MANUAL DE USUARIO DEL CLIENTE

Once you arrive on campus, you will need to obtain your UCard. Go to the UCard office in Whitmore Hall, first floor Rm. 168. The office hours are Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 5 pm, and the phone number is (413) 545 0197.

OIT Account

Every UMass student must have an OIT account. This will allow you to log onto any computer lab on campus, as well as access all the library resources from off campus. You will also have an e-mail account. As a new student you will receive a packet with all the information about OIT and directions to activate your account on-line.

If you do not receive this packet, you must go in person, with your valid UCard (UMass picture ID) to open a new account, add a service, or to have your password reset if you forget it. This is a security precaution to protect you and the privacy of your account.

GEO organization

The Graduate Employee Organization (http://www.geouaw.org/ )is an organization that looks out for the interests of graduate students in the University. They are located in the 201 Student Union. If you have any questions you can always stop by and they will usually answer and clear out any doubts.

When you sign your contract as a T.A. you will have the option to pay a membership to be part of the organization and as a GEO member will have many advantages regarding your health insurance. You will also be able to sign for Dental and Vision insurance, what makes the cost very low.

Check the benefits in this website:

http://www.umass.edu/communication/graduate/benefits.shtml

Billing for Graduate students

Even though many graduate students have tuition waivers, there are still some University fees for which you are responsible. Fees total approximately $700 each semester with a one time only graduate entering fee of approximately $360 which is due your first semester. It is possible to have fees deducted from your paycheck. It is very common (especially during the first semester) to receive a scary bill for a couple thousand dollars. DON’T

PAY IT! Go to the Bursar’s Office in Whitmore Administration Building and talk to them. The problem seems to be that it takes them a while to process your health insurance waiver. That fee should be dropped.

Spire

Plan on investing some time when you are going to use Spire to register for your classes as the system tends to go down every now and then when everybody is trying to register and you might have to wait till the next day. Avoid registering for your classes the day before the deadline to avoid complications. Make sure to meet with the Graduate advisor in order to figure out how many credits you are required to have and which are the classes that are being offered.

Five College Library System (and IMSLP):

A good place to look for music is http://imslp.org/imslp.org as your piece might be out of copyright, and

Should your needs not be satisfied by IMSLP, or the UMass Library itself (which has some great editions on reserve - 3rd floor of the library; general music on the 21st floor), be sure to take advantage of the Five College System. There are many works to be found at Smith and Amherst College, for example, as well as a plethora of CDs. Should you still be out of luck, UMass takes part in an Interlibrary Loan system, so you can search libraries around the nation for your work, though be prepared to wait a few weeks. Additionally, don't forget to renew your loans if you are unable to return them. Library fees can rack up fast and place holds on your account.

LIVING

Food

Meal Plan-

If you’re living on campus, there is the option of purchasing a meal plan. According to the university, the “value plan” is $1969 for a semester, or $3938 for 9 months—this breaks down to $437.55 a month. Which is A LOT! Unless you have a true repulsion for cooking your own meals, it might be best to avoid this option. For students who commute to campus, there is the option of a 60-meal meal plan. The 60 meal plan is actually very convenient, since sometimes you won’t have time to cook and the food at the UMass Dining is surprisingly good. More information on campus meal plans can be found here: http://www.umassdining.com/meal-plans/residential-meal- plans/.

The Newman Center, cafeteria in Whitmore and Blue Wall (in the Campus Center) are the nearest places to eat besides the dining hall. They are a good option for fast snacks--for a full meal the dining hall is cheaper ($8.50 for lunch).

Where to shop-

There are several places to shop for food in the area. “Big Y” market on University Drive is fairly cheap. The quality of food varies. “Stop & Shop,” on Route 9 is generally slightly more expensive and higher quality. “Trader Joe’s” is further West on Route 9, next to the Hampshire Mall and is a smaller market with more unusual choices. The products are high quality and the prices are very good for the quality. “Whole Foods” is even further West on Route 9. “Whole Foods” carries all natural and organic foods. Their fruits and vegetables are very high quality. They have a very large selection throughout the store. Their prices can be very expensive. All of these places can be reached on the PVTA bus. For your reference, $150-$200 worth of groceries from Trader Joe’s tends to be enough for 1 month of food, and from experience, TJ’s has proven to be consistently affordable—even in comparison to Stop & Shop—and provides many conscientiously and sustainably sourced foods. There are also plenty of local farmers’ markets you can get dairy and produce, and sometimes they even have meat! It’s a great way to go outside and support the community and get a chore done!

