Import and Export
User Guide
PowerSchool 7.x
Student Information System
Released June 2012
Document Owner: Documentation Services
This edition applies to Release 7.2.1 of the PowerSchool software and to all subsequent releases and modifications until otherwise indicated in new editions or updates.
The data and names used to illustrate the reports and screen images may include names of individuals, companies, brands, and products. All of the data and names are fictitious; any similarities to actual names are entirely coincidental.
PowerSchool is a trademark, in the U.S. and/or other countries, of Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliate(s).
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved. All trademarks are either owned or licensed by Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliates. Other brands and names are the property of their respective owners.
Import and Export
User Guide
Contents
Preface 4
Introduction 5
Import 8
Quick Import 8
Templates for Importing 10
Advanced Import Options 14
AutoComm Setup 17
Export 23
Quick Export 23
Templates for Exporting 24
AutoSend Setup 28
Direct Database Export 33
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Preface
Use this guide to assist you while navigating PowerSchool. This guide is based on the PowerSchool online help, which you can also use to learn the PowerSchool Student Information System (SIS) and to serve as a reference.
The PowerSchool online help is updated as PowerSchool is updated. Not all versions of the PowerSchool online help are available in a printable guide. For the most up-to-date information, click Help on any page in PowerSchool.
Referenced Sections
This guide is based on the PowerSchool online help, and may include references to sections that are not contained within the guide. See the PowerSchool online help for the referenced section.
Security Permissions
Depending on your security permissions, only certain procedures may be available to you.
Navigation
This guide uses the > symbol to move down a menu path. If instructed to “Click File > New > Window,” begin by clicking File on the menu bar. Then, click New and Window. The option noted after the > symbol will always be on the menu that results from your previous selection.
Notes
It is easy to identify notes because they are prefaced by the text “Note:.”
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Introduction
Use PowerSchool's import functions to submit large amounts of information into the system. Use the export functions to retrieve large amounts of information from the system. Before importing or exporting, keep the following concepts in mind.
Select a Group
Before you can import or export, you must select a group of students whose records you want to review. For more information, see Search and Select.
Importing Enrollment Dates
You can import student information into PowerSchool using Quick Import or AutoComm. When you import a student record that has an enrollment date prior to or "less than" the current date, the student record is considered "historical." Historical student records are considered inactive students. Therefore, when searching for such students, your search criteria must start with a slash ("/") to search all student records.
Importing Enrolment IDs
Basics
* If the EnrollmentID column (Students table) or ID column (ReEnrollments table) is not included in the import, PowerSchool retains the existing value (on an update to a Students table record) or generates a new unique value.
* If the EnrollmentID column (Students table) or ID column (ReEnrollments table) is included in the import with data (values), PowerSchool uses the imported value, assuming it is not already in use by another enrollment. If it is in use, an error message indicating such displays.
* If the EnrollmentID column (Students table) or ID column (ReEnrollments table) is included in the import without data (values), PowerSchool generates a new value, even if one already exists. In general, this is not recommended, as existing information may be used for state reporting.
* The Students table allows for updating of records, whereas the ReEnrollments table does not.
Students Table
* In general, it is recommended to not include the EnrollmentID column when importing into the Students table. When the EnrollmentID column is not included, PowerSchool automatically determines if an EnrollmentID value already exists. If one exists, the value is retained. If one does not exist, a value is generated.
* Only under certain circumstances it is recommended to include the EnrollmentID column when importing into the Students table. For example, if a Student record has been deleted and needs to be restored from a test or backup server, including the EnrollmentID column would restore the EnrollmentID value back to what it was prior
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to the deletion of the record (unless the EnrollmentID was different on the test or backup server, in which case it is recommended to not include the EnrollmentID and let PowerSchool generate one). Note that this is just one example where it is recommended to include the EnrollmentID column when importing into the Students table.
* Importing an EnrollmentID column that does not contain data (or contains values of zero) causes EnrollmentIDs to be regenerated for all the imported records, regardless of whether or not an Enrollment ID exists for the record. In general, including the EnrollmentID column without values (or with values of zero) is not recommended.
* If importing new students, you do not need to include the EnrollmentID column. PowerSchool generates a value during the import.
ReEnrollments Table
* The ReEnrollments table does not allow for updating of records. Therefore, to “update” a record, first export the existing data (including the ID field), delete the existing record and then re-import the record with the updated data. When reimporting, include the ID column with the exported values so that the ID will not be regenerated.
* If the ID is left blank or if the ID column is not included, a new ID is generated. In general, this is not recommended as existing information may be used for state reporting.
* “Updating” should be done with caution. It is recommended you perform the update on a test or backup server first prior to performing on a production server.
* If importing new reenrollments, you do not need to include the ID column. PowerSchool generates a value during the import.
Student Number Field
The student number field is essential to moving all of the data in PowerSchool. This field matches student data to the correct student with absolute certainty. Each student has only one number, and everything in PowerSchool is linked to this number. Thus, you should include the student_number field in all documents that you export. You must include the student number in any document that includes data you want to import into PowerSchool. Keep this in mind when exporting, especially if you want to import the data back into PowerSchool after you have worked with it in your spreadsheet application.
Enroll Status Field
The enroll status field indicates a student's current enrollment status, which defines the student's entire basis in school. Enroll status codes include:
* -2 or less = Inactive (Must be set manually by an administrator)
* -1 = Pre-registered
* 0 = Active
* 1 = Inactive (Must be set manually by an administrator)
* 2 = Transferred-Out
* 3 = Graduated Students (Students moved to the "Graduated Students" school.)
* 4 = Imported as Historical
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* 5 or higher = Inactive (Must be set manually by an administrator)
More often than not, the only time you will see this code is if you are working within the database. However, you may encounter the code within the student pages of the application for students with a enroll status other than Active, such as Inactive, Graduated Students, or Imported as Historical. In this case, the code appears at the top of the page. This field is used throughout the application and is a key element in searching or querying students.
Field Names
It is important to spell field names correctly. Case sensitivity is unimportant in field names, but spelling must be exactly as noted on the field list. If you omit the underscore, misspell words, or enter a field name that is different from what exists in the field list, PowerSchool cannot find the field and it will not be imported into or exported from the PowerSchool database. If you do not know how a specific field name is written, click View Field List on the PowerSchool start page.
Special Export Codes
Use special export codes to include a student's GPA or other calculated value in your import or export. For more information about data codes, visit PowerSource. You will need your username and password to sign in. If you do not have this information, contact your System Administrator.
Enter the content to include in the report heading using text, some HTML tags, and PowerSchool data codes. For a complete list of field codes, click View Field List on the PowerSchool start page.
Data Versus Reports
Importing or exporting data is different than importing or exporting report templates. When you import or export data, you move information between a spreadsheet application and your PowerSchool database. When importing or exporting a report template, you are copying report parameters from one PowerSchool system to another PowerSchool system. For more information about importing and exporting report templates, see Alternate Ways to Create Reports and Report Templates.
SIS Repository
The SIS Repository provides quick access to key metrics and not just raw data. These predefined SQL queries, known as Data Views, extract data that can be joined together and filtered to provide customized results. For detailed information about the SIS Repository, see the SIS Repository Guide available on PowerSource.
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Import
Quick Import
Use the Quick Import function to bring a large amount of data into PowerSchool. Before completing this procedure, you must have an ASCII text file that contains the data to import and is preferably delimited by tabs.
For information about importing test scores, see How to Import Test Scores.
How to Use Quick Import
Verify that you are signed in to the appropriate school. If the school is incorrect, click School at the top of the page to choose a new school before starting this procedure.
1. On the start page, choose Special Functions from the main menu. The Special Functions page appears.
2. Click Importing & Exporting. The Importing & Exporting page appears.
3. Click Quick Import. The Quick Import page appears.
4. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Table
Choose the table to which the data will be imported from the pop-up menu:
* If you choose the Students table, be sure to import at least 20 student records.
* If you choose the Sections table, be sure the target term is selected. For more information, see
How to Change Terms.
Note: When importing multiple section records, the expressions of the sections defined by your school are required. An expression is the combination of the periods and days in which the section meets.
Though PowerSchool creates internal values for periods and days, you should import the actual values that you want to appear when the system displays expressions. An invalid expression causes an error for that record, which results in the record not being imported.
* If you choose the Student schedules (CC table), be sure to include data in the import file for the following required fields:
o Student_Number
o Course Number
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Field
Description
o Section Number
o DateEnrolled
o Dateleft
o TermID
o SchoolID
o Term_Number
Note: If you include the Dropped column in your import file, any record with a value of True will be imported as a dropped enrollment.
Field delimiter
Choose the field delimiter from the pop-up menu. This refers to the item that will separate the fields in the exported data.
* Tab: Separates fields with a tab
* Other: Enter a field delimiter in the blank field, such as a comma
End-of-line marker
Choose the end-of-line marker from the pop-up menu. This refers to the item that will separate the records in the exported data.
* CR: Carriage return
* CRLF: Carriage return line feed
* LF: Line feed
* Other: Enter a delimiter in the blank field
Character Set
Use the pop-up menu to choose the character set for the import file. This selection is specific to the operating system where the import file was created:
* Windows ANSI (Windows)
* Mac Roman (Mac)
* ISO 8859-1 (Unix)
File to import
Enter the file path and name of the file to import or click Choose File (or Browse), navigate to the data file, and click Open.
Suggest field map
Select the checkbox to have the system suggest into which PowerSchool field each piece of data in the data file is saved. These are just suggestions and can be changed before saving.
5. Click Import.
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Note: When importing test score data, the Select Test page appears instead. For more information, see How to Import Test Scores.
On the resulting Import Records from an ASCII Text File page, determine into which PowerSchool fields the system will import each field of data from the file. For more information, see How to Enter a New Value in a Field for All Records in the Import File.
Import Maps
An import map is a set of directions that the system follows to find a place for each piece of data in your PowerSchool system. Create an import map to determine into which PowerSchool fields the system will import each field of data from the file. Determine what the system will do with records that contain a student number that already exists in your PowerSchool system.
On the left side of the Import Records from an ASCII Text File page, the "From your file" column displays the fields of the first record in the import file.
* If you select the Suggest field map checkbox on the Quick Import page, the To PowerSchool column displays the PowerSchool fields suggested for each piece of data imported.
* If you do not select the Suggest field map checkbox or you need to change the fields, use the pop-up menu to choose the PowerSchool field into which the system imports the data from the import file.
How to Enter a New Value in a Field for All Records in the Import File
On the Import Records from an ASCII Text File page, determine whether you want to enter a new value or update an existing value in a PowerSchool field for all records from the import file. For example, you can enter the same city for all student records in an import file.
1. Choose the PowerSchool field into which you want to enter each value from the To PowerSchool pop-up menu.
2. Enter the imported value for unmapped fields that you want to use, such as the city name, and choose the PowerSchool field from the pop-up menu.
3. Either click Submit, or, if applicable, select any combination of the advanced import options. For more information, see Advanced Import Options.
The Import Progress page displays the records that were successfully imported and those that the system could not import because of your specifications. The system imports the data into the selected table. Depending on the type of data, you can view, edit, or report on it.
Templates for Importing
If you often import the same fields of data, you can create a template so that you don't have to define the import parameters and field import map every time you perform an import.
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For example, if you often import an update from the school nurse with immunization information, create a template that includes the fields and format for immunization-related fields.
How to Add an Import Template
Create an import template to use each time you import the same data into your PowerSchool system.
1. On the start page, choose Special Functions from the main menu. The Special Functions page appears.
2. Click Importing & Exporting. The Importing & Exporting page appears.
3. Click Templates for Importing. The Templates for Importing page appears.
4. Click New. The New Import Template page appears.
5. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Name of this template
Enter a name for the template.
Import into this
table
Choose the Students, Courses, or Teachers table from the pop-up menu.
Delimited or fixed- length?
Choose Delimited or Fixed-field length for the data format from the pop-up menu.
Field delimiter
If you chose Delimited, choose which delimiter to use to separate the fields in the exported data from the pop-up menu:
* Tab
* Comma
* Other: Enter the type of field delimiter in the adjacent field.
End-of-line (record) delimiter
Choose one of the following to determine how the records are separated in the files you import using this template from the pop-up menu:
* CR: Carriage return
* CRLF: Carriage return/line feed
* LF: Line feed
* Other: Enter the type of end-of-line delimiter in the adjacent field, such as a semicolon.
Update Mode
Select the checkbox if you want the data in the file you import to update any fields with existing data. Otherwise, deselect the checkbox.
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Field
Description
Columns
Create a map to determine into which PowerSchool fields each field of information in the import file is saved. Enter the fields in the order they appear in the import file.
If you chose Fixed-field length, indicate the width of each column (in characters) and the field name. To separate the number and field name, enter <tab>. For example, if the first column in your fixed width file contains the student's phone number, enter
12<tab>home_phone.
If you chose Delimited, enter each field name and press
RETURN (Mac) or ENTER (Windows).
6. Click Submit. The Templates for Importing page displays the new template. How to Edit an Import Template
Edit an import template to use each time you import the same data into your PowerSchool system.
1. On the start page, choose Special Functions from the main menu. The Special Functions page appears.
2. Click Importing & Exporting. The Importing & Exporting page appears.
3. Click Templates for Importing. The Templates for Importing page appears.
4. Click the name of the template you want to edit. The Edit Import Template page appears.
5. Edit the information as needed. For field descriptions, see How to Add an Import Template.
6. Click Submit. The Templates for Importing page displays the edited template.
How to Delete an Import Template
Delete import templates when they are no longer needed to conserve space on your system and minimize the possibility of confusion with the templates that are still used.
1. On the start page, choose Special Functions from the main menu. The Special Functions page appears.
2. Click Importing & Exporting. The Importing & Exporting page appears.
3. Click Templates for Importing. The Templates for Importing page appears.
4. Click the name of the template you want to delete. The Edit Import Template page appears.
5. Click Delete.
6. Click Confirm Delete. The Selection Deleted page appears.
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How to Import Using a Template
When importing data using a template, you match the data with the fields defined in the template. To complete this procedure, you need a data file saved to a local or network location and an import template. For more information about creating an import template, see How to Add an Import Template.
1. On the start page, choose Special Functions from the main menu. The Special Functions page appears.
2. Click Importing & Exporting. The Importing & Exporting page appears.
3. Click Import Using Template. The Import Using Template page appears.
4. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Import template
Choose the template to use from the pop-up menu.
Note: Click template to link to the Templates for Importing page, where you can view, create, edit, and remove templates used for importing.
File to import
Either enter the data file path and name in the field, or click Browse... to select the data file.
5. Click Submit. The Import Check: [data file name] page appears.
6. Verify that the data correlates to the fields from the template. If it doesn't, click the link to modify the template. For more information, see How to Edit an Import Template. Otherwise, click Import. The Importing: [data file name] page appears, and the data is imported.
How to Export a Template
Export a template used for importing data to save a backup copy of the template. Though you can view and modify the exported template using an application such as a Web browser, the exported template can also be sent to a system outside of your PowerSchool system.
1. On the start page, choose Special Functions from the main menu. The Special Functions page appears.
2. Click Importing & Exporting. The Importing & Exporting page appears.
3. Click Templates for Importing. The Templates for Importing page appears.
4. Click the name of the template to be exported in the Template Name column. The Edit Import Template page appears.
5. Click Export this template. The File Download dialog appears.
6. Select Save File As... or Save this file to disk. The Save or Save As dialog appears.
7. Select a file location.
8. Click Save. The template saves to the selected location.
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Advanced Import Options
Depending on the selections made on the Quick Import page, you can opt to use the advance import options at the bottom of the Import Records from an ASCII Text File page. For more information, see How to Enter a New Value in a Field for All Records in the Import File.
Students Table
For the Students table, select one of the following options to determine what you want the system to do when a student record in the import file contains a student ID number that already exists in PowerSchool:
* If you do not want the system to import any record with a student number that already exists, select Do not process that line from the file being imported.
* If you want the system to update the matching student's record with the data in the import file, select Update the student's record with the information from the file being imported.
* If you want the system to create a new record if a student ID number is in the import file, select Generate a new, unique student number for the student (from the range specified below). Then, select the checkbox below this option and enter the number range within which you want the system to generate and assign the new student ID numbers.
* If your school uses AutoComm to synchronize your data in PowerSchool with data in another system, select the Synchronize Mode checkbox to perform an AutoComm import. Check with your PowerSchool administrator before using this option. It is a system requirement that you must import at least 20 student records.
Attendance Table
For the Attendance table, select the Overwrite existing attendance with the imported attendance checkbox if you want the system to use the imported attendance data in cases where attendance codes already exist for that day or class.
Comment Bank Table
For the Comment Bank table, select the Update comment bank records checkbox if you want the system to use the imported comment bank comments in cases where there are already comment bank comments with the same code.
Courses Table
For the Courses table, select the Update course records checkbox if you want the system to add course-related information to existing course records in cases where the course numbers are the same.
Historical Grades Table
For the Historical Grades table:
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* If you want the system to include more than one score for a student only when the term and storecode are the same, select the Allow multiple grades for a student to be stored checkbox.
* If the courses in the import file have unrecognized names and you want to specify the course number range for the imported courses, select the If a course name is imported that is not recognized checkbox and enter the range for the new course numbers in the range fields. If you do not select the checkbox, the system will assign a random course number in the 9000 range.
* To store grades that include neither a letter grade nor any earned credit, select the Allow grades to be stored which contain both checkbox.
Immunization Data
For Immunization data:
* If you do not want the system to import immunization data that already exists for a student, select the Where values exist in the import file and in PowerSchool, DO NOT IMPORT the values option.
* If you do want the system to import immunization data that already exists for a student, select the Where values exist in the import file and in PowerSchool, OVERWRITE the values in PowerSchool with the values in the import file option.
Meal Transactions Table
For the Meal Transactions table, select the Use PowerSchool's internal student id numbers checkbox if you want the system to reference the ID field versus the student_number field.
Sections Table
For the Sections (master schedule) table:
* Select the Update section records checkbox if you want the system to add section-related information to existing section records in cases where the course and section numbers are the same.
* If your school uses AutoComm to synchronize your data in PowerSchool with data in another system, select the Synchronize Mode checkbox to perform an AutoComm import. Check with your PowerSchool administrator before using this option.
Standards Table
For the Standards table, select the Update standards records checkbox if you want the system to add standards-related information to existing standards records in cases where the standard identifiers are the same.
Student Schedules Table (CC Table)
For the Student Schedules (CC table), the following options are available in the Advanced Import Options section:
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Field
Description
Normal Mode
Select this option to import records for the active terms of the current school.
Note: If no SchoolID is included in the import file, the system defaults to this mode.
Synchronize Mode
Select this option if your school uses AutoComm to synchronize your data in PowerSchool with data in another system. When selected, all other Advanced Import Options are unavailable and the system defaults to Normal Mode.
Synchronize Mode drops existing section enrollments and imports new enrollments from your import file. For example, if a student is currently enrolled in English during second period and the import file contains a record for that student for Science second period, the system will drop the student’s section enrollment for English and import the Science section enrollment. Note: this change can not be undone.
If course and section numbers are shared across multiple schools, it is recommended that you include the SchoolID in the import file. If course and section numbers are shared across multiple schools and the SchoolID is not included in the import file, the system will not import the records, and the following alert appears, "Not Imported: The import school: ( ) does not match the current school. Skipping Record."
Warning: Check with your PowerSchool administrator before using this option.
Historical Mode
Select this option to import records for any term for the current school.
Note: This option is not available unless the import files include SchoolID data.
District Mode
Select this option to import records for active terms at any school.
Note: This option is only available when signed in to the district office.
Historical and
District Modes
Select this option to import records for any terms at any school.
Note: This option is only available when signed in to the district office.
When the page is submitted, a results page displays the successfully imported records and an explanation of unsuccessfully imported records. An indicator at the bottom of the page displays the number of records imported. Once this indicator appears, you may navigate away from this page and the import process completes in the background.
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Teachers Table
For the Teachers table, select the Update teacher records checkbox if you want the system to add teacher-related information to existing teacher records in cases where the teacher numbers are the same.
Test Scores Table
For information about importing test scores, see How to Import Test Scores.
AutoComm Setup
Use AutoComm to synchronize the data in PowerSchool with that in another system, such as a mainframe system. To synchronize your data, set up intervals at which PowerSchool automatically imports files of data from the other system.
To use AutoComm, create an AutoComm record where you determine the synchronization parameters for each of the following files:
* Courses
* Teachers
* Sections
* Students
* Student schedules
Note: When importing multiple section records, the sections' expressions as defined by your school are required. An expression is the combination of the periods and days in which the section meets. Though PowerSchool creates internal values for periods and days, you should import the actual values that you want to appear when the system displays expressions. An invalid expression causes an error for that record, which results in the record not being imported.
How to Add an AutoComm Record
PowerSchool uses the parameters that you define for the record on this page to import the appropriate data at the dates and times you specify.
1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
2. Click AutoComm Setup. The AutoComm Setup page appears.
3. Click New. The AutoComm Record page appears.
4. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Name
Enter the name of this record.
Table to Import
Use the pop-up menu to choose the table into which you are importing data with this record:
* Attendance
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Field
Description
* Students
* Courses
* Sections
* Student schedules
* Teachers
Note: The Attendance Recording Methods choices made on the Attendance Preferences page affect the Attendance table options.
When to Execute
Use the pop-up menus to determine the hour and minutes at which you want PowerSchool to automatically import data.
Note: If the minutes are 00, AutoComm will run after the Hourly Process has completed—not specifically on the hour stated, but within that hour.
Days to Execute
Enter the days of the week you want the system to import records. Starting with Monday, use the following abbreviations for the days of the week: MTWHFSU.
Turn Execution Off
Do one of the following:
* Select the checkbox to stop the system from automatically importing data.
* Deselect the checkbox to turn AutoComm on.
Send Output to
Indicate the method by which you want to import the records from the other system from the pop-up menu.
To use a local (or network shared file system to import the records from the other system:
1. Choose Local (or network shared) File System.
To use the file transfer protocol (FTP) to import the records from the other system:
1. Choose Ad Hoc FTP Server.
2. Enter information in the following fields:
o Use Passive Mode - If your FTP has difficulty transferring, select the checkbox.
o FTP host name
o FTP account name
o FTP password
o Timeout in seconds - Indicates the number of second that PowerSchool will try to make the initial FTP connection with the
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Field
Description
remote system.
To use a managed connection, such as SFTP, to import the records from the other system:
1. Choose Managed Connection. A second pop-up menu appears.
2. Choose a managed connection from the pop-up menu.
Note: Managed Connections only appears in the pop-up if configured and download capability is enabled. See System > System Settings > Plugin Management > Remote Connection Manager.
Path
Enter the path to the folder of the file on your computer or network.
If using PowerSchool on a single node, the path needs to be defined as being from the root; if using a server array, only the file name should be used and never the path, since there is only one location for AutoComm files to be located on a server array.
Field Delimiter
Use the pop-up menu to choose one of the following to determine how values are separated in the import file:
* Tab
* Comma
Record Delimiter
Use the pop-up menu to choose how records are separated in the import file. This selection is specific to the operating system where the import file was created:
* CRLF: Carriage return, line feed (Windows)
* CR: Carriage return (Mac)
* LF: Line feed (Unix)
Character Set
Use the pop-up menu to choose the character set for the import file. This selection is specific to the operating system where the import file was created:
* Windows ANSI (Windows)
* Mac Roman (Mac)
* ISO 8859-1 (Unix)
Sort Order
Enter the order that this record appears on the AutoComm Setup page.
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Field
Description
If you do not make a selection, the order will be alphabetical by the name of the AutoComm record.
Update existing records with imported data (when applicable)
Do one of the following:
* Select the checkbox if you want the system to update existing student records with data from each import. The system updates blank fields within records and creates new records for those that do not exist.
* Deselect the checkbox if you do not want the system to update any record that contains data.
Note: Only an administrator can update the attendance table. This is to prevent other users from overwriting the administrator’s modifications. To avoid accidental overwrites, AutoComm is not set up with administrative rights when running automatically. When importing data to update current attendance records, an administrator can run AutoComm manually. For more information, see How to Manually Run an AutoComm Record.
Mark students and their schedules inactive when their exit date is <= today.
If you want the system to automatically import a student record as inactive if the student's exit date is earlier than today, select the checkbox. Otherwise, deselect the checkbox.
First record of file is number_of_records =
The system does not import the file if the number of records in it does not match the number given in the first record of the file. It is recommended that you select the checkbox.
E-Mail completion report to
Enter the email addresses of the people you want the system to send a completion report to each time it imports this file. Separate multiple addresses with commas.
PowerSchool fields to import into
Enter the PowerSchool fields in which the system saves each value in the import file. After you enter each field code, press RETURN (Mac) or ENTER (Windows).
Importing to the attendance table requires some specific field names:
Daily Attendance -
* Student_Number
* Att_Date
* Schoolid
* Attendance_CodeID
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Field
Description
Meeting Attendance -
* Student_Number
* Att_Date
* Course_Number
* Section_Number
* Schoolid
* Attendance_CodeID
Note: When creating the import file, remove the column headings; only record data should be in the file. Create the file in Excel and save it as a tab- delimited file. The data in the file should be in the same order as the field names listed in the AutoComm Record.
Duplicate this
If you are creating this record for the first time, select the
AutoComm record
checkbox to make the record available to all schools that
to all schools on
use your PowerSchool system. Otherwise, deselect the
this server
checkbox.
Note: If working in the District mode, you can modify only the Students and Teachers tables.
5. Click Submit. The AutoComm Setup page displays the new record. How to Edit an AutoComm Record
1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
2. Click AutoComm Setup. The AutoComm Setup page appears.
3. Click the name of the AutoComm record you want to edit. The AutoComm Record page appears.
4. Edit this information as needed. For field descriptions, see How to Add an AutoComm Record.
5. Click Submit. The AutoComm Setup page displays the edited record.
How to Delete an AutoComm Record
1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
2. Click AutoComm Setup. The AutoComm Setup page appears.
3. Click the name of the AutoComm record you want to delete. The AutoComm Record page appears.
4. Click Delete.
5. Click Confirm Delete. The Selection Deleted page appears.
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How to Manually Run an AutoComm Record
Manually run an AutoComm record to avoid waiting for the process to automatically run on the specified day and time.
1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
2. Click AutoComm Setup. The AutoComm Setup page appears.
3. Click Run Now. The AutoComm record runs, and the AutoComm Setup page appears. If an email address is specified in the "E-Mail completion report to" field, the system emails the recipient the status of the AutoComm process.
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Export
Quick Export
This method quickly produces a simple list of students and information from the Student table. Change the parameters to produce a more detailed list. For more information about exporting, see How to Export Using a Template.
In addition to exporting data, the SIS Repository provides quick access to key metrics and not just raw data. For detailed information about the SIS Repository, see the SIS Repository Guide available on PowerSource.
How to Use Quick Export
1. On the start page, search for and select a group of students. The Student Selection page appears. For more information, see Select a Group of Students.
2. Choose Quick Export from the Select a function for this group of students pop-up menu. In most cases, you will not need to change the default options on the Export Students page, in which case you can skip the next step. To change the selections, proceed to the next step.
Note: Alternatively, if you have a current selection of students, you can access this page by choosing Special Functions > Groups Functions.
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Export the [#] selected students
Enter the fields to be included on the exported
spreadsheet. Enter as many fields as needed. Only enter one field per line. Separate multiple fields with a hard return.
If you need help remembering field names, click Fields at the bottom of the page.
Field Delimiter
A field delimiter separates fields (or "columns") in the exported data. Use the pop-up menu to choose how you want the system to separate each field in the export file:
* Tab
* Comma
* None
* Other: Enter the delimiter in the blank field.
Record Delimiter
A record delimiter separates records (or "rows") in the exported data. Use the pop-up menu to choose how you want the system to separate each record in the export file:
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Field
Description
* CR: Carriage return
* CRLF: Carriage return and line feed
* LF: Line feed
* Other: Enter the delimiter in the blank field.
Surround Fields
Select the checkbox to surround the fields in the exported data with quotation marks.
Column titles on 1st row
Select the checkbox to include column titles on the first row of the exported data.
Export DCID
Select the checkbox to export the Student table's unique identifier.
4. Click Submit. The exported data appears.
5. Choose File > Save As... to save the file. Open the saved file using a spreadsheet application, such as Excel or Lotus 1-2-3. Format, print, and save it as any other spreadsheet document.
Templates for Exporting
Export information by using a template. Select the template from a list or create a new one. For more information about exporting, see Quick Export.
How to Create an Export Template
If there is no template that you can use to perform the export or no template you can edit to meet your needs, you must create a new one.
1. On the start page, search for and select a group of students. The Student Selection page appears. For more information, see Select a Group of Students.
2. Choose Export Using Template from the Select a function for this group of students pop-up menu. The Export Using Template page appears.
Note: Alternatively, if you have a current selection of students, you can access this page by choosing Special Functions > Groups Functions.
3. Choose the type of export from the Type of Export pop-up menu. The Export Using Template page appears.
4. Click Template. The Templates for Exporting page appears.
5. Click New. The New Export Template page appears.
6. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Name of this
Enter a name for the template.
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Field
Description
template
Export from this table
Choose the table that will be used in the export from the pop-up menu.
Delimited or fixed- field length?
Choose either Delimited or Fixed from the pop-up menu to determine the length of each field.
Field delimiter
If you chose Delimited in the previous field, use the pop-up menu to choose the field delimiter. This refers to the item that will separate the fields in the exported data. If you choose Other, enter the delimiter in the blank field.
Select the checkbox to surround field values with quotation marks.
End-of-line (record) delimiter
Choose the delimiter for the end of each record from the pop-up menu. For Other:, enter the delimiter in the blank field.
Column Titles
Select the checkbox to put column titles on the first row.
Mime Type
Enter a MIME type. To use the default MIME type, leave the field blank. For more information, see MIME Types.
7. Click Submit. The Templates for Exporting page displays the new template. Add
columns to the template using the procedure How to Add Template Columns.
How to Add Template Columns
1. On the start page, search for and select a group of students. The Student Selection page appears. For more information, see Select a Group of Students.
