We hope your summer is going well! The information found on this page will help you get situated as a grad student here at Duke and also within the Integrated Toxicology & Environmental Health Program (ITEHP).
Prior to arrival:
ROTATIONS (three rotations in two different departments during your first year) – Secure your first rotation by contacting ITEHP faculty members directly. You may also want to work on securing your second rotation, especially if you are interested in rotating in a popular rotation lab. You may also secure your third rotation; however, this is not necessary prior to your arrival. If you have questions or concerns about who to contact, be sure to reach out to Dr. Kate Hoffman (Director of Graduate Studies) to discuss.
Receive and activate your NetID – A Duke NetID is a unique user ID assigned to each student. Your letter and/or email will instruct you to activate your NetID online. If you do not receive your NetID within three to four weeks of completing the online enrollment form, please contact the OIT Service Desk at (919) 684-2200.
You will need your NetID to access:
o Duke e-mail account – start using it as soon as possible. Jessica Straehle (ITEHP DGSA) will send emails to both your official duke email and your current email until school starts, but after Orientation Week, she’ll only use your Duke email account.
o IACUC / IRB Protocols – most of you will need to be added to lab protocols and will be required to complete training before you may begin working in a lab.
o Duke Hub (for registration and grades)
o Sakai (for course information)
o DukeBox for digital file storage
Additional Steps:
- Enroll in student health insurance(or opt out if applicable): http://studentaffairs.duke.edu/studenthealth/health-insurance
- Review Graduate School student resources information at: https://gradschool.duke.edu/student-life/
- Academic Calendar may be viewed at: https://registrar.duke.edu/2024-2025-academic-calendar/
- PAYROLL: For direct admits, generally, for the first three years, you will be paid monthly (last business day of the month) via the “noncompensatory payroll system” and will receive your first check on August 30. You must set up non-comp direct deposit in DukeHub by 8/21/2024 to receive your paycheck via direct deposit; if you do not meet this deadline, your payment will be issued via check, mailed to the mailing address on file in non-comp payroll.
- Prior to orientation, please review the non-comp payroll packet in the DukeBox orientation folder: https://duke.app.box.com/folder/242792918090?s=o3mpfolud95on1d7ucjh998a9mx2c2dg
- With the exception of Parking and one or two minor fees, your cost of attendance is billed to your account and a credit is posted by the graduate school finance office.
- Cautionary note: If you receive a bill from the Bursar for tuition or fees, always contact the DGSA. Do not submit payment. All tuition and fees are paid for as a part of your fellowship but sometimes there is a delay in posting credits to your bursar account. On the flip side, know that if you have outstanding charges for parking permits or fines, you will not be permitted to register for the next semester until you pay. We’ve seen late payments for such charges result in students being un-enrolled for very minor amounts, which then results in administrative hassles nobody wants to deal with.
· PARKING: Be sure to visit the Duke Parking website to purchase a parking permit if needed. Permits are available to new students starting in June (notification will be sent to your Duke email). Parking permits for proximate (to LSRC) lots are LIMITED and the waitlists are long, so attempt this as early as possible. The cost of the permit will be added to your Duke account which can be paid once you arrive at Duke. Be careful when looking at “proximate” lots, such as Mill Lot, as some of these are not proximate to research buildings or classrooms. Carpool passes are also available for two-three graduate students. Additionally, put your name on waitlists for proximate lots (Chemistry Lot, for example). These waitlists are very long and can take 2-3 years to get so try to get on the waitlist asap. For those that prefer to bike to campus, you can obtain a few single-day parking passes from the parking office.
· *Submit your immunization information to student health: This is required before the start of classes and is best taken care of before you arrive in Durham as it can sometimes take a while to acquire the information. This is an NC state requirement and you will not be permitted to attend class until your immunization record is on file: https://students.duke.edu/wellness/studenthealth/immunizations/
· Secure housing. The student affairs housing website has helpful information regarding off-campus housing including housing near campus or on bus routes for those without transportation, student surveys for the last several years rating apartments and neighborhoods, and current housing classifieds. The Duke List is also a good resource. Please feel free to contact Jessica Straehle (DGSA ITEHP) or a current student in the program (possibly your peer mentor during recruitment) to get more advice on particular locations.
