Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program

New Student Information

Overview

There are many things that new students must complete before and soon after arriving at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. New students will receive an email notification instructing them to activate their UW email address, NetID, and to register for 990 research credits prior to arriving at UW-Madison.

New Student Resources and Orientation

The orientation schedule and other information about orientation and the fall semester can be found in the New Student Resources Box folder (only accessible by CMB students). You may also find the resources in the Current Student Resources Box folder helpful.

Graduate School Welcome

Wiscmail and NetID

  • To establish a UW email account (Wiscmail), visit www.wisc.edu, and click on “My UW”
  • Students will need a student ID number and their date of birth to activate their Wiscmail account
  • Follow the instructions to create a NetID and password
  • Students should notify the CMB Office (cmb@bocklabs.wisc.edu) of their wisc.edu email address
  • Update your mailing address in My UW: From the Student Center page, go to “Profile,” then “Addresses.” Update your Mailing Address here. The change will be processed within 24 hours.
  • Update your phone number in MyUW
  • If problems occur, contact the DoIT Office (608-264-4357)

990 Research Credits

Incoming rotation students follow the procedure below to register for eight credits of Genetics 990 research with Dr. David Wassarman (CMB Program Chair). Direct Admit students, see the Direct Admit Students section of the CMB Handbook.

To register for 990 research credits:

  • For information on registering, please visit the following link: https://registrar.wisc.edu/howto-quickenroll/
  • Visit www.wisc.edu, click on “My UW“
  • Log into “My UW” using the UW NetID and password
  • Click on the “Course Search and Enroll” application
  • Enter the course (Genetics 990) in the search field, choose the appropriate term, and search for the class
  • Select “See sections” and choose the section taught by David Wassarman, section IND 127 (this section will be listed as “closed seats,” but you should have permission to register; if you do not see it as an option, toggle the options under Section filters at the top right)
  • Under “Select Credits,” choose 8 Credits and add class to cart
  • In the cart, select the three-dot menu next to “Schedule” and select the “Enroll all” button that appears
  • View your successfully enrolled classes in your Enrolled list in the My Courses tab to confirm that you have successfully enrolled in the correct section

Duo Multi-Factor Authorization

  • For security, UW–Madison uses Duo Security (MFA-Duo) for our multi-factor authentication service.
  • You must enroll in MFA-Duo in order to access your UW-Madison online data (MyUW, email, Canvas, etc).

CMB Handbook

  • The CMB Handbook will be your guide to program requirements throughout your time in the program.

Coursework

  • CMB students will register for coursework after meeting with their first year advisor during CMB Orientation Week
  • For more information, see the Course Requirements and Registration sections of the CMB Handbook

Where To Go With Concerns

Throughout your time in CMB, multiple people will be available and happy to help should any concerns or questions arise. Please feel free to reach out to anyone on this list at any time.

  • CMB Coordinator (Lauren Weitkamp or Sarah Bierke, cmb@bocklabs.wisc.edu)
  • CMB Program Chair (David Wassarman, dawassarman@wisc.edu)
  • CMB Advising Chair (Bill Bement, wmbement@wisc.edu)
  • Your First Year Advisor
  • Your Thesis Advisor (beginning in the spring semester of your first year)
  • Your Thesis Committee (beginning in the summer of your first year)

If your concern requires the involvement of a person not affiliated with CMB, we encourage you to reach out to the Ombuds Office (uwombuds@mailplus.wisc.edu).

For more serious issues, please see CMB’s Grievance Policy.

Payroll and Benefits

  • New students will receive their first paycheck for the first two weeks in the program around the third week of September. After that, students will receive paychecks on a biweekly schedule.
  • Marcia Gratz (mgratz@wisc.edu) will set up and administer the payroll and benefits for all rotators during your first semester in the program. You can sign up for benefits starting in mid-August. Please contact Marcia with any questions. Payroll and benefits info can be found in the New Students Info Box folder (more information will be added as it is received from Marcia).
  • Once you join a lab, your payroll and benefits will be transferred over to your new department.

Health Insurance

  • In the summer, incoming rotation students will be sent benefits information with instructions and application forms
  • Benefits packets must be completed and submitted to the CMB Office (the CMB Office will contact you over the summer with more information)
  • Direct Admit students, see the Direct Admit Students section of the CMB Handbook
  • Please note that incoming students might be prompted to sign up for the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), but CMB students should NOT sign up for SHIP insurance. You will receive health insurance through the CMB Program, and when you arrive in Madison the CMB Office will have you submit a SHIP waiver form.
  • More information about health insurance can be found in the Financial/Health Insurance section of the CMB Handbook

Campus Health and Wellness Resources

Funding and Financial Resources

University Fees

UW ID Card

  • A UW ID card (Wiscard) is a student’s campus photo ID
  • To obtain a Wiscard, students must be registered for at least eight credits
  • Wiscards can be obtained from 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday, at the Union South Wiscard Office (1308 Dayton St., Rm #149; additional hours may be listed here)
  • Personal ID (drivers license, passport, or state issued ID) must be presented when requesting an initial or replacement Wiscard
  • New students without a prior Wiscard  are able to submit their photo online before they come into the office to pick up the ID, or take a photo at the Wiscard office (more info here: https://wiscard.wisc.edu/soar/)
  • Contact wiscard@union.wisc.edu with questions.

Bus Pass

  • Graduate students are eligible for a free City of Madison Metro unlimited ride bus pass
  • A valid Wiscard must be presented in order to pick up a bus pass, and you must be registered for the fall
  • You can obtain your ASM bus pass starting August 26, 2021, Monday-Friday between the hours of 10am-6pm outside Union South (Orchard Street mall)
  • Madison Metro is currently accepting Wiscards in lieu of an ASM Bus Pass until September 10
  • Check UW’s ASM Bus Pass page for updates on obtaining a student bus pass

Parking

Campus Life

Biological Safety at UW-Madison

There are various safety trainings that a student may need to take when working in a lab on campus. If a student is working with animals or radiation, UW-Madison requires that the student complete the necessary training. For each lab rotation, the student should check with each faculty trainer about which training sessions he/she will need to attend for that specific lab. Below are the various training courses offered by the UW Office of Biological Safety.

Biological Safety Training

  • All training is administered through the UW Office of Biological Safety
  • For more information, see the Biological Safety Training website
  • Additional training is offered for lab animal certification, chemical safety training, hazardous materials, and radiation safety

International Students

  • If you are an international student on an F-1 or J-1 visa, please visit the International Student Services (ISS) website. You can find helpful pre-arrival guidelines, information about mandatory orientation and check-in, and the Guide for International Students.
  • After you have officially accepted admission and we have received your official hard copy transcripts, the UW-Madison Graduate School will mail you your official admissions letter as well as your I-20 form and information about applying for your visa.

Professional Development

Academic Policies & Procedures

Student Conduct