CS 591 Ph.D. Orientation Seminar, Fall 2025

Quick links: Schedule, Mediaspace channel for recordings, Canvas for quizzes

T. Cole, The Voyage of Life: Youth, 1842

Satisfactory completion of this seminar is required for all Ph.D. students newly admitted into the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science (SSCDS). The goals of the seminar are to teach incoming Ph.D. students about: The policies and procedures of the SSCDS graduate program; Research areas and opportunities in the program; Professional skills needed for conducting research (communication, ethics, idea finding, etc.); How to be a successful graduate student and future leader in research; Resources available within the department and university for research and personal well-being.

Time and location

Mondays, 11:00 - 11:50am, 1404 SC

Organizers

Svetlana Lazebnik (slazebni@illinois.edu)
Colleen Lewis (colleenl@g.illinois.edu)
Viveka Kudaligama (kudaliga@illinois.edu)
Nancy Amato (namato@illinois.edu)

Grading Requirements

Ph.D. students must earn a Satisfactory ("S") grade for the seminar or they will be required to re-take the seminar in the following Fall. Please note that a Satisfactory grade in this seminar is required before students are allowed to schedule the qualifying exam. If a Ph.D. student receives an Unsatisfactory ("U") in this seminar, they will be required to petition for an extension to sign up for their qualifying exam. Don't get a "U"!

Attendance is required for satisfactory completion of the seminar. Attendance will be recorded electronically in the beginning of each class; arriving more than 5 minutes late will be counted as an absence. Students with more than two absences will receive an Unsatisfactory ("U") grade and will need to re-take the seminar. If you are experiencing an exceptional situation that requires you to be absent more than two times, please email slazebni@illinois.edu (and copy kudaliga@illinois.edu) as soon as possible. Note that job or internship interviews do not qualify for an exception so please schedule them around class time.

In addition to attendance, there will be a few required assignments announced in class -- for example, a quiz on Ph.D. program requirements that is accessed through Canvas. All assignments must be satisfactorily completed to receive an "S" grade.

Submission of the Program of Study form is also required for satisfactory completion of this seminar.

Lecture Recordings

Classes will be recorded and recordings posted on the class Mediaspace channel. If you are absent for any reason, it is your responsibility to review the recordings and complete any required assignments on time.

Participation

We expect everyone to be attentive during class and to participate actively. We want discussions to be casual and enjoyable so that each of you feel comfortable offering comments and speaking candidly. We will do our best to moderate the discussion and keep it moving forward. To reduce distractions, everyone should refrain from using extraneous computing devices during class for any purpose. Repeated violations of this policy may result in an Unsatisfactory ("U") grade for the seminar.

Online Announcements and Discussion

Class announcements and discussions will be held via Slack. You will be invited to the class Slack space. Once you join, please make sure your name is set up correctly. Feel free to use nicknames if that is how you want to be addressed.

Responsible Conduct in Research

As researchers in the Department of Computer Science, you are expected to follow responsible research conduct guidelines. The department offers a specialized seminar for all graduate students in the fall (date TBA). While the information provided in the lecture on Responsible conduct in Research in this seminar touches on many of these topics, you are still required to attend the Department RCR Ethics Training.

Disability Accommodations

To obtain disability-related academic adjustments or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the course instructor and the Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) as soon as possible. They are glad to assist and so are we.

Schedule

Online Resources

My.cs.siebelschool.edu portal: course rosters, assistantships, progress evaluations

SSCDS Ph.D. program requirements webpage

SSCDS graduate fellowships webpage

Graduate College: fellowships, assistantships, professional development, diversity

Graduate College Handbook: rights and responsibilities as a graduate student

Grainger College Graduate Program

University Student Code