Welcome On behalf of the Computer Science Graduate Student Group (CSGSG), we would like to welcome you to the UVa Computer Science community. The CSGSG represents student interests within the department, and all graduate students are automatically members. A three-member steering committee (elected annually) handles administrative details, disseminates information, and delegates responsibility for various projects and activities (e.g. the mentor program and the department picnic). Mentors We have assigned you a CS department mentor to aid you in your transition to UVa. Your mentor should be able to handle any of your questions or concerns. If your mentor can't answer your question, they're sure to know who can, and will be glad to point you in the right direction. In the event you can't get in contact with your mentor, you can email your questions to csgsg@cs.virginia.edu. Additionally, when you arrive, you'll be assigned a temporary faculty advisor, yet another person of whom you can ask questions. Arriving in Charlottesville Depending on your situation, there are three possible dates for your first required event at UVa. All international students must take the SPEAK test on August 20-21. TAs must attend the Teaching Workshop on August 22-23. If you are an international student or a TA, you will be receiving more materials on these events from the University. If neither of the above situations apply to you, then your first required event will be the Computer Science Department Welcome on Sunday, August 26th, at 1PM in Olsson Hall Room 236D. At this welcome, we will be giving you a final schedule for your orientation week activities. For planning purposes, you can keep pace with this schedule as it develops on the CSGSG website listed below. We recommend you arrive with plenty of time to get settled into your new home before the flurry of activities that come with orientation week and the start of classes. And most importantly, please check in with the Graduate Program Coordinator, Brenda Perkins, in the front office of Olsson Hall as soon as you arrive in town. We hope that you're looking forward to joining the UVa CS community as much as we're looking forward to meeting you. We understand that you have plenty of questions, and so you should please visit the CSGSG Orientation Website for more information regarding your arrival at UVa. We ask that you use the form on the web page to let us know that you've found the orientation materials and to ask us any questions you might have. This form also provides us with an updated email with which we can contact you with any late-breaking news. We can't emphasize enough the importance of taking the time to look over the materials on this website. This material is a compilation of a lot of lessons learned by students from past years, and will significantly aid in your smooth transition to Charlottesville and UVa. Once again, welcome to UVa Computer Science! Sincerely, The CSGSG Steering Committee Patrick Graydon Zach Hill Michael Holroyd