Where to eat out-

There are a lot of restaurants in the area. You can find listings at the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce website: http://www.amherstarea.com/amherst/index.cfm. Also, Northampton is called “The Paradise City” for a reason— great food, art/music scene, and nightlife. They have a little bit of every kind of food, including but most certainly not limited to Tibetan, Thai, Indian, Moroccan, Korean, and Japanese!

Coffee:

Coffee is essential to many students, and luckily the options abound both on campus and off. On campus, coffee is available starting at 7:00 AM from all locations. In the Campus Center, Bluewall has bad coffee, while Pura Vida and The French Meadow Cafe have much better choices but close relatively early. Should you be looking for a fix later in the night, the convenience stores (http://www.umassdining.com/locations/around-campus/) have bad coffee, though many of them stop brewing in the early evening. The Newman Center Cafe is another option, and if you're up super late (weeknights only), you might find yourself at the Procrastination Station in the library (which serves coffee till 2:00 AM).

Venturing into town yields many more options. There is of course a Starbuck's, which is open early and closes late. Local choices include Rao's (a rather earthy scene) and Amherst Coffee (a rather yuppie scene). The following stores also have somewhat decent coffee available, should you find yourself with no other choice: Bart's (ice cream), The Black Sheep (a deli of sorts), and Loose Goose Cafe. Last resort options in town include DBMart and Cousin's Market. If you venture down Route 9, you can find more coffee at The Route 9 Diner (open 24/7), Dunkin Donuts (there are two, the closer being in the Big Y lot), and Esselon Cafe (excellent should you have the time).

Northampton has several options, and if you venture north on Route 116, you will come across two Seven-Elevens.

A Word to the Wise-

Unfortunately, there are only beverage vending machines in the FAC, so if you know your

work/practice/rehearsal/class/lesson schedule has you in the building for hours on end—which isn’t all that uncommon—it’s a great idea to keep some snacks in your locker…unless you can tame hunger-induced mood swings with soda alone.

Banks:

There are multiple Bank of America ATMs on campus, though only the ones in the Campus Center and the one behind The Newman Center have full functionality. If you just need cash, there are ATMs next to every dining common. Should you not have Bank of America (of which there is main branch in town, as well as some ATMs), there are two TD Bank locations in town, as well as some local alternatives (google for more information) including a Sovereign Bank ATM in the CVS in town.

Keys:

As a grad student, you may receive key to your professor's office/studio. These rooms provide a much friendlier environment to do work or practice. However, you may find yourself locked out at some point. If such an event occurs during the week after the main office is closed, and before midnight, you can ask the custodian who is frequently around at night.

Computer access:

There are computers all over campus and wireless internet is available in most buildings. There are several computers available in the Music Reserve Lab, room 149 in the FAC. But if you need to print documents, you can go to OIT Classroom 444 on the 4th floor of FAC. The OIT Computer Classrooms provide teaching spaces for faculty who need students to have access to computers during class meetings. When not being used for teaching, students, faculty and staff have access to the Computer Classroom facilities. OIT provides 11 classrooms around campus. You can find one near to you on the Address below:

http://www.oit.umass.edu/classrooms/info/locations.htm

Printing&Copying:

As a student, you begin each semester with limited credit that you can use with any UMass Library printer. While this credit quickly runs out, you can add money to your UCard (umass.edu/ucard) in order to print more.

Compatible printers are located at all libraries and in OIT classrooms (the nearest of which is on the 4th floor of the FAC - Room 444). In emergencies, you might be able to ask the secretaries in the main office for permission to print with their printers.

Grad students should be given access to their studio professor's copy code. Use this privilege sparingly as each professor has a budgeted quota. If special copying needs to be done (i.e. color, binding, etc.) there is a copy center on campus, though you may also find yourself utilizing the copy centers in town (Copy Cat & Collective Copies - google for more information).

Laundry and Dry Cleaning:

If you live off campus, you can use the addresses below for laundry, otherwise all residence halls provide laundry machines.

