Dear Graduate Student,

I am delighted that you have accepted our offer of admission to the Brown University Graduate School. Congratulations on taking this step and thank you for choosing Brown for your graduate studies.

Tentative dates for Orientations are:

• International Orientation: August, 21-23, 2024
• Student of Color Orientation: August 25-26, 2024
• All-Student Orientation: August 27-28, 2024
• Resource Fair: August 29 | 1-4 pm (3-4 pm grad student only hour)

All-Student Orientation is a required event (and International Orientation is required for international students). You will receive email communication with further details this spring and summer. Your degree program may also host program-specific orientation activities.

At Brown, you have easy access to leading scholars, teachers, and researchers, as well as the Graduate School deans and staff. During the academic year, I set aside time each week to allow students to drop by and discuss your ideas and interests. You also can call or email to make an appointment with me or another dean.

As you prepare for your studies in the {a.("ADMITTED_PROGRAM")} program, we encourage you to become familiar with the culture and resources of our vibrant University community. The Brown University Academic Code and the Student Conduct Code provide an essential understanding of expectations and rules regarding scholarly and research pursuits and interactions on campus. You will be asked to complete an online course on the Codes after you set up your Brown email account, which we recommend you do as soon as you receive an email with instructions. 

Brown also works to provide diverse and comprehensive opportunities for health and wellbeing educational empowerment. As a new student, you are required to complete the Sexual Assault Prevention for Graduate Students course as a beginning to this journey. We ask you to engage with this programming before starting courses, so that you feel well-informed about the variety of resources available at Brown. Look for email instructions in July. The Graduate School website offers additional information about University resources.

Our goal is that you are aware of information, as you begin your studies, that will help you be successful at Brown. In addition to knowing your degree requirements, be sure to look at your program handbook, as well as the Graduate School Handbook. Our website provides a link to most program handbooks; to find yours, look at the webpage devoted to your program.

Please retain your offer of admission. The offer represents the University's commitment to you. In the future, you may want to refer to it and this communication.

Again, congratulations on joining the Brown community. The Graduate School will be in touch with you several times before Orientation, and I look forward to welcoming you to campus.

Sincerely,

Thomas A. Lewis
Dean of the Graduate School
Professor of Religious Studies

Dear Graduate Student,

Brown University Graduate School looks forward welcoming you to campus.

We ask that you take the following steps:

1) Please set up your Brown Account. The account gives you access to electronic services, including a Brown email address. Beginning in early June (for fall starts) or early January (for spring starts) the Graduate School will send email exclusively to your Brown email address. For issues, see the IT Knowledgebases or contact the Office of Information Technology Service Center.

To activate, you will need your Brown ID number: {a.("BROWN_ID")}

• Enter your last name, date of birth, and the ID number.
• Read and agree to the terms of use for your Brown account, and choose a password.
• Read and agree to the terms of use for your Google account, and choose a password.
• Your Brown username and email address will be listed on the last page - print this page or make a note of them.

After activation, we recommend you:

• Add a mobile number to Banner. This allows you to reset your Brown password should you forget it, and also ensures you are notified should an emergency occur at Brown. To do this, log in to selfservice.brown.edu and click Personal Information.
• Log in to your email. You can simply visit gmail.com and log in with your Brown email address; and you'll be prompted to log in with Brown single sign on. 
• Set up Two-Step Verification. The first time you log into a Brown service like Banner, you will be prompted to set up a means of verification, such as a phone number. You can log into MyAccount after setup to add additional devices or phone numbers. Read more about two-step verification at brown.edu/go/twostep
  Note for international students: International numbers are acceptable and they should be entered with a + in front of the country code. If you don't plan to get a U.S. cell phone once in the country, you can use the smartphone app (Duo Mobile) over wifi or without a connection.

2) Please provide a photo for your Brown Identification Card. The Brown Card is the official University identification card. The image should be a passport-style “head and shoulders” image. To submit your photo, log into the secure area of Banner, Applicant and Student section, and use the link for Brown ID Online Photo Submission. Upon arrival on campus, you can pick up your card during business hours at the Brown Card Office.

3) Read our online guide for admitted students. Find important dates and contacts and learn information about governance, campus resources and services, life at Brown, and living in the Providence area.

Sincerely,
The Deans and Staff of the Graduate School

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Dear Student,

As a member of Brown University’s graduate student community, you are required to complete Brown’s digital course on the Academic Code of Conduct in order to remain in good standing. 

If you have not yet completed the course, please go to https://wd5.myworkday.com/brown/learning/mylearning. You should see the course link on that page. You will need to log in using Brown University credentials to access the course.

If you do not see the course on your Workday learning page, please go to: https://wd5.myworkday.com/brown/learning, click on “Search for Available Learning,” and enter “Academic Code of Conduct” in the search bar. You may enroll from there.