2. Choose Export Using Template from the Select a function for this group of students pop-up menu. The Export Using Template page appears.
Note: Alternatively, if you have a current selection of students, you can access this page by choosing Special Functions > Groups Functions.
3. Choose the type of export from the Type of Export pop-up menu. The Export Using Template page appears.
4. Click Template. The Templates for Exporting page appears.
5. Click the # Columns link of the template to be changed. The Edit Columns page appears.
6. Click New to add a column to the template. The New Column page appears.
7. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Title/Heading
Enter a title for the column.
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Field
Description
Data to Export
Enter the fields of data to be exported. To display the field list, click Fields. Click a field name to place it in the Data to Export field.
If Blank, Export
This
If a record has no data for a particular field, indicate a value to replace the blank field (optional). For example, enter No Data.
Column Number
Enter a column number for this column on the template. All column numbers will have a zero added as a suffix to the column number.
Width in Characters
Enter the width of the column in characters if using fixed-field lengths instead of field delimiters.
Alignment
Use the pop-up menu to choose the alignment of the column if using fixed-field lengths instead of field delimiters.
8. Click Submit. The Edit Columns page appears.
9. Repeat the previous three steps to add additional columns to the template.
10. Click Back to Templates for Exporting. The Templates for Exporting page appears.
The template has been changed. Perform the export by following the instructions in the section Export Using a Template.
How to Edit a Template
When you need a list that differs slightly from the list that a template produces, you can easily modify the template to meet your needs.
Note: Everyone who uses the template will view the changes you enter. Contact other users before changing a template that many people use.
1. On the start page, search for and select a group of students. The Student Selection page appears. For more information, see Select a Group of Students.
2. Choose Export Using Template from the Select a function for this group of students pop-up menu. The Export Using Template page appears.
Note: Alternatively, if you have a current selection of students, you can access this page by choosing Special Functions > Groups Functions.
3. Choose the type of export from the Type of Export pop-up menu. The Export Using Template page appears.
4. Click Template. The Templates for Exporting page appears.
5. Click the name of the template you want to edit. The Edit Export Template page appears.
6. Edit the information as needed. For field descriptions, see How to Create an Export Template.
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7. Click Submit. The Templates for Exporting page appears. To continue modifying the template, see How to Edit Template Columns.
How to Edit Template Columns
1. On the start page, search for and select a group of students. The Student Selection page appears. For more information, see Select a Group of Students.
2. Choose Export Using Template from the Select a function for this group of students pop-up menu. The Export Using Template page appears.
Note: Alternatively, if you have a current selection of students, you can access this page by choosing Special Functions > Groups Functions.
3. Choose the type of export from the Type of Export pop-up menu. The Export Using Template page appears.
4. Click Template. The Templates for Exporting page appears.
5. Click the # Columns link of the template to be changed. The Edit Columns page appears.
6. Click the Title of the column you want to edit. The Edit Column page appears.
7. Edit the information as needed. For field descriptions, see How to Add Template Columns.
8. Click Submit. The Edit Columns page appears.
How to Delete a Template
1. On the start page, search for and select a group of students. The Student Selection page appears. For more information, see Select a Group of Students.
2. Choose Export Using Template from the Select a function for this group of students pop-up menu. The Export Using Template page appears.
Note: Alternatively, if you have a current selection of students, you can access this page by choosing Special Functions > Groups Functions.
3. Choose the type of export from the Type of Export pop-up menu. The Export Using Template page appears.
4. Click Template. The Templates for Exporting page appears.
5. Click the name of the template you want to delete. The Edit Export Template page appears.
6. Click Delete.
7. Click Confirm Delete. The Selection Deleted page appears.
How to Delete Template Columns
1. On the start page, search for and select a group of students. The Student Selection page appears. For more information, see Select a Group of Students.
2. Choose Export Using Template from the Select a function for this group of students pop-up menu. The Export Using Template page appears.
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Note: Alternatively, if you have a current selection of students, you can access this page by choosing Special Functions > Groups Functions.
3. Choose the type of export from the Type of Export pop-up menu. The Export Using Template page appears.
4. Click Template. The Templates for Exporting page appears.
5. Click the # Columns link of the template to be changed. The Edit Columns page appears.
6. Click the Title of the column you want to delete. The Edit Column page appears.
7. Click Delete.
8. Click Confirm Delete. The Selection Deleted page appears.
How to Export Using a Template
1. On the start page, search for and select a group of students. The Student Selection page appears. For more information, see Select a Group of Students.
2. Choose Export Using Template from the Select a function for this group of students pop-up menu. The Export Using Template page appears.
Note: Alternatively, if you have a current selection of students, you can access this page by choosing Special Functions > Groups Functions.
3. Choose the type of export from the Type of Export pop-up menu. The Export Using Template page appears.
4. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Type of Export
The type of data to export appears.
Export template?
Choose the template to export from the pop-up menu.
For Which Records?
The number of selected records appears.
5. Click Submit. The results of the export appear.
6. Choose File > Save As....
7. In the Save dialog, specify a name, location, and file type.
8. Click Save. Open the file using a spreadsheet or other application.
AutoSend Setup
Create AutoSend records to determine whether your PowerSchool system can automatically create a copy of the information you specify at the selected date and time intervals, and export the file to another system.
When creating an AutoSend record, you can determine the export parameters for each of the following types of data:
* Attendance
* Course
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* Section
* Student schedule
* Student demographic
* Teacher
How to Add an AutoSend Record
1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
2. Click AutoSend Setup. The AutoSend Setup page appears.
3. Click New. The AutoSend Record page appears.
4. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Name
Enter the name of this record.
Data to Send
Use the pop-up menu to choose the data you want to send with this record:
* Attendance
* Courses
* Sections
* Student Schedules
* Students
* Teachers
Note: Attendance table options are affected by the choice of attendance recording methods. For more information, see Attendance Preferences.
When to Execute
Use the pop-up menus to determine the hour and minutes at which you want PowerSchool to automatically export a copy of the data.
Note: If the minutes are 00, Autosend runs after the Hourly Process has completed (not specifically on the hour stated but within that hour).
Days to Execute
Enter the days of the week you want the system to export the data. Starting with Monday, use the following abbreviations: MTWHFSU.
Turn Execution Off
Select the checkbox to stop the system from automatically exporting data. To turn AutoSend on, deselect the checkbox.
Send Output to
Indicate the method by which you want to export the records to the other system from the pop-up menu.
To use a local (or network shared file system to export the records to the other system:
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Field
Description
1. Choose Local (or network shared) File System.
To use the file transfer protocol (FTP) to export the records to the other system:
1. Choose Ad Hoc FTP Server.
2. Enter information in the following fields:
o Use Passive Mode - If your FTP has difficulty transferring, select the checkbox.
o FTP host name
o FTP account name
o FTP password
o Timeout in seconds - Indicates the number of second that PowerSchool will try to make the initial FTP connection with the remote system.
To use a managed connection, such as SFTP, to export the records to the other system:
1. Choose Managed Connection. A second pop-up menu appears.
2. Choose a managed connection from the pop-up menu.
Note: Managed Connections only appears in the pop-up if configured and download capability is enabled. See System > System Settings > Plugin Management > Remote Connection Manager.
Path
If you do not use FTP to send the export file to another system, enter the path and name of the file destination on your PowerSchool server. If you use FTP to send the export file to another system, enter the path and file name of the file destination on the FTP server.
If this is on a single node, the path must be defined as being from the root. If this is a server array, use only the file name and never the path, since there is only one location for Autosend files to be imported from on a server array. The file will be exported in text format (.txt).
Field Delimiter
Use the pop-up menu to choose one of the following to determine how values are separated in the export file:
* Tab
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Field
Description
* Comma
Record Delimiter
Use the pop-up menu to choose how records are separated in the export file:
* CRLF: carriage return, line feed
* CR: carriage return
* LF: line feed
Sort Order
Enter the order that this record appears on the AutoSend Setup page. If you do not make a choice, the order is alphabetical by the name of the AutoSend record.
First record of file is "number_of_record s="
The system does not export the file if the number of records in it does not match the number given in the first record of the file. It is recommended that you select the checkbox.
Include
"upload_type"
If you select the checkbox, the first or second record of the export includes the text upload_type=, followed by the upload type.
Attendance-Specific Settings
If you chose Attendance from the Data to Send pop-up menu, select an option to indicate which attendance data you want the system to include in the export file:
* Send any attendance modified in the last 24 hours
* Send attendance modified since last upload
* Send attendance data modified between these dates: Enter the date range using the format mm/dd/yyyy or mm-dd-yyyy. If you do not use this format, an alert appears. If you submit the date with an incorrect format, the date field is submitted as a blank entry.
* Send all attendance to date
Otherwise, leave this field blank.
Student-Specific Settings
If you chose Students from the Data to Send pop-up menu, the system includes all students currently enrolled at your school in the export file.
E-Mail completion report to
Enter the email addresses of the people you want the system to send a completion report to each time it exports this file. Separate multiple addresses with commas.
Fields to export
Choose the PowerSchool fields to include in this export file from the pop-up menu.
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Field
Description
Duplicate this AutoSend record to all schools on this server
If you are creating this record for the first time, you may want to select the checkbox to make the record available to all schools that use your PowerSchool system. Otherwise, deselect the checkbox.
Duplicate this AutoSend record to district office
If you are creating this record for the first time, you may want to select the checkbox to make the record available to the district office. Otherwise, deselect the checkbox.
Note: This option is only for the Students or Teacher tables.
5. Click Submit. The AutoSend Setup page displays the new AutoSend record. How to Edit an AutoSend Record
1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
2. Click AutoSend Setup. The AutoSend Setup page appears.
3. Click in the Name column the AutoSend record you want to edit. The AutoSend Record page appears.
4. Edit the information as needed. For field descriptions, see How to Add an AutoSend Record.
5. Click Submit. The AutoSend Setup page displays the edited AutoSend record.
How to Delete an AutoSend Record
1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
2. Click AutoSend Setup. The AutoSend Setup page appears.
3. Click in the Name column the AutoSend record you want to delete. The AutoSend Record page appears.
4. Click Delete.
5. Click Confirm Delete. The Selection Deleted page appears.
How to Manually Run an AutoSend Record
Manually run an AutoSend record to avoid waiting for the process to automatically run on the specified day and time.
1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
2. Click AutoSend Setup. The AutoSend Setup page appears.
3. Click Run Now. The AutoSend record runs and displays the results.
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Direct Database Export
Direct Database Access (DDA), also called Universal Search & Modify (USM), is one of the most versatile functions of your PowerSchool system. Use DDA to search and match data in all of the internal tables on your PowerSchool server.
Note: Depending on your security settings, you may not be able to perform all functions.
PowerSchool data is stored in a relational database of tables. Each table contains an unlimited number of fields. When you use DDA, you directly access a table in the relational database.
Use PowerSchool's Direct Database Export (DDE) page when you need to create an export file or report that contains records from the tables. Use another application, such as a spreadsheet application, to view or organize the records. Unlike using the Export Using Template page, you can match and export data from two related tables.
You do not have to access DDA to export data from it. You can export DDA data while you are signed in to PowerSchool. When you export data from DDA, the system creates an independent export file that you can open or update using any application you want.
For example, assume you want to export all ninth graders and their current grades to a software application in which you can create a pie graph. Use the DDE function to match the records in the student table to the current grades table; then, export both tables of data, open the export file in a spreadsheet application, and create the graph.
Note: For detailed information about PowerTeacher gradebook administration and setup, see the Enable PowerTeacher for a Selection of Teachers section in the PowerTeacher Gradebook Administrator Installation and Setup Guide available on PowerSource.
How to Select Records for Export-List View
View a list of all records in a selected table or search for specific records in a table. You can also limit the export to records for all schools on your system or for just one school. For example, export student data about California residents in fourth grade or above who attend all schools on the system.
1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
2. Click Direct Database Export. The Direct Database Export (DDE) page appears.
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Current Table
Choose the table from which you want to export records from the pop-up menu.
Note: See
http://[your.school.address]/admin/home?ac=structure for a complete list of PowerSchool tables and fields.
Select all [x]
records in this
table
To indicate the records to use in the export, do one of the following:
* Click Select all [number of] records in this table to
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Field
Description
select all records and skip to Step 10.
* Identify search criteria in the Search Students fields by continuing to the next step.
Note: Search for students either on the Search Students page before beginning this procedure or on the Direct Database Export page. Repeat steps 5-7 to use the second search field on the Direct Database Export page, or repeat steps 5-9 to narrow the search results even further.
Search Students
Choose a field from the first pop-up menu.
Choose an operator from the second pop-up menu:
* Equals (=)
* Less than (<)
* Greater than (>)
* Less than or equal to (<=)
* Greater than or equal to (>=)
* Does not equal (#)
* Contains (contains)
* Does not contain (!Contain)
Enter the value for the field in the last field.
Search only in records belonging to [school name]
Select the checkbox to filter your school's records in the search.
4. Click Search within the current [number of selected] records only. The Direct Database Export (DDE) page displays the new number of current records in
selection.
5. Click List View to make sure you selected the records you want to export. The List Records: [Table name] page appears with the fields separated by five periods.
Note: Click the field value to link to the Display Record page, which displays all fields and their values for the selected record.
How to Select Records for Export-Table View
View a report in a table format of all records in a selected table, or search for specific records in a table. You can also limit the export to records for all schools on your system or just one school. For example, export student data about California residents in fourth grade or above who attend all schools on the system.
To modify the format of the table view, see How to Format the DDE Table View.
1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
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2. Click Direct Database Export. The Direct Database Export (DDE) page appears.
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Current Table
Choose the table from which you want to export records from the pop-up menu.
Note: See
http://[your.school.address]/admin/home?ac=structure for a complete list of PowerSchool tables and fields.
Select all [x]
records in this
table
To indicate the records to use in the export, do one of the following:
* Click Select all [number of] records in this table to select all records and skip to Step 10.
* Identify search criteria in the Search Students fields by continuing to the next step.
Note: Search for students either on the Search Students page before beginning this procedure or on the Direct Database Export page. Repeat steps 5-7 to use the second search field on the Direct Database Export page, or repeat steps 5-9 to narrow the search results even further.
Search Students
Choose a field from the first pop-up menu.
Choose an operator from the second pop-up menu:
* Equals (=)
* Less than (<)
* Greater than (>)
* Less than or equal to (<=)
* Greater than or equal to (>=)
* Does not equal (#)
* Contains (contains)
* Does not contain (!Contain)
Enter the value for the field in the last field.
Search only in records belonging to [school name]
Select the checkbox to filter your school's records in the search.
4. Click Search within the current [# of selected] records only. The Direct Database Export (DDE) page displays the new number of current records in selection.
5. Click Table View to make sure you selected the records you want to export. The List Records: [Table name] page appears with the records in a table format.
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Note: Click the field value to link to the Modify Record page.
How to Format the DDE Table View
1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
2. Click Direct Database Export. The Direct Database Export (DDE) page appears.
3. Click Table View Setup. The DDA/DDE Table View Setup page appears.
4. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Maximum number of records per page
Enter the maximum number of records you want to appear on each page of the table.
Maximum number
of fields per table
Enter the maximum number of fields you want the table to display.
Maximum number of character per field
Enter the maximum number of characters each field in the table can display.
Use font tag
Select the checkbox to apply font formats. Otherwise, deselect the checkbox.
Format data
Select the checkbox if you want the system to format the data within the table. Otherwise, deselect the checkbox.
Use Gridlines
Select the checkbox if you want the table to separate each field of data with gridlines. Otherwise, deselect the checkbox.
Alternate colors
Select the checkbox if you want the table to display each row of data in a different color. Otherwise, deselect the checkbox.
Use Cell padding
Enter a number to indicate how much padding you want each cell of the table to contain around the text. Most users enter a number between 1 and 3.
5. Click Submit. The Direct Database Export (DDE) page appears. How to Match Selections for Export
Match the records you searched for and selected in one table to records in another table to gather and select information so you can view what you need. For example, match records in the Students table to records in the CC (current grades) table.
Note: You cannot match tables that do not have a relationship or shared field. For example, you cannot match the Students table to the Teachers table.
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1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
2. Click Direct Database Export. The Direct Database Export (DDE) page appears.
3. Choose one of the tables to match from the Current Table pop-up menu.
4. Click Select all [#] records in this table. The Direct Database Export (DDE) page displays the new number of current records in selection.
5. Click Match Selection. The Match USM Selection page appears.
6. Choose the second table to match from the pop-up menu.
7. Click Proceed to match selection. The Direct Database Export page displays the total number of records between the two matched tables that you can export. To export the selected records, see How to Export Records.
How to Export Records
Before exporting records, you must first select the records using the Direct Database Export function.
1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu. The System Administrator page appears.
2. Click Direct Database Export. The Direct Database Export (DDE) page appears.
3. Select records for exporting. For more information, see How to Select Records for Export-List View, How to Select Records for Export-Table View, or How to Match Selections for Export.
4. Click Export Records. The Export Records page appears.
5. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Fields
Use the pop-up menu to choose the fields from which you want to export a copy of the data. After you choose each field, the system inserts the field name in the text box. Enter as many fields as needed. Only one field appears per line. Separate multiple fields with a hard return.
To include fields from another table, manually enter the name of the table in brackets, then the field name in the field box. For example, to export fields from the Sections table and include teachers' names, enter [teachers]lastfirst.
Field Delimiter
A field delimiter separates fields (or "columns") in the exported data. Use the pop-up menu to choose how you want the system to separate each field in the export file:
* Tab
* Comma
* None
* Other: Enter the delimiter in the blank field.
Record Delimiter
A record delimiter separates records (or "rows") in the exported data. Use the pop-up menu to choose how you want the system to separate each record in the export file:
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Field
Description
* CR: Carriage return
* CRLF: Carriage return and line feed
* LF: Line feed
* Other: Enter the delimiter in the blank field.
Surround Fields
Select the checkbox if you want the system to surround each field with quotation marks in the export file. Otherwise, deselect the checkbox.
Column titles on 1st row
Select the checkbox if you want the first row of the export file to have column titles indicating the fields included in each column. Otherwise, deselect the checkbox.
Sorting Records
Determine the order of the records in the export file. Define a primary, secondary, and tertiary sort. In the first field in the Sort Field Name column, enter the field name by which you want to primarily sort the records in the file. Then, select one of the following to determine to sort records by this field in ascending or descending order:
* < (descending)
* > (ascending)
6. Click Submit. For Mac users, the results of the export appear. For Windows users, continue to the next step.
7. Choose File > Save As....
8. In the Save dialog, specify a name, location, and file type.
9. Click Save. Open the file using a spreadsheet or other application.
Export 38
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HARMONISATION OF TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION OF PHARMACEUTICALS FOR HUMAN USE
ICH HARMONISED TRIPARTITE GUIDELINE
QUALITY RISK MANAGEMENT
Q9
Current Step 4 version
dated 9 November 2005
This Guideline has been developed by the appropriate ICH Expert Working Group and has been subject to consultation by the regulatory parties, in accordance with the ICH Process. At Step 4 of the Process the final draft is recommended for adoption to the regulatory bodies of the European Union, Japan and USA.
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Document History
First
Codification
History
Date
New
Codification
November
2005
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Approval by the Steering Committee under Step 2 and release for public consultation.
22 March
2005
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Approval by the Steering Committee of Post Step 2 correction
15 June
2005
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Current Step 4 version
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Approval by the Steering Committee under Step 4 and recommendation for adoption to the three ICH regulatory bodies.
9
November
2005
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QUALITY RISK MANAGEMENT
ICH Harmonised Tripartite Guideline
Having reached Step 4 of the ICH Process at the ICH Steering Committee meeting
on 9 November 2005, this guideline is recommended for
adoption to the three regulatory parties to ICH
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. SCOPE 2
3. PRINCIPLES OF QUALITY RISK MANAGEMENT 2
4. GENERAL QUALITY RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS 2
4.1 Responsibilities 3
4.2 Initiating a Quality Risk Management Process 3
4.3 Risk Assessment 3
4.4 Risk Control 4
4.5 Risk Communication 5
4.6 Risk Review 5
5. RISK MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGY 5
6. INTEGRATION OF QUALITY RISK MANAGEMENT INTO INDUSTRY
AND REGULATORY OPERATIONS 6
7. DEFINITIONS 7
8. REFERENCES 9
Annex I: Risk Management Methods and Tools 11
I.1 Basic Risk Management Facilitation Methods 11
I.2 Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) 11
I.3 Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) 11
I.4 Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) 12
I.5 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) 12
I.6 Hazard Operability Analysis (HAZOP) 13
I.7 Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA) 13
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I.8 Risk Ranking and Filtering 13
I.9 Supporting Statistical Tools 14
Annex II: Potential Applications for Quality Risk Management 15
II.1 Quality Risk Management as Part of Integrated Quality Management 15
II.2 Quality Risk Management as Part of Regulatory Operations 16
II.3 Quality Risk Management as Part of development 16
II.4 Quality Risk Management for Facilities, Equipment and Utilities 17
II.5 Quality Risk Management as Part of Materials Management 18
II.6 Quality Risk Management as Part of Production 19
II.7 Quality Risk Management as Part of Laboratory Control and Stability Studies 19
II.8 Quality Risk Management as Part of Packaging and Labelling 19
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1. INTRODUCTION
Risk management principles are effectively utilized in many areas of business and government including finance, insurance, occupational safety, public health, pharmacovigilance, and by agencies regulating these industries. Although there are some examples of the use of quality risk management in the pharmaceutical industry today, they are limited and do not represent the full contributions that risk management has to offer. In addition, the importance of quality systems has been recognized in the pharmaceutical industry and it is becoming evident that quality risk management is a valuable component of an effective quality system.
It is commonly understood that risk is defined as the combination of the probability of occurrence of harm and the severity of that harm. However, achieving a shared understanding of the application of risk management among diverse stakeholders is difficult because each stakeholder might perceive different potential harms, place a different probability on each harm occurring and attribute different severities to each harm. In relation to pharmaceuticals, although there are a variety of stakeholders, including patients and medical practitioners as well as government and industry, the protection of the patient by managing the risk to quality should be considered of prime importance.
The manufacturing and use of a drug (medicinal) product, including its components, necessarily entail some degree of risk. The risk to its quality is just one component of the overall risk. It is important to understand that product quality should be maintained throughout the product lifecycle such that the attributes that are important to the quality of the drug (medicinal) product remain consistent with those used in the clinical studies. An effective quality risk management approach can further ensure the high quality of the drug (medicinal) product to the patient by providing a proactive means to identify and control potential quality issues during development and manufacturing. Additionally, use of quality risk management can improve the decision making if a quality problem arises. Effective quality risk management can facilitate better and more informed decisions, can provide regulators with greater assurance of a company’s ability to deal with potential risks and can beneficially affect the extent and level of direct regulatory oversight.
The purpose of this document is to offer a systematic approach to quality risk management. It serves as a foundation or resource document that is independent of, yet supports, other ICH Quality documents and complements existing quality practices, requirements, standards, and guidelines within the pharmaceutical industry and regulatory environment. It specifically provides guidance on the principles and some of the tools of quality risk management that can enable more effective and consistent risk based decisions, both by regulators and industry, regarding the quality of drug substances and drug (medicinal) products across the product lifecycle. It is not intended to create any new expectations beyond the current regulatory requirements.
It is neither always appropriate nor always necessary to use a formal risk management process (using recognized tools and/ or internal procedures e.g., standard operating procedures). The use of informal risk management processes (using empirical tools and/ or internal procedures) can also be considered acceptable. Appropriate use of quality risk management can facilitate but does not obviate
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industry’s obligation to comply with regulatory requirements and does not replace appropriate communications between industry and regulators.
2. SCOPE
This guideline provides principles and examples of tools for quality risk management that can be applied to different aspects of pharmaceutical quality. These aspects include development, manufacturing, distribution, and the inspection and submission/review processes throughout the lifecycle of drug substances, drug (medicinal) products, biological and biotechnological products (including the use of raw materials, solvents, excipients, packaging and labeling materials in drug (medicinal) products, biological and biotechnological products).
3. PRINCIPLES OF QUALITY RISK MANAGEMENT Two primary principles of quality risk management are:
* The evaluation of the risk to quality should be based on scientific knowledge and ultimately link to the protection of the patient; and
* The level of effort, formality and documentation of the quality risk management process should be commensurate with the level of risk.
4. GENERAL QUALITY RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS
Quality risk management is a systematic process for the assessment, control, communication and review of risks to the quality of the drug (medicinal) product across the product lifecycle. A model for quality risk management is outlined in the diagram (Figure 1). Other models could be used. The emphasis on each component of the framework might differ from case to case but a robust process will incorporate consideration of all the elements at a level of detail that is commensurate with the specific risk.
Figure 1: Overview of a typical quality risk management process
Quality Risk Management
Decision nodes are not shown in the diagram above because decisions can occur at any point in the process. These decisions might be to return to the previous step and seek further information, to adjust the risk models or even to terminate the risk management process based upon information that supports such a decision. Note: “unacceptable” in the flowchart does not only refer to statutory, legislative or regulatory requirements, but also to the need to revisit the risk assessment process.
4.1 Responsibilities
Quality risk management activities are usually, but not always, undertaken by interdisciplinary teams. When teams are formed, they should include experts from the appropriate areas (e.g., quality unit, business development, engineering, regulatory affairs, production operations, sales and marketing, legal, statistics and clinical) in addition to individuals who are knowledgeable about the quality risk management process.
Decision makers should
* take responsibility for coordinating quality risk management across various functions and departments of their organization; and
* assure that a quality risk management process is defined, deployed and reviewed and that adequate resources are available.
4.2 Initiating a Quality Risk Management Process
Quality risk management should include systematic processes designed to coordinate, facilitate and improve science-based decision making with respect to risk. Possible steps used to initiate and plan a quality risk management process might include the following:
* Define the problem and/or risk question, including pertinent assumptions identifying the potential for risk;
* Assemble background information and/ or data on the potential hazard, harm or human health impact relevant to the risk assessment;
* Identify a leader and necessary resources;
* Specify a timeline, deliverables and appropriate level of decision making for the risk management process.
4.3 Risk Assessment
Risk assessment consists of the identification of hazards and the analysis and evaluation of risks associated with exposure to those hazards (as defined below). Quality risk assessments begin with a well-defined problem description or risk question. When the risk in question is well defined, an appropriate risk management tool (see examples in section 5) and the types of information needed to address the risk question will be more readily identifiable. As an aid to clearly defining the risk(s) for risk assessment purposes, three fundamental questions are often helpful:
1. What might go wrong?
2. What is the likelihood (probability) it will go wrong?
3. What are the consequences (severity)?
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Risk identification is a systematic use of information to identify hazards referring to the risk question or problem description. Information can include historical data, theoretical analysis, informed opinions, and the concerns of stakeholders. Risk identification addresses the “What might go wrong?” question, including identifying the possible consequences. This provides the basis for further steps in the quality risk management process.
Risk analysis is the estimation of the risk associated with the identified hazards. It is the qualitative or quantitative process of linking the likelihood of occurrence and severity of harms. In some risk management tools, the ability to detect the harm (detectability) also factors in the estimation of risk.
Risk evaluation compares the identified and analyzed risk against given risk criteria. Risk evaluations consider the strength of evidence for all three of the fundamental questions.
In doing an effective risk assessment, the robustness of the data set is important because it determines the quality of the output. Revealing assumptions and reasonable sources of uncertainty will enhance confidence in this output and/or help identify its limitations. Uncertainty is due to combination of incomplete knowledge about a process and its expected or unexpected variability. Typical sources of uncertainty include gaps in knowledge gaps in pharmaceutical science and process understanding, sources of harm (e.g., failure modes of a process, sources of variability), and probability of detection of problems.
The output of a risk assessment is either a quantitative estimate of risk or a qualitative description of a range of risk. When risk is expressed quantitatively, a numerical probability is used. Alternatively, risk can be expressed using qualitative descriptors, such as “high”, “medium”, or “low”, which should be defined in as much detail as possible. Sometimes a "risk score" is used to further define descriptors in risk ranking. In quantitative risk assessments, a risk estimate provides the likelihood of a specific consequence, given a set of risk-generating circumstances. Thus, quantitative risk estimation is useful for one particular consequence at a time. Alternatively, some risk management tools use a relative risk measure to combine multiple levels of severity and probability into an overall estimate of relative risk. The intermediate steps within a scoring process can sometimes employ quantitative risk estimation.
4.4 Risk Control
Risk control includes decision making to reduce and/or accept risks. The purpose of risk control is to reduce the risk to an acceptable level. The amount of effort used for risk control should be proportional to the significance of the risk. Decision makers might use different processes, including benefit-cost analysis, for understanding the optimal level of risk control.
Risk control might focus on the following questions:
* Is the risk above an acceptable level?
* What can be done to reduce or eliminate risks?
* What is the appropriate balance among benefits, risks and resources?
* Are new risks introduced as a result of the identified risks being controlled?
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Risk reduction focuses on processes for mitigation or avoidance of quality risk when it exceeds a specified (acceptable) level (see Fig. 1). Risk reduction might include actions taken to mitigate the severity and probability of harm. Processes that improve the detectability of hazards and quality risks might also be used as part of a risk control strategy. The implementation of risk reduction measures can introduce new risks into the system or increase the significance of other existing risks. Hence, it might be appropriate to revisit the risk assessment to identify and evaluate any possible change in risk after implementing a risk reduction process.
Risk acceptance is a decision to accept risk. Risk acceptance can be a formal decision to accept the residual risk or it can be a passive decision in which residual risks are not specified. For some types of harms, even the best quality risk management practices might not entirely eliminate risk. In these circumstances, it might be agreed that an appropriate quality risk management strategy has been applied and that quality risk is reduced to a specified (acceptable) level. This (specified) acceptable level will depend on many parameters and should be decided on a case-by-case basis.
