Students accepted into the graduate program should let the Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Daniel Buckley, know when they plan to arrive in Ithaca. They should also keep the DGS apprised of any changes in their plans. Arriving students should get in touch with the DGS or the Graduate Field Assistant, Laurie Hanley Raba,  for a general orientation to the program, and for information about keys, mailboxes, and department procedures. New students will have opportunities to meet the faculty members who will be their graduate advisers.

During the first semester, students should visit all staff members in their general areas of interest. This interaction allows students to become acquainted with the staff, familiarizes them with department research options, and assists them in choosing a major professor if they have not already done so.

Students who will receive stipends - including students with assistantships - should get in touch with the department chair's administrative assistant to fill out necessary forms. Students with graduate research assistantships who wish to be exempted from income tax and Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) withholding must fill out tax exemption forms. New students should also follow all appropriate procedures given in the general and graduate catalogs.