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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. 19 2011 (Fall Quarter beginning Monday Sept. 26, 2011)

Detailed Agenda

Academics & Registration

New students are scheduled to meet with David McAllester, TTIC's Chief Academic Officer, early in orientation week to discuss the Ph.D. curriculum and suggested courses for your first academic quarter at TTIC. You will need to register via the University of Chicago CMORE network (available to you when you have been registered for a CNET ID) by Friday of Orientation Week. Registration for Winter, Spring and Summer quarters is 8 weeks into the previous quarter.

TTIC courses

TTIC Faculty

TTIC Student Handbook

TTIC Academic Program Guide

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?

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 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.

APPLYING FOR A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER

If you are receiving a stipend from TTIC, you will need to apply for a social security number. No monies can be disbursed to you by TTIC until you have been assigned a social security number.

Foreign Students must wait ten days after your arrival in the U.S. to apply for the Social Security number. This gives the SEVIS system time to update your records for the Social Security Administration to review.

To apply for the social security number, you will need to take the following documents to a local social security administration office:

Refer to the following link for further details: http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10096.html

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

Academic Calendar

2011 AUTUMN QUARTER

Orientation Mon Sept 19
Registration Wed Sept 21
Quarter Begins Mon Sept 26
Thanksgiving Thu-Fri, Nov 24-25
Quarter Ends Sat Dec 10

2012 WINTER QUARTER

Quarter Begins Tue Jan 03
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Mon Jan 16
College Break Fri Feb 10
Quarter Ends Sat Mar 17

2012 SPRING QUARTER

Quarter Begins Mon Mar 26
Memorial Day Mon May 28
Quarter Ends Sat Jun 9

Welcome Guide

2011-2012 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 are expected to 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.

To see the current academic expenses and estimated living expenses for the nine-month academic year, click here.

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.

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.

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. In support of this, the Institute will subsidize the cost of the insurance policy up to $1600 annually. If the annual premium for the plan chosen is less than $1600, TTIC will subsidize a maximum of 100% of the premium. The subsidy can be applied toward policy coverage of a spouse, domestic partner, or dependents that are on the same insurance policy as the student.

All students are required to sign a form the beginning of each academic year confirming they have the minimum insurance coverage.

For those students who do not currently hold a health insurance policy, the Institute provides information on various sources through which students can purchase insurance. One option is the University of Chicago student health plan. (This plan is still in the final stages of being negotiated with the University of Chicago, and we may have more details for you as we move through the summer.) Other companies that offer student health insurance policies are listed below. This is not a recommended list of sources; students are expected to research and choose the insurance company and policy that best meets their needs.

Some Sources for Health Insurance

U.S. Citizens/Permanent Resident Aliens:

International Students:

IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS

By State of Illinois law, all new students are required to present proof of immunity from German measles, measles (two shots required), mumps, and tetanus/diphtheria (three shots required for foreign students). A student's subsequent registration will be restricted if they have not completed the requirement by the sixth week of the quarter.

You are welcome to use the University of Chicago Immunization Form to record your immunizations. You can find that form here: http://scc.uchicago.edu/ffr_immunizations.html

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:

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:

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.) Some things you may want to be aware of:

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.)

In the event of an emergency, will follow the University's Emergency Plan. You can familiarize yourself with the plan and what steps may take place here. http://emergency.uchicago.edu/emp/

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.

Contact Info

STUDENT SERVICES Chrissy Novak cnovak@ttic.edu
(773) 834-2216
HUMAN RESOURCES/
REGISTRAR		 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