Laundry Club:6 University Dr. Amherst, MA 01002 (413) 549-2640 Amherst Laundry:326 College St. Amherst, MA 01002 (413) 253-4902

Dirty Business Laundry:196 N. Pleasant St. Amherst, MA 01002 (413) 256-3478

There are several places to get your clothing dry cleaned. There are two close to campus: Minuteman Dry Cleaners (413) 549-3612 right in town, in the plaza near The Pub) is the closest, but pricey and maybe not the best service. The Laundry Club (right behind Southwest), which is purportedly decent: 413) 549-2640. Should you not be pressed for time, there is a Battiston's ((413) 256-2167) on Route 9 and College Dry Cleaner’s near Amherst College:(413) 253-5523.

Student Activities

The Student Activities Center supports one of the most unique and diversified student activities programs in the country. In addition to over 200 Registered Student Organization (RSO’s) there are 11 student government

organizations, 10 student run businesses, fraternities, sororities and 12 staffed agencies. 

Students working with the Student Activities Center staff, in conjunction with the Student Government Association, acquire invaluable

practical knowledge. This knowledge includes leadership, social, recreational, team building and community outreach opportunities that allow for personal and group growth experiences. The Cultural Centers (formerly part of the Student Activities Center) are under the area of Enrollment Services, located in 208 Whitmore Building. Enrollment Services can be reached by calling 545-0428.

Boyden Fitness Center: UMass recently opened a new Campus Recreation Center. It is a beautiful facility with brand new and very modern equipment. However fees are quite expensive. You can check out the website for more information about it including fees: http://www.umass.edu/campusrec/index.html

Planet Fitness behind Wal-Mart on Route 9 (335 Russell St., Hadley) is really cheap at $10/month. You can get there by bus.

HEALTH

UMass Health Services
(413) 577-5000

University Health Services is open 24 hours a day during the semester, and from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. (midnight) during the summer and winter breaks.

Urgent Care
For urgent situations, such as possible fractures, asthma attacks, severe abdominal pain, etc., come to the Urgent Care Clinic located on the first floor of UHS, to the right of the main entrance. Call the Triage Advice Nurse (577-5229) before coming to Urgent Care. This is the best way to reduce your waiting time. The Triage Advice Nurse will evaluate your situation and help you determine and follow the best course of care: self-care or home treatment, clinic appointment, visit to the Urgent Care Clinic, or transportation by ambulance directly to the hospital.

1) Check in at the Member Services Registration/Information Area (Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm); or at the Medial Records Area (after 5:00 pm or on weekends);

2) Visit the Dispatch Coordinator;

3) Visit the Triage Advice Nurse, who will assess your situation and establish the medical priority of problems that are to be seen;

4) Please understand that the actual waiting time may vary (from a few minutes up to an hour or more) depending on the number of patients waiting to be seen and the complexity of their situations

To Make an Appointment at UHS, call 577-5101.

Contraception appointments can be made through your primary care practitioner (577-5101). Don’t forget to attend a Contraceptive Choices education session before your appointment and bring the pink form to your practitioner. For more information about Contraceptive Choices, call 577-5181.

How long will the pharmacy hold a prescription after it has been requested? That depends on the medication prescribed; generally, the maximum is 14 days. It’s always best to pick up your prescription as soon as possible.

Prescription refills: To refill a UHS prescription, call 577-5066 and follow the system prompts. Be ready to provide the patient’s name and date of birth, along with the prescription number or the medication name. Prescription refills will be ready for pickup on the next business day.

How To Be Seen at UHS:
How Best to Seek the Care You Need

Routine Care For all routine appointments, such as annual physicals, routine gynecological or contraception visits, well baby check-ups, or follow up visits, simply call the main appointment desk at 577-5101.

Same Day or Next Day Care
For an acute problem that needs care on the same day or the next day, call the Triage Advice Nurse, at 577-5229, who will assist you in receiving appropriate care. Reasons to seek a same day or next day appointment might include an upper respiratory problem, an ear infection, a gynecological infection, a urinary tract infection, symptoms of a sexually transmitted disease, etc.

Counseling

Let's be honest. School can be stressful, especially as a musician. If you find yourself taking on more gigs and more work, practicing into the night, or just not adapting to the barren landscape of Western Massachusetts and its people, you might just need some counseling. Luckily the school provides mental health services should you have insurance and the need for help. You can reach them at (413) 545-2337 or

http://www.umass.edu/uhs/counseling/.Additionally, the school provides Disability Services, and an Ombuds Office. Take advantage of these resources, and remember that it's never embarrassing to ask for help.