Welcome New Graduate Students

Dear New UC Santa Barbara Graduate Student,

The Graduate Division is delighted to welcome you to the University of California at Santa Barbara. The Graduate Division works in conjunction with your academic department to offer you many services and resources as you begin your studies and throughout your graduate career. Working collaboratively with students, departments and staff, we facilitate academic advancement, promote professional development, and support the needs of a diverse graduate student body.

We invite you to join us for our important campus-wide orientations. Orientation offers you the opportunity to become familiar with UC Santa Barbara’s Graduate Division and university departments, programs, staff, procedures, and services. Please be aware that academic departments also provide separate orientations and will contact you directly with additional information. Given the important nature of the information imparted at these orientations, please make it a priority to attend.

The New Graduate Student Orientation will take place on Wednesday, September 24, 2008, at 9:00 a.m. in Campbell Hall and will enable you to meet fellow students and staff to learn about the university and its resources. We will open the day with welcoming remarks from the Dean of the Graduate Division, followed by a plenary session and workshops. For campus directions, please visit the UCSB Campus Map.

In addition, all new and potential Teaching Assistants (TAs) and other instructional appointees (all Readers and Tutors) are required to attend the Teaching Assistant (TA) Orientation held on Tuesday, September 23, 2008, at 9:00 a.m. in Campbell Hall. For more information, visit the Teaching Assistant Development Program.

Lastly, the International Student Orientation Program will be held Thursday-Saturday, September 18-20. Incoming international students can meet one another, make friends, and learn about the university and life in Santa Barbara. For more information, please visit the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS).

We look forward to getting to know you during your academic career at UC Santa Barbara. For a list of helpful resources, please visit Arriving to UC Santa Barbara and Getting Started at UC Santa Barbara. Our goal is to ensure that you benefit from the stellar graduate educational opportunities and services that are available to you on our campus. Please feel free to contact the Graduate Division at (805) 893-2277 with any questions you may have prior to your arrival to UC Santa Barbara.

With best regards and welcome,