4.5 Risk Communication
Risk communication is the sharing of information about risk and risk management between the decision makers and others. Parties can communicate at any stage of the risk management process (see Fig. 1: dashed arrows). The output/result of the quality risk management process should be appropriately communicated and documented (see Fig. 1: solid arrows). Communications might include those among interested parties; e.g., regulators and industry, industry and the patient, within a company, industry or regulatory authority, etc. The included information might relate to the existence, nature, form, probability, severity, acceptability, control, treatment, detectability or other aspects of risks to quality. Communication need not be carried out for each and every risk acceptance. Between the industry and regulatory authorities, communication concerning quality risk management decisions might be effected through existing channels as specified in regulations and guidances.
4.6 Risk Review
Risk management should be an ongoing part of the quality management process. A mechanism to review or monitor events should be implemented.
The output/results of the risk management process should be reviewed to take into account new knowledge and experience. Once a quality risk management process has been initiated, that process should continue to be utilized for events that might impact the original quality risk management decision, whether these events are planned (e.g., results of product review, inspections, audits, change control) or unplanned (e.g., root cause from failure investigations, recall). The frequency of any review should be based upon the level of risk. Risk review might include reconsideration of risk acceptance decisions (section 4.4).
5. RISK MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGY
Quality risk management supports a scientific and practical approach to decision-making. It provides documented, transparent and reproducible methods to accomplish steps of the quality risk management process based on current knowledge about assessing the probability, severity and sometimes detectability of the risk.
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Traditionally, risks to quality have been assessed and managed in a variety of informal ways (empirical and/ or internal procedures) based on, for example, compilation of observations, trends and other information. Such approaches continue to provide useful information that might support topics such as handling of complaints, quality defects, deviations and allocation of resources.
Additionally, the pharmaceutical industry and regulators can assess and manage risk using recognized risk management tools and/ or internal procedures (e.g., standard operating procedures). Below is a non-exhaustive list of some of these tools (further details in Annex 1 and chapter 8):
* Basic risk management facilitation methods
(flowcharts, check sheets etc.);
* Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA);
* Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA);
* Fault Tree Analysis (FTA);
* Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP);
* Hazard Operability Analysis (HAZOP);
* Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA);
* Risk ranking and filtering;
* Supporting statistical tools.
It might be appropriate to adapt these tools for use in specific areas pertaining to drug substance and drug (medicinal) product quality. Quality risk management methods and the supporting statistical tools can be used in combination (e.g., Probabilistic Risk Assessment). Combined use provides flexibility that can facilitate the application of quality risk management principles.
The degree of rigor and formality of quality risk management should reflect available knowledge and be commensurate with the complexity and/ or criticality of the issue to be addressed.
6. INTEGRATION OF QUALITY RISK MANAGEMENT INTO INDUSTRY
AND REGULATORY OPERATIONS
Quality risk management is a process that supports science-based and practical decisions when integrated into quality systems (see Annex II). As outlined in the introduction, appropriate use of quality risk management does not obviate industry’s obligation to comply with regulatory requirements. However, effective quality risk management can facilitate better and more informed decisions, can provide regulators with greater assurance of a company’s ability to deal with potential risks, and might affect the extent and level of direct regulatory oversight. In addition, quality risk management can facilitate better use of resources by all parties.
Training of both industry and regulatory personnel in quality risk management processes provides for greater understanding of decision-making processes and builds confidence in quality risk management outcomes.
Quality risk management should be integrated into existing operations and documented appropriately. Annex II provides examples of situations in which the use of the quality risk management process might provide information that could then be
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used in a variety of pharmaceutical operations. These examples are provided for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered a definitive or exhaustive list. These examples are not intended to create any new expectations beyond the requirements laid out in the current regulations.
Examples for industry and regulatory operations (see Annex II):
* Quality management.
Examples for industry operations and activities (see Annex II):
* Development;
* Facility, equipment and utilities;
* Materials management;
* Production;
* Laboratory control and stability testing;
* Packaging and labeling.
Examples for regulatory operations (see Annex II):
* Inspection and assessment activities.
While regulatory decisions will continue to be taken on a regional basis, a common understanding and application of quality risk management principles could facilitate mutual confidence and promote more consistent decisions among regulators on the basis of the same information. This collaboration could be important in the development of policies and guidelines that integrate and support quality risk management practices.
7. DEFINITIONS
Decision Maker(s):
Person(s) with the competence and authority to make appropriate and timely quality risk management decisions.
Detectability:
The ability to discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of a hazard. Harm:
Damage to health, including the damage that can occur from loss of product quality or availability.
Hazard:
The potential source of harm (ISO/IEC Guide 51).
Product Lifecycle:
All phases in the life of the product from the initial development through marketing until the product’s discontinuation.
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Quality:
The degree to which a set of inherent properties of a product, system or process fulfills requirements (see ICH Q6A definition specifically for "quality" of drug substance and drug (medicinal) products.)
Quality Risk Management:
A systematic process for the assessment, control, communication and review of risks to the quality of the drug (medicinal) product across the product lifecycle.
Quality System:
The sum of all aspects of a system that implements quality policy and ensures that quality objectives are met.
Requirements:
The explicit or implicit needs or expectations of the patients or their surrogates (e.g., health care professionals, regulators and legislators). In this document, “requirements” refers not only to statutory, legislative, or regulatory requirements, but also to such needs and expectations.
Risk:
The combination of the probability of occurrence of harm and the severity of that harm (ISO/IEC Guide 51).
Risk Acceptance:
The decision to accept risk (ISO Guide 73).
Risk Analysis:
The estimation of the risk associated with the identified hazards.
Risk Assessment:
A systematic process of organizing information to support a risk decision to be made within a risk management process. It consists of the identification of hazards and the analysis and evaluation of risks associated with exposure to those hazards.
Risk Communication:
The sharing of information about risk and risk management between the decision maker and other stakeholders.
Risk Control:
Actions implementing risk management decisions (ISO Guide 73). Risk Evaluation:
The comparison of the estimated risk to given risk criteria using a quantitative or qualitative scale to determine the significance of the risk.
Risk Identification:
The systematic use of information to identify potential sources of harm (hazards) referring to the risk question or problem description.
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Risk Management:
The systematic application of quality management policies, procedures, and practices to the tasks of assessing, controlling, communicating and reviewing risk.
Risk Reduction:
Actions taken to lessen the probability of occurrence of harm and the severity of that harm.
Risk Review:
Review or monitoring of output/results of the risk management process considering (if appropriate) new knowledge and experience about the risk.
Severity:
A measure of the possible consequences of a hazard. Stakeholder:
Any individual, group or organization that can affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a risk. Decision makers might also be stakeholders. For the purposes of this guideline, the primary stakeholders are the patient, healthcare professional, regulatory authority, and industry.
Trend:
A statistical term referring to the direction or rate of change of a variable(s).
8. REFERENCES
ICH Q8 Pharmaceutical Development.
ISO/IEC Guide 73:2002 - Risk Management - Vocabulary - Guidelines for use in Standards.
ISO/IEC Guide 51:1999 - Safety Aspects - Guideline for their inclusion in standards.
Process Mapping by the American Productivity & Quality Center, 2002, ISBN 1928593739.
IEC 61025 - Fault Tree Analysis (FTA).
IEC 60812 Analysis Techniques for system reliability—Procedures for failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA).
Failure Mode and Effect Analysis, FMEA from Theory to Execution, 2nd Edition 2003, D. H. Stamatis, ISBN 0873895983.
Guidelines for Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for Medical Devices, 2003 Dyadem Press, ISBN 0849319102.
The Basics of FMEA, Robin McDermott, Raymond J. Mikulak, Michael R. Beauregard 1996, ISBN 0527763209.
WHO Technical Report Series No 908, 2003, Annex 7 Application of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) methodology to pharmaceuticals.
IEC 61882 - Hazard Operability Analysis (HAZOP).
ISO 14971:2000 - Application of Risk Management to Medical Devices.
ISO 7870:1993 - Control Charts.
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ISO 7871:1997 - Cumulative Sum Charts.
ISO 7966:1993 - Acceptance Control Charts.
ISO 8258:1991 - Shewhart Control Charts.
What is Total Quality Control?; The Japanese Way, Kaoru Ishikawa (Translated by David J. Liu), 1985, ISBN 0139524339.
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Annex I: Risk Management Methods and Tools
The purpose of this annex is to provide a general overview of and references for some of the primary tools that might be used in quality risk management by industry and regulators. The references are included as an aid to gain more knowledge and detail about the particular tool. This is not an exhaustive list. It is important to note that no one tool or set of tools is applicable to every situation in which a quality risk management procedure is used.
I.1 Basic Risk Management Facilitation Methods
Some of the simple techniques that are commonly used to structure risk management by organizing data and facilitating decision-making are:
* Flowcharts;
* Check Sheets;
* Process Mapping;
* Cause and Effect Diagrams (also called an Ishikawa diagram or fish bone diagram).
I.2 Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA)
FMEA (see IEC 60812) provides for an evaluation of potential failure modes for processes and their likely effect on outcomes and/or product performance. Once failure modes are established, risk reduction can be used to eliminate, contain, reduce or control the potential failures. FMEA relies on product and process understanding. FMEA methodically breaks down the analysis of complex processes into manageable steps. It is a powerful tool for summarizing the important modes of failure, factors causing these failures and the likely effects of these failures.
Potential Areas of Use(s)
FMEA can be used to prioritize risks and monitor the effectiveness of risk control activities.
FMEA can be applied to equipment and facilities and might be used to analyze a manufacturing operation and its effect on product or process. It identifies elements/operations within the system that render it vulnerable. The output/ results of FMEA can be used as a basis for design or further analysis or to guide resource deployment.
I.3 Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA)
FMEA might be extended to incorporate an investigation of the degree of severity of the consequences, their respective probabilities of occurrence, and their detectability, thereby becoming a Failure Mode Effect and Criticality Analysis (FMECA; see IEC 60812). In order for such an analysis to be performed, the product or process specifications should be established. FMECA can identify places where additional preventive actions might be appropriate to minimize risks.
Potential Areas of Use(s)
FMECA application in the pharmaceutical industry should mostly be utilized for failures and risks associated with manufacturing processes; however, it is not limited
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to this application. The output of an FMECA is a relative risk “score” for each failure mode, which is used to rank the modes on a relative risk basis.
I.4 Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)
The FTA tool (see IEC 61025) is an approach that assumes failure of the functionality of a product or process. This tool evaluates system (or sub-system) failures one at a time but can combine multiple causes of failure by identifying causal chains. The results are represented pictorially in the form of a tree of fault modes. At each level in the tree, combinations of fault modes are described with logical operators (AND, OR, etc.). FTA relies on the experts’ process understanding to identify causal factors.
Potential Areas of Use(s)
FTA can be used to establish the pathway to the root cause of the failure. FTA can be used to investigate complaints or deviations in order to fully understand their root cause and to ensure that intended improvements will fully resolve the issue and not lead to other issues (i.e. solve one problem yet cause a different problem). Fault Tree Analysis is an effective tool for evaluating how multiple factors affect a given issue. The output of an FTA includes a visual representation of failure modes. It is useful both for risk assessment and in developing monitoring programs.
I.5 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)
HACCP is a systematic, proactive, and preventive tool for assuring product quality, reliability, and safety (see WHO Technical Report Series No 908, 2003 Annex 7). It is a structured approach that applies technical and scientific principles to analyze, evaluate, prevent, and control the risk or adverse consequence(s) of hazard(s) due to the design, development, production, and use of products.
HACCP consists of the following seven steps:
(1) conduct a hazard analysis and identify preventive measures for each step of the process;
(2) determine the critical control points;
(3) establish critical limits;
(4) establish a system to monitor the critical control points;
(5) establish the corrective action to be taken when monitoring indicates that the critical control points are not in a state of control;
(6) establish system to verify that the HACCP system is working effectively;
(7) establish a record-keeping system.
Potential Areas of Use(s)
HACCP might be used to identify and manage risks associated with physical, chemical and biological hazards (including microbiological contamination). HACCP is most useful when product and process understanding is sufficiently comprehensive to support identification of critical control points. The output of a HACCP analysis is risk management information that facilitates monitoring of critical points not only in the manufacturing process but also in other life cycle phases.
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I.6 Hazard Operability Analysis (HAZOP)
HAZOP (see IEC 61882) is based on a theory that assumes that risk events are caused by deviations from the design or operating intentions. It is a systematic brainstorming technique for identifying hazards using so-called “guide-words”. “Guide-words” (e.g., No, More, Other Than, Part of, etc.) are applied to relevant parameters (e.g., contamination, temperature) to help identify potential deviations from normal use or design intentions. It often uses a team of people with expertise covering the design of the process or product and its application.
Potential Areas of Use(s)
HAZOP can be applied to manufacturing processes, including outsourced production and formulation as well as the upstream suppliers, equipment and facilities for drug substances and drug (medicinal) products. It has also been used primarily in the pharmaceutical industry for evaluating process safety hazards. As is the case with HACCP, the output of a HAZOP analysis is a list of critical operations for risk management. This facilitates regular monitoring of critical points in the manufacturing process.
I.7 Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA)
PHA is a tool of analysis based on applying prior experience or knowledge of a hazard or failure to identify future hazards, hazardous situations and events that might cause harm, as well as to estimate their probability of occurrence for a given activity, facility, product or system. The tool consists of: 1) the identification of the possibilities that the risk event happens, 2) the qualitative evaluation of the extent of possible injury or damage to health that could result and 3) a relative ranking of the hazard using a combination of severity and likelihood of occurrence, and 4) the identification of possible remedial measures.
Potential Areas of Use(s)
PHA might be useful when analyzing existing systems or prioritizing hazards where circumstances prevent a more extensive technique from being used. It can be used for product, process and facility design as well as to evaluate the types of hazards for the general product type, then the product class, and finally the specific product. PHA is most commonly used early in the development of a project when there is little information on design details or operating procedures; thus, it will often be a precursor to further studies. Typically, hazards identified in the PHA are further assessed with other risk management tools such as those in this section.
I.8 Risk Ranking and Filtering
Risk ranking and filtering is a tool for comparing and ranking risks. Risk ranking of complex systems typically requires evaluation of multiple diverse quantitative and qualitative factors for each risk. The tool involves breaking down a basic risk question into as many components as needed to capture factors involved in the risk. These factors are combined into a single relative risk score that can then be used for ranking risks. “Filters,” in the form of weighting factors or cut-offs for risk scores, can be used to scale or fit the risk ranking to management or policy objectives.
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Potential Areas of Use(s)
Risk ranking and filtering can be used to prioritize manufacturing sites for inspection/audit by regulators or industry. Risk ranking methods are particularly helpful in situations in which the portfolio of risks and the underlying consequences to be managed are diverse and difficult to compare using a single tool. Risk ranking is useful when management needs to evaluate both quantitatively-assessed and qualitatively-assessed risks within the same organizational framework.
I.9 Supporting Statistical Tools
Statistical tools can support and facilitate quality risk management. They can enable effective data assessment, aid in determining the significance of the data set(s), and facilitate more reliable decision making. A listing of some of the principal statistical tools commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry is provided:
* Control Charts, for example:
- Acceptance Control Charts (see ISO 7966);
- Control Charts with Arithmetic Average and Warning Limits (see ISO 7873);
- Cumulative Sum Charts (see ISO 7871);
- Shewhart Control Charts (see ISO 8258);
- Weighted Moving Average.
* Design of Experiments (DOE);
* Histograms;
* Pareto Charts;
* Process Capability Analysis.
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Annex II: Potential Applications for Quality Risk Management
This Annex is intended to identify potential uses of quality risk management principles and tools by industry and regulators. However, the selection of particular risk management tools is completely dependent upon specific facts and circumstances.
These examples are provided for illustrative purposes and only suggest potential uses of quality risk management. This Annex is not intended to create any new expectations beyond the current regulatory requirements.
II.1 Quality Risk Management as Part of Integrated Quality Management Documentation
To review current interpretations and application of regulatory expectations;
To determine the desirability of and/or develop the content for SOPs, guidelines, etc. Training and education
To determine the appropriateness of initial and/or ongoing training sessions based on education, experience and working habits of staff, as well as on a periodic assessment of previous training (e.g., its effectiveness);
To identify the training, experience, qualifications and physical abilities that allow personnel to perform an operation reliably and with no adverse impact on the quality of the product.
Quality defects
To provide the basis for identifying, evaluating, and communicating the potential quality impact of a suspected quality defect, complaint, trend, deviation, investigation, out of specification result, etc;
To facilitate risk communications and determine appropriate action to address significant product defects, in conjunction with regulatory authorities (e.g., recall).
Auditing/Inspection
To define the frequency and scope of audits, both internal and external, taking into account factors such as:
* Existing legal requirements;
* Overall compliance status and history of the company or facility;
* Robustness of a company’s quality risk management activities;
* Complexity of the site;
* Complexity of the manufacturing process;
* Complexity of the product and its therapeutic significance;
* Number and significance of quality defects (e.g., recall);
* Results of previous audits/inspections;
* Major changes of building, equipment, processes, key personnel;
* Experience with manufacturing of a product (e.g., frequency, volume, number of batches);
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* Test results of official control laboratories. Periodic review
To select, evaluate and interpret trend results of data within the product quality review;
To interpret monitoring data (e.g., to support an assessment of the appropriateness of revalidation or changes in sampling).
Change management / change control
To manage changes based on knowledge and information accumulated in pharmaceutical development and during manufacturing;
To evaluate the impact of the changes on the availability of the final product;
To evaluate the impact on product quality of changes to the facility, equipment, material, manufacturing process or technical transfers;
To determine appropriate actions preceding the implementation of a change, e.g., additional testing, (re)qualification, (re)validation or communication with regulators.
Continual improvement
To facilitate continual improvement in processes throughout the product lifecycle.
II.2 Quality Risk Management as Part of Regulatory Operations Inspection and assessment activities
To assist with resource allocation including, for example, inspection planning and frequency, and inspection and assessment intensity (see "Auditing" section in Annex II.1);
To evaluate the significance of, for example, quality defects, potential recalls and inspectional findings;
To determine the appropriateness and type of post-inspection regulatory follow-up;
To evaluate information submitted by industry including pharmaceutical development information;
To evaluate impact of proposed variations or changes;
To identify risks which should be communicated between inspectors and assessors to facilitate better understanding of how risks can be or are controlled (e.g., parametric release, Process Analytical Technology (PAT)).
II.3 Quality Risk Management as Part of development
To design a quality product and its manufacturing process to consistently deliver the intended performance of the product (see ICH Q8);
To enhance knowledge of product performance over a wide range of material attributes (e.g., particle size distribution, moisture content, flow properties), processing options and process parameters;
To assess the critical attributes of raw materials, solvents, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) starting materials, APIs, excipients, or packaging materials;
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Quality Risk Management
To establish appropriate specifications, identify critical process parameters and establish manufacturing controls (e.g., using information from pharmaceutical development studies regarding the clinical significance of quality attributes and the ability to control them during processing);
To decrease variability of quality attributes:
* reduce product and material defects;
* reduce manufacturing defects.
To assess the need for additional studies (e.g., bioequivalence, stability) relating to scale up and technology transfer;
To make use of the “design space” concept (see ICH Q8).
II.4 Quality Risk Management for Facilities, Equipment and Utilities
Design of facility / equipment
To determine appropriate zones when designing buildings and facilities, e.g.,
* flow of material and personnel;
* minimize contamination;
* pest control measures;
* prevention of mix-ups;
* open versus closed equipment;
* clean rooms versus isolator technologies;
* dedicated or segregated facilities / equipment.
To determine appropriate product contact materials for equipment and containers (e.g., selection of stainless steel grade, gaskets, lubricants);
To determine appropriate utilities (e.g., steam, gases, power source, compressed air, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), water);
To determine appropriate preventive maintenance for associated equipment (e.g., inventory of necessary spare parts).
Hygiene aspects in facilities
To protect the product from environmental hazards, including chemical, microbiological, and physical hazards (e.g., determining appropriate clothing and gowning, hygiene concerns);
To protect the environment (e.g., personnel, potential for cross-contamination) from hazards related to the product being manufactured.
Qualification of facility/equipment/utilities
To determine the scope and extent of qualification of facilities, buildings, and production equipment and/or laboratory instruments (including proper calibration methods).
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Quality Risk Management
Cleaning of equipment and environmental control
To differentiate efforts and decisions based on the intended use (e.g., multi- versus single-purpose, batch versus continuous production);
To determine acceptable (specified) cleaning validation limits.
Calibration/preventive maintenance
To set appropriate calibration and maintenance schedules. Computer systems and computer controlled equipment
To select the design of computer hardware and software (e.g., modular, structured, fault tolerance);
To determine the extent of validation, e.g.,
* identification of critical performance parameters;
* selection of the requirements and design;
* code review;
* the extent of testing and test methods;
* reliability of electronic records and signatures.
II.5 Quality Risk Management as Part of Materials Management Assessment and evaluation of suppliers and contract manufacturers
To provide a comprehensive evaluation of suppliers and contract manufacturers (e.g., auditing, supplier quality agreements).
Starting material
To assess differences and possible quality risks associated with variability in starting materials (e.g., age, route of synthesis).
Use of materials
To determine whether it is appropriate to use material under quarantine (e.g., for further internal processing);
To determine appropriateness of reprocessing, reworking, use of returned goods. Storage, logistics and distribution conditions
To assess the adequacy of arrangements to ensure maintenance of appropriate storage and transport conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, container design);
To determine the effect on product quality of discrepancies in storage or transport conditions (e.g., cold chain management) in conjunction with other ICH guidelines;
To maintain infrastructure (e.g., capacity to ensure proper shipping conditions, interim storage, handling of hazardous materials and controlled substances, customs clearance);
To provide information for ensuring the availability of pharmaceuticals (e.g., ranking risks to the supply chain).
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Quality Risk Management
II.6 Quality Risk Management as Part of Production Validation
To identify the scope and extent of verification, qualification and validation activities (e.g., analytical methods, processes, equipment and cleaning methods;
To determine the extent for follow-up activities (e.g., sampling, monitoring and revalidation);
To distinguish between critical and non-critical process steps to facilitate design of a validation study.
In-process sampling & testing
To evaluate the frequency and extent of in-process control testing (e.g., to justify reduced testing under conditions of proven control);
To evaluate and justify the use of process analytical technologies (PAT) in conjunction with parametric and real time release.
Production planning
To determine appropriate production planning (e.g., dedicated, campaign and concurrent production process sequences).
II.7 Quality Risk Management as Part of Laboratory Control and Stability Studies
Out of specification results
To identify potential root causes and corrective actions during the investigation of out of specification results.
Retest period / expiration date
To evaluate adequacy of storage and testing of intermediates, excipients and starting materials.
II.8 Quality Risk Management as Part of Packaging and Labelling Design of packages
To design the secondary package for the protection of primary packaged product (e.g., to ensure product authenticity, label legibility).
Selection of container closure system
To determine the critical parameters of the container closure system. Label controls
To design label control procedures based on the potential for mix-ups involving different product labels, including different versions of the same label.
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eBid eXchange
Quickstart Guide for Users
eBid Systems
911 Hildebrand Lane NE, Suite 201
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
888-291-8430
support@ebidsystems.com
www.ebidsystems.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 OVERVIEW 3
2.0 LOGIN/PASSWORD 4
3.0 VENDOR REGISTRATION 5
3.1 Company 6
3.2 Contacts 7
3.3 Categories 7
3.4 Service Areas 8
3.5 Documents 8
3.6 Approval 8
4.0 SOLICITATIONS 9
4.1 Solicitation List 9
4.2 Solicitation Description and Events 9
4.3 Project Role 10
4.4 Intent to Bid 10
4.5 Documents 10
4.6 Bidders (Planholders) List 12
4.7 Bidder Questions and Responses 12
4.8 Online Bidding 12
5.0 NOTIFICATIONS 14
6.0 BIDS/AWARDS 14
7.0 Technical Support 15
8.0 FAQS 15
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USING THIS QUICKSTART GUIDE
This Quick Start Guide is intended as a summary reference for eBid eXchange Users. More details can be found in the online help available by clicking on the Help link in the upper right of the website.
Please pay particular attention to the comments enclosed in text boxes which are intended to highlight important business rules in eBid eXchange.
1.0 OVERVIEW
Following is an overview of the features of this eBid eXchange website.
Home Page - On the Home Page, you will see text information about using the site posted by the site owner. Optionally, you may also see links to relevant websites and documents. These documents are for general information and are typically not for a specific Solicitation.
Registration - Access to many features may require that you submit information about your company online. See the Vendor Registration section of this Help document for more information.
Logging In - You will create an online Account to which you will have sole access that will require that you login to access many areas of the website. After you have registered, each time you come to the website you should begin your session by logging in with your email and password. The Login button is in the upper right. Use the same button to Logout when your online session is complete.
Time Zone - The time that you logged into the website will be displayed in the upper right. Note that this is the time zone for the website owner. Please be aware that time zone may be different for each solicitation. You will need to convert your local time to that of the website to ensure that your information is submitted on time.
Solicitations - Solicitations are requests for quote, requests for information, requests for proposals, and invitations for bid issued by the site owner. Click on the Solicitations tab to access these opportunities. You will be required to Login to view and respond to many Solicitations.
Bids/Awards - At the discretion of the site owner, information about the bids received and award of vendor contracts may be posted under the Bids/Awards tab. This tab will not be visible if this feature has not been enabled.
Getting Help - Use this Help document to get more information about the specific features you are using. If you are still having trouble using the site, use the Technical Support link at the top of the page to request assistance.
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Browser Settings - This site uses Javascript and pop-ups. Your browser must have Javascript enabled and you must disable your pop-up blocker while you are using this website.
2.0 LOGIN/PASSWORD
The Login button is in the upper right. Use the same button to Logout when your online session is complete.
You will be automatically logged out if you do not perform any actions within a period of 4 hours. Simply login again to use the website.
If you have forgotten your password, enter your email address into the Forgot Password section and click the Reset Password button. You will receive an email message with a hyperlink that you must click to reset your password.
When you receive the Password Reset email message:
1. Click on the link in the message to return to the website
2. Click the Login button in the upper right
3. Enter your e-mail address and the new temporary password that you received in the e-mail (Note: passwords are case sensitive)
4. Click the Change Password button.
If you have forgotten the email address you used to register, you must contact a System Administrator with your company who set up your initial registration so they can change your email address and reset your password. If you are the sole Contact with your company, contact the website owner for assistance through the Technical Support link at the top of the page.
What if I don’t receive my initial account activation email?
All email messages that are generated from the system come from the eBid Systems mail server (mail.ebidsystems.com) with the sending address DoNotReply@ebidsystems. These messages are generated within a few seconds to a few minutes, so if you have not received the message within an hour from your initial registration completion, there may be a problem in receiving mail from our server.
Occasionally, your email software may quarantine or reject the system messages as suspected spam. Depending on how you receive email, spam filters may be activated:
* On your desktop computer (i.e. Microsoft Outlook junk mail filters).
* On your company network email system (i.e. Microsoft Exchange server).
* On your Internet Service Provider’s mail server.
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To troubleshoot an instance where you have not received your account activation message, try the following:
Step 1 - Check to see if the message from DoNotReply@ebidsystems is in your junk mail folder. If so, add ebidsystems.com to your Safe Senders list in your email software, click on the activation link in the email message to complete your registration.
Step 2 - If the account activation message from DoNotReply@ebidsystems is not in your junk mail folder, add ebidsystems.com to your Safe Senders list in your email software.
Step 3 - Go to the ebidexchange.com website where you registered, click on the Login button in the upper right and enter your email address in the Forgot Password form. If you entered the email address correctly matching the address that you used at the time of first registration, the system will send another account activation message to your email address.
Step 4 - If you have not received an account activation message within a few minutes after following Steps 1, 2 and 3, you will need to contact your company network administrator and/or Internet Service Provider and have them add the ebidsystems.com mail server domain to your safe sender list. Once this has been done, go back to Step 3 to have the system resend your account activation email.
If the above steps do not work, we recommend that you set up a free email account with Microsoft (Hotmail.com), Yahoo (Yahoo.com), or Google (Gmail.com). Our system has been tested with all three of these email systems and our messages are not blocked by their spam filters.
I tried to re-register but the system says my email address is in use?
The system prevents duplicate email addresses from being associated with more than one account or contact. You must first ensure that you are able to receive email from ebidsystems.com using the above procedures. If necessary, you can ask the website owner (Technical Support link) to delete your existing account so that you can restart the registration process.
3.0 VENDOR REGISTRATION
To register as a new Vendor, click on the Register tab, enter a company name and email address, and click the Next button.
If there are no matching Company records in the vendor database, you will be sent an email message. Open the message and click on the specified link, enter and retype your personal password, click the Change Password button, and follow the instructions for completing your Company registration.
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As the first person to create an account for your Company, you will have Company Administrator permission status. Only Company Administrators can edit Company information, Categories, Service Areas, and Documents. Only Company Administrators can add or edit additional Company Contacts. You may have more than one Company Administrator for your account.
If there are similar Company records in the vendor database, you will be presented with a list of companies that potentially match the company name you entered. If you are associated with one of the listed companies, click on the Company name link, and contact the Company Administrative Contact listed and have them add you as a company contact.
If you are not associated with one of the listed companies:
* Click on the Continue New Company Registration button to add a new Company and follow the instructions for No Matching Companies above, or
* Click on the Enter Another Company Name button to return to Register as a New Vendor described above with a different company name.
3.1 Company
Fill out all required fields and hit Insert to save your entries, or Cancel to clear the form. After you have completed all steps of your registration, you will see a View Company Summary link at the top of the Company page that will provide a printable summary of your complete Company profile. To edit your Company profile, log in and click on the My Account tab.
If you were the first person to create an account for your Company, you will have the Company Administrator Permission Role. Only Company Administrators can edit Company information. Only Company Administrators can add Company Contacts, who can view, but not edit Company information. You may have more than one Company Administrator for your account.
Account Approval
If the Account Approval function has been enabled, you will see an Account Approval section and status near the top of the Company page. Your Account will be initially given Pending status until the site owner has reviewed and approved your request to be a vendor in their system.
You will receive an email message when your Account has been Approved which will be reflected in the Account Approval Status on the Company page.
If you receive an email message indicating that your request for an Account has been denied, your Account will be Inactivated and you will no longer be able to log in.
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If the Approval feature has been enabled and you make changes to your profile, your approval status will automatically be set to Pending and must be re-approved by the site owner. Until your account is approved, you will be unable to respond to Solicitations or access Solicitation Documents.
