====== Thesis & Graduation Info ======

===== Miscellaneous Graduation Info: =====
Melina Blees, August 2014

 **Scheduling your B with the graduate school/dept:**
There’s a B-exam scheduling form that needs to go to the department and on to the graduate school at least a week before your exam (though they prefer to get it earlier). You will need all of your committee’s signatures, and a specific room and time. 

This form should only go on to the graduate school once your committee has received your thesis, so in physics the admins hold on to it until they are notified that your thesis is out, and then they forward it on to the graduate school. The graduate school needs to have received it a week before the defense date, so I think a lot of people end up cutting it close.

You’re required to have your final thesis to your committee by one week before the defense, though they suggest earlier (hah hah….). You’re supposed to send them all a draft of the thesis three weeks before the defense date, though I don’t know anyone who’s done that, and Paul seemed to think it wasn’t a big deal. You might want to check with the AEP folks on whether they take that rule seriously, though.

In terms of scheduling the room, there’s apparently a new rule that the room must be able to hold 30-40 people — so 401 PSB or 700/701 Clark are being used these days.

In the physics department you also need to make up a poster advertising your public talk, and give it to the department a week beforehand. It should be one page with a picture, title, your name and Paul’s name, the room and time, and a short abstract. Not sure if AEP requires it.


**Leave:**
If you plan to go on leave after your defense (the usual, I think), you don’t need to provide a justification for the leave. Tuition is prorated based on when in the term you start your leave.
Also let the admin person who arranges your pay know about your upcoming leave — they can cancel the stipend and tuition for you once you go on leave. For me the person is Judy Wilson, but I’m not sure how your funding works.

**Insurance:**
Student insurance is paid all in a lump for the year starting August 16th. However, if your degree is conferred by January, you should be sure to petition the student health insurance office to cancel the spring term insurance and refund Paul’s money.

===== Printing Your Thesis =====

**Directions from an email by Lisa:**

The company we use is WordPro, which is in Ithaca. Here are their instructions for digital printing:
[[http://www.wordpro.com/Press/complete.htm]]

  - Print out the form at [[http://www.wordpro.com/Press/order.htm]] and fax it to WordPro at 607-257-3960. If you have any questions, you can call them at 607-257-0700. 
    * book size = 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" 
    * number of books = 100 (this is the min order)
    * number of pages = (number of pages in your thesis)
    * base price/book = $5.15 (this is for 250 pages ... it's $5.25 for 260...?...see website/contact directly)
    * paper stock = standard
    * covers = custom full cover cover ($0.40/book) 
    * binding styles = perfect binding - laminated (I think)
    * bar code = not needed
    * color inside pages = none
    * # color pages = 0 (unless you want color figures, but it costs more)
    * printed inside cover = no
  - After they get this order (I don't know if you need to call them or what), submit files at [[http://www.wordpro.com/Press/WPNewJobInfo8A.htm]]
  - I think they will give you a quote, and then you can fill out a purchase order.
  - They are supposed to send a proof copy in about 2 days, and if you approve it, they can make the rest of the order. 


**Some comments paraphrased from an email by Markus:**

  * The company is called "WordPro - Digital Printing & Copying," www.wordpro.com , located in Ithaca, 257-0700.
  * The minimum order is 100 copies; the total charge for 100 copies is ~$500.
  * Generally, the price for black & white pages is very small; colored pages are more expensive (maybe ~$2-$4/page). There are also some offset charges ("printer setup" etc.), but they are not terrible. You can submit your info online for a price quote.
  * People tend to prepare the pdf-file to be printed & bound themselves, it might take a few days time. The procedure from there on is not bad: After agreeing to some printing, you submit the pdf-file online, they print a single "proof" copy that you get delivered. If everything is good, you just submit a reply sheet & they print the 100 copies.
  * The only noteworthy problem I had with them: Some pages that were to be printed b&w had color on their originals, which got rendered into some weird pixel pattern / density. They were not very supportive about trying to change anything on their printer. In their opinion, whatever was wrong with the proof copy was a fault of the submitted pdf-file - even though I had a printout from our laser printer that didn't show these screw-ups. But they kept telling me to send them a new pdf-file. (From this experience, I recommend that there be no color on pages that are to be printed black & white, particularly in pictures / figures or anything that is small in size. It just comes out coarse-grained & non-uniform.)
  * They might be reluctant about printing your name & thesis title on the spine, but you can get them to do it in the end if you push hard enough.