Letter from the Chief Academic Officer

Students play an important role in making TTIC a strong institution. I have often said that TTIC aspires to be similar to the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) in Princeton New Jersey. IAS was home to Einstein while he was in the United States and remains one of the most well known research institutions in the world. A significant difference, however, is that TTIC has students. Many people say that IAS suffers from the lack of students. Students amplify the powers of faculty by taking ideas to higher levels. Students challenge faculty by criticizing ideas and by proposing different ones. Students bring ideas to other institutions when they acquire academic positions of their own. The presence of students has an important impact on the culture and external perception of TTIC.

But of course, in addition to the benefits students bring to TTIC, TTIC must provide the best possible foundation for the research careers of its students. Students must learn the art of research, and equally importantly, the art of publishing. Research and publishing involve a balance between learning old ideas creating new ones. Newton often said that he saw so far because he stood on the shoulders of giants (according to Wikipedia, Newton was quoting "Bernard of Charles" from the middle ages). I recommend patience while mastering old ideas. Once you find a research advisor, you will soon enough be challenged to solve open problems. Your research advisor will be your mentor and guide in research and publication. I have always found research to be exciting and I believe that you will have a wonderful experience at TTIC. I also believe that TTIC will serve as a strong foundation for your research career.

Welcome to TTIC.

David McAllester

TTIC Chief Academic Officer

Orientation Information

Orientation begins on Monday Sept. 24 2012 (Fall Quarter beginning Monday Oct. 1, 2012)

Detailed Agenda - coming soon

Academics & Registration

Early in Orientation week, new students are scheduled to meet with Professor McAllester, TTIC's Chief Academic Officer, and Professor Srebro, TTIC’s Director of Graduate Studies, to discuss the Ph.D. curriculum and suggested courses for your first academic quarter at TTIC.

Actual course registration will begin Wednesday of Orientation week.

TTIC courses

TTIC Faculty

TTIC Student Handbook (new edition coming soon)

TTIC Academic Program Guide (new edition coming soon)

This guide provides information on the different stages of the PhD program, grade requirements, privileges, and academic timelines.

Academic Calendar

2012 AUTUMN QUARTER

Orientation	Mon Sept 24
Registration	Wed Sept 26
Quarter Begins	Mon Oct 1
Thanksgiving	Thu-Fri, Nov 22-23
Quarter Ends	Fri Dec 14

2013 WINTER QUARTER

Quarter Begins	Mon Jan 07
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day	Mon Jan 21
Break Day	Fri Feb 15
Quarter Ends	Fri Mar 22

2013 SPRING QUARTER

Quarter Begins	Mon Apr 1
Memorial Day	Mon May 27
Quarter Ends	Fri Jun 14

Welcome Guide

2012-2013 Welcome Guide

Finances, Living Expenses & Stipend

TUITION AND GRADUATE STUDENT SUPPORT (PH.D. PROGRAM)

Tuition at TTIC is $30,000.00 per year.

All Ph.D. students at TTIC receive financial support that covers tuition and living expenses. This support is typically provided by individual faculty members who "sponsor" that student. Funding is provided either by research grants or by startup packages obtained by individual faculty members.

Part of the admissions process involves reaching an agreement with a TTIC faculty member willing to sponsor an applicant. Once a faculty member has agreed to sponsor an applicant, that faculty member has a responsibility for the welfare of that student should they decide to attend TTIC. However, continued support for the entire duration of a student's enrollment in TTIC can not be guaranteed, although every effort will be made by TTIC to maintain support for worthy students, independent of temporary funding conditions of the particular sponsoring faculty.

Financial assistance such as scholarships and grants received by a student from other sources will reduce the amount of scholarship provided by the Institute, in the ratio of 2:1. In other words, for every $2.00 received from outside sources, the Institute scholarship provided that student is reduced by $1.00.

TAX WITHHOLDING

For U.S. Citizens and permanent residents:

The stipend you receive from TTIC is subject to federal and state of Illinois tax withholding. Stipends are exempt from FICA (Medicare and Social Security) taxes.

