chair or Graduate Program

Committee, and the Dean of the Guarini School.

Consistent with this policy, the Department recognizes that graduate students will

occasionally find rewarding opportunities outside of the Department and, in any

event, have additional financial needs. Accordingly, the Department will normally

support a request for approval to pursue an exceptional opportunity for compensated

work outside the Department of up to 8 hours per week. Pursuing such opportunities

should be considered in the context of one’s teaching duties and the demands of one’s

academic goals.

16) Internationalstudents



1) TheOfficeofVisaandImmigrationServices(OVIS) is the first place to go for

services and programs for the more than 1,050 international students, faculty, and

scholars who study and work at the College. Additional information can be

reviewed online.

2) Internationalstudentprograms—TheOffice of Pluralism & Leadership (OPAL)

is an umbrella organization for programs designed to help international students

adjust to life in the US. Such programs include orientation sessions, an

International Friendship Family Program, an International Student Mentor

Program, an English Conversation Group, among other experiences. Additional

information and links to many programs can be reviewed online.

3) Support for those for whom English is a Second Language (ESL)—An ESL

program is run by the Rassias Foundation (http://rassias.dartmouth.edu/) for

incoming graduate students. This brief program focuses on grammar and

pronunciation.

Judith Hertog ([email protected]du), a Writing Program ESL Specialist

with the Institute of Writing & Rhetoric, provides free English-language assistance

to international graduate students. Hertog’s primary emphasis is on writing, and

she offers two key services in this regard: free private consultation, and weekly

study meetings. Students can meet with her to get feedback on papers they are

preparing to submit, to practice oral presentations, or to consult with her about

other ESL-related matters. Additional information can be reviewed online.