The course should take you no longer than 20 minutes to complete and students must get 100% in order to pass. Incorrect answers will need to be revisited for correction. Please complete the course by the first day of classes, unless directed by a member of your program's staff to complete the course earlier.

With warmest regards,

Brown University Graduate School

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Dear Graduate Students,

As you’re preparing for the start of the fall semester, we have some important steps for you to take to ensure that you receive your first-year supplemental fellowship payment and first monthly stipend payment on time.

First-year supplemental fellowship payment
As an incoming PhD or MFA student, you will receive a first-year supplemental fellowship payment of $1,750 as an electronic payment via Zelle on or around August 6. Information about how the process works and what steps you will need to take are detailed in the Electronic First-Year Supplemental Fellowship Procedure guide. Please read through the guide and let us know if you have any questions. Keep an eye on your Brown email account for the payment initiation email which will be sent in early August.

Receiving your first stipend payment on September 30
All fully funded graduate students will receive their regular stipend payment at the end of each month (see the Student Employee FAQ section on the Controller’s Office General Information/FAQ webpage). In order to receive your first stipend payment, you must complete the I-9 process by September 6, 2024. To complete this process, please:

1. Submit the I-9 Form and complete all onboarding tasks in Workday (instructions can be found on the I-9 Forms webpage)
2. Visit the HR Service Center, in person, (Page-Robinson Hall, Room 213) to present your original, unexpired documentation for the I-9 Form. Please refer to the List of Acceptable Documents for guidance on the types of documents required.

You are welcome to visit the HR Service Center anytime after you arrive in Providence - and we encourage you to complete the I-9 process as soon as possible! There will also be dedicated times set up during All Student Orientation (August 27-28) for you to complete the process.

More information about onboarding, completing the I-9 Form, and the  List of Acceptable Documents can be found on the HR Service Center website under the I-9 Forms section.

Please contact the following offices with any questions related to:

• Onboarding and I-9 process: HR Service Center, hrservicecenter@brown.edu
• Tax related questions: Controller’s Office, payroll@brown.edu

You can find additional helpful information on the Graduate Student Stipend Information webpage and the Tax Information for Graduate Students webpage.

Please note that if you sign up for direct deposit, you may still receive your first payment as a check if the direct deposit setup process is not fully completed prior to payments being disbursed. You can find more information about how to sign up for direct deposit on the Controller’s Office General Information/FAQ webpage.
 

Sincerely,

Brown University Graduate School

Dear Graduate Students,

As you’re preparing for the start of the fall semester, we have some important steps for you to take to ensure that you receive your initial payments from Brown on time.

The steps below must be completed by September 6, 2024 to ensure that you receive your first-year supplemental fellowship payment of $1,750 on September 18 and your first regular stipend payment on September 30.

Complete the I-9 Process
All students must complete the I-9 process to receive payments from Brown. To complete this process, please:

• Submit the I-9 Form and complete all onboarding tasks in Workday (instructions can be found on the I-9 Forms webpage)
• Visit the HR Service Center in person (Page-Robinson Hall, Room 213) to present your original, unexpired documentation for the I-9 Form. Please refer to the List of Acceptable Documents for guidance on the types of documents required.

You are welcome to visit the HR Service Center anytime after you arrive in Providence - and we encourage you to complete the I-9 process as soon as possible! There will also be dedicated times set up during International Student Orientation (August 21-23) for you to complete the process.

More information about onboarding, completing the I-9 Form, and the List of Acceptable Documents can be found on the HR Service Center website under the I-9 Forms section.

Complete Sprintax Calculus
All international students are required to enter data pertaining to immigration and tax status in Sprintax Calculus each calendar year and if you extend your stay at Brown University.  Please email foreignnationaltax@brown.edu to request a username and password.

You are also required to notify your department and foreignnationaltax@brown.edu each time you leave the U.S. with your location and possible return date, and then again when you re-enter the country, regardless of the length of time you were away. Current information is required to ensure that correct taxes are applied. More information is available on the Controller’s Office Foreign National Payments and Taxation webpage.

Please contact the following offices with any questions related to:

• Onboarding and I-9 process: HR Service Center, hrservicecenter@brown.edu
• Visa questions or travel issues: OISSS, oisss@brown.edu
• Sprintax Calculus or tax related questions: Controller’s Office, foreignnationaltax@brown.edu

You can find additional helpful information on the Graduate Student Stipend Information webpage and the Tax Information for Graduate Students webpage.

All fully funded graduate students will receive their regular stipend payment at the end of each month (see the Student Employee FAQ section on the Controller’s Office General Information/FAQ webpage). Please note that if you sign up for direct deposit, you may still receive your first payment as a check if the direct deposit setup process is not fully completed prior to payments being disbursed. A U.S. Social Security Number (SSN) is required to receive direct deposit payment. You can find more information about how to sign up for direct deposit on the Controller’s Office General Information/FAQ webpage.

Sincerely,

Brown University Graduate School

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