Generally, under the tax laws, you should not have to pay taxes on a scholarship, fellowship, or stipend to the extent you use the funds for tuition, fees, books and equipment required for classes or enrollment. You will make the necessary adjustments when you file your taxes for each calendar year.

However, any portion of a scholarship, fellowship or stipend award you spend on incidental expenses, including room and board, could be included in your taxable income for the year. Therefore, you may have to pay income taxes on the portion of a scholarship, fellowship or stipend award spent on items such as travel, research and medical insurance. Again, you make the necessary adjustments when you file your taxes.

TTIC's stipend is paid to you to cover living expenses. Therefore, generally, this stipend is taxable income.

You should make the determination regarding whether a scholarship, fellowship, or stipend award is taxable based upon your individual facts and accounting for all the scholarships, fellowships, or stipends that you may have received. To the extent that you determine that a portion of all of the funds are not subject to tax, you should retain receipts, canceled checks, and other documents that could show the total amount of your qualifying expenses.

For foreign students, certain tax treaties and regulations may apply that differ from the information stated above. This will be treated on an individual basis.

Please note that this information is intended to introduce you to the possible consequences of scholarship, fellowship, or stipend amounts. Since individual tax liability depends on each individuals circumstances, you should contact your personal tax advisor with any questions or concerns.

For International Students/Non-immigrants:

No state of Illinois and no FICA (Medicare and Social Security) taxes are withheld from your stipend. However, per IRS regulations, 14% of your stipend is withheld each pay period for federal tax withholding.

You are required to file taxes for each calendar year, due April 15 of the following year. Tax preparation resources will be provided to you at the beginning of each year but please note that it is solely your responsibility to file your taxes on time each year.

Health Matters

HEALTH INSURANCE

All students are required to have medical insurance that includes at a minimum coverage for hospitalization, outpatient services and surgical procedures. TTIC is currently negotiating the health insurance options for the 2012 - 2013 academic year. This page will be updated in June.

IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS

The State of Illinois requires all students to provide proof of immunity from German measles, measles (two shots required), mumps, and tetanus/diphtheria (three shots required for foreign students).

Please plan to submit immunization records to TTIC 3 weeks before the quarter begins. (Should be received by TTIC by August 15th for students arriving for Fall Quarter 2012.) A student’s registration will be restricted if they have not completed this requirement. Some shots are required over a period of time, so please plan ahead.

Please use the Immunization Form here: http://healthcare.uchicago.edu/page/vaccinations-required-enrollment

STUDENT CARE CENTER - University of Chicago

TTIC pays the university health and wellness fee for all students, so that they may access the services provided by the University of Chicago Student Care Center.

This medical facility and clinic takes both emergency and non-emergency cases, and provides required immunization shots. Services include:

Health and Medical Visits with Student Care Center Physician, Nurse, Nutrition Service Rep, Travel Clinic, Womancare Representative
Allergy Injection visits
Annual Pap smear
Confidential HIV screening
Rapid strep tests
Flu shots
Condoms
Smoking cessation health counseling
Student Counseling & Resource Service (SCRS): mental health care & academic skills counseling.

Services NOT covered by the Health and Wellness fee include hospitalization, pharmacy prescriptions, and lab tests. Costs for these services are the responsibility of you and/or your health insurance carrier to pay.

Technology Available To You

Each entering TTIC student will receive the following for academic use:

$2000 budget to purchase a Laptop and/or PC via Systems Administrator
Phone and phone number to your desk
Access to a laser printer, scanner, copier, and fax machine
Internet and wireless access at the institute
TTIC email address
Institute Cluster

For specific inquiries about technology available to you at TTIC, please consult Adam Bohlander, TTIC Systems Administrator asb@ttic.edu.

Safety & Security

As TTIC is located in a major metropolitan area the issue of safety is taken seriously. Besides a very visible presence of City of Chicago Police Department and University of Chicago Police in the area, TTIC recommends looking into the following, to ensure safety when you are outside the institute:

Within the institute, TTIC follows the same security plan as the University of Chicago (as we share a campus.) TTIC students should make themselves familiar with University of Chicago emergency procedures.