3.2 Contacts
The first time you view the My Account > Contacts screen, the Address Type will be set to Use Company Information, assuming that you share the same address as the Company. Selecting Enter Personal Information will allow you to enter personal address, phone, and fax information that is different than the Company information. Fill out the required fields and click the Update button to save your entries. If you have Company Administrator privileges you can add additional Company Contacts or Company Administrators.
Company Administrator - If you were the first person to create an account for your Company, you will automatically have the Company Administrator Permission Role. Only Company Administrators can edit Company information. Only Company Administrators can add Company Contacts, who can view, but not edit Company information. Company Administrators can also grant Company Administrator Permission Role to other Contacts.
Company Contacts - Any other Contacts that attempt to register under the same Company name will be shown a list of Company Administrators and directed to contact a Company Administrator to be added as an additional Company Contact. Company Contacts can view the online Company profile, edit their Contact information, and transact website business on behalf of the Company (optionally including download documents, ask questions, declare Intent to Bid, and submit Bids).
Opting Out of Notifications - If you no longer wish to receive email or fax announcements from the system click on the View link for the Contact, click on the Edit button for the Contact, and check the box “I wish to opt out of ALL messages and notifications”. You will still be able to log in but will no longer receive system messages.
Changing Passwords (Company Administrator only) - If a Contact has forgotten their password or you want to send an initial password to a Contact, click the Reset Password button at the bottom of the page. This will send an email message to the Contact, requiring them to set a password of their choice.
3.3 Categories
Categories are used to define the products and services that your company provides. These Categories are used in matching bid opportunities with vendors that provide relevant products and services.
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If the Categories feature is enabled, a Categories link will appear under the My Account tab. Only Company Administrators can edit Company Categories. Make sure to Save your selections after checking the relevant Categories.
3.4 Service Areas
Service Areas are used to define the geographic location areas in which your company provides it s products and services. These Service Areas are used in matching bid opportunities with vendors that provide relevant products and services in those locations. Service Areas are presented in an expandable tree view of geographic subdivisions.
If the Service Areas feature is enabled, a Service Areas link will appear under the My Account tab. Only Company Administrators can edit Company Service Areas. Checking the parent Service Area will automatically include all child Service Areas.
3.5 Documents
If the Documents feature is enabled, a Documents link will appear under the My Account tab. You must have the Permission Role of Company Administrator to add or delete Documents.
On the Documents page, you will be presented with fields for one or more optional or required documents to be submitted as part of the registration process. To upload a document, click on Browse button, navigate to the folder on your computer that contains your document, select the document and click the Open button on the dialog box. Once you have selected a document to upload for each respective field, click the Save button to upload your documents.
If successful, the page will refresh and you will see an Account information updated message at the top of the screen. Your document filenames will appear as hyperlinks on the page, along with the date uploaded and the name of the user who uploaded the documents.
You can upload a new document that will overwrite the existing document file previously uploaded (you cannot delete a document). Follow the procedure above for entering a new document.
3.6 Approval
If the Account Approval function has been enabled, you will see an Account Approval section and status near the top of the Company page. Your Account will be initially given Pending status until the site owner has reviewed and approved your request to be an Active vendor in their system.
You will receive an email message when your Account has been Approved which will be reflected in the Account Approval Status on the Company page. If you receive an email message indicating that your
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request for an Account has been denied, your Account will be Inactivated and you will no longer be able to log in.
4.0 SOLICITATIONS
4.1 Solicitation List
Solicitations are Invitations to Bid, Requests for Information, Requests for Quote, or Requests for Proposal that are posted by the website owner. You can sort the listing by clicking on a column heading. If you are viewing the list prior to logging in, you will see a list of Public solicitations. After logging in, this list will also display Private Solicitations to which you have been specifically invited.
Solicitations shown may have the following Status:
* Open – Bids are being received up to the listed Closing Date/Time.
* Closed – The Date/Time for receiving Bids has passed.
* Pending Award – Bids have been received and are being evaluated.
* Awarded – One or more Vendors have been selected to receive a contract.
* Cancelled – The bidding process for this Solicitation was stopped.
4.2 Solicitation Description and Events
The Description page contains general information about the bid opportunity, and may also contain information on one or more scheduled Events.
An optional Event Registration feature may be enabled for a Solicitation. If you have not previously Registered for this Event, the Registration Status field will display Currently Not Registered | Register.
You must login first to register for an event. After you login, you will see an option to select Registered for the event and enter a number of attendees from your company. When you Register, your Company will appear on a list of prospective Event attendees.
After you save your event registration, the Registration Status field will update. If your plans change and you will be unable to attend the event—login, click the Unregister option, and click the Save button to remove your name from the list of prospective attendees.
The online Event registration function is only available through the date and time displayed in the Registration Cutoff Date field.
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eBid eXchange
Quickstart Guide for Vendors
4.3 Project Role
You must be logged in and your account must be approved in order to view Documents for a solicitation.
Project Role
If the Project Role feature has been enabled by the site owner and you have not already made a selection for this Solicitation, a yellow message box will appear at the top of the page asking you to declare your intended role on the project, such as Prime Contractor, Subcontractor, Supplier, or Other. Make a choice from the drop-down menu.
4.4 Intent to Bid
The Intent feature (short for Intent to Bid) allows Vendors to submit a Will Bid, No Bid, or Undecided response as an early indication of their intent to submit a bid or proposal in response to a Solicitation.
If you are not logged in or if your account has not been approved, the Edit button allowing you to submit an Intent to Bid will be disabled.
To submit an Intent to Bid response, click the Edit button, select your response, enter any comments in the text box provided, and click Save.
If you have been invited to bid on specific categories of work, you will see separate options to submit a Intent to Bid response for each category of work.
4.5 Documents
Viewing Documents
Documents are presented in a hierarchical, expandable “treeview” of document folders and hyperlinks. You can expand or collapse the folders by clicking on the + or – symbol adjacent to a document folder.
Clicking on the document filename hyperlink will open the document using the viewing application that is associated with this document type on your computer, such as Adobe Acrobat for .PDF files.
Clicking on a file with the .TIF and .DWF extension will prompt you to download the free Brava Viewers that are available for each drawing type. This is a free viewer that is especially useful for viewing and doing takeoffs from drawings. After you download and install the Brava Viewer, each time you click on document link with these extensions, it will automatically be displayed in a new Brava Viewer window.
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If you are logged in and you have not viewed a file, the word NEW in red font will appear to the left of the filename.
Downloading Documents
Downloading documents to your computer and viewing them locally is the most efficient way to work with documents provided online.
To download all listed documents:
* Click the Download All as Zip File button.
* A File Download dialog box will open.
* Click Save and a Save As dialog box will open.
* Navigate to the folder where you wish to save the documents.
* Optionally change the default filename and hit Save.
* A Download complete dialog box will open.
* Click Open to view the documents or Close if you wish to work with the documents later.
* The documents are now stored on your local computer.
To download selected documents:
* Check the box next to the document(s) you wish to download
* Click the Download Selected Files button
* A File Download dialog box will open.
* Click Save and a Save As dialog box will open.
* Navigate to the folder where you wish to save the documents.
* Optionally change the default filename and hit Save.
* A Download complete dialog box will open.
* Click Open to view the documents or Close if you wish to work with the documents later.
* The documents are now stored on your local computer.
Ordering Documents
If the Document Ordering feature has been enabled, you will see Order Instructions and buttons for ordering document prints on the Documents page. Either click the Order Complete Set Prints button, or
to Order Selected Prints, first check the individual prints you wish to Order, and then follow the onscreen instructions to place your order.
You will receive an email message confirming the placement of your document order. If you selected a reprographics company, they will contact you regarding payment. Once the reprographics company has received payment and processed your document order, you will receive a message when your
documents have shipped or are available for pickup.
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4.6 Bidders (Planholders) List
If public posting of the bidders list has been enabled by the site owner (Bidders link is present on the Solicitations tab), your company name and contact information will be automatically added to the Bidders List (also called Plan Holders List) when you download a document, order documents, or respond with an Intent to Bid.
The Bidders list displays the Company address and specific points of contact for Companies that are on the Bidders List. If your company is not interested in bidding and you would like your company removed from the Bidders List, you may remove your company by setting your Intent to Bid response to No Bid. If the Intent to Bid option is not enabled for this solicitation, then notify the Solicitation Contact to be removed from the Bidders List.
4.7 Bidder Questions and Responses
The Questions feature allows vendors to ask questions about a Solicitation and view Answers posted by the site owner. If the Questions feature has been enabled, you will see a Questions link on the Solicitations tab.
If you are not logged in or if your account has not been approved, you can view the Questions and Answers on this page, if present. However, you will not be able to submit new Questions until your account is approved and you are logged in.
To ask a question about the solicitation, click the Ask Question button, enter your Question in the text box provided, and click Save. Note that Questions must be submitted before the cutoff date, which is displayed adjacent to the Ask Question button.
Questions are presented in a tabular format showing the Question asked, a posted Answer (if available), and the Posted Date of the Answer. When an Answer to your Question has been posted, you may also receive an email message with the Question and Answer. At the discretion of the site owner, you may also view online Answers to Questions posted by other Vendors and receive this information by email.
4.8 Online Bidding
Only users with online access to your company information can add, edit, or withdraw an electronic bid for your company. Bid information you submit is transmitted by secure connection. If designated as a Sealed Bid, the receiving organization will not be able to see submitted information until the Bids Due Date/Time has passed.
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The time that you logged into the website will be displayed in the upper right. Note that this is the time zone for the website owner. Please be aware that time zone may be different for each Solicitation. You will need to convert your local time to that of the website to ensure that your information is submitted on time.
The Bid feature allows Vendors to submit an online Bid. Bids may consist of a combination of Lump Sum Price, Bid Document, Comments, Answers to Bid Questions (Bid RFIs), and Unit Prices for multiple line items. If the Bid feature has been enabled, you will see a Bid link on the Solicitations tab after you have selected a specific Solicitation.
If you are not logged in, your account has not been approved, or the Solicitation has Closed or been Cancelled, the Enter Bid button allowing you to submit a Bid will be disabled. If the Bid tab is not displayed, then electronic bidding has not been enabled for this solicitation. Contact the Solicitation Contact with any questions on submitting non-electronic bids.
Entering a Bid
Click the Bid tab to enter your bid information. Depending on the information required in response to the Solicitation, you will be required to provide one or more types of information described below.
Lump Sum Bid - Enter a single price into the field provided.
Bid RFI Questions - You may be asked to answer specific Bid Questions posed by the buying organization. Enter an answer to each specific question in the field provided.
Line Item Bids - You may be required to enter prices for several specific items. If requested you will be presented with an online Bid Form. In this form you will have a field for entering your unit price for that item and any comments you wish to provide regarding your bid. Your comments could include information on alternate item specifications, availability, shipping, or other information you want the buyer to consider.
Note: You will never be asked to submit both a Lump Sum and Unit Prices. When you enter your Unit Prices, the system will automatically extend the prices and total your Bid. Also, you must enter a Price for all items in the Bid Form. Enter zero to No Bid an Item.
Bid Documents
With any Bid, you will have the opportunity to attach a single Bid document file to your Bid that contains additional optional or required information regarding your Bid. After you upload a document, your
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document filename will appear as a hyperlink in the Current Bid Document field along with the date uploaded and the name of the user who uploaded the document.
To upload multiple files for a bid, you must combine them into a single .pdf or .zip file for upload. Uploading a new file will overwrite and delete any previously uploaded files for this bid.
Certification Statement
Near the bottom of the screen is a Certification Statement that you must check before submitting your online bid information. This will signify an acknowledged bid. If the client organization then makes a change to the bid form, your acknowledgement may be reset until you view and confirm it again.
Editing or Withdrawing a Bid
You can edit a Bid at any time up to the stated closing date and time. Click the Withdraw button to delete all Bid information that you have submitted. This also applies to bids that need to be acknowledged again.
5.0 NOTIFICATIONS
Messages may be delivered to you via email or fax, depending on the preference of the website owner and whether you have email and/or fax addresses in the system database.
Email messages will contain a link to the website where you can get more information. Fax messages will typically have separate instructions on how to respond.
Some email messages may request that you “Acknowledge Receipt” of that message by clicking on a link at the bottom of the message body. Once you click on the link, you will see a message acknowledging that the system has recorded your response. If the system cannot acknowledge your response for some reason, you will see an error message displayed. If this happens you should call your point of contact on the Solicitation to let them know of the problem and to confirm your receipt of the message.
6.0 BIDS/AWARDS
If enabled by the client organization, the Bids/Awards feature allows Vendors to view Bid Results and Contract Awards. If enabled, you will see a Bids/Award tab at the top of the page to the right of the Solicitations tab.
After first clicking on the Bids/Awards tab, you will be presented with a tabular listing of Solicitations for which Bid Results and Contract Award information is being made available for viewing by Vendors. This information will be displayed for a certain time period determined by the website owner.
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* Pending Award Status – Bids have been received and are being evaluated.
* Awarded Status – One or more Vendors have been selected to receive a contract.
Clicking on the View link will provide additional information about the status of the Bid. Such information may include the Vendors who Bid, Bid Results, Awards, and comments from the buying organization.
7.0 Technical Support
Use the Technical Support form to contact the web site owner if you have questions about using the web site. If you are not registered and logged in, you will need to fill out all of the fields on the form. Click the Submit button to send your request. If you are logged in, the form will be pre-populated with your contact information. You need only fill out the Message field with specific information about your request for assistance.
8.0 FAQS
The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) feature provides a list of frequent questions and answers from Vendors, organized by subject category.
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Graduate Student Manual
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology
Updated Oct. 2004
Table of Contents
I. Biochemistry Graduate Program
II. Orientation
III. Course of Study
o Qualifying Exam Checklist
o Preliminary Exam Checklist
o Checklist for Dissertation/Thesis Defense and Final Examination
IV. Useful Information
Appendix I: Program of Study for the PhD Degree
Appendix II: Program of Study for the MS Degree
Appendix III: The Faculty and their Research Interests
Appendix IV: Grant/Fellowship Routing Procedures
Appendix V: Accident with Injury Procedures
Appendix VI: Glossary of Terms
I. DEPARTMENT GRADUATE PROGRAM
A. Philosophy/Goals. The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology strives to provide you with a scientifically stimulating environment and an education that will enable you to design and execute a research program and to communicate the results thereof. Experimentation in the laboratory and a full understanding of the concepts and principles of biochemistry and molecular biology are stressed throughout the graduate program. Successful attainment of these departmental goals should allow you to pursue a career in any aspect of the biochemical sciences in academia or industry. The Department sponsors the Master of Science and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Your research, leading to a Master's thesis or a Doctoral dissertation, will occupy the majority of your effort during the course of your studies. You will have a wide variety of areas from which to select a research focus, commensurate with the interests and skills of the faculty.
B. Requirements and Responsibilities. The general academic requirements for graduation from the LSU Health Sciences Center are presented in the LSU
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Sciences Center Catalog/Bulletin. These requirements include the minimum residence period, minimum semester hours, and required examinations. Additional conditions for receiving a postgraduate degree in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology are fully described in the "Program of Study for the PhD Degree" and the "Program of Study for the MS Degree" (Appendices I and II ) prepared by the Department. The requirements specified in each "Program of Study" are binding. The curriculum, however, is dynamic and changes are instituted after careful consideration by the faculty, and any changes are implemented in a timely fashion. Whenever questions about requirements and curriculum arise, the "Program of Study" for your chosen degree represents the bylaws of the Department.
II. ORIENTATION
A. Signing On. You should visit the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Business Office, located in Room 7C1 (7th floor) of the Medical Education Building (M.E.B.), 1901 Perdido Street, at least one week prior to registration to complete the proper forms for matriculation. These include your appointment forms, biographical data forms, and state and federal tax forms. You may contact the Assistant Business Manager (568-4778) to obtain these forms. [NOTE: You can not be paid until these forms are completed and on file.]
B. Registration. As a graduate student in the Department, you will be counseled by the Graduate Student Coordinator on which courses to take until you choose a major professor and establish your Examining Committee. Depending upon which courses are offered at the time of your registration, you will probably be advised to take the courses listed below during your first fall semester.
Course
Course Number
Credits
Introduction to Special Methods of Research
207
2
Fundamental Biochemistry
201
5
Seminar
298
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[NOTE: A minimum of nine credits are required to be considered a full-time student during the fall and spring semesters. Six credits are required for full-time status during the summer semester.]
The complete programs of study for the PhD degree and for the MS degree in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology are included in Appendices at the end of this document.
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C. Graduate Student Advisor. All first-year students are advised by the Graduate Student Advisor of the Department. The advisor, currently Dr. Iris Lindberg, will counsel you on the required courses until you choose a Major Professor and an Examining Committee. You should contact Dr. Lindberg (Room 7131, Medical Education Building, 568-4799) to arrange a meeting at the earliest possible date to establish your first year curriculum.
D. Financial Support. Depending upon the availability of funds, a stipend and a waiver of tuition will be provided to all graduate students in good standing with the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The faculty suggests that you apply to agencies such as the Cancer Association of Greater New Orleans and the National Science Foundation for all available fellowships and grants. The Graduate Student Advisor or your major professor will assist you with these applications.
III. COURSE OF STUDY
A. Year One
A.1. Laboratory Rotations. A major portion of your course work in the first year will consist of spending a period of time (ranging from six to ten weeks) in each of at least three different laboratories in the Department to gain first-hand knowledge of the research projects and techniques used. Rotations should be completed in two to three semesters after matriculation. These rotations constitute the requirements for credit in Introduction to Special Methods of Research (207). Rotating students are expected to be in the lab when not in class during standard working hours and as necessary to perform their experiments. At the end of the rotation, the mentor will provide the student and the Graduate Coordinator with a letter summarizing the student's progress and abilities. Letter grades are given for the laboratory rotation. You should devote at least one half of your time in the first year to your laboratory rotations. Each faculty person will provide a short written evaluation of your performance during the laboratory rotation, and a copy of this will be included in your student files in the Department. While the primary objective of the laboratory rotation period is to introduce you to specialized procedures, it will also aid you in selecting a major professor. The director of each laboratory through which you rotate will provide guidance during your time in his or her laboratory. You should consult with the Graduate Student Advisor, other graduate students, and the faculty for guidance in choosing your rotations.
A.2. Course Work. The general and specific course requirements are listed in the programs of study. During the fall semester, academic performance in Fundamental Biochemistry should have a high priority. A minimum grade of "B" in the Fundamental Biochemistry course is required (see Appendix I , "Program of Study for the PhD Degree" for details). Your performance and grade in this course will have significant weight in determining your continuation in the program. During the spring semester, you should take Molecular Biology (240, 5 credits), Introduction to Special Methods of Research (207, 3–6 credits),
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Advanced Topics in Biochemistry (2 credits), additional electives, and Student Seminar (299, 1 credit). You should attain a minimum grade of "B" in Molecular Biology. You should contact the Graduate Student Advisor for direction in selecting your courses prior to registration. During the third (summer) semester, you should complete your laboratory rotations and begin research on your dissertation project. Credit for this can be obtained by registering for Introduction to Special Methods of Research. The course of your summer studies should be decided in conjunction with the Graduate Student Advisor (or your major professor, if applicable).
A.3. Major Professor Selection. The laboratory rotations are designed to help you choose your Major Professor. You should make every effort to select your Major Professor during the first year. Selection of your Major Professor is a mutual decision between you and the faculty member and is a most important decision by both parties in determining the future course of your graduate studies. Selection of a Major Professor should be given careful deliberation, as this faculty member will guide you in your studies and research in graduate school. The faculty realize that accepting a student represents a major commitment in time, effort, and financial resources (laboratory supplies, equipment, and stipend). You should determine whether the faculty person is willing to assume the responsibility for accepting you, and whether the laboratory will have finances for supplies and stipend support. You should also consider whether previous students have completed their degree in a reasonable amount of time. A decision to enter a laboratory requires the consent of the faculty person.
B. Year Two
B.1. Research. Your research activities should occupy the majority of your time in this year. You should have chosen a Major Professor and organized your Examining Committee by this time.
B.2. Teaching. The faculty consider teaching to be an important part of graduate student training. As a rule, after your first year, you will be expected to participate as a teaching assistant in nursing, dental, or medical school courses offered by the Department in each of your subsequent years. Teaching assignments will be made before the beginning of each academic year. During your second and third years of graduate studies, you will be responsible for lecture attendance, supervised presentation of a portion of the lecture material, administration of examinations, grading of quizzes, participation in review and discussion sessions, and tutoring as assigned by the course director. An evaluation of your teaching performance will be provided to the department head by the course director of each of the courses in which you assist.
B.3. Course Work. Because research will occupy the majority of your time in later years, you should make every attempt to complete as much of your required course work as possible by the end of your second year. Molecular structure and function of the cell (Biochemistry, Physiology, or Anatomy 251,3 credits) is a required course that is offered every other year in the spring semester. A minimum grade of "B" is required.
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13.4. Examining Committee. The Examining Committee will assume responsibility for the direction of your studies and research and will administer your Qualifying Examination. The establishment of this committee is an important step toward focusing your studies and research endeavors. The committee is made up of at least three faculty members with a primary appointment in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, your Major Professor and at least one faculty member from outside the Department who is knowledgeable in your research area. Experts from outside the University may be invited to participate. In taking over responsibility from the Graduate Student Advisor, the Examining Committee and Major Professor will direct your academic and research efforts. Although continuity of this committee is desirable, the composition of the Examining Committee may be altered during your course of study to reflect changes in your research or Major Professor. The Examining Committee is chosen by your Major Professor with the approval of the Department Head.
13.5. Qualifying Examination. All students must have attempted their Qualifying Exam by the end of the fourth semester following matriculation (exclusive of summer semesters) or be terminated from the program. If the student receives a conditional pass on the Qualifying Exam, he/she must complete the proscribed remediation within the time frame stipulated by the examining committee. Under extraordinary circumstances such as illness or family emergency, the Department Head may grant an extension at the written request of the student.
This examination is administered by the student's Examining Committee (see III.B.4.). A written research proposal delineating your dissertation research must be prepared according to form PHS 398 guidelines for grant applications to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The proposal should include specific aims, background information, working hypotheses, experiments designed to test the hypotheses, and pertinent references. [It is not necessary to complete the Budget, Resources and Environment, and Other Support pages.] In addition to being tested on the specific proposal, the student may also be examined (written and/or orally) on related scientific disciplines to ensure breadth of knowledge. Standard forms for the Qualifying Examination are available from the Office of the Department Head or the Graduate Advisor. The "Request for Qualifying Examination" must be completed and signed by the Department Head at least two weeks before the Examination, once its date has been set. In addition, you must deliver one copy of the proposal to each member of your Examining Committee at least two weeks prior to the Examination. You must pass this examination (i.e., by a majority vote of the Examining Committee members) in order to continue in the program. The signed "Report of Qualifying Examination" must be returned to the Department Head after the Examination.
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QUALIFYING EXAM CHECKLIST
* Prepare a research proposal in standard NIH format using PHS 398 directions.
* Prepare a title and abstract and attach these to the front of the qualifying exam proposal.
* Submit the proposal to the committee at least two weeks prior to the exam.
* Prepare a Request for Qualifying Exam using the standard Graduate School form (1 page); it must be signed by Department Head at least two weeks prior to the exam.
* Have a room reserved for the Examination (contact the business office at 568-4733).
* Prepare a brief (10–15 min) presentation with slides or overheads to be given at the Examination.
* Prepare a Curriculum Vitae for Qualifying Exam (2 pages) using the standard Graduate School form and bring this to the Examination.
* Prepare a list of all courses taken and grades received and bring this to the Examination.
* Prepare a Report of Qualifying Examination using the standard Graduate School form (2 pages) and bring this to the Examination.
(a) Each member of the Examining Committee must indicate his or her vote (pass/fail) and sign the Report.
(b) The committee may also enter recommendations (courses to be taken and other remediation and/or training) on this form.
* Prepare to offer an oral defense of the research proposal and, as appropriate, other material.
* Although it is neither necessary nor required for you to bring coffee or refreshments to the examination, you may elect to do so.
* Transmit the signed "Report of the Qualifying Examination" to the Department Head.
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B.6. Preliminary Examination. All students must have attempted their Preliminary Exam at least by the end of the fifth semester following matriculation (exclusive of summer semesters) or be terminated from the program. If the student receives a conditional pass on the Qualifying Exam, he/she must complete the proscribed remediation within the time frame stipulated by the examining committee. Under extraordinary circumstances such as illness or family emergency, the Department Head may grant an extension at the written request of the student.
This Examination is administered by the student's Examining Committee (see III.B.4.). For the purpose of the Preliminary Examination, the Major Professor will designate one of the other committee members as chair, subject to approval by the Department Head. The chair will be responsible for providing a written summary of the examination and future course of study to the student, Major Professor, and Department Head (for inclusion in the student's file). A research proposal in an area clearly different from that of the student's proposed dissertation research must be prepared according to form PHS 398 guideline, with the exception that a limit of 12.5 pages (as opposed to 25) is to be used. The purpose of this proposal is to provide the student with an opportunity to gain breadth of knowledge and to demonstrate independence in designing a research protocol. The topic is to be chosen by the student and then approved by the Examining Committee members. The proposal should include a title, an abstract, specific aims, background information, working hypotheses, experiments designed to test the hypotheses, and pertinent references. [It is not necessary to complete the Budget, Resources and Environment, and Other Support pages.] In addition to being tested on the specific proposal, the student may also be examined (written and/or orally) on related scientific disciplines. The procedure for requesting the Preliminary Examination is much the same as you followed in requesting your Qualifying Examination. The proper forms are available from the Office of the Department Head, the Graduate Advisor, or the Graduate School. You should complete one copy of the "Request for Preliminary Examination" with the help of your Major Professor or Examining Committee. The "Request for Preliminary Examination" must be submitted to the Department Head at least two weeks before the Examination, once its date has been set. In addition, you must deliver one copy of the proposal to each member of your Examining Committee at least two weeks prior to the Examination. The Department Head will forward the form to the Graduate School for the Dean's approval. You must pass this examination in order to continue in the PhD program. More than one negative vote constitutes failure.
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PRELIMINARY EXAM CHECKLIST
* Prepare a Notification of Preliminary Examination using the standard Graduate School form (1 page).
* Submit the Notification of Preliminary Examination form to the chair of your Examining Committee and a copy of your proposal to each of the committee members at least two weeks prior to the Examination.
* Prepare a Request for Preliminary Exam using the standard Graduate School form (1 page); it must be signed by the Department Head and the Dean of the Graduate School at least two weeks prior to the Examination.
* Have a room reserved for the Examination (contact the business office at 5684733).
* Prepare a brief (10–15 min) presentation with slides or overheads to be given at the Examination.
* Prepare a Report of Preliminary Examination using the standard Graduate School form (2 pages) and bring this to the Examination.
(a) Each member of the Examining Committee must indicate his or her vote (pass/fail) and sign the Report.
(b) The committee may also enter recommendations (courses to be taken and other remediation and/or training) on this form.
(c) The Report must then be signed by the Department Head and the Dean of the Graduate School.
* Prepare to defend orally the research proposal and other material as appropriate for the examination.
* Although it is neither necessary nor required for you to bring coffee or refreshments to the examination, you may elect to do so.
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B.7. Work in Progress Session. You are required to present at least one work-in-progress session per year to the Department. The requirement begins during the second year and continues until graduation.
C. Years of Completion
C.1. Research. Although you will still have teaching responsibilities, you should concentrate extensively on your dissertation or thesis research during the final years of your tenure with the Department.
C.2. Teaching. As a rule, you will be expected to participate as a teaching assistant in one course each year. During the fourth year of your graduate study, you may serve as a supervisor of teaching assistants in their second or third year of graduate study.
C.3. Course Work. Course work during these years usually consists of Seminar (298, 299) and those courses necessary to fulfill the requirements for graduation.
C.4. Departmental Seminar. All PhD degree candidates are required to present a Departmental Seminar within one year after passing their preliminary examination. Contact the Seminar Coordinator (Dr. Don Scott at 568-4055) to schedule your seminar for a date/time that will be compatible with your Examining Committee members’ schedules and that will not conflict with other Departmental activities.
C.5. Annual Evaluation. After passing the Preliminary Examination, all PhD degree candidates are required to meet at least once a year with their Examining Committee and Major Professor to assess progress.
C.6. Thesis/Dissertation. Your research findings will be presented in your thesis or dissertation, which will form the basis of your Final Examination. Your Major Professor and Examining Committee should assist you in determining when the experimental work is complete and in organizing and correcting early drafts of the document. Details regarding its format should be obtained from the Graduate School and your Major Professor. The findings in this document must represent original and important contributions to the field of study. Evidence for this is usually provided by the required publication of at least some of the findings as a full paper. You are also encouraged to present your findings at national or international meetings.
C.7. Final Examination. You become eligible to take the Final Examination one academic year after having passed the Preliminary Examination. Most students, however, require two years to complete their dissertation research. Students that require more than three years to complete their dissertation research must obtain approval of an extension from their Examining Committee. The "Request for Dissertation/Thesis Defense and Final Examination" form is available from the Office of the Department Head, the Graduate Advisor, or the Graduate School. It must be completed and received by the Graduate School at least two weeks prior to the defense date. A copy of the final thesis or dissertation must also be provided to each member of your Examining Committee by this time. The Final Examination includes an oral defense of your dissertation before your Examining
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Committee and an oral presentation of your dissertation at a Health Sciences Center Seminar. Your Examining Committee will vote by ballot, and there must be no more than one negative vote for you to pass the Final Examination. After you have passed the Final Examination, you must then submit copies of the approved dissertation to the Graduate School (original and one copy), the Department (one copy), your Major Professor (one copy), and any member of your Examining Committee who requests a copy.
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CHECKLIST FOR DISSERTATION/THESIS DEFENSE AND FINAL EXAMINATION
* Fill out a Request for Dissertation/Thesis Defense and Final Examination (1 page) using the standard Graduate School form; this must be signed by Department Head and Dean of the Graduate School two weeks prior to the examination
* Make copies of the final form of the dissertation/thesis, and distribute one copy to each member of your committee
* Contact the Seminar Coordinator (Dr. Don Scott, 568-4055) to schedule your seminar for a date/time that will be compatible with your Examining Committee members’ schedules and that will not conflict with other Departmental activities.
