Before you can get going, you'll need to attend to the paperwork. You should have recieved a copy of the Research Student Handbook 1992-3. This provides details of the registration procedure, so make sure you read it carefully and do as it tells you.
Registration confirms you as a member of the University, entitled to use its facilities. You will recieve a University student card, incorporating library card and Students Union card. For a small extra fee (15 pounds) it can incoporate a sports users card- well worth having. If you have an award from one of the research councils, you will also pick up your first grant cheque. Make sure that you register within the first 3 weeks of term or you could be liable to a financial penalty.
There will be a School welcoming party in the first or second week of term. Please try to attend, especially if you are new to the school as it will be a good first opportunity to meet other students and staff on a informal basis, and there will be food and drink laid on.
You have to keep up to date with what's going on within the School, and the wider academic community. The main source of this information is electronic media (ie messages passed and stored on the Schools computers). This takes the form of:
Sometimes, paper circulars are delivered to your pigeonhole. Assorted notices are put up on the noticeboards in the staff room --- it's good practice to let people know about these over news.
The University and Polytechnic Students Union paper, ``Leeds Student'' comes out weekly --- you can pick up a copy in the Students Union building. The University publishes a weekly list of forthcoming open lectures, exhibitions and so on, called ``Events''. A copy of the Times Higher Educational Supplement is delivered to the Staff Common Room every Friday.
General reference books, directories, maps and so on can be found in the General Office.
First, to obtain a key to your office and other parts of the department, see James Craig, Administrative Assistant, in Room 9.2h (username james). There, you will be asked to sign a form agreeing to abide by certain conditions. There is also a 10 pound deposit which must be paid. This will be returned to you when you return the key. The key gives you access to the outside doors, your office, the library, and general through routes.
Always keep your valuables on your person or out of sight and your office locked whenever you are not there. Even if you are merely leaving the room for a short time, it is still vulnerable to theft.
The School's Security Officer, Mr. Pete Jesty (Room 9.10j, username phj) should be your first contact on security matters. If the issue is solely to do with keys, however, see James Craig.
Please take time to read and absorb the Health and Safety information issued by the University in the Research Student Handbook
If you discover an electrical fault on any School equipment, please do not attempt to mend it yourself; Contact one of the technicians, Ian Eastwood or Simon Saunders (ext. 5455, usernames ian and simon).
If you have an accident, however minor, this should be recorded in the Accident Book in the General Office. If complications arise as a result of an accident, and it was not recorded at the time, this will weaken any case you may have. There is a first aid box in the General Office and on Level 10 near the Undergraduate Laboratory.
Fire alarm buttons are located at various locations: find out where your nearest one is, and read the instructions carefully. On hearing the alarm, leave the building in an orderly manner, as stated in the instructions.
The School also has a Safety Officer: Charlie Brown. He is in room 9.10e (username charlie) and would be pleased to discuss any questions you may have in connection with health and safety.
The Staff Common Room is on level 7 past the Silicon Graphics lab to which staff and postgraduates can retire for coffee, conversation and relaxation.
Coffee and tea-making facilities are available in the Coffee Room, plus a microwave oven. You may choose to take advantage of the fact that coffee, tea, sugar, milk, and biscuits are provided from a School tea and coffee fund.
Guests of the School often use the Coffee Room, so please keep it tidy.
Postgraduate pigeon holes are located in room 9.1e. Post (internal or external) sent to you as a member of the School will be put in your own pigeonhole. Make sure you check it at least daily.
Postgraduates are entitled to free use of the photocopier in room 9.1e. You'll need to get a code number from the General Office to operate it.
When you use any photocopier, make sure that you are not infringing copyright laws. These are set out on orange notices by both photocopiers; please familiarise yourself with the basics of what you are and are not allowed to do.
Please be economical. Ask yourself whether it is really necessary to photocopy something. Make sure that you have read any articles that you want to copy and know for sure that they are worth having. Where possible, copy two sheets onto one (ask for assistance if you're not sure on how to do this the first time). The University Printing Service can be used for bulk copying but once again, ask yourself if what you want to do is necessary and important.
In addition to the main University Library, the School has its own small library, just off the foyer. This also serves as a Conference Room. It contains material which is for use by staff, postgraduates, and a few members from other departments. Books are provided on a permanent loan system.
As a Conference Room, this facility serves as a venue for meetings with outside guests and internal seminars. It is equipped with a slide projector, a television monitor and video playback. This room is bookable: contact Judi Thursby, username judi.
As you're doing research in computer science, likely as not you'll want to use the computing facilities. For this you will need an account (username) on one or more of the Schools network servers (big hard disks) in order to use any of the machines available.
The University Computing Service (UCS) provides central computing facilities to all members of the University, such as PC networks, a Computationally Intensive Facility (CIF) and a large Sun network. The School has a user representative to the UCS: this is Roger Boyle, username ``roger'' For UCS access, you will need to complete a special form; see Roger for information regarding this. In addition , Roger is the Chair of the School's Computer User Group, so feel free to direct any views on the computing and support facilities to him.
We need to point out that the School is special in having it's own text and graphics editing software, as well as high-quality laser printers which postgrads don't usually have to pay for. For this reason we've been asked to include a note on School policy about using these facilities for producing your final thesis. It may seem a long way off but believe us, it's upon you before you know it.
NB: The term ``student'' is to be interpreted as a research student registered in the School or a member of staff of the School submitting a thesis at this University or any other institution.
In fact generally, photocopies are cheaper (and less time consuming) than multiple laser prints. Photocopiers are also more robust and designed to churn out high volumes of paper, so use the photocopier to get multiple copies wherever possible. Remember that photocopying and laser printing facilities are provided for use in connection with your research work only.
Members of the School traditionally convene at a local pub on Thursday evenings (the Thursday Evening Club, or TEC ). Please keep an eye on the newsgroup local.social to find out this week's venue.
The School has a booking for badminton courts in the sports hall on Wednesdays 12pm-1pm. Players of any level of ability are welcome.
The newsgroup local.review is worth watching for local reviews on anything from movies to restaurants.
ULCERS is Leeds University's Computer Society. It organises social events, puts up football and badminton teams for intermural competitions, as well as turning out football teams and a cricket team to beat the staff each year in the departmental competitions. For the more computer minded of its members, it maintains software such as a MUD (Multi-User-Dungeon), a bulletin board (for discussions), as well as the more traditional computer games. It can normally make computer supplies like floppy disks available to its members at reduced prices. Best of all, it's entirely free to postgrads --- just mail *ucom* to arrange membership. Postgraduate involvement has in the past been poor, and the Ulcers committee are hoping to see an improvement on this.
The Pgdoc Home page :