· Prior to the start of Orientation Week (by August 15th) Jessica will reach out for a brief bio and a picture you’re comfortable having posted on the ITEHP website.
After you arrive in Durham and at Duke:
· Stop by the Program office to say hi! LSRC A346a (Office number likely to change in 2024!)
· Explore Grainger Hall just in front of the LSRC. Check out the rooftop garden!
· Obtain your Duke Card, which is required for all students. It is best to complete this task in June or early July. DukeCards are now primarily issued for use on mobile devices, but as School of Medicine (SOM)-affiliated students, you will be issued physical cards at orientation in order to have building access to SOM facilities. This card has the option to open a FLEX account. You can add money to this account, following the instructions on this page.
· LSRC A335 desk space will be available once Orientation Week begins; Jessica will issue the office keys. Open desks are available on a first-come, first served basis.
· Register your computer for access to Duke’s wireless network: https://dukereg.duke.edu/
· Familiarize yourself with Nicholas IT information: http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/it/ and Duke’s Office of Information Technology site: http://oit.duke.edu/
· Complete the appropriate tax forms and bring them to the Program Office – you will all be paid via fellowship on the non-compensatory payroll (I process the forms for you) and taxes are not deducted. You will want to be sure to have at least some taxes taken out of your paychecks so that you aren’t stuck with a big tax bill in April. (You will switch to the compensatory payroll system in your third year at which time, taxes are automatically deducted, usually at the highest rate possible so it’s always a good idea to double check your withholding information).
· Sign up for direct deposit (see PAYROLL under “additional steps” above).
· Update your graduate school record in DukeHub regarding change of address, if applicable.
· Sign up for Duke alert notifications (optional): http://emergency.duke.edu/
ADVISING:
· Contact ITEHP DGS, Dr. Kate Hoffman to meet with her for your initial advising meeting to discuss your classes and possible rotations.
· Once you meet with Dr. Hoffman (any time over the summer or during orientation week) register for classes in DukeHub. You may need permission numbers, in which case, you should contact the professor directly. Your required classes for ITEHP are for the Fall semester are: BIOTRAIN 701; Pharm 533; Environ/Pharm 847S; and Environ 501.
· ORIENTATION WEEK: Orientation events begin on Monday, August 19th. This special week’s events are for you to enjoy and will go a long way in helping you become more familiar with your new intellectual home. ITEHP students are included in the Nicholas School Student Orientation, since the NSOE is where our offices (yours and mine) are located. ITEHP students are also included in the OBGE orientation, as SOM students. The NSOE orientation is held in tandem with the larger Graduate School orientation. You can find the Orientation Guide and Orientation Schedule for 2024 HERE. Be sure to review the Graduate School orientation events page.
Responsible Conduct of Research Training (RCR)
· Mandatory RCR Training will be held on August 19th, at the beginning of orientation. RCR training information is posted here. You will be contacted over the summer with more information.
· Consider attending Duke Basketball Campout. This attracts hundreds of graduate and professional students, making it a great way to meet new people and get to know others in your program. This event is usually attempted in groups (to increase the chances of winning a season ticket) so if you are interested, ask others in the program about potential groups to join or form your own group. More information can be found at https://basketball.gpsg.duke.edu/overview-and-registration/.
· Note that the ITEHP Seminar (Pharm 847S) will commence on Friday, August 30, in Field Auditorium, Grainger Hall. You can find the fall schedule HERE. The seminar begins at 12 and lunch is served around 1. This is a required class for your first year, but attendance is expected in subsequent years, in order to deepen your knowledge and stay in touch with the ITEHP community.
Last updated 8/8/2024