* Provide the title of your seminar. The Department will distribute the seminar notices, and the laboratory will provide refreshments after the seminar.
* Have a room reserved for before or after the seminar, as deemed appropriate by the Examining Committee (contact the business office at 568-4733).
* Prepare to give a 50-minute seminar with slides to the Examining Committee, members of the Department, and other interested individuals.
* Prepare a Dissertation/Thesis Defense Final Examination Report using the standard Graduate School form (1 page) and bring it to the Examination; it will be signed by the committee members, Department Head, and Dean of the Graduate School.
* After these activities have been successfully completed, a revised and final version of the dissertation/thesis must be approved by the Examining Committee.
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IV. USEFUL INFORMATION
A. Departmental Administration. The Department is administered by Dr. Arthur Haas, Head.
B. Dismissal Procedure. A student may be dismissed from the Department if his or her grade point average falls below 3.00. A student may also be dismissed from the Department upon receiving a grade of less than B in either Fundamental Biochemistry or Molecular Biology. Students with serious academic problems may be eliminated from the rolls of the Department at the end of any semester. The decision to terminate a student's association with the Department is made by a vote of the faculty and approval by the Department Head. Any student who is terminated has the option of appealing the decision of the faculty to the Department Head. This appeal, listing all of the facts that the student feels are pertinent to the situation, should be submitted to the Department Head as soon as possible after notification of the decision to terminate.
C. Faculty Roster and Research Interests. The faculty maintain diverse research programs. Each faculty member and a brief synopsis of his or her training and research are listed in Appendix III . However, as the research interests of the faculty are dynamic, you should contact the laboratory director for current information on the research in that lab.
D. LSU Health Sciences Center Catalog. The catalog contains the official statements of the Health Sciences Center. However, most departments, including this one, require the completion of tasks in addition to those required by the School of Graduate Studies of the Health Sciences Center. No department can sponsor a degree candidate who does not complete the requirements of the School of Graduate Studies as stated in the Catalog .
E. Outside Employment. The Department prohibits students from pursuing employment or an academic degree outside the Department. However, a student in dire need may petition the faculty to be allowed to work outside. The petition will be considered by the faculty, and the student will be notified of the decision reached by the faculty.
F. Prior Approval for Travel. Any study-related travel for which you plan to be reimbursed must have prior approval by the Business Office before you depart. You must adhere to all statetravel regulations. As with the purchasing regulations, it is imperative that you consult the departmental Business Office as soon as you begin planning your trip. All airline tickets must be purchased through Navigant International Travel Services. Contact numbers are available in the business office.
G. Program of Study. The Program of Study for the PhD Degree (Appendix I ) and the Program of Study for the MS Degree (Appendix II ) were prepared by the Department to elucidate the requirements of the Department for the convenience of the faculty and students. These programs have been accepted by the faculty of the Department and will be
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used as a guide by your advisor throughout your tenure in the Department.
H. Purchasing Regulations. As a state institution, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and all departments thereof must adhere strictly to state purchasing laws. These laws are complex, are frequently revised, and should not be interpreted by anyone not familiar with them; therefore, the Department recommends that all purchases be approved by the appropriate faculty advisor or Major Professor and the Business Office. The personnel of the Business Office are available to explain the correct policies to you. Students should discuss the proper purchasing procedures with the laboratory head before making any purchases.
I. Shop Facilities. The electronics and fabrication shops maintained by the Department are capable of performing most routine maintenance and repairs on research equipment used in the Department. The facility is also capable of manufacturing many different types of specialized research equipment including horizontal and vertical electrophoresis units, gradient makers, and blotting (Western and Southern) equipment. The laboratory head should guide you in making appropriate use of the departmental shops. This facility is managed by Mr. Scott Neville, an Instructor in the Department.
J. Waiver of a Requirement. Whereas exceptions to Departmental policies are usually disallowed, some students may have reasonable justification to request the waiver of a requirement. For example, students who have graduate school credits with a grade of B or better in subjects from other universities may request that these credits be substituted for parallel or similar LSHSC courses and counted toward graduation as requirements or electives, as appropriate. The faculty of the Department must first approve a request for a waiver, and approved requests will be forwarded to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies by the Department Head. The final decision on course waivers and Health Sciences Center requirements will be made by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies through the Department. To request a waiver, you should petition the faculty in writing. Include all pertinent information (justification for the waiver, proposed benefits, etc.) in your petition and forward it to the Department Head.
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APPENDIX I
Program of Study for the PhD Degree
A. Prerequisites. General chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, mathematics (through calculus), and one year of biology are required. If necessary, these courses may be completed during the first year of graduate study.
B. Course Requirements. A total of 60 credits, which include the following courses, are required. [NOTE: Withdrawal from a required course will be allowed only under extremely extenuating circumstances and must be approved on a case-by-case basis by the faculty.]
Fundamental Biochemistry (201; 5 credits): A minimum grade of "B" is required.
Molecular Biology (240; 5 credits): A minimum grade of "B" is required.
Molecular Structure and Function of the Cell (Anatomy, Biochemistry, or Physiology 251; 3 credits): A minimum grade of "B" in the interdepartmental course is required.
Introduction to Special Methods of Research (207; 12 credits): Laboratory research carried out during the first 2 years. A grade of "C" is unsatisfactory and may lead to dismissal from the program.
Seminar (298 and 299; 6 credits): The Department requires 6 credits of seminar although the Graduate School permits only 4 of these to be applied toward graduation.
Dissertation Research (400; 15 credits): This may also be divided into 9 credits of Dissertation Research (400) and 6 credits of Thesis Research (300). Although students generally receive more credits, only 15 may be applied toward graduation.
Electives (18 credits): These should be selected to provide a broad scientific background and should be chosen in consultation with the Graduate Student Advisor and/or your Examining Committee and Major Professor. At least 8 credits of electives must be taken from Departments other than the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Possible
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elective courses (or courses in minor fields of study) include, by Department, the following.
Biometry
Biometric Methods in the Health Sciences I. 221, 3cr
Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology
General and Molecular Virology 276, 3-5cr
Fundamentals of Immunology 296, 3-5cr
Techniques in Microbiology 280, 1-6cr
Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
Principles of Pharmacology 205, 5cr
Neuropharmacology 233, 2-3cr
Physiology
Molecular Structure and Function of the Cell 251, 2-3cr
History and Philosophy of Science 217, 1-2cr
Scientific Writing for Graduate Students 250, 2cr
Interdepartmental
Computer Science 202, 2cr
Endocrinology 216, 3cr
Neuroscience 210/220, 6/2cr
Molecular Neurobiology 250, 4cr
C. Major Professor Selection. Each student shall select a Major Professor by 1 July after completion of the first year of graduate school. Any student who fails to identify a Major Professor by this date may be terminated from the Graduate Program. Special circumstances may be considered by the Graduate Advisor and the Department Head.
D. Teaching. The faculty considers teaching an important part of academic training. As a rule, after their first year, students will be expected to participate as teaching assistants in nursing, dental, or medical school courses offered by the Department. Teaching assignments will be made before the beginning of each academic year. During the second and third years, students may be responsible for lecture attendance, supervised presentation of a portion of lecture material, administration of exams, grading of quizzes, participation in review and discussion sessions, and tutoring assigned by the course director. During the fourth year students may also serve as supervisors of second or third year teaching assistants. The student's performance in each course as a teaching assistant will be evaluated by the faculty involved in teaching the course. A summary of the student's evaluation, prepared by the course director, will be presented to the entire faculty and placed in the student's permanent file.
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E. Qualifying Examination. All students must have attempted their Qualifying Exam by the end of the fourth semester following matriculation (exclusive of summer semesters) or be terminated from the program. If the student receives a conditional pass on the Qualifying Exam, he/she must complete the proscribed remediation within the time frame stipulated by the examining committee. Under extraordinary circumstances such as illness or family emergency, the Department Head may grant an extension at the written request of the student.
This Examination is administered by the student's Examining Committee, which is composed of five (or more) members and includes at least three faculty members with a primary appointment in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, your Major Professor and at least one faculty member from outside the Department who is knowledgeable in your research area. A written research proposal which delineates the area in which the student wishes to perform his/her dissertation research must be prepared. This proposal should be prepared according to form PHS 398 guidelines for grant applications to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and distributed to all members of the committee at least two weeks prior to the examination. The proposal should include a title, an abstract, specific aims, background information, working hypotheses, experiments designed to test the hypotheses, and pertinent references. [It is not necessary to complete the Budget, Resources and Environment, and Other Support pages.] In addition to being tested on the specific proposal, the student may also be examined (written and/or orally) on related scientific disciplines to ensure breadth of knowledge. to pass the Qualifying Examination, the student must receive positive ("Pass") ballots from a majority of the committee members.
F. Preliminary Examination. All students must have attempted their Preliminary Exam by the end of the fifth semester following matriculation, exclusive of summer semesters. If the student receives a conditional pass on the Preliminary Exam, he/she must complete the proscribed remediation within the time frame stipulated by the examining committee. Under extraordinary circumstances such as illness or family emergency, the Department Head may grant an extension at the written request of the student.
This Examination is administered by the student's Examining Committee, which is composed of at least five members and includes at least three faculty members with a primary appointment in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, your Major Professor and at least one faculty member from outside the
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Department who is knowledgeable in your research area. A research proposal, limited to one-half the standard NIH (PHS 398) length, must be distributed to all members of the committee at least two weeks prior to the Examination. The research topic must be different from that of the student's proposed dissertation research. The topic is to be chosen by the student and then approved by the Examining Committee. The purpose of this proposal is to provide the student with an opportunity to gain breadth of knowledge and to demonstrate independence in conceiving and designing a research project. The proposal should include a title, an abstract, specific aims, background information, working hypotheses, experiments designed to test the hypotheses, and pertinent references. [It is not necessary to complete the Budget, Resources and Environment, and Other Support pages.] In addition to being tested on the specific proposal, the student may also be examined (written and/or orally) on related scientific disciplines. In order to pass the Preliminary Examination, the student can receive no more than one negative ("Fail") ballot from the committee members. After passing the preliminary examination, the student becomes a candidate for the PhD degree.
G. Departmental Seminar. All PhD degree candidates are required to present a Departmental Seminar within one year after passing their preliminary examination.
H. Final Examination. After preparing a dissertation based on original, meritorious research, the PhD candidate will present a seminar to the members of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and all other interested parties. The candidate will also defend the dissertation to the Examining Committee in a session preceding or following the presentation.
I. Other Requirements. The student is required to have at least one full-length, peer-reviewed paper published or in press prior to approval by the five-member committee that the requirements for the PhD degree have been fulfilled.
J. Committee Meeting Requirements. All students must hold at least one committee meeting per year following successful completion of the Preliminary Examination. Committee meetings will preferably coincide with their annual Work In Progress seminar. Committee members will be provided with a written summary of progress to date at least one week prior to the committee meeting. Failure to hold an annual committee meeting will result in an independent evaluation of progress by the Department Head or his/her designees and possible termination from the program.
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K. Additional Comments. Laboratory research and investigation are vigorously emphasized at all stages of the program. To provide broader experience, rotation through at least three laboratories during the first year is required. Registration in Introduction to Special Methods of Research (207) is necessary to obtain academic credit for laboratory rotations. It is expected that one of the rotations will be through the laboratory of the Major Professor. Rotating students are expected to be in the lab when not in class during standard working hours and as necessary to perform their experiments. At the end of the rotation, the mentor will provide the student and the Graduate Coordinator with a letter summarizing the student’s progress and abilities.
Until the Major Professor has been identified, research and didactic activities can be coordinated by the Graduate Student Advisor and other appropriate faculty. The Qualifying Examination should be taken about one month after the third semester of study (excluding summer sessions), although it may be taken earlier. All students must have attempted their Qualifying Exam by the end of the fourth semester following matriculation (exclusive of summer semesters) or be terminated from the program. The student's Major Professor or Examining Committee may require that additional subjects and/or examinations be taken during the course of study. In so far as possible, required and elective course work should be completed during the first two years of graduate study, and advanced years should be spent predominantly in the research laboratory. Continuation in the laboratory of the Major Professor is determined by mutual agreement of both the student and the Major Professor at all stages of study. Unforeseen circumstances (lack of adequate research grant support, transfer to another institution, etc.) may necessitate a change in Major Professor.
[Approved by the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty on 30 July 1987, 12 August 1987, 2 June 1988, 3 February 1989, 25 April 1990, 9 April 1991; 11 March 1992; May 12, 1993, June 9, 1994, 3 February 1997, 17 June 1997, 13 August 1997, 7 September, 2004.]
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APPENDIX II
Program of Study for the MS Degree
A. Prerequisites. General chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, mathematics (through calculus), and one year of biology are required. If necessary, these courses may be completed during the first year of graduate study.
B. Course Requirements. A total of 30 credits, which include the following courses, are required. [NOTE: Withdrawal from a required course will be allowed only under extremely extenuating circumstances and must be approved on a case-by-case basis by the faculty.]
1. Fundamental Biochemistry (201; 5 credits): A minimum grade of "B" is required.
2. Molecular Biology (240; 5 credits): A minimum grade of "B" is required.
3. Introduction to Special Methods of Research (207; 8 credits): Laboratory research carried out during the first year. A grade of "C" is unsatisfactory and may lead to dismissal from the program.
4. Seminar (298 and 299; 3 credits): The Department requires 3 credits of seminar although the Graduate School permits only 2 of these to be applied toward graduation.
5. Thesis Research (300; 6 credits): Although students generally receive more credits, only 6 may be applied toward graduation.
6. Electives (6 credits): These should be selected to provide a broad scientific background and should be chosen in consultation with the Graduate Student Advisor and/or your Examining Committee and Major Professor.
C. Teaching. The faculty considers teaching an important part of academic training. As a rule, after their first year, students will be expected to participate as teaching assistants in nursing, dental, or medical school courses offered by the Department. Teaching assignments will be made before the beginning of each academic year. Students may be responsible for lecture attendance, supervised presentation of a portion of lecture material, administration of exams, grading of quizzes, participation in review and discussion sessions, and tutoring assigned by the course director. The performance of the teaching assistants will be evaluated by the faculty involved in teaching the course. A summary of this evaluation will be prepared by the course director. The student's evaluation will be
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presented to the entire faculty and placed in the student's permanent file.
D. Qualifying Examination (for the MS degree). The Qualifying Examination is taken about one month after the successful completion of two complete semesters (excluding summer sessions) by a three-member Examining Committee. An extension in time for this examination requires the permission of the student's committee. The qualifying examination may include oral and written components at the discretion of committee members. A short written summary of the research conducted during the first year must be distributed to the committee prior to the examination. Topics of the examination will include general biochemistry (and relevant scientific disciplines) and research completed in Introduction to Special Methods of Research (207). Direction for the student's further study will be formulated according to the findings of this examination. The student must pass this examination prior to registration for Thesis Research (300).
E. Thesis. A formal thesis must be submitted to and approved by a three-member committee. This committee is to be composed of two faculty members from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (one of whom is the Major Professor) and one faculty member from another department. The committee may consist of more than three members.
F. Examination. When the thesis is nearly completed, each candidate is required to pass a comprehensive examination which may be written, oral, or both. It is expected that the requirements for the Master's degree will be completed within two calendar years after matriculation.
[Approved by the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty on 30 July 1987, 12 August 1987, 2 June 1988, February 1990, and 13 August 1997, October 2004]
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APPENDIX III
The Faculty and Their Research Interests The Department of
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Louisiana State University
Health Sciences Center
PRIMARY APPOINTMENTS:
Suresh K. Alahari, Associate Professor; PhD, Drexel University, 1994. Biochemistry of cell adhesion.
William C. Claycomb, Professor; PhD, Indiana University, 1969. Biochemistry of cell proliferation and cell differentiation.
James R. Gnarra, Associate Professor; PhD, University of Virginia, 1987. Molecular genetics of cancer; tumor-suppressor genes; mouse models of tumorigenesis; gene therapy.
Arthur L. Haas, Professor & Chairman; PhD, Northwestern University School of Medicine, 1979. Ubiquination; the roles of ubiquitin and ISG15 conjugation in cellular regulation.
John W. Haycock, Professor; PhD, University of California at Irvine, 1975. Neurobiology; neurotransmitter release; regulation of catecholamine function; intracellular signaling pathways and protein phosphorylation; monoaminergic markers in postmortem human brain
Jack D. Herbert, Associate Professor; PhD, Louisiana State University Medical Center, 1967. Amino acid metabolism; assimilation of dietary amino acids, disposal of excess nitrogen; excretion of ammonia and uric acid; gout.
Jay D. Hunt, III. Assistant Professor, PhD, University of Tennessee-Memphis, 1990. Genetics of non-small cell lung carcinoma; tumor suppressor genes; genetic instability in cancer.
S. Michal Jazwinski, Professor; PhD, Stanford University, 1975. Molecular and cell biology of DNA replication in budding yeast; regulation of DNA replication; molecular and genetic analysis of cell division cycle control and cellular aging in yeast; longevity assurance genes and senescence genes.
Iris Lindberg, Professor; PhD, University of Wisconsin at Madison, 1980. Peptide biosynthesis in neuroendocrine tissues and brain; opioid peptides.
Robert Roskoski, Jr., Professor; MD, 1964, PhD, 1968; University of Chicago. Regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase activity by phosphorylation; enzymology of farnesyl-protein transferase and Ras modification.
Donald K. Scott, Assistant Professor, PhD, Saint Louis University, 1991. Regulation of gene expression by glucose.
Wayne V. Vedeckis, Professor; PhD, Northwestern University, 1974. Steroid hormone actions; structure, function, and genomic interactions of
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glucocorticoid receptor proteins; steroid hormone regulation of mRNA stability.
David Worthylake, Assistant Professor, PhD, University of North Carolina, 1998. Structural biology. X-ray crystallographic studies of proteins and protein-protein interaction.
AUXILIARY APPOINTMENTS:
Jawed Alam, Assistant Professor, PhD, Purdue, 1983. Receptor-mediated transport of heme to liver and heme-dependent regulation of gene expression.
Haydee E. P. Bazan, Professor of Ophthalmology, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; PhD, National University of the South (Argentina), 1975. Retina and cornea biochemistry; neural control of the synthesis and turnover of membrane lipids including phosphoinositides; dynamics of membrane phospholipids in photoreceptor cells.
Nicolas G. Bazan, Professor of Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; MD, 1965, D. Med. Sc., 1970, Tucuman University (Argentina). Neurochemistry; membrane phospholipids in experimental models of retinal degenerative diseases, epilepsy, and stroke; biosynthesis of prostaglandins and of other eicosanoids; metabolism of docosahexanoic and arachidonic acids.
Mary Breslin, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics. PhD, LSU Health Sciences Center, 1999. Small cell lung cancer; elucidate the role of a novel zinc finger transcriptional repressor protein, insulinoma associate-1 (IA-1) in SCLC in gene expression.
Julie Brown , Research Assistant Professor. PhD, University of Virginia, 1989. Mechanism for HIV tat protein repression of transcription. Interactions of the tat protein with other effector proteins.
J. Craig Cohen, Professor of Medicine, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; PhD, 1972, University of Mississippi Medical Center. Molecular virology of RNA tumor viruses; organization and regulation of genes involved in carcinogenesis.
Julia Cook, Assistant Professor, PhD, North Carolina State University, 1986. Neural-specific gene regulation; applications of gene transfer to human disease; antisense and triplex technologies.
John Doucet, Assistant Professor, PhD, LSU Health Sciences Center, 1992. Genetic diseases in Louisiana populations; Acadian Usher syndrome; neurobiology of vision and hearing; genetic epidemiology of diseases; molecular anthropology of Louisiana populations
Augusto C. Ochoa, Associate Professor, MD, Universidad de Antioquia, 1981. Alterations of signal transduction in T cells of cancer patients and the development of immunotherapy in cancer.
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Madhwa H. G. Raj, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; PhD, Indian Institute of Science (India), 1969. Follicular and corpus luteum function, testicular Sertoli cell function, biochemistry of membrane receptors to gonadotropins, and contraceptive development.
Bo Xu, Assistant Professor of Genetics, PhD, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China, 1998. Mechanisms that control cellular responses to DNA damaging agents, cancer initiation, progression and what determines the sensitivity of tumors to therapeutic interventions.
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APPENDIX IV
Grant / Fellowship Routing Procedures
The Biochemistry Business Office is available to help graduate students and post-doctoral fellows with grant and fellowship applications.
The first rule of grant/fellowship application is simple:
PLAN AHEAD!
All grant and fellowship applications MUST be in the Biochemistry Business Office at least 10 working days before the agency deadline to ensure that the grant will be sent to the agency on time. Note: All fellowship and grant applications must be routed through the biochemistry business office whether the individual or the institution receives the award payment.
Do not type anything on the original application form until you have reviewed the application with the Business Office Staff and make several photocopies of the forms for rough drafts. Consult with one of the business staff before completing the institutional address, any administrative names, or the budget section. The office may need a copy of the guidelines from the funding agency to route with your application; check with the staff about this with each application.
The following summary was taken from the LSU Health Sciences Center Manual for Sponsored Projects, which outlines the routing process and the required materials at each phase.
A. Checklist (Route Sheet)--All proposals for extramural support, regardless of source, must be accompanied by an original "LSUHSC Proposal Checklist". This form assures that the appropriate officials review and approve each proposal in accordance with LSUHSC and granting agency regulations. These forms are available in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Business Office.
B. Review and Approval--Each proposal must be reviewed and approved by each of the following persons:
1. The Department Head (Dr. Haas) reviews the application and signs accordingly.
2. Radiation Safety Officer signs for isotope approval and biohazards (recombinant DNA, carcinogens, etc.). This step in the routing requires a copy of the "Materials and Methods" section of your proposal.
3. If you are using animals or human subjects in your research, you will need to apply for approval. This includes Institutional Review Board Training. You should see the Biochemistry Business Office well in advance for the complete training and approval procedures.
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4. Once the proposal is complete, the business office will forward the proposal to the Office of Research at 433 Bolivar Street or 1100 Florida Avenue for administrative approval.
5. The final step in the routing is the review of the budget by the
Office of Sponsored Projectsin the Resource Center (433 Bolivar Street). After their approval, Dr. Joseph Moerschbaecher, Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs, usually signs as the official university representative.
C. After all approvals and institutional signatures are obtained, the business offic will return the proposal to you.
D. It is your responsibility to be sure all corrections are made on your final copy and to make the required number of copies of the entire completed and approved application. One complete copy must be given to the Biochemistry Business Office for the Departmental files. Check your application guidelines for the number of copies to be submitted to the granting agency. Be sure to keep copies for your own use and reference.
E. You are responsible for mailing the completed application, the required number of copies, and any necessary supporting documents. If the cost of the postage is to be covered by a faculty member's grant or by the Department, the Biochemistry Business Office Staff will be glad to explain the proper procedure to you.
The previous information can best be summarized with a simple statement:
When in doubt, call the business office!
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APPENDIX V
Accident With Injury Procedures
A. All Cases of Injury—Students and all LSUHSC personnel should contact:
Environmental Health and Safety
Office Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Monday thru Friday
Located in the Residence Hall, 2nd Floor
1900 Perdido New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
Phone (504) 568-6585 Fax (504) 568-5185
Website: http://www.is.lsuhsc.edu/safety/default.htm
An up to date manual containing LSUHSC safety information and procedures is available on the web at http://www.is.lsuhsc.edu/safety/EHSSafetyManual.doc
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A P P E N D I X VI
Glossary of Terms
Examining Committee - committee of at least five faculty members (four from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and at least one from outside the Department but knowledgeable in the student's research area) responsible for administering the qualifying examination.
Final Examination - comprehensive examination taken as soon as one academic year or as late as three academic years after successful completion of the Preliminary Examination; includes the oral dissertation defense
Graduate School - term used to designate the division of the LSU Health Sciences Center School of Graduate Studies; usually refers to the Office of the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies
Graduate Student Advisor - Currently Dr. Iris Lindberg, The advisor is a member of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, which advises first year students on their plan of study
Laboratory Rotation - period of time ranging from six to ten weeks in which the student participates in research in a laboratory with the purpose of learning experimental methodologies with experts in the field and determining a Major Professor; each student is required to make at least three such rotations before choosing a Major Professor
LSU Health Sciences Center Catalog/Bulletin - publication distributed by the LSU Health Sciences Center, which outlines the available courses offered by each department and states the minimum qualifications for a degree granted by the Health Sciences Center
Major Professor - faculty member of the Department who has reached a mutual agreement with the student to direct that student's research and offer advise on course scheduling until the completion of studies or until the student or the faculty member decide to terminate the association
Medical Center - term used to designate the LSU Health Sciences Center, a division of the Louisiana State University System; includes the Schools of Allied Health, Dentistry, Graduate Studies, Medicine, and Nursing
Orientation - program allowing each new graduate student to meet with each faculty member of the Department to discuss the research being done in that faculty's laboratory; useful in determining laboratories through which the student is interested in rotating
Preliminary Examination - comprehensive examination taken in accordance
with the rules and regulations stipulated in this manual,
which consists of oral and written components;
successful completion of this examination is required prior to registration
for Dissertation Research (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 400); a
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research proposal focusing on an area of experimentation unrelated to the proposed dissertation problem is defended
Program of Study - document prepared by the faculty of the Department describing courses required and suggested for completion of degree requirements
Qualifying Examination - comprehensive examination taken in accordance
with the rules and regulations stipulated in this manual,
which consists of oral and written components; a
research proposal focusing on the student's proposed dissertation
problem is defended; used to evaluate the student for continuation in the
graduate program of the Department.
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Mentoring: A Guide for Students
How to Obtain the Mentoring You Need
From The University of Washington’s Graduate School:
https://www.grad.washington.edu/mentoring/students/
A mentor is more than an adviser. A mentor provides you with wisdom, technical knowledge, assistance, support, empathy and respect throughout, and often beyond, your graduate career. Mentoring helps students understand how their ambitions fit into graduate education, department life and career choices.
An effective mentoring relationship develops over time. The student benefits from the mentor’s support, skills, wisdom and coaching. Later, both people deepen their working relationship, perhaps collaborating on projects in which the student develops into a junior colleague.
After a while, the mentee may need some separation from the mentor to test his or her own ideas. This distancing is a sign that the mentoring relationship is maturing and providing the mentee with the skills needed to function independently. Finally, both mentee and mentor may redefine their relationship as one of equals, characterized over time by informal contact and mutual assistance, thus becoming true professional colleagues.
Benefits of mentoring
As an undergraduate, your objective was to obtain knowledge; in graduate school your objective is to contribute knowledge to a field of study and begin to function as a member of a profession. Even though you may be passionate about a particular subject, your ultimate goal for pursuing an advanced degree may still be evolving. This is an opportunity for your mentors to assist you with that evolution.
Studies indicate that graduate students who receive effective mentoring demonstrate greater
* productivity in research activity, conference presentations, pre-doctoral publications, instructional development and grant writing
* academic success in persisting in graduate school, achieving shorter time to degree and performing better in academic coursework
* professional success with greater chances of securing a tenure-track position if seeking employment in academe, or greater career advancement potential if seeking leadership positions in administration or sectors outside the University.
Mentoring enables graduate students to
* acquire a body of knowledge and skills
* learn techniques for collaborating and networking
* gain perspective on how a discipline operates academically, socially, and politically
* develop a sense of scholarly citizenship by grasping their role in a larger educational enterprise
* deal more confidently with the challenges of intellectual work.
Mentoring enables faculty members to
* engage the curiosities and energies of fresh minds
* keep abreast of new research questions, knowledge, paradigms, and techniques
* cultivate collaborators for current or future projects
* identify and train graduate assistants whose work is critical to the completion of a research project or successful course offering
* prepare the next generation of intellectual leaders in the disciplines and in society
* enjoy the personal and professional satisfaction inherent in mentoring relationships.
Strategies: Building your mentoring team
Rather than trying to find a single mentor, you may choose to build a mentoring team. While mentors often are faculty members, they can be your peers; advanced graduate students; departmental staff; retired faculty; faculty from other departments, colleges, or universities; and professionals outside the University. The team approach you take will likely be an informal one, and the mentors you select may or may not see themselves as part of a formal team. If you have drawn individuals from varied fields or professional sectors, your mentors might not know each other, at least not initially. It is up to you to decide if there are advantages to introducing your mentors by proposing collaborative work.
Your mentor’s varied roles
Mentors play many roles in your life -- guide, counselor, adviser, consultant, tutor, teacher and guru. A mentor’s combination of professional expertise, personal style and approach to facilitating learning influences the kind of mentoring you will receive.
Effective mentoring is multidimensional as mentors play three core roles to assist your educational, professional and personal growth.
Disciplinary guide
Sometimes a faculty member will be a thesis/dissertation adviser and a mentor; in other cases, you benefit by having different people carry out each role. Either way, the role of a disciplinary guide is to help you become a contributing member of your discipline.
This guidance helps you to understand how your discipline has evolved as a knowledge enterprise; recognize novel questions; identify innovative ways of engaging undergraduate students through your teaching and collaborative research projects; and see your discipline, its questions and methodologies in relation other fields. Another role of the disciplinary guide is to help you grasp the impact your discipline has on the world and to assist you in pursuing the impact you hope to have.
Skills development consultant
While graduate study is about learning how to generate knowledge, its pressures for specialization can make you lose sight of the array of skills you need to succeed. Your mentor can help you develop intellectual and professional skills including, and going beyond, those related to research.
Oral and written communication skills. These include clearly expressing the results of your work; translating field-specific knowledge for teaching and interacting with the public; and persuading others, such as funders, policy makers, organizations and conference audiences, of the value of your work.
Team-oriented skills. Some of the most innovative learning occurs in teams that problem solve collaboratively. Increasingly, complex problems require interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary solutions. Your mentor can help you develop collaborative, problem-solving skills by organizing group exercises and projects.
