University-wide New Graduate Student Orientation
Welcome to Carnegie Mellon!
It's officially time to say Welcome to Carnegie Mellon and Greetings from Pittsburgh!
We have been busy coordinating with your departments and planning University-wide Graduate Student Spring 2021 Orientation. We look forward to having you join us for events which are designed to support your transition to CMU. Graduate Student Spring 2021 Orientation will be offered remotely, with a combination of synchronous and asynchronous opportunities for you to get to know the university, other new and returning graduate students, and staff and faculty who are thrilled to have you as members of the Tartan Plaid community.
You should be enrolled in the Spring 2021 Graduate Student Orientation Canvas course (an email was sent to your @andrew account) that will include specific information on synchronous, remote events occurring as part of the university-wide graduate student orientation experience. Partners around the university have contributed the content collected here to support your orientation experience and look forward to interacting with you more soon.
We invite you to watch President Farnam Jahanian's official welcome to the 2020-21 academic year before beginning this course. The President's Welcome to Graduate Students includes remarks from a variety of university community members offering words of welcome, bits of advice and a highlight of things to come in your graduate experience.
Our synchronous events will kickoff on Thursday, January 28 at 1:00pm (EST) with the University Welcome and Resources Panel and will provide a chance for you to meet members of the Graduate Student Assembly and university staff while learning more about university resources & services.
For more information about the Graduate Student Spring 2021 Orientation program, visit the Graduate Student Orientation website. This website will be updated on a regular basis so check back often. If you have any questions, or need additional information, contact the Graduate Education Office . Welcome to Carnegie Mellon University! We can’t wait to meet you.
Sincerely,
The Graduate Student Orientation Team
Desirée Chronick, Administrative Coordinator
Holly Hippensteel, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Community Standards and Diversity Initiatives
Jamie Rossi, Director of Student Academic Success Operations & Strategy
QUESTIONS?
- Email Graduate Education Office for questions or issues connecting to Canvas or our synchronous events.
- Email Disability Resources if you have a disability and need an accommodation for your disability in order to participate fully in Graduate Student Orientation.
SPRING 2021 ORIENTATION
JANUARY 28 & 29
- Synchronous schedule (below)
- Canvas Course
- Deadlines & Information for Incoming Students
- Questions? email grad-ed@cmu.edu
COVID-19 UPDATES
Students are strongly encouraged to check often for updates and information.
The realities of this pandemic mean that life is different. And evolving.
We want to be transparent that a redesign of our educational approach, along with the requirements outlined in A Tartan's Responsibility, are subject to change as conditions of the virus evolve. Resources to support your physical and mental health include guidelines for mask-wearing, hand-washing and staying connected while social distancing are available.
SPRING ORIENTATION - SYNCHRONOUS EVENTS
THURSDAY, JANUARY 28
Welcome to CMU and Resource Panel Discussion1:00-2:30pm (EST)
JOIN THIS SESSION
FRIDAY, JANUARY 29
10:00am (EST)
1:00-2:00pm (EST)
JOIN THIS SESSION
2:15-3:15pm (EST)
JOIN THIS SESSION
Doctoral Students Panel
JOIN THIS SESSION
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ORIENTATION
Mandatory International Student Orientation and Check-In
Begins January 11, 2021
STUDENTS WHO WILL BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE U.S.
The orientation and check-in is mandatory for non-immigrant international students on Carnegie Mellon’s visa documents (F-1 or J-1 status) and who are physically present in the U.S. For spring 2021, orientation and check-in will be offered remotely via the learning management platform, Canvas.
The Canvas course will become available Monday, January 11. Students must sign-up and complete the entire orientation course and pass the quiz. The link to sign up for the course will be sent to new students by email in January. As part of completing the orientation course, students will also be required to complete the Newly Admitted Student Arrival e-Form in their MyOIE portal. Once all components of the orientation course have been successfully completed and the e-Form has been submitted, the student's SEVIS record will be activated by OIE.
Students are encouraged to complete the canvas course as soon as possible after their arrival to the U.S., preferably by Monday, February 1.
All new international students are invited to attend a virtual, live Welcome Session with OIE Director Linda Gentile and the Office of International Education staff via Zoom. This session will include an introduction to the OIE office and services, remote orientation details, and answers to some frequently asked questions about the spring semester. Session details:
- Registration is not required.
- In January, OIE will send an email to all new students that will contain the Zoom link.
- On the scheduled date and time, log in to the Zoom session with your AndrewID.
- All international students are welcome, but not required, to attend the session.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Visit the Office of International Education for more information.
Winter Welcome
Winter Welcome 2021
See the full schedule of events and register to attend.
Whether you are arriving in Pittsburgh for the first time, returning to campus, or studying remotely, let’s kick off the new semester with some fun!
Winter Welcome is a three-week series of collaborative and celebratory events designed to connect students to each other and the campus community. It’s a great way to meet new people, get involved with student organizations, learn about campus resources, build school spirit, participate in service projects, and practice wellness as you start the new semester.
Event Highlights:
- Jumpstart and Encompass Career Fairs
- Speed Friending, Escape Rooms*, Paint Night* and Interactive Zoom Hangouts
- Grab and Go: National Homemade Soup Day
- Volunteer Appreciation Day and Virtual Service Project
- The Virtual Fair, which showcases many of CMU’s student and Greek organizations and Pittsburgh community partners
*Some events require advanced registration and have limited capacity.
TARTAN PRIDE KIT
Show your Tartan Pride by downloading a cut-out, sign or virtual background that can be used while you participate in events and even during virtual classes!