During your academic career at TTIC, you will have 24 hour access to TTIC facilities. You will receive a key and key card which you will be responsible for, and it will open door(s) that may be locked after normal working hours and weekends. (On some national holidays however, the building(s) may be locked to any access, even with a key/ keycard. You will be notified in advance of these holidays.)

Mission

"... Achieving international impact through world-class research and education in fundamental computer science and information technology..."

The key phrase in TTIC's mission statement is "international impact", as both the educational and research missions focus on this aspect.

The research mission is to achieve global impact through world class research in fundamental computer science.
The educational mission is to achieve international impact through the accomplishments of its graduates.

Contact Info

Administrative Director of Graduate Studies, Publications	Chrissy Novak	cnovak@ttic.edu (773) 834-2216
Human Resources, International Student Services	Liv Leader	lleader@ttic.edu (773)702-5033
Systems Administrator	Adam Bohlander	asb@ttic.edu
Chief Academic Officer	Dr. David McAllester	mcallester@ttic.edu (773) 702-5562
Director of Graduate Studies	Dr. Nathan Srebro	nati@ttic.edu (773) 834-7493
Mailing Address	Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago 6045 S. Kenwood Ave Chicago IL, 60637 U.S.A

International Students

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT FAQ'S

Who is the international student contact at TTIC?

Your international student contact at TTIC is Liv Leader, lleader@ttic.edu. Liv is the Primary Designated School Official (PDSO) for SEVIS processing at TTIC.

Will I be applying for an F-1 or J-1 Visa?

At this time TTIC is able to sponsor only the F-1 visa.

How do I obtain an F-1 Visa?

TTIC will be requesting information from you that is necessary to process a document called the I-20. Once processed, the original I-20 signed by TTIC's Primary Designated School Official (PDSO) will be sent to you.
You will then make an appointment at the U.S. consulate in your home country:

You must take the original I-20 document and proof that you can financially afford to live in the U.S., to this appointment.
You must also pay the current SEVIS I-901 fee prior to the appointment (see http://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/).
You will be given more information about the consulate visit when you make the appointment.
Also refer to http://usembassy.state.gov for website listings of U.S. consulate offices, as some provide more information on what to expect at the consulate visit.

Once approval is obtained from the U.S. consulate, you can then travel to the U.S., where you will be given an I-94 card at the port of entry. You will not be allowed entry to the U.S. more than 30 days prior to the start of the academic program.

I already have an F-1 visa sponsored by my current school. Now what?

There are transfer procedures in SEVIS that will transfer sponsorship of your visa from your current school to TTIC. Contact Liv Leader, lleader@ttic.edu to inform her of your situation.

What fees will I be expected to pay to obtain the F-1 visa?

There is a SEVIS I-901 fee students must pay prior to the U.S. consulate appointment. Refer to http://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/ for details.

I'm really excited to come to the U.S. How soon can I arrive?

You can arrive at the U.S. port of entry no more than 30 days prior to the start of official enrollment in TTIC's academic program.

What exactly takes place at the U.S. Port of Entry (POE)?

Please refer to http://www.ice.gov/sevis/factsheet/100104ent_stdnt_fs.htm for a thorough description.

What do I need to do with all these documents when I finally arrive at TTIC?

Report to TTIC's Primary Designated School Official (PDSO), Liv Leader, with the final approved I-20, your passport, and the I-94 card issued when you arrived in the U.S.

What other resources can I refer to regarding the F-1 visa and the visa process?

Refer to http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1268.html for more information.

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO RESOURCES AND EVENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS (available to TTIC students)

International Student Association
International House: Residence Hall, also sponsors special events and social gatherings.
ESL Classes: Classes provided by International House. TTIC will reimburse students for 75% of the cost of tuition and materials fees, for up to one course per quarter (for international students whom English is not their first language)..

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