Leadership skills. As a graduate student, you can become an intellectual leader in many settings. Mentors invite you to assume leadership roles throughout graduate study—for example, in seminars, student government, disciplinary societies and community outreach, as well as on departmental or university committees. These activities will help you build people skills which are indispensable for your career.
Career consultant
In recent years, the mentor’s role as career consultant has acquired greater importance, especially for doctoral students. In some disciplines, the number of doctorates produced annually is far greater than the number of available tenure-track positions. As a result, many doctoral graduates are choosing positions in a variety of educational settings and sectors of the economy.
An effective mentor helps you link aspects of your graduate work with other potential mentors beyond your department—alumni or other professionals in colleges, universities, schools, community groups, the private sector, non-profit organizations, government and industrial laboratories. Mentors outside your department can help you explore career options, so that you learn how your graduate education translates into various professional opportunities.
Develop a vision of the mentoring you need
To envision the kinds of mentors you should seek, reflect on others who served as mentors earlier in your life and answer these questions
* What kind of mentoring have I received in the past? Was it work-related? School-related?
* Would I describe my past mentoring relationships as collegial ones (as equals or near equals) or apprenticeship ones? What does this difference mean to me now? Which do I prefer at this stage of my professional development?
* What did I find most useful about the mentoring I received? What did I find least useful?
* What kind of mentoring did I not receive earlier that would be particularly helpful to me now?
Strategies: What a good mentor does
Engages students in conversation
* Welcomes students to talk often, and invites them to discussions during office hours, in the lab, department lounges or hallways
* Is in touch with students at least once a quarter
* Invites students to coffee or outings away from the office for informal discussions
Demystifies graduate school for students
* Helps students interpret program guidelines and the Graduate School’s policies and procedures
* Adjusts academic discussions to help students know what questions to ask or what certain terminology means
* Clarifies unwritten or vague aspects of program expectations for coursework, exams, research and teaching
* Helps students understand the finer points of forming a committee and how to approach a thesis or dissertation
* Helps students understand the criteria used to judge the quality of their work at different stages of graduate study
* Alerts students ahead of time to possible pitfalls, especially those that may affect their funding status.
“It has been extremely helpful to me to have a mentor who recognized that academic procedures and protocol— everything from how to select classes to how to assemble a panel for a conference— are not familiar territory for a lot of people.”
“My mentor has been willing to answer the most basic questions without making me feel foolish for asking them.”
Provides constructive and supportive feedback
* Provides students with frank, helpful and timely feedback on their work, and knows that delays in responding create insecurities that can hinder student progress
* Is equally specific when giving praise as when giving criticism. The mentor’s high standards help mentees improve
* Does not assume a lack of commitment if a student falls behind in work and tries to assess, with the student, what is going on and offers help
* Knows the benefits of early intervention and addresses quickly any question about a student’s ability to complete his or her degree.
“I wrote several drafts before he felt I had begun to make a cogent argument, and as painful as that was, I would not have written the dissertation that I did without receiving strong, if just, criticism, but in a compassionate way.”
“Honest advice, given as gently as possible, is something all of us graduate students need.”
Provides encouragement
* Encourages students to come forward with their ideas at all stages of development
* Motivates students to try new techniques and to expand their skills
* Reminds students that mistakes lead to better learning
* Shares less-than-successful professional experiences and the lessons learned from them
* Knows that many students experience anxiety about their place in graduate school and helps them understand that seasoned professionals also experience this kind of anxiety
* Teaches students how to break down potentially overwhelming projects into manageable tasks.
“Mentorship is far more than a one-time conversation about your career plans or a visit to a professor’s home. It is the mentor’s continuous engagement in a student’s professional growth and the ongoing support and encouragement of a student’s academic endeavors.”
“My professors encouraged me both to publish my work and to participate in conferences. Without their encouragement, I might not have made the effort to accomplish these things.”
Fosters networks and multiple mentors
* Helps students locate assistance from multiple sources and sees faculty, graduate students, alumni, department staff, retired faculty and faculty from other universities as resources
* Introduces students to faculty and other graduate students in the department and at conferences
* Helps students connect their work with experts in the community who can provide career perspectives
* Builds a community of scholars by coordinating discussion groups or social events among students.
“My co-chair referred me to a faculty member doing related research at UNC at a time when my research was floundering and I really needed additional support. I could not have completed my dissertation were it not for this recommendation.”
“My advisers really made a team of their graduate students, having regular meetings and informal parties and get-togethers, working on projects together, and forming interest groups. That comradeship was essential to my academic growth and my sense of having a community.”
Looks out for students’ interests
* Conveys that he or she wants students to succeed
* Creates opportunities for students to demonstrate their competencies by encouraging them to present at meetings, conferences and in university forums
Thinks about students’ mentoring needs
* Nominates students for high-visibility fellowships, projects, teaching and internship opportunities
* Promotes students’ research and teaching projects inside and outside the department
* Is an advocate for all graduate students
“My mentor allowed my tasks to grow along with me, offering appropriate opportunities and challenges at each stage of my education.”
“I knew that I was not just an ordinary student when she invited me to co-teach with her. We worked together as colleagues, not as teacher and student.”
Treats students with respect
* Minimizes interruptions and distractions during meetings with students
* Tells students what he or she learns from them
* Acknowledges the prior skills and personal and professional experiences students bring to graduate school
“She treated me and her other students with respect— respect for our opinions, our independence, and our visions of what we wanted to get from graduate school.”
“It sounds silly but the best thing my mentor did for me was to actually sit down and listen to what I had to say. When graduate students are allowed to feel that what they have to say is actually worthwhile, it makes interactions more rewarding.”
Provides a personal touch
* Is approachable and demonstrates caring, even when students need to discuss nonacademic issues
* Does not assume that students experience challenges in the same way and assists them in finding creative solutions
* Keeps abreast of the mentoring and professional development resources at the Graduate School and elsewhere.
“Having someone supportive when things go wrong is the difference, in my mind, between an adequate mentor and a great one.”
“A few of my professors were always willing and eager to talk with me about my career interests, professional pursuits, and issues such as juggling career and family. This may not sound like much, but it truly makes a difference.”
Strategies: Understanding common concerns
Need for role models
All graduate students benefit from role models they can admire. Quite often, people identify role models based on shared outlook and connections to similar experiences. Although the composition of faculty at UW is becoming more diverse, students from underrepresented groups – whether underrepresented in higher education in general or within certain areas of study -- can face greater challenges finding faculty role models who have had experiences similar to their own. Some students convey that they hope to find “someone who looks like me,” “someone who immediately understands my experiences and perspectives” and “someone whose very presence lets me know I, too, can make it.”
While shared background and experiences are important, they do not guarantee a good mentoring relationship. Shared interests and interpersonal compatibility are the keys. All students also benefit from reaching out to potential mentors who are different from them in race, gender or other characteristics.
* Expand your knowledge of people within your department, across the UW or at other universities who may help you obtain the experiences and resources you need.
* Ask other students to identify faculty they regard as role models and why.
* Discuss with students and faculty how your department’s climate welcomes all contributions.
* Know that you can receive good guidance from mentors who are of a different gender, race or culture from you. Focus on what you need in order to learn and make progress.
Fear of being categorized as a “single-issue” scholar
Some students are concerned if they select a thesis/ dissertation topic related to their own gender, race, sexual orientation or culture that faculty will mistakenly assume they are interested in pursuing only these topics. If you are passionate about these questions in your research and teaching, do not feel apologetic. To bolster the scholarly nature of your agenda
* Articulate clearly and compellingly to potential mentors the value of your research interests
* Make connections to others’ work, as well as to other major topics and questions in the discipline
* Discuss with your peers and faculty members the ways that race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity and other characteristics expand questions asked in your discipline and the approaches used for answering them
* Seek assistance from faculty and advanced graduate students on how to frame the issues that drive your intellectual curiosity
* Practice job talks and interview responses that demonstrate the depth and breadth of your research interests
* Understand that some people who are uninformed about your topic may perceive it as narrow or limited, so practice effective ways to address questions from skeptics.
Feelings of isolation
At times, you might find that graduate study can be isolating. Isolation, whether from other students or from one’s home community, is something all graduate students face. If it goes unchecked, isolation can lead students to loneliness and self-doubt. In more severe cases, it can
lead to depression or dropping out. Depending on the discipline, students from underrepresented groups might feel more isolated than other students, especially if the composition of students, faculty and content in the department is homogenous. To prevent isolation
* Ask advanced graduate students and faculty to introduce you to peers and potential mentors with complementary interests
* Attend as many departmental functions as you can
* Offer to organize functions or form groups (e.g., interest, study, or writing groups) to contribute to department life
* Invite mentors to join these activities
* Be aware of students who are not taking active roles in academic or social activities and find ways to include them
* Get involved with organizations, such as cultural groups, reading groups and professional associations, to increase your sense of community.
Burden of being a spokesperson
When certain issues arise in classroom or discussions, especially those relating to race, class or gender, the pressures of being a spokesperson arise. Consider the pressures put on a woman in an engineering seminar if asked, “How would a woman approach this design problem?” or on the man in a feminist theory class if asked to provide “the male perspective.” You can help to alleviate this burden.
* Avoid asking your peers and professors to speak as spokespersons for a group to which you think they belong. Simply ask for their perspective.
* Avoid assuming that the “white male” experience is the norm. Seek to understand how race, gender and other characteristics influence perspectives.
* Emphasize that you speak from your own perspective. If you voluntarily take on a spokesperson role, explain that others present may not feel the same way.
* When other students voluntarily take on spokesperson roles, acknowledge what you have learned from their contributions to the discussion.
Balancing work and lifestyle
Students from all disciplines observe that professors devote large parts of their lives to their work. In turn, students can become overwhelmed if they feel that faculty expect them to spend every minute on their work. This causes concern for those seeking to balance success in their graduate career with other interests and responsibilities. To keep the pressures of graduate school in check
* Ask faculty whom you admire how they balance their professional and personal lives
* Request their advice on how you can balance your obligations
* Ask your peers how they balance family or personal problems and what they do when they encounter difficulties
* Attend UW workshops and panels on work/life balance
* Demonstrate through your behavior and work that you are focused and productive when in your office, classroom or lab.
Strategies: What influences your mentoring needs
The Graduate School believes that a diverse graduate student population enriches the University, and we are committed to enhancing the mentoring of students from underrepresented populations. These improvements will make the University a richer and more democratic community and benefit the entire graduate student body.
No two students experience advanced study in the same way. Students with similar backgrounds and characteristics can experience different challenges. Some graduate students of different backgrounds share similar concerns, such as presenting or publishing papers and job searching. Your gender, gender identification, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disabilities, age, prior work experience, career aspirations, family responsibilities and socioeconomic background influence the mentoring you need.
Assertiveness
The unspoken code in graduate education is that, aside from being intelligent, students who are assertive in classroom discussions or conference presentations attain success. However, students from marginalized groups often demonstrate a different approach to academic interactions. Many women, minorities and international students express concern about difficulties they experience making their contributions heard. For example, in classroom discussions, some women have noted that to contribute an idea, often they have to interrupt another student. They tend to see interjecting themselves in this manner as rude and disrespectful; yet they fear that professors and peers will wrongly attribute their lack of participation to having no ideas at all. Many women report that when they assert their ideas strongly, they feel subjected to criticism in a way that their male counterparts are not—even though the assertive behavior is the same.
Competitiveness
Research has shown that an overly competitive and critical atmosphere in graduate programs can alienate minority and women students. Women have said that the system does not reward praising the contributions of other scholars. More opportunities for collaborative work would help balance the competitive culture of graduate school.
Importance of positive feedback
Many students want frequent constructive feedback on their work, and the lack of constructive feedback can lead students to doubt their capabilities. Some women tend to attribute negative experiences they have in graduate school to personal deficiencies, while some men tend to attribute them to insufficient guidance or problems within the department. Many men are more content than women with mentors who offer solid instrumental – yet seemingly impersonal -advice. Women and members of other underrepresented groups may interpret a professor’s distance as an indication that he or she has a negative opinion of them.
Recommendations
* Discuss with your mentor or professor what makes your participation in seminars or projects difficult. Suggest ways that he or she can help you participate more, such as by directing questions to you.
* If a professor or peer interrupts you, point out that you would like to complete your thought or contribution.
* Avoid addressing your peers or professors as spokespersons for their gender. Invite your peers to offer their perspectives and ask how gender may or may not influence them.
* Try to influence the tenor of group discussions that become excessively critical by asking, “What contributions does this particular article/person/report make?”
* Participate in discussions and projects through small group work, e-mail discussions or discussion boards, journal comments, informal discussions and office hours.
* Include all who want to participate in peer or discussion groups.
* Ask your mentors and/or professors to provide clear feedback on your work.
* Give your peers specific feedback on their projects.
* Consult departmental resources and Graduate School representatives if you are being treated in ways that negatively impact your graduate work.
Resources
* UW Center for Instructional Development and Research offers consulting and workshops on
how to make learning environments and mentoring more
inclusive. | http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/ | 206.543.6588
* Center for Workforce Development provides graduate student mentoring and resources geared
towards women pursuing careers in the sciences and
engineering. | http://www.engr.washington.edu/cwd/ | 206.543.4810
* Center for Curriculum Transformation assists individual faculty and academic departments with
curriculum change related to gender and cultural
pluralism. | http://depts.washington.edu/ctcenter/ | 206.685.8276
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Unlike other underrepresented students, many gay, bisexual, lesbian, transgender and queer (GBLTQ) students are “invisible” because sexual orientation and gender identity are not always determined through physical expression, or because some students choose not to be out. Some students talk about their sexual orientation or gender identity openly. Your mentors have the responsibility to maximize your learning. Whether you are a GBLTQ student or not, you can help your academic community eliminate, or be more aware, of the following:
Homophobia
Despite a fairly accepting climate such as ours, GBLTQ students can still encounter homophobia around campus. Behaviors can range from the blatantly offensive, such as verbal or physical threats or attacks, to the less obvious, such as the casual remark “that is so gay” in classroom or hallway conversations.
Heterosexism
Many graduate students and professors discuss topics with the unconscious assumption that everyone is heterosexual. Some straight faculty and students who have a heightened awareness
of gender issues might still talk about the world from a heterosexual perspective. GBLTQ students experience such scholarly discussions as biased, and the absence of GBLTQ perspectives can make them feel isolated from intellectual engagement.
Genderism
Genderism is the assumption that male and female assignments of gender are fixed at birth. This is not the case for every person. Gender biases in classrooms and departments (e.g., saying “it” to refer to individuals of ambiguous gender; gendered bathrooms) are oppressive to individuals who feel the need to alter their gender identity.
Disclosing
Being out as a GBLTQ student is not a one-time event, but a decision he or she makes in each new situation. Each new interaction comes with the burden of having to assess the personal, social and political ramifications of disclosure. Heterosexual students do not bear this weight when interacting with peers and professors.
Recommendations
* Assume that GBLTQ students or faculty are present in every classroom, lab, seminar or campus meeting and that they might not feel safe being out.
* Assess your department’s environment and your level of comfort with being out if you are a GBLTQ student.
* Ask peers and mentors whom you know are out to suggest how department members can
create an environment that is conducive to everyone’s learning and professional needs.
* Establish standards for inclusive language and communication collaboratively with your peers and professors.
* Avoid homophobic, gendered, sexist or other discriminatory comments. For example, when talking about families, avoid talking as if every family were composed of a husband, wife and children. Use words like “spouse and partner” instead of just “spouse” or “husband” or “wife.” These terms go a long way in letting GBLTQ students and students who are single know they are represented in discussions.
* Treat sexual orientation as a multidimensional phenomenon in your relationships with peers and mentors. Understand that homosexuality is only one of several expressions of sexual orientation and that gender identity may not be fixed for everyone.
* Encourage your department to put GBLTQ concerns on the agenda for graduate student orientations and training programs for faculty and staff.
Resources
* ASUW Gay, Bisexual, Lesbian, Transgender Commission offers programs regarding issues of sexual orientation. | 206.685.GBLC (4252) | http://gbltc.asuw.org/
* Affirming Diversity: Moving from Tolerance to Acceptance and Beyond, a presidential task force report on GBLT issues, suggests ways to improve campus climate, student resources and policies. | http://www.washington.edu/reports/gblt/gblt.pdf
* Q Center is a resource for classroom speakers, research, and information on Queer issues. | 206.897.1430 | http://depts.washington.edu/qcenter/
* QGrad is a support network for graduate sexual minorities. | qgrad@uw.edu.
Race and ethnicity
Race and ethnicity shape your academic, social and professional experiences on campus. Although the racial and ethnic diversity of the UW graduate student population has been increasing over the last 20 years, the campus community as a whole remains relatively homogenous. One reason is that efforts to enhance the pipeline of students at primary and secondary levels preparing for higher education have been well-meaning, but sporadic and limited.
Another reason is that disciplinary programs are still learning how to expand their student recruitment and outreach efforts. As a result, ethnic minority graduate students at the UW can feel marginalized, not only in the student population but in how research problems and curricula reflect -- or fail to reflect -- their scholarly influence and experiences. We need more role models of faculty and students who engage in multicultural scholarship, research and teaching to strengthen diversity awareness and support structures in graduate training.
Role models
When students enter the complex structure of a research university, they can experience feelings of isolation or become overwhelmed. One of the first things students do is seek out people with whom they can identify in order to temper those feelings. This search can be challenging for students of color. The lack of minority faculty members makes it difficult for graduate students to find an adviser or mentor in their fields. Ethnic minorities often seek role models – regardless of race -- who have “paved the way,” who work through the dissonances between their home communities and the academic community, and who can help students do the same. When one of the few faculty of color leaves the UW, minority students feel the impact.
Stereotyping
A stereotype that students of color worry about is whether other students and faculty will have low expectations of them. White faculty and peers may unwittingly avoid reaching out to, or worse, end up discouraging students of color in seminar or lab interactions. This stereotype can make minority students feel awkward when seeking advice and guidance. Another harmful stereotype is that “all ethnic minorities are alike” or have the same goals for graduate school and experience the same challenges. These assumptions compromise collegial interaction and undermine students’ individual needs and talents.
Lack of an explicit support system
At least two kinds of support are necessary for students, and in particular students of color, to succeed. The first is sufficient financial support and the second is environmental support, including mentoring and networking. Departments should not assume that students automatically “know” how to navigate the system or pursue support. Underrepresented students in higher education may have fewer direct channels to such sources of assistance. If workshops on these issues are not offered regularly in departments, or not publicized well, then opportunities remain hidden and students miss out.
Exclusion from support networks
Underrepresented students on fellowships may be inadvertently overlooked for teaching and research assistantships, and, as a result, experience fewer opportunities for collegial, career-building interactions with faculty and peers. They also miss out on how teaching and research assignments can enhance graduate training and strengthen their curriculum vitae.
Recommendations
* Attend diversity forums on campus each year, and bring ideas for community building back to your department.
* Understand that graduate students from different racial and ethnic groups confront different issues and challenges in their programs. At the same time, avoid assuming that all students from a given racial or ethnic group have the same perspectives or needs.
* Recognize your peers’ unique strengths.
* Learn about scholarly advances that have resulted from the inclusion of multicultural research, knowledge and perspectives in your discipline.
* Reach out to students of color in seminars, discussions and group assignments. Collaborate on research or teaching projects, and look for opportunities to present these projects in departmental forums or disciplinary meetings.
* Ask your department to offer workshops on financial support, mentoring, diversity, community-building and success strategies.
* Consult the Graduate School’s website for academic, professional and community resources.
* Talk with your mentors about ways they can help you achieve professional development experiences. If you are a student of color on a fellowship, tell faculty and peers that you are interested in guest lecturing or collaborating in lab groups. Ask to be considered for teaching or research assistantships as a substitute for a certain amount of fellowship time.
* Join student policy, curricular or cultural groups. Shape the needs of your community by being a student representative at faculty meetings, joining the Graduate and Professional Student Senate or leading writing, study or teaching groups.
* Become involved with national networks for underrepresented minorities and women students.
Resources
* The UW Center for Instructioinal Development and Research offers web and print resources on
inclusive teaching and assistance with
workshops. | 206.221.4116 | http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/
* Center for Multicultural Education focuses on research projects, activities, and services designed to improve practice related to equity issues, intergroup relations, and the achievement of students of color. | 206.543.3386 | http://education.washington.edu/cme/
* Center for Curriculum Transformation helps individual faculty and departments to address
cultural pluralism in the academic
curriculum. | 206.685.8276 | http://depts.washington.edu/ctcenter/
* Ethnic Cultural Center promotes diversity, cross-cultural exchange, lectures, and learning beyond the classroom for graduate and undergraduate students. It also provides meeting space and theatre events. | 206.543.4635 | http://depts.washington.edu/ecc/
* Graduate Opportunities & Minority Achievement Program (GO-MAP) provides graduate student outreach and recruitment programs, and supports diversity with numerous resources and opportunities. | 206.543.9016 | http://www.grad.washington.edu/gomap/
* Office of Minority Affairs provides outreach and academic support services to ensure a
welcoming climate in which all students can realize their full
potential. | 206.685.0518 | http://depts.washington.edu/omad/
Disabilities
Students can have physical disabilities, learning disabilities (such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder or dyslexia), chronic disabilities (such as lupus or multiple sclerosis) and psychological disabilities (such as depression or bipolar disorder). Their needs may vary depending on whether they have had a disability since birth or if it developed – or was diagnosed - later in life.
Students should work collaboratively with their professors and with Disability Resources for Students (DRS) http://www.washington.edu/students/drs/ to ensure that their needs are met. The DRS office is charged with establishing eligibility for disability-related services such as academic adjustments and auxiliary aids for qualified students with disabilities, and can assist students and faculty in determining effective ways to meet disability-related needs in courses or programs. If you or any of your peers has a disability, be aware of the following factors that can influence mentoring needs.
Reluctance to ask for help
Some students with disabilities fear appearing or becoming too dependent if they ask for help. Those whose disabilities are a recent onset, as well as those with invisible disabilities, may be unaccustomed to asking for help. Students also fear being seen as less capable or less competent because of their disabilities or their needs for accommodations.
Efforts to keep up
For many students with disabilities, meeting basic course requirements demands more time and energy than it does for other students. A student with multiple sclerosis may have a certain number of hours each day for school and studying before fatigue, vision problems and cognitive deficits flare. A student who is hard of hearing and uses a real-time captioner (like a court stenographer) may have to review several pages of notes from the captioner in order to create study notes. Some students cannot participate in professional activities such as submitting papers for conferences because they need to devote time and energy to meet the demands of their programs.
Problems that arise from last-minute changes
Changes in reading assignments can be difficult for students who are blind or visually impaired. At the beginning of the quarter, these students may need readings to be converted into an alternate format, such as Braille, audiotape or electronic text. Conversion often involves a computer screen reader, or enlargement, with specialized software. Readings added later in the quarter require students to have them converted in a short period of time, and they may not be able to meet reading deadlines. Room relocations may also cause hardships for visually impaired students and students with mobility limitations.
Recommendations
* If you are a student with a disability, inform your professors and contact DRS as soon as possible to determine how your needs can be accommodated to ensure equal access.
* Request a syllabus in advance from your professors. Ask them to prioritize readings or assignments if you anticipate difficulties completing them by the deadlines.
* Ask your professors to write an outline on the board for each class or seminar, if that would be helpful to you.
* Ask your professors how flexible they can be with deadlines. If you need additional time to complete tasks because of your disability or the accommodations you need, discuss this with your professors.
* Alert your professors to the additional steps or time you might need to deal with sudden changes in syllabi or assignments.
Resources http://www.grad.washington.edu/mentoring
* Disability Resources for Students (DRS) establishes a student’s eligibility for disability accommodations and works collaboratively with faculty and staff to coordinate and implement these accommodations. DRS is a resource for students, faculty, and staff regarding the provision of equal access for students with disabilities in all aspects of campus life. DRS provides knowledgeable guidance and consultation and is a resource for publications on disability-related subject matter. | 206.543.8924 (V/TTY) | http://www.washington.edu/students/drs/
* DO-IT Program (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internet-working and Technology) provides resources for disabled students in engineering and the sciences to help increase independence, productivity, and participation in education and employment. Though directed primarily to undergraduates, graduate students may find helpful information too, or they can volunteer to mentor younger students. | 206.685.DOIT (3648) (V/TTY) | http://www.washington.edu/doit/
Strategies: International students
Language and culture in the classroom
Despite their many achievements, some international students can feel their competence diminished early in their graduate programs. Linguistic proficiency and lack of awareness of how the U.S. academic system works may be initial hurdles to overcome. Most international students have different collaborative or classroom communication patterns. For instance, in the educational systems of East and Southeast Asia, the student’s role is a more understated one in interactions with professors, whose authority goes unquestioned. Thus, some international students are surprised to encounter U.S. students speaking up without being called upon, or challenging their professors’ remarks.
Behavior in graduate seminars can seem unnecessarily competitive to international students, who fear that if they do not exhibit these same behaviors, professors will judge them less capable or intelligent. Many international graduate students come from countries in which only a small percentage of high school graduates is admitted to university, so the different levels of preparation of first-year undergraduates in the United States can be a challenge for international teaching assistants.
The rules of the academic game
When international graduate students arrive on campus, they need to demystify three cultures: the U.S. culture, the culture of the research university and the academic culture in their departments.
They discover that policies in graduate departments can be quite different from those in their home institutions, or are opaque or difficult to interpret. For instance, some may find it initially hard to understand why they can accept teaching or research assistantships but are not permitted to work off-campus. On a subtler note, international students rely on different assumptions about how faculty members and graduate students should relate to each other. Many East Asian graduate students, for example, have reported sensing a kind of interpersonal “coldness” from some U.S. faculty who, while informal and jovial with students during seminars, might remain distant regarding students’ personal or family lives. In other countries, the faculty-graduate student relationship extends beyond academic discussions.
Social stresses
In moving far away from families and friends, international students can feel displaced. Those who are new to the United States, and who bring their partners and children with them, worry about how well their families will adjust to American life. After a while, some students may wonder how they will be accepted at home with different dress, talk and behavior. In essence, they worry about being foreigners in their own countries.
Recommendations
* Reach out to international students by asking about their research and outside interests.
* If you are an international graduate student, ask advanced international and U.S. graduate students for advice on navigating the UW.
* If you are an international student, ask your peers, professors and mentors for the best way to interact -- in person, e-mail, phone, office hours or group meetings.
* Refrain from stereotyping international students as having difficulties with English.
* Help your peers and faculty mentors learn that international students who speak English very well can still experience cultural dissonance or confusion about U.S. graduate education.
* Be aware that the rules governing graduate studies and funding in the United States are often different from those in other countries. Most students have a single country visa that prohibits them from traveling freely outside the United States. Also, they cannot work for pay, except for TA or RA positions. If you have questions about your program’s requirements, speak with your graduate program coordinator or department chair. If you have questions about international student travel or work, contact the International Services Office.
Resources
* International Student Services Office addresses a range of issues for international students and provides one-on-one assistance. | 206.221.7857 | http://iss.washington.edu/
* International Teaching Assistant Program, in the Center for Teaching and Learning, provides workshops and individual consultations to help prepare international students for roles as
graduate teaching
assistants. | 206.543.6588 | http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/consulting/ita.html
* Foundation for International Understanding through Students (FIUTS) links UW international
students, visitors, and scholars with the Puget Sound community and provides opportunities for
cross-cultural friendship and events. | 206.543.0735 | http://www.fiuts.washington.edu/
Strategies: Age and experience
Older students can be more focused and aware of their goals for graduate school than their younger colleagues. Their maturity is an asset because they are usually not intimidated by the prospect of engaging in discussions with you, and they are familiar with complex problems and independent thinking.
Fear of having “rusty” skills
Older students, especially if they have been in the work force for several years, might worry about how they compare to their younger counterparts. Younger students, or those who were recently undergraduates, may be more up-to-date in the discipline or have more experience with technology than those who have been away from the university environment.
Devaluation of life experiences
Many older students pursue graduate school after spending a considerable number of years running a business, leading developments in industry or the public sector or raising a family. One issue they face is learning that their hard-won, “real-life” knowledge is sometimes devalued during the graduate experience. This can be frustrating when older students’ array of experiences contradicts the research or theory they are studying.
Invisibility in the classroom
Older students commonly describe how bad they feel when a professor refers to an event or popular film from many years ago and then says to the entire class, “And of course none of you would remember that.” Although not intended to be harmful, this kind of remark makes older students feel overlooked.
Isolation from fellow students
Because of the age differences between them and their peers, older graduate students may feel socially isolated. Many older students prefer to socialize in environments different from those of younger students. Although friendships can and do develop with younger colleagues, older students are aware that some of them may be the same age as their children.
Awkwardness with faculty
Some older students are closer in age or older than their professors. Some may worry that their professors are more accustomed to interacting with younger students.
Prior work experience and career aspirations
Regardless of their reasons for pursuing advanced studies, students enter graduate school today with more experience and more diverse career aspirations than ever before. Today, many graduate students often have had one or more careers before beginning advanced study.
Recommendations
* Talk to your peers and mentors about how your professional and educational experience transfers to graduate study. Link real world examples to theory.
* Visit one-on-one with faculty members to help them understand who you are and what you are about.
* If you have been in the workforce for several years, jot down your five most polished skills and identify how they correlate to academic work.
* Lead discussion groups or projects that mix people of different ages and experiences. Avoid always joining or forming study teams that consist only of same-age students.
* Ask other graduate students for suggestions on readings or for technological assistance if you need it.
* Offer technological assistance to your graduate student peers.
* Initiate social activities on and off campus, such as dinner parties or community events.
* Start an interest group or a writing group.
Resources
* The Career Center supports students in exploring a variety of career options and employment services. | 206.543.0535 | http://careers.washington.edu/
* Center for Workforce Development provides graduate student mentoring programs geared
towards women pursuing careers in science and
engineering. | 206.543.4810 | http://www.engr.washington.edu/cwd/
* Women’s Center, Re-entry Program, offers free referrals, assistance and financial information to
women and men returning to university
education. | 206.685.1090 | http://depts.washington.edu/womenctr/
* UW Computer Training offers a variety of free and low-cost computer training opportunities to
all students, staff and
faculty. | 206.685.2763 | http://www.washington.edu/itconnect/index.html
* The Center for Social Science Computation and Research offers all students computer training
for academic and discipline-specific
purposes. | 206.543.8110 | http://julius.csscr.washington.edu/
Strategies: Balancing work and lifestyle
Family responsibilities
As the graduate student population increases in age, so do family responsibilities, such as raising children and being a caregiver for elderly relatives. If you have children or parents who depend on you for support, you may find that the structure of graduate education in a large research university still presumes that you can be on campus at any time, which can conflict with your other responsibilities.
Cultural beliefs influence the ways students deal with family responsibilities while in graduate school. For example, when mourning a family member, some students may be expected to spend considerable time consoling relatives at home.
Dual commitments
Students with family responsibilities are often highly organized and intensely focused during the time they carve out for their graduate work. Unfortunately, students may fear that their professors might misconstrue their attention to other responsibilities as a lack of commitment to scholarship. Emergencies occasionally prevent them from attending a class, which can exacerbate that misperception. Childcare demands do not lessen after a child enters school. Other demands arise, such as illness or taking children to school or sports.
Isolation
Students with family responsibilities might find it difficult to attend some social, academic and professional functions. As a result, they may feel isolated from their cohorts and departments, missing out on the “academic business.”
Time constraints
Students with family responsibilities often need to be home in the evenings. After-hours study group assignments or research projects can present difficulties, as can having to return campus for evening lectures or departmental meetings.
Recommendations
* Help your mentors and others understand that you might need to be away from class sometimes or are able to work in the department during certain hours.
* Ask professors to distribute assignment schedules in advance so students with family responsibilities can integrate them into their schedules.
* Alert your professors and peers if you use a cell phone to stay connected in case of a family emergency.
* Seek out graduate students and faculty who can share strategies and resources for balancing family and academic life.
* Ask your peers to be flexible with study group times, or invite them to meet at your home.
* Use e-mail, listservs, live chats or discussion boards to facilitate group discussions.
* Be open with others about your family responsibilities.
* Demonstrate your professional commitment and productivity by being highly focused and productive when you are in the classroom, office or lab.
Resources
* Center for Workforce Development provides graduate student mentorship and resources
geared towards women pursuing careers in the sciences and
engineering. | 206.543.4810 | http://www.engr.washington.edu/cwd/
* Center for Curriculum Transformation assists individual faculty and academic departments with
curriculum change related to gender and cultural
pluralism. | 206.685.8276 | http://depts.washington.edu/ctcenter/
* Childcare Assistance Program for Students offers a childcare subsidy program. To be eligible for funding, students need to demonstrate financial need and must use licensed childcare. Contact Childcare Assistance Program for
Students, | 206.543.1041 | http://www.washington.edu/students/osfa/currentug/child.care. html , or the Office of Student Financial
Aid | 206.543.6101 | http://www.washington.edu/students/osfa/
* Work/Life Office can help UW students find child care or elder
care. | 206.543.6963 | http://www.washington.edu/admin/hr/benefits/worklife/index.html
* Housing and Food Services http://www.hfs.washington.edu/ or the Family
Housing | http://www.hfs.washington.edu/studenthousing/familyhousing.aspx pages can be
of assistance. | 206.543.4059
Strategies: Disadvantaged socioeconomic background
Students come to graduate school from a variety of socioeconomic trajectories, determined by their parents’ educational and occupational circumstances or their own occupational histories. Many students delay higher education to save money, gain professional experience or support their families. Socioeconomic background is a largely “invisible” but important factor that influences students’ mentoring needs.
Economic concerns
Some students do not have family members they can turn to for monetary support throughout graduate school. What’s more, some students support their parents, siblings or other relatives while obtaining their degrees. These students often have jobs outside of their departments, even if they have graduate appointments or fellowships.
Access to professional networks
Graduate students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds can experience greater difficulties accessing or creating professional networks in academe. They might not have had as many opportunities to develop these relationships as their peers from more advantaged backgrounds, especially those peers who grew up in academic families. This disparity surfaces most pointedly when students struggle with the costs of traveling to research or professional conferences and the need to secure summer employment.
Summer professional opportunities
Students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds often must disrupt their academic training during the summer in order to work. Because of financial constraints, many need to seek better-paying jobs off-campus instead of taking no- or low-pay (but academically relevant) internships. Outside employment temporarily distances students from their studies, and fears of falling behind can set in. Professors who are unaware of their students’ financial situations can inadvertently misconstrue interest in outside employment as a lack of commitment to academic study.
Difference in background experiences
Some students can find it intimidating to hear about the spring break or summer travels of fellow students. Those in the arts, humanities and social sciences can feel especially vulnerable knowing that some of their peers have traveled to or lived in the foreign countries they are studying.
Disconnection from family and friends
Many graduate students probably have had to move away from their families. Once students become socialized into their disciplines, talking with family members or old friends about academic work can sometimes be difficult. This communication gap can cause students to feel isolated or disconnected because they feel less comfortable in their old worlds, but not yet settled into their new worlds.
Recommendations
* Learn from faculty and more experienced students about the ways academic networking works.
* Be alert to and creative about funding opportunities, especially for the summer. Before spring quarter begins, ask your mentors and professors about their resources and how they can help you strategize for continuous support during your degree program.
* Ask your professors to put books or course packets on reserve at the library or in the department to help reduce expenses.
* Encourage and support your peers’ aspirations, just as your mentors and peers support yours.
Resources
* Graduate Funding Information Service (GFIS), UW libraries, offers a user-friendly database, workshops, and individual consultations to help current and admitted graduate students, regardless of economic situation, identify external
funding. | 206.616.3084 | http://www.lib.washington.edu/gfis/
* Office of Student Financial Aid can help students secure short-term loans for emergency assistance. Applications are available through My UW’s Personal Services or in person at the Office of Student Financial Aid, 105 Schmitz
Hall | 206.543.6101 | http://www.washington.edu/students/osfa/
Strategies: Finding good mentors
Be proactive
The faculty-student ratio at the UW may be larger that of your undergraduate experience, especially if you studied in a smaller academic setting. At a large research university, you may need to seek out interactions with faculty members. You should approach professors openly and initiate discussions. If you are less comfortable with direct approaches, visit professors during their office hours.
Seek out multiple mentors
Identify and cultivate multiple potential mentors. They can be faculty members within or outside the University, departmental staff, current graduate students, alumni and other professionals in the community.
Develop realistic approaches to mentors
Invest time in assessing what you need from your mentors and request that assistance clearly and professionally. Requesting specific guidance is more effective than general requests for mentorship.
Be visible
Being visible in your department is important. Office and hallway conversations help you build relationships and glean vital information. If you have an office in the department, use it as much as possible. If you have other responsibilities such as a family or work, talk to your mentors about how you can remain engaged in regular happenings.
Be responsible
Recognize the value of taking responsibility for your education, which includes developing a vision for your future and taking care of everyday details. Be prompt for meetings with your mentors, and prepare agendas. Update your mentors once a quarter about your progress, and articulate how they can help you.
Show commitment to your professional development
Professors commonly point out the importance of students embracing their own work—an important aspect of professional leadership. Initiate or lead study, writing, discussion or interest groups among your peers. Asking a peer or a faculty member to co-author a paper, seeking a grant and applying your scholarship to civic concerns demonstrate your professional commitment.
Receive criticism in a professional manner
A core part of intellectual work is exchanging ideas and debating their merits. Accept criticism of your work in a professional manner. Accepting criticism does not mean agreeing with everything that someone says about your work, but rather reflects your willingness to consider and evaluate the merits of other views.
Let mentors know you appreciate their advice
Tell your mentors that you value their time and that you use their input productively. After reading books or making contacts your mentor suggests, talk about the results of what you learned. Don’t feel compelled to follow every bit of advice, but inform your mentors when their advice is helpful, even when it leads you in an unexpected direction.
Strategies: Getting started
Self-appraisal
The person who best knows your goals, needs and passions is you. Reflect on the following questions to help assess what you have to offer and what you need from your mentoring relationships.
Goals for graduate school and beyond
* What are the connections between my experiences and my decision to go to graduate school? What do I hope an advanced degree will help me do?
* What type of training do I want?
* What skills do I need to develop?
* What kinds of research or creative projects do I want to work on?
* What career do I want to pursue?
* What networks might I need to develop?
* What work or training experiences might I need?
* How do I want my learning to impact communities beyond the University?
Strengths and weaknesses
* What skills do I bring to graduate study (e.g., creative, analytical, statistical and organizational)?
* What skills do I need to develop further?
* What experiences might help me strengthen my skills?
Work style
* Do I like to work independently or collaboratively, or a combination of both?
* Do I like to manage meetings with an agenda, or do I prefer to let priorities emerge during meetings?
* How does my work style help or prevent me from learning?
* How does my work style compare to that of others who have served as mentors in my life?
Explore your prospects for forming a mentoring team
Take the initiative
At a large research university, approaching a potential mentor can be daunting at first. However, taking the initiative to talk with faculty is more helpful than waiting for them to approach you. Prospective mentors will appreciate your interest in their work and will be eager to talk to you.
Strive for diversity
Consider the composition of your informal mentoring team. You can benefit from individuals whose background, characteristics and perspectives are different from your own. Some of the most meaningful mentoring occurs when mentor and student explore different takes on problems and yet focus successfully on what matters most: mutual interests and learning from each other. Beyond assessing rapport, inviting individuals of a different ethnicity or gender to serve as your mentors will help you develop a more reflective understanding of your own work and possibilities.
Balance between senior and junior faculty
Look for a balance of senior and junior faculty members. Each can be of assistance, although possibly in different ways. Senior faculty may help you better with networking. Junior faculty may help you cope better with the stresses associated with being a graduate student.
Individuals outside the discipline/university
Seek potential mentors outside your department or the University whose intellectual or professional interests relate to yours. These individuals will provide you with a fresh perspective on your work and help you understand how it relates to questions or problems in other fields.
Initiate contact with potential mentors
You are now ready to discuss your aspirations with prospective mentors and familiarize yourself with their professional accomplishments. Make a positive impression, establish a good rapport and assess whether the person is a good fit for you.
Your first meetings should be exploratory. A mentoring relationship evolves and often arises out of a particular need. You can extend more explicit mentoring invitations down the road after some planning (see Worksheet 3, Planning for first meetings).
Mutual interests
Potential mentors want to know if you have intellectual interests similar to theirs. Share how your prior academic, professional or personal experiences relate to theirs. Ask about their recent work, and explore ways in which their work intersects with what you envision doing.
Motivation and direction
Mentors enjoy mentees who are motivated to grow professionally. State your goals, and ask how you can explore these goals together and about courses or key projects you should consider.
Ask potential mentors to suggest other people and experiences that will help you develop your skills and knowledge. Make those connections, and let your mentor know you have taken action.
Skills and strengths
Highlight the qualities you bring to the relationship, such as research or language skills, creativity, analytical techniques, computer skills, willingness to learn, persistence, passion, enthusiasm and commitment.
Strategies: Learn about what mentors can offer
Availability
* Assess how much time a prospective mentor can provide you by asking about his or her other commitments. Find out from other students how much time this person normally spends with graduate students. Will that amount of time be sufficient for you?
* Ask prospective mentors about their plans. Do they anticipate being in the graduate program for the duration of your degree? Will they take sabbaticals or otherwise work away from the department during this time? If so, how would you maintain sufficient contact?
Communication
* Are you comfortable interacting with this person?
* Are you able to communicate your thoughts and ideas effectively?
* Does this person listen attentively to your ideas and concerns, and ask good follow up questions?
* Does this person like to meet one-on-one?
* Will you be able to work closely with this person?
* Do you enjoy this person’s professional and personal style?
Workload and financial support
* What does the potential mentor consider a normal workload for graduate scholarship outside of your work as a teaching or research assistant? How many hours per week does he or she believe you should be spending on your research or creative projects?
* Does the potential mentor have or know of funds to support you? Will that financial support remain available until you complete your program?
* Do you see potential for developing a thesis or dissertation topic from the mentor’s research?
* Does the mentor have appropriate space and laboratory equipment for your needs? What is the size of the mentor’s research group, and is this size optimal for you? Will this person support your search for teaching assistantships?
* Will this mentor be able to help you obtain graduate assistantships or fellowships? Will he or she be able to help you achieve the professional development balance you want between teaching and research assistantships?
Publishing
* Does the potential mentor co-author articles with graduate students? If so, ask about his or her approach to determining first authorship.
* Is the prospective mentor willing to help you prepare your work for publication?
* What publishing contacts does he or she have?
Reputation with graduate students and staff
* Ask your peers whether the potential mentor has a history of giving proper attention to his or her mentees.
* Can this person provide you with teaching and research opportunities, access to financial resources and guidance for completing a thesis or dissertation?
* Does this person provide students access to professional networks, and assistance in exploring academic and non-academic career development?
* Have former students completed their programs in a timely fashion with this mentor’s guidance? If not, why?
* What is the prospective mentor’s approach to training graduate students for breadth, as well as depth, in anticipation of careers outside of academia?
Reputation within the field
* What opinions do others in your field have about the prospective mentor’s work?
* What kind of professional positions did others mentored by this person obtain? Do you see yourself pursuing those kinds of career paths?
* Read reviews of the potential mentor’s work in scholarly journals or convention proceedings, or in award nomination letters.
* Follow up with your prospective mentors via e-mail or phone to thank them for their time and let them know that what you learned was fruitful.
* If you agreed to pursue an idea or topic, let them know your plans and when you will get back in touch.
Take some time to reflect. If you later decide to ask this person to be a mentor, you both will have a better understanding of what each will gain from the relationship. If a mentoring relationship begins to take shape, this understanding will help you and your mentor create a professional development plan that is tailored to your needs (see Worksheet 4, Professional development plan).
Clarify expectations
When students and mentors have clear expectations of one another, relationships are more likely to be productive, enjoyable and mutually beneficial. To prevent misunderstandings, discuss the expectations you and your mentor have of each other, including how they may change over time. Not all mentors and mentees establish formal contracts. Some find formal agreements useful, while others prefer to work under informal agreements (see Worksheet 5, Sample mentor and mentee agreement).
Be realistic about what any one mentor can do for you, and avoid requesting too much assistance or assistance that is too broad. That is why having multiple mentors is helpful. Remember that mentors can respond better to requests for specific types of assistance than to requests for general mentoring. Analyze what you need from a given mentor and explicitly ask for those things. Part of your task is to develop and demonstrate your abilities as a colleague and a professional. Discuss with your mentor ways that you can take on more responsibility.
Strategies: The mentoring experience
Goals and work plans
Develop a work plan that includes short- and long-term goals within reasonable timelines. Talk with your mentor and with your graduate program coordinator to make sure these plans meet departmental requirements. At least once a quarter, update your mentor on your progress and obstacles you have encountered. Explore additional training and experience you need in order to achieve your goals. If you need to modify your timeline, work with your mentor to agree on a new work plan.
Meetings
Discuss how often you and your mentor will meet and what other modes of communication can keep your conversations going (e.g., occasional e-mails). Request the amount of meeting time you need to make progress. If this person will have a heavy travel schedule while you are pursuing your degree, ask the mentor to suggest others you can consult during that time. Find out if the mentor is comfortable being contacted at home, and let him or her know if you can be called at home.
Feedback
Clarify how often the mentor will give you feedback, including how long he or she typically needs to return papers or drafts of articles. Inquire about his or her current workload so you can plan your deadlines appropriately, and offer sufficient lead time when handing in your work. Ask the mentor if he or she tends to provide lots of feedback or sparse feedback.
Drafts
Discuss your mentor’s expectations for drafts of your work before you submit them. Some professors do not want to review rough drafts. In that case, share drafts with a peer or writing group, and revise them before submitting them.
Publishing and presenting
Find prospective mentor’s philosophy on presenting or co-authoring papers. Be explicit about the kinds of publishing or presentation opportunities you seek.
Intellectual property
If you are working closely with a mentor on a research project, clarify who owns the data that is being collected and whether others will be able to have access to it. Consideration for the ownership and sharing of research is important in all disciplines. Discuss the ownership of any copyright and patent agreements that might occur as a result of a project. For further information, contact the UW Office of Research, www.washington.edu/research, or the UW Center for Commercialization, http://depts.washington.edu/uwc4c/
Research and human subjects
The UW Human Subjects Division must review all research involving human subjects that is performed or supervised by UW faculty, staff or students. Students must seek Human Subjects review and approval before starting research activities. Research with human subjects cannot be retroactively reviewed and approved. Performing a human subjects study without prior review and approval is considered “serious” non-compliance according to federal regulations and must be brought to a full Human Subjects Committee for inquiry and action. More information: www.washington.edu/research/hsd/index.php.
Confidentiality
Be explicit about the confidentiality you want from your mentors, and offer strict confidentiality to your mentors. An exception to confidentiality is the obligation of all UW employees, including graduate assistants, to report instances of sexual harassment to organizational superiors.
Recommendation letters
Before you approach the job search phase of your graduate experience, identify people who could write letters of recommendation on your behalf. Ask how much advance notice your mentors like for a recommendation letter. Be sure to provide key details about the fellowship, grant, program or job that the letter of recommendation supports. Attach an updated copy of your curriculum vitae. Ask one or more mentors to visit the classes you teach or labs you run so that they can reflect on your professional abilities.
What to do if problems arise
Situations may arise that impact the timely completion of your work, such as the birth of a child or an illness. If this happens, discuss the issue with your mentors. As soon as possible, give them a new timeline for completing your degree.
Occasionally mentors face situations that can affect progress on your work. If significant delays happen often, talk with one or more of the following individuals.
The mentor or adviser
Remind the person of your needs. If you are not getting satisfactory results, schedule a face-to-face meeting with the person as soon as possible to review what is happening and your goals.
Other mentors or supervisory committee members
If other mentors on your team do not know the individual with whom you are experiencing difficulties, they will offer a fresh perspective and suggest solutions.
Peers
Other students who have frequent contact with the individual in question can tell you if the issue is typical and may suggest solutions. Your peers can explain the norms in your department regarding frequency of meetings, turn-around time for feedback and availability of faculty.
Other faculty
Other faculty can advise you on dealing with challenges. If you want someone to intercede on your behalf, senior faculty may be in a better position to do so than junior faculty. You may feel more comfortable asking general questions about a situation, rather than being explicit about those involved.
Department staff
Graduate program coordinators and graduate program assistants can clarify departmental expectations and policies. They also can offer suggestions on how to resolve difficulties, and are familiar with the people and the offices on campus that can assist you.
Department chair
If you have tried to resolve issues with the faculty member directly, and other peers, faculty and staff have been unable to assist you, you might find it helpful to talk to your department chair. Focus the discussion diplomatically and objectively on the assistance you need to meet your goals. Avoid making the discussion about personality or interpersonal style difficulties.
The Graduate School
At any point, you may talk with staff at the Graduate School.
Strategies: Changing mentors or advisers
At some point in your graduate career, you might want a new mentor or adviser. The issues can be more complex if the same person fulfills both of these roles for you. Because of the relatively informal nature of mentoring, there is no formal policy for acquiring mentors as there is, in most departments, for acquiring or changing a research or dissertation adviser. Know the differences between the two processes, and the basic guidelines applicable to each. Changing mentors is not an issue if the relationship is an informal one, i.e., the person is not your thesis/dissertation adviser.
Also, changing mentors does not necessarily imply difficulties in your relationship. Your
priorities for mentoring may change based on your personal and professional growth, rather than by misunderstandings. A good mentor will support you in your search for others who can assist you.
Changing advisers is common in some fields of study and less so in others. It usually requires that you follow departmental procedures. Changing advisers is easier if your department encourages students to work with multiple faculty members and you make changes early in your career.
* Try to work through differences with your adviser before you make a final decision.
* Seek advice from a faculty member or peer to assess your needs and determine whether a different adviser would be good for you, particularly if you are attempting to change advisers towards the final phase of your graduate program.
* Approach another faculty member about being an adviser for you.
* Be professional at all times. Focus discussions on your interests and goals and not on negative incidents or difficulties. Avoid doing or saying anything that could have negative ramifications for your future.
* Practice diplomatic ways to express to your adviser or mentor why you are considering a change.
* Discuss and arrange a timeframe for completing any remaining work with your current adviser before the change takes place.
* Complete or update any paperwork that contains information about your adviser, e.g., internship paperwork, thesis, general exam or dissertation committee forms.
SAS LEARNING & EXAM
INFORMATION GUIDE
Department of Mathematical Sciences
Bentley University
Version: October 2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SAS CERTIFICATION EXAM 2
SAS ON-LINE TRAINING CLASS 4
SAS CERTIFICATION PREP GUIDES 4
ADDITIONAL SAS E-BOOKS 5
SAS HARDCOPY BOOKS (BENTLEY LIBRARY) 7
1
SAS CERTIFICATION EXAM
http://support.sas.com/certify/reg/index.html
SAS CERTIFICATION EXAMS OFFERED:
* SAS Certified Base Programmer for SAS 9
* SAS Certified Advanced Programmer for SAS 9
* SAS Certified Clinical Trials Programmer Using SAS 9
* SAS Certified Predictive Modeler Using SAS Enterprise Miner 7
* SAS Certified Platform Administrator 9
* SAS Certified Data Integration Developer for SAS 9
* SAS Certified BI Content Developer for SAS 9
* SAS Certified Statistical Business Analyst Using SAS 9: Regression and Modeling
WHERE TO REGISTER:
* Online at: http://www.pearsonvue.com/sas/. Follow these steps:
o First?time users:
Create a new Web account within Pearson VUE before you can schedule a SAS exam. This can take up to two business days based on information provided to produce your username and password needed for exam registration.
o Returning Users:
If you have previously taken a test with Pearson VUE and created a Web account, but do not remember your sign?in information, there are links within Pearson VUE to help obtain this information.
* Telephone
o To register by phone, visit http://www.pearsonvue.com/sas/.and select the ‘Schedule By Phone.’ Numbers for your location will be provided.
EXAM STUDENT DISCOUNT:
*50% off exam fees to employees, educators, teachers, students, faculty and staff associated with academic institutions and school districts
http://support.sas.com/certify/discounts/detail.html
*Requests for a discount voucher must be made before registering for your exam
REQUIREMENTS:
To apply for the discount voucher, the following are required as proof of affiliation for
verification:
* A current, dated letter on university letterhead with the department head or other administrator’s signature with information on your enrollment or employment
* A copy of your current semester transcript with the university name, your name, and courses you are currently taking
* A student ID or staff ID with expiration date
FAX proof to 919-677-444 (Attention: SAS Certification) or provide an electronic copy via e-mail to certification@sas.com. Please include your e-mail address with your faxed request. Upon receipt of your information and verification, a 50% off voucher will be emailed to you.
*Discounted vouchers are valid for approximately 6 weeks from the date and cannot be extended so be prepared to take and register for your exam during this timeframe advised.
*Provide voucher number during your registration
SAS CERTIFICATION EXAM--FAQs
Link:
http://support.sas.com/certify/faq.html
3
SAS ON-LINE TRAINING CLASS
*Free for current Bentley students
HOW TO ACCESS YOUR SAS E-LEARNING
To activate your e-Learning:
1. Go to http://support.sas.com/myelearn and log into your profile. If you do not currently have a profile, please create one using the link on this page.
2. Enter the Bentley access code into the activation code box, then click Submit. Review the license agreement and select I agree to accept it. (Please contact the program director for Bentley assess code)
3. You should now see the training in your list of active courses and the date on which your access expires. Select a course title to start your learning.
To access your e-Learning once it has been activated:
Once your e-Learning has been activated, visit http://support.sas.com/myelearn or select My Training from any page on the SAS training Web site and log into your profile to access your training. Please e-mail elearn@sas.com if you have any questions.
SAS CERTIFICATION PREP GUIDES
1. Go on Bentley library website: http://library.bentley.edu
2. Click Research4 eBooks
3. Click Books 24x7
4. Enter title in search box
BASE PROGRAMMING
E-book from Books 24x7 through the Bentley Library:
SAS Certification Prep Guide: Base Programming for SAS 9, Third Edition
by SAS Institute
SAS Institute © 2011
ISBN: 9781607649243
*Print version of the book also available in the Bentley library.
ADVANCED PROGRAMMING
E?book from Books 24x7 through the Bentley Library:
SAS Certification Prep Guide: Advanced Programming for SAS 9, Third Edition
by SAS Institute
SAS Institute © 2011
ISBN: 9781607649250
*Print version of the book also available in the Bentley library.
ADDITIONAL SAS E?BOOKS LIST
Located on Books 24x7 through the Bentley Library:
The Little SAS Book: A Primer, Fifth Edition
by Lora D. Delwiche and Susan J. Slaughter
SAS Institute © 2012
ISBN: 9781612903439
SAS 9.3 Language Reference: Concepts
by SAS Institute
SAS Institute © 2011
ISBN: 9781607648970
Multiple Comparisons and Multiple Tests Using SAS, Second Edition
by Peter Westfall, Randall Tobias and Russell Wolfinger
SAS Institute © 2011
ISBN: 9781607647836
SAS Statistics by Example
by Ron Cody
SAS Institute © 2011
ISBN: 9781607648000
Simulating Data with SAS
by Rick Wicklin
SAS Institute © 2013
ISBN: 9781612903323
Categorical Data Analysis Using SAS, Third Edition
by Maura E. Stokes, Charles S. Davis and Gary G. Koch
SAS Institute © 2012
ISBN: 9781607646648
A Step-by-Step Approach to Using SAS for Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling,
Second Edition
by Norm O’Rourke and Larry Hatcher
SAS Institute © 2013
ISBN: 9781599942308
Statistical Programming in SAS
by A. John Bailer
SAS Institute © 2010
ISBN: 9781599946566
SAS For Dummies
by Stephen McDaniel and Chris Hemedinger
John Wiley & Sons © 2007
ISBN: 9780471788324
Applied Data Mining for Forecasting Using SAS
by Tim Rey, Arthur Kordon and Chip Wells
SAS Institute © 2012
ISBN: 9781607646624
Carpenter’s Guide to Innovative SAS Techniques
by Art Carpenter
SAS Institute © 2012
ISBN: 9781607649915
SAS/ETS 12.1 User's Guide
by SAS Institute
SAS Institute © 2012
ISBN: 9781612903798
Customer Segmentation and Clustering Using SAS Enterprise Miner, Second Edition
by Randall S. Collica
SAS Institute © 2011
ISBN: 9781607648109
Data Quality for Analytics Using SAS
by Gerhard Svolba
SAS Institute © 2012
ISBN: 9781607646204
Elementary Statistics Using SAS
by Sandra Schlotzhauer
SAS Institute © 2009
ISBN: 9781607643791
Getting Started with SAS Text Miner 4.1
by SAS Publishing
SAS Institute © 2009
ISBN: 9781599949994
SAS/ACCESS 9.2 for Relational Databases Reference
by SAS Institute
SAS Institute © 2009
ISBN: 9781599947976
SAS 9.3 Formats and Informats: Reference
by SAS Institute
SAS Institute © 2011
ISBN: 9781607649007
SAS 9.3 Functions and CALL Routines: Reference
by SAS Institute
SAS Institute © 2011
ISBN: 9781607649014
Step-by-Step Basic Statistics Using SAS: Exercises
by Larry Hatcher
SAS Institute © 2003
ISBN: 9781590471494
SAS HARDCOPY BOOKS (Bentley Library)
Handbook of SAS DATA Step Programming
By Arthur Li
Boca Raton: Taylor & Francis, 2013
ISBN: 9781466552388
Call No: QA276.4 .L56 2013
Applied econometrics using the SAS system
By Vivek B. Ajmani
Hoboken, N.J. : Wiley, © 2009
ISBN: 9780470129494
Call No: HB139 .A46 2009
SAS and R : data management, statistical analysis, and graphics
By Ken Kleinman and Nicholas J. Horton
Boca Raton: CRC Press, © 2010
ISBN: 9781420070576
Call No: QA76.73 .S27 K54 2010
JAGS Version 4.0.0 installation manual
Martyn Plummer Bill Northcott Matt Denwood
1 October 2015
JAGS is distributed in binary format for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and most Linux distributions. The following instructions are for those who wish to build JAGS from source. The manual is divided into three sections with instructions for Linux/Unix, Mac OS X, and Windows.
1 Linux and UNIX
JAGS follows the usual GNU convention of
./configure
make
make install
which is described in more detail in the file INSTALL in the top-level source directory. On some UNIX platforms, you may be required to use GNU make (gmake) instead of the native make command. On systems with multiple processors, you may use the option ‘-j’ to speed up compilation, e.g. for a quad-core PC you may use:
make -j4
If you have the cppunit library installed then you can test the build with
make check
1.1 Configure options
At configure time you also have the option of defining options such as:
* The names of the C, C++, and Fortran compilers.
* Optimization flags for the compilers. JAGS is optimized by default if the GNU compiler (gcc) is used. If you are using another compiler then you may need to explicitly supply optimization flags.
* Installation directories. JAGS conforms to the GNU standards for where files are installed. You can control the installation directories in more detail using the flags that are listed when you type ./configure --help.
1.1.1 Configuration for a 64-bit build
By default, JAGS will install all libraries into ‘/usr/lo cal/lib’. If you are building a 64-bit version of JAGS, this may not be appropriate for your system. On Fedora and other RPM-based distributions, for example, 64-bit libraries should be installed in ‘lib64’, and on Solaris, 64-bit libraries are in a subdirectory of ‘lib’ (e.g. ‘lib/amd64’ if you are using a x86-64 processor), whereas on Debian, and other Linux distributions that conform to the FHS, the correct installation directory is ‘lib’.
To ensure that JAGS libraries are installed in the correct directory, you should supply the ‘--libdir’ argument to the configure script, e.g.:
./configure --libdir=/usr/local/lib64
It is important to get the installation directory right when using the rjags interface between R and JAGS, otherwise the rjags package will not be able to find the JAGS library.
1
1.1.2 Configuration for a private installation
If you do not have administrative privileges, you may wish to install JAGS in your home directory. This can be done with the following configuration options
export JAGS_HOME=$HOME/jags #or wherever you want it
./configure --prefix=$JAGS_HOME
For more detailed control over the installation directories type
./configure --help
and read the section “Fine-tuning of the installation directories.”
With a private installation, you need to modify your PATH environment variable to include ‘$JAGS HOME/bin’. You may also need to set LD LIBRARY PATH to include ‘$JAGS HOME/lib’ (On Linux this is not necessary as the location of libjags and libjrmath is hard-coded into the JAGS binary).
1.2 BLAS and LAPACK
BLAS (Basic Linear Algebra System) and LAPACK (Linear Algebra Pack) are two libraries of routines for linear algebra. They are used by the multivariate functions and distributions in the bugs module. Most unix-like operating system vendors supply shared libraries that provide the BLAS and LAPACK functions, although the libraries may not literally be called “blas” and “lapack”. During configuration, a default list of these libraries will be checked. If configure cannot find a suitable library, it will stop with an error message.
You may use alternative BLAS and LAPACK libraries using the configure options --with-blas and --with-lapack
./configure --with-blas="-lmyblas" --with-lapack="-lmylapack"
If the BLAS and LAPACK libraries are in a directory that is not on the default linker path, you must set the LDFLAGS environment variable to point to this directory at configure time:
LDFLAGS="-L/path/to/my/libs" ./configure ...
At runtime, if you have linked JAGS against BLAS or LAPACK in a non-standard location, you must supply this location with the environment variable LD LIBRARY PATH, e.g.
LD_LIBRARY_PATH="/path/to/my/libs:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}"
Alternatively, you may hard-code the paths to the blas and lapack libraries at compile time. This is compiler and platform-specific, but is typically achieved with
LDFLAGS="-L/path/to/my/libs -R/path/to/my/libs
1.2.1 Multithreaded BLAS and LAPACK
Some high-performance computing libraries offer multi-threaded versions of the BLAS and LAPACK libraries. Although instructions for linking against some of these libraries are given below, this should not be taken as encouragement to use multithreaded BLAS. Testing shows that using multiple threads in BLAS can lead to significantly worse performance while using up substantially more computing resources.
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1.3 GNU/Linux
GNU/Linux is the development platform for JAGS, and a variety of different build options have been explored, including the use of third-party compilers and linear algebra libraries.
1.3.1 Fortran compiler
The GNU FORTRAN compiler changed between gcc 3.x and gcc 4.x from g77 to gfortran. Code produced by the two compilers is binary incompatible. If your BLAS and LAPACK libraries are linked against libgfortran, then they were built with gfortran and you must also use this to compile JAGS.
Most recent GNU/Linux distributions have moved completely to gcc 4.x. However, some older systems may have both compilers installed. Unfortunately, if g77 is on your path then the configure script will find it first, and will attempt to use it to build JAGS. This results in a failure to recognize the installed BLAS and LAPACK libraries. In this event, set the F77 variable at configure time.
F77=gfortran ./configure
1.3.2 BLAS and LAPACK
The BLAS and LAPACK libraries from Netlib (http://www.netlib.org) should be provided as part of your Linux distribution. If your Linux distribution splits packages into “user” and “developer” versions, then you must install the developer package (e.g. blas-devel and lapack-devel).
Suse Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) does not include BLAS and LAPACK in the main distribution. They are included in the SLES SDK, on a set of CD/DVD images which can be downloaded from the Novell web site. See http://developer.novell.com/wiki/ index.php/SLES_SDK for more information.
1.3.3 ATLAS
On Fedora Linux, pre-compiled atlas libraries are available via the atlas and atlas-devel RPMs. These RPMs install the atlas libraries in the non-standard directory /usr/lib/atlas (or /usr/lib64/atlas for 64-bit builds) to avoid conflicts with the standard blas and lapack RPMs. To use the atlas libraries, you must supply their location using the LDFLAGS variable (see section 1.2)
./configure LDFLAGS="-L/usr/lib/atlas"
Runtime linking to the correct libraries is ensured by the automatic addition of /usr/lib/atlas to the linker path (see the directory /etc/ld.so.conf.d), so you do not need to set the environment variable LD LIBRARY PATH at run time.
1.3.4 AMD Core Math Library
The AMD Core Math Library (acml) provides optimized BLAS and LAPACK routines for AMD processors. To link JAGS with acml, you must supply the acml library as the argument to --with-blas. It is not necessary to set the --with-lapack argument as acml provides both sets of functions. See also section 1.2 for run-time instructions.
For example, to link to the 64-bit acml using gcc 4.0+:
3
LDFLAGS="-L/opt/acml4.3.0/gfortran64/lib" \
./configure --with-blas="-lacml -lacml_mv"
The acmv mv library is a vectorized math library that exists only for the 64-bit version and is omitted when linking against 32-bit acml.
On multi-core systems, you may wish to use the threaded acml library (See the warning in section 1.2.1 however). To do this, link to acml mp and add the compiler flag ‘-fopenmp’:
LDFLAGS="-L/opt/acml4.3.0/gfortran64_mp/lib" \
CXXFLAGS="-O2 -g -fopenmp" ./configure --with-blas="-lacml_mp -lacml_mv"
The number of threads used by multi-threaded acml may be controlled with the environment variable OMP NUM THREADS.
1.3.5 Intel Math Kernel Library
The Intel Math Kernel library (MKL) provides optimized BLAS and LAPACK routines for Intel processors. MKL is designed to be linked to executables, not shared libraries. This means that it can only be linked to a static version of JAGS, in which the JAGS library and modules are linked into the main executable. To build a static version of JAGS, use the configure option ‘--disable-shared’.
MKL version 10.0 and above uses a “pure layered” model for linking. The layered model gives the user fine-grained control over four different library layers: interface, threading, computation, and run-time. Some examples of linking to MKL using this layered model are given below. These examples are for GCC compilers on x86 64. The choice of interface layer is important on x86 64 since the Intel Fortran compiler returns complex values differently from the GNU Fortran compiler. You must therefore use the interface layer that matches your compiler (mkl intel* or mkl gf*).
For further guidance, consult the MKL Link Line advisor at http://software.intel. com/en-us/articles/intel-mkl-link-line-advisor.
Recent versions of MKL include a shell script that sets up the environment variables necessary to build an application with MKL.
source /opt/intel/composerxe-2011/mkl/bin/mklvars.sh intel64
After calling this script, you can link JAGS with a sequential version of MKL as follows:
./configure --disable-shared \
--with-blas="-lmkl_gf_lp64 -lmkl_sequential -lmkl_core -lpthread"
Note that libpthread is still required, even when linking to sequential MKL. Threaded MKL may be used with:
./configure --disable-shared \
--with-blas="-lmkl_gf_lp64 -lmkl_gnu_thread -lmkl_core -liomp5 -lpthread"
The default number of threads will be chosen by the OpenMP software, but can be controlled by setting OMP NUM THREADS or MKL NUM THREADS. (See the warning in section 1.2.1 however).
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1.3.6 Using Intel Compilers
JAGS has been successfully built with the Intel Composer XE compilers. To set up the environment for using these compilers call the ‘compilervars.sh’ shell script, e.g.
source /opt/intel/composerxe-2011/bin/compilervars.sh intel64
Then call the configure script with the Intel compilers:
CC=icc CXX=icpc F77=ifort ./configure
1.3.7 Using Clang
JAGS has been built with the clang compiler for C and C++ (version 3.1). The configuration was
LD="llvm-ld" CC="clang" CXX="clang++" ./configure
In this configuration, the gfortran compiler was used for Fortran and the C++ code was linked to the GNU standard C++ library (libstdc++) rather than the version supplied by the LLVM project (lib c++).
1.4 Solaris
JAGS has been successfully built and tested on the Intel x86 platform under Solaris 11 using the Sun Studio 12.3 compilers.
./configure CC=cc CXX=CC F77=f95 \
CFLAGS="-xO3 -xarch=sse2" \
FFLAGS="-xO3 -xarch=sse2" \
CXXFLAGS="-xO3 -xarch=sse2"
The Sun Studio compiler is not optimized by default. Use the option ‘-xO3’ for optimization (NB This is the letter “O” not the number 0) In order to use the optimization flag ‘-xO3’ you must specify the architecture with the ‘-xarch’ flag. The options above are for an Intel processor with SSE2 instructions. This must be adapted to your own platform.
To compile a 64-bit version of JAGS, add the option ‘-m64’ to all the compiler flags.
Solaris provides two versions of the C++ standard library: libCstd, which is the default, and libstlport4, which conforms more closely to the C++ standard. JAGS may be linked to the stlport4 library by adding the option ‘-library=stlport4’ to CXXFLAGS.
The configure script automatically detects the Sun Performance library, which implements the BLAS/LAPACK functions.
5
2 Mac OS X
There have been big changes in Apple’s developer tools over the last few years. Two major transitions in compiler tools have been made between OS 10.6 and 10.9: firstly a change from gcc to clang compilers, and secondly a move from the libstdc++ to lib c++ standard library. As of Mac OS 10.7, Apple has provided a free Xcode application from the Mac App Store, which is a fairly large download but contains all of the libraries necessary to install JAGS. The instructions that follow assume you are running OS 10.9 or later, and have the free Xcode application from the Mac App Store.
2.1 Required tools
If you wish to build from a released source package i.e. ‘JAGS-4.0.0.tar.gz’, you will need Xcode from the Mac App Store as described above. You will also need to install command line compilers and agree to the Xcode agreement before using them (if you have not done so already). The easiest way to do this is using the Terminal application from ‘/Applications/Utilities’ - opening the application gives you a terminal with a UNIX shell known as bash. Run the command xcode-select --install on the terminal and follow the instructions. Then run the command sudo xcodebuild -license on the terminal, and follow the instructions to agree to the Apple license terms (an administrators password is required). You will then need to install the gfortran package which you can find by following the “tools directory” link on the “R for Mac OS X” page on http://cran.r-project.org
This setup should be able to build the JAGS sources and also source packages in R. All the necessary libraries such as BLAS and LAPACK are included within Xcode. Additional tools are required to run the optional test suite (see section 2.3).
2.2 Basic installation
2.2.1 Prepare the source code
Move the downloaded ‘JAGS-4.0.0.tar.gz’ package to some suitable working space on your disk and double click the file. This will decompress the package to give a folder called ‘JAGS-4.0.0’. You now need to re-open the Terminal and change the working directory to the JAGS source code. In the Terminal window after the $ prompt type cd followed by a space. In the Finder drag ‘JAGS-4.0.0’ folder into the Terminal window and hit return. If this worked for you, typing ls followed by a return will list the contents of the JAGS folder.
2.2.2 Set up the environment
The instructions below will create a configuration to build JAGS using lib c++ which will only run on 10.9 or later, and is therefore 64-bit only. This is compatible with the “Mavericks build” of R on CRAN and the corresponding rjags and runjags modules. In your Terminal window copy/paste the following code:
export CFLAGS="-Os -arch x86_64 -framework Accelerate"
export CXXFLAGS="-Os -arch x86_64 -framework Accelerate"
export FFLAGS="-Os -arch x86_64 -framework Accelerate"
export LDFLAGS="-arch x86_64"
6
The -framework Accelerate finds the BLAS and LAPACK contained within the Xcode application. The clang warning -framework Accelerate: ‘linker’ input unused can be safely ignored.
2.2.3 Configuration
To configure the package type:
./configure
This instruction should complete without reporting an error.
2.2.4 Compile
To compile the code type:
make -j 8
The number ’8’ indicates the number of parallel build threads that should be used (this will speed up the build process). In general this is best as twice the number of CPU cores in the computer - you may want to change the number in the instruction to match your machine. Again, this instruction should complete without errors.
2.2.5 Install
Finally to install JAGS you need to be using an account with administration privileges. Type:
sudo make install
This will ask for your account password and install the code ready to run as described in the User Manual. You need to ensure that /usr/local/bin is in your PATH in order for the command jags to work from a shell prompt.
2.3 Other installation options for Mac OS X
2.3.1 Running the test suite
As of JAGS version 4, a test suite is included with the source code that can be run to ensure that the compiled code produces the expected results. To run this code on your installation, you will need to install the CppUnit framework - this can be downloaded from https://sourceforge.net/projects/cppunit/ or installed using MacPorts or similar (see section 2.4.1).
You should then be able to run the test suite from the Terminal (in the ‘JAGS-4.0.0’ folder directory) by typing:
make check
If successful, a summary of the checks will be given. Note that the configuration and first make step may need to be repeated if CppUnit was not installed the first time these were run. In this case, you may also need to clean the existing compiled code before running make check using:
make clean
7
2.3.2 Snow Leopard build
The instructions below will create a configuration to build a “fat” binary of JAGS (containing 32-bit i386 and 64-bit x86 64 code) using libstdc++ which will run on OS 10.6 - 10.9. This is compatible with the “Snow Leopard build” of R on CRAN and the corresponding rjags and runjags modules. In your Terminal window copy/paste the following code (note that there is no space after ’platform’ and the ’?’ must not be followed by any spaces):
export CFLAGS="-Os -mmacosx-version-min=10.6 -isysroot \
/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform\
/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.9.sdk \
-stdlib=libstdc++ \
-arch i386 -arch x86_64"
export CXXFLAGS="-Os -mmacosx-version-min=10.6 -isysroot \
/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform\
/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.9.sdk \
-stdlib=libstdc++ \
-arch i386 -arch x86_64"
export FFLAGS="-Os -mmacosx-version-min=10.6 -isysroot \
/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform\
/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.9.sdk \
-arch i386 -arch x86_64"
export LDFLAGS="-mmacosx-version-min=10.6 -stdlib=libstdc++ \
-arch i386 -arch x86_64"
Note that this configuration assumes you are running OS 10.9 - if you are on an earlier OS, you may need to modify the three occurances of /Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.9.sdk to reflect your OS version.
You should then be able to follow the instructions given in sections 2.2.4 and 2.2.5. If you have already used the same source directory to create a Mavericks binary you will likely need to run make clean before switching to build the Snow Leopard binary. If you encounter problems with these instructions on older versions of Mac OS X, consult previous versions of the installation manual which are contained within the disk images for older versions of JAGS available from https://sourceforge.net/projects/mcmc-jags/files/JAGS/
2.4 Tips for developers and advanced users
2.4.1 Additional tools
Apple supplies a compiler suite, BLAS and LAPACK along with Xcode, but some additional tools are required to work with code from the JAGS repository. Probably the easiest way of obtaining the necessary utilities is using https://www.macports.org or http://brew.sh The following sections assume that MacPorts is installed.
2.4.2 Working with the development code
If you want to work on code from the JAGS repository, you will need to build and install the auxillary GNU tools (autoconf, automake and libtool), as well as mercurial, bison, flex and cppunit as follows:
8
sudo port install autoconf
sudo port install automake
sudo port install libtool
sudo port install mercurial
sudo port install bison
sudo port install flex
sudo port install cppunit
Note that specific versions of some these ports may be required - the following are known to work: autoconf 2.69, automake 1.14.1, libtool 2.4.6, mercurial 3.4, bison 3.0.4, flex 2.5.37 and cppunit 1.13.2. Advice for installing older ports (if necessary) is given at:
https://trac.macports.org/wiki/howto/InstallingOlderPort
The following sequence should then retrieve a clone of the current development branch of JAGS, prepare the source code for installation, compile the code and run the test suite:
hg clone http://hg.code.sf.net/p/mcmc-jags/code-0 JAGS_devel
cd JAGS_devel
export CFLAGS="-Os -arch x86_64 -framework Accelerate"
export CXXFLAGS="-Os -arch x86_64 -framework Accelerate"
export FFLAGS="-Os -arch x86_64 -framework Accelerate"
export LDFLAGS="-arch x86_64"
autoreconf -fi
./configure
make -j 8
make check
You should then be able to follow the install instructions given in section 2.2.5. 2.4.3 Using ATLAS
Rather than using the versions of BLAS and LAPACK provided within Xcode, it is possible to use ATLAS which can be installed via MacPorts using:
sudo port install atlas
This command will take some hours to complete. The -framework Accelerate flag can then be omitted from the instructions given in section 2.2.2.
2.4.4 A note on Apple compilers
Older versions of Xcode used the gcc compiler suite, but Apple abandoned the gcc project when GPL3 was introduced. Current Apple compilers are based on LLVM, and are invoked as clang and clang++. The same compilers are also invoked as gcc and gxx.
9
3 Windows
These instructions use MinGW, the Minimalist GNU system for Windows. You need some familiarity with Unix in order to follow the build instructions but, once built, JAGS can be installed on any PC running windows, where it can be run from the Windows command prompt.
3.1 Preparing the build environment
You need to install the following packages
* The Rtools compiler suite for Windows
* MSYS
* NSIS, including the AccessControl plug-in
3.1.1 Rtools
Rtools is a set of compilers and utilities used for compiling R on Windows. Rtools can be downloaded from your nearest CRAN mirror (https://cran.r-project.org/bin/windows/ Rtools/). We only need the compilers, as we use the utilities provided by MSYS (See below). For this reason, we choose not to add Rtools to the Windows environment variable PATH when asked by the installer.
The JAGS binaries for Windows 4.0.0 and above are built with Rtools 3.3, which is based on gcc 4.6.3. We also successfully built JAGS with the TDM-GCC compilers (http: //tdm-gcc.tdragon.net) based on gcc 5.1.0. However, the resulting JAGS binary is not compatible with R. The rjags package can be successfully compiled and linked against JAGS built with TDM-GCC 5.1.0, and runs correctly on 64-bit R, but the package spontaneously crashes in 32-bit R.
3.1.2 MSYS
MSYS (the Minimal SYStem) is part of the MinGW project (Minimal GNU for Windows). It provides a bash shell for you to build Unix software. Download the MinGW installer ‘mingw-get-setup.exe’ from http://www.mingw.org. Run the installer and select msys-base (“A Basic MSYS Installation (meta)”) for installation and then select Apply Changes from the Installation menu. There is no need to install the developer toolkit (mingw-developer-toolkit) if you are working with a release tarball of JAGS. You should not install any of the compilers that come with MinGW as we shall be using the Rtools versions.
To make MSYS use the TDM compilers edit the file ‘c:/mingw/msys/1.0/etc/fstab’ to read
c:\Rtools\gcc-4.6.3\bin /mingw
This adds the Rtools compilers to your PATH inside the MSYS shell.
MSYS creates a home directory for you in ‘c:/mingw/msys/1.0/home/username’, where username is your user name under Windows. You will need to copy and paste the source files for LAPACK and JAGS into this directory.
At the time of writing, the MinGW installer does not create a shortcut for MSYS on either the desktop or the start menu, even when these options are requested. Create your
10
own shortcut to ‘c:/MingGW/msys/1.0/msys.bat’ which launches the MSYS shell. For completeness, you may wish to use the icon ‘c:/MinGW/msys/1.0/msys.ico’ for your shortcut.
3.1.3 NSIS
The Nullsoft Scriptable Install System (http://nsis.sourceforge.net) allows you to create a self-extracting executable that installs JAGS on the target PC. These instructions were tested with NSIS 2.46. You must also install the AccessControl plug-in for NSIS, which is available from http://nsis.sourceforge.net/AccessControl_plug-in. The plug-in is distributed as a zip file which is unpacked into the installation directory of NSIS.
3.2 Building LAPACK
Download the LAPACK source file from http://www.netlib.org/lapack to your MSYS home directory. We used version 3.5.0.
You need to build LAPACK twice: once for 32-bit JAGS and once for 64-bit JAGS. The instructions below are for 32-bit JAGS. To build 64-bit versions, repeat the instructions with the flag ‘-m32’ replaced by ‘-m64’ and start in a clean build directory. Note that you cannot cross-build 64-bit BLAS and LAPACK on a 32-bit Windows system. This is because the build process must run some 64-bit test programs.
Launch MSYS (‘c:/MingW/msys/1.0/msys.bat’) and unpack the tarball.
tar xfvz lapack-3.5.0.tgz
cd lapack-3.5.0
Copy the file ‘INSTALL/make.inc.gfortran’ to ‘make.inc’ in the top level source directory. Then edit ‘make.inc’ replacing the following lines:
FORTRAN = gfortran -m32
LOADER = gfortran -m32
Type
make blaslib
make lapacklib
This will create two static libraries ‘librefblas.a’ and ‘liblapack.a’. These are insufficient for
building JAGS: you need to create dynamic link library (DLL) for each one.
First create a definition file ‘libblas.def’ that exports all the symbols from the BLAS library
dlltool -z libblas.def --export-all-symbols librefblas.a
Then link this with the static library to create a DLL (‘libblas.dll’) and an import library (‘libblas.dll.a’)
gcc -m32 -shared -o libblas.dll -Wl,--out-implib=libblas.dll.a \ libblas.def librefblas.a -lgfortran
Repeat the same steps for the LAPACK library, creating an import library (‘liblapack.dll.a’) and DLL (‘liblapack.dll’)
dlltool -z liblapack.def --export-all-symbols liblapack.a
gcc -m32 -shared -o liblapack.dll -Wl,--out-implib=liblapack.dll.a \ liblapack.def liblapack.a -L./ -lblas -lgfortran
11
3.3 Compiling JAGS
Unpack the JAGS source
tar xfvz JAGS-4.0.0.tar.gz
cd JAGS-4.0.0
and configure JAGS for a 32-bit build
CC="gcc -m32" CXX="g++ -m32 -std=c++98" F77="gfortran -m32" \ LDFLAGS="-L/path/to/import/libs/ -Wl,--enable-auto-import" \ ./configure
where ‘/path/to/imp ort/libs’ is a directory that contains the 32-bit import libraries (‘libblas.dll.a’ and ‘liblapack.dll.a’). This must be an absolute path name, and not relative to the JAGS build directory.
After the configure step, type
make win32-install
This will install JAGS into the subdirectory ‘win/inst32’. Note that you must go straight from the configure step to make win32-install without the usual step of typing make on its own. The win32-install target resets the installation prefix, and this will cause an error if the source is already compiled.
To install the 64-bit version, clean the build directory
make clean
reconfigure JAGS for a 64-bit build:
CC="gcc -m64" CXX="g++ -m64" F77="gfortran -m64" \ LDFLAGS="-L/path/to/import/libs/ -Wl,--enable-auto-import" \ ./configure
Then type
make win64-install
This will install JAGS into the subdirectory ‘win/inst64’.
With both 32-bit and 64-bit installations in place you can create the installer. Normally you will want to distribute the blas and lapack libraries with JAGS. In this case, put the 32-bit DLLs and import libraries in the sub-directory ‘win/runtime32’ and the 64-bit DLLs and import libraries in the sub-directory ‘win/runtime64’. They will be detected and included with the distribution.
Make sure that the file ‘makensis.exe’, provided by NSIS, is in your PATH. For a typical installation of NSIS, on 64-bit windows:
PATH=$PATH:/c/Program\ Files\ \(x86\)/NSIS
Then type
make installer
After the build process finishes, the self extracting archive will be in the subdirectory ‘win’.
12
3.4 Running the unit tests
In order to run the unit tests on Windows you must first install the cppunit library from source. Download the file ‘cppunit-1.12.1.tar.gz’ from Sourceforge (http://sourceforge. net/projects/cppunit/files/cppunit/1.12.1/) and unpack it:
tar xfvz cppunit-1.12.1.tar.gz
cd cppunit-1.12.1
Then compile and install as follows:
CXX="g++ -m32" ./configure --prefix=/opt32 --disable-shared
make
make install
The configure option --prefix=/opt32 installs the 32-bit library into ‘/opt32’ instead of the default location /usr/lo cal. Using this option allows you to do a parallel installation of the 64-bit version of the library, by rebuilding with configure options CXX=g++ -m64 and --prefix=/opt64. The two installations will not interfere with each other.
The configure option --disable-shared prevents the creation of the DLL ‘lib ccpunit.dll’ and builds only the static library ‘lib cppunit.a’. Without this option, the unit tests will fail. One of the major limitations of static linking to the C++ runtime is that you cannot throw exceptions across a DLL boundary. Linking the test programs against ‘lib cppunit.dll’ will result in uncaught exceptions and apparent failures for some of the tests, so it must be disabled.1.
To run the unit tests, add the option --with-cppunit-prefix=/optXX when configuring JAGS where XX is 32 or 64. Then run make check after make winXX-install.
3.5 Running the examples
The BUGS classic examples (file ‘classic-bugs.tar.gz’ from the JAGS Sourceforge site) can be run from the Windows command prompt using the make command provided by Rtools. This requires adding Rtools to the Windows search path if it is not currently there.
set PATH=c:\Rtools\bin;%PATH%
You must have R installed, along with the packages rjags and coda, both of which are available from CRAN (cran.r-project.org).
It is necessary to add R to the search path and to set the variable R_LIBS. Note that here we are using the 64-bit version of R. You may use the 32-bit version by substituting i386 for x64.
set PATH=c:\Program Files\R\R-3.2.2\bin\x64;%PATH%
set R_LIBS=c:\Users\username\Documents\R\win-library\3.2
where ‘username’ is your Windows user name. Then
1One of the attractions of the TDM-GCC compilers is that they do allow exceptions across DLL boundaries with static linking. However, we are not currently using TDM-GCC to build the JAGS binaries
13
tar xfvz classic-bugs.tar.gz
cd classic-bugs
cd vol1
make Rcheck
will check all examples in volume 1 using the rjags package. Repeat for ‘vol2’ to complete the checks.
You can also run checks using the command line interface of JAGS. This requires adding JAGS to the search path and overriding the default name of the JAGS executable.
set PATH=c:\Program Files\JAGS\JAGS-4.0.0\bin\x64;%PATH%
set JAGS=jags.bat
Then
make check
in directory ‘vol1’ or ‘vol2’ will run the checks using the command line interface. 3.6 Using TDM-GCC compilers
This section documents the use of TDM-GCC compilers to build JAGS. TDM-GCC was used to build Windows binaries for JAGS 3.x.y, but has been dropped in favour of Rtools for the 4.x.y release series. One reason for this is that the 32-bit version of JAGS built with TDM-GCC 5.1.0 causes the rjags package to spontaneously crash. The 64-bit version runs correctly.
TDM-GCC has a nice installer, available from Sourceforge (follow the links on the main TDM-GCC web site (http://tdm-gcc.tdragon.net). Ensure that you download the TDM64 MinGW-w64 edition as this is capable of producing both 32-bit and 64-bit binaries. We tested JAGS with ‘tdm64-gcc-5.1.0-2.exe’ based on gcc 5.1.0.
Select a “Recommended C/C++” installation and customize it by selecting the Fortran compiler, which is not installed by default. The installer gives you the option of adding TDM-GCC ‘bin’ folder to the windows PATH variable. We choose not to do this, but added the ‘bin’ to the PATH within the MSYS shell by editing ‘c:/mingw/msys/1.0/etc/fstab’ to read
c:\TDM-GCC-64 /mingw
After installation of TDM-GCC, to force the compiler to use static linking, delete any import libraries (files ending in ‘.dll.a’ in the TDM-GCC tree. If you do not do this then you will need to distribute runtime DLLs from TDM-GCC with JAGS. You can easily do this by copying the DLLs to ‘runtime32’ and ‘runtime64’ before building the installer, as described above. Nevertheless, it is often more convenient to use static linking.
Installation proceeds in the same way as for the Rtools build but with two differences. Firstly, when building the DLLs for blas and lapack, you need to add the linker flag -lquadmath after -lgfortran. Secondly, when configuring JAGS you should set the environment variable
CPPFLAGS=-D_GLIBCXX_USE_CXX11_ABI=0
This is necessary because gcc 5.1.0 introduced a new application binary interface (ABI) for the C++ standard library (See https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/libstdc++/manual/using_
14
dual_abi.html. The old ABI is still supported and is used if you set the above flag. If you want to link JAGS with any software compiled with an earlier version of gcc then you need to use the old ABI. Failure to do so will result in error messages about undefined symbols from the linker.
15
Suggested Covenant Guidelines
For a Southern Baptist Church Plant
Purpose: To clarify the roles of all participants in the planting of a new church under the leadership and sponsorship of: (church name and address)
and assisted by the partners listed on the signature page of the “Church Plant Covenant Agreement.”
Objective: To establish a successful strategic partnership to facilitate the planting of a healthy,
multiplying church with evangelistic passion, to be known as
Church, incorporating mutual participation, trust and ownership. The general objectives which
we will mutually agree and strive to accomplish are:
1. Establish mutually acceptable guidelines to which all participating entities will adopt.
2. Commit to working relationships relative to ministry, support of missions, doctrinal beliefs, and accountability.
3. Participate in monthly (or quarterly) meetings for prayer, encouragement, and evaluation of progress on strategy and accomplishment of goals.
Responsibilities of Partners During the Covenant Agreement
Sponsor church(es)
* Enlist a prayer team for the church planting effort.
* Assist in developing a strategic plan to plant the church.
* Enlist and deploy volunteers to regularly assist with the church plant.
* Assist in the selection, supervision, mentoring and accountability of planter/team members.
* Participate in the financial support for planter (and team members when applicable), including assistance with salary, housing and benefits.
* Provide a process for facilitating: membership, discipline, ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, accounting, insurance, and other legal requirements.
* Assist planter in submitting monthly reports and provide copies to all partners in the covenant.
* Assist planter in implementing doctrinal teaching and practice in agreement with the current Baptist Faith & Message.
* Guide the church plant to financial support of missions through the Cooperative Program and other local, state, national, and international missions entities.
* Assist in providing and/or securing and maintaining meeting facilities/location for the church plant.
Association and or State Convention
* Mobilize prayer support for the church planting effort.
* Assist in enlisting, assessing, evaluation for the church planting process, training, and mentoring of church planter/team members.
* Assist in developing a strategic plan for the church plant and daughter churches.
Suggested Covenant Guidelines 1
Suggested Covenant Guidelines
For a Southern Baptist Church Plant
* Assist with financial support, and provide accountability for doctrine and missions support.
* Provide personal and event evangelism training for the church planter and church plant leaders.
* Assist planter in submitting monthly reports and provide copies to all partners in the covenant
Church Planter and/or Church Plant
* Cooperate with the sponsor church leadership in developing a strategic plan for the church plant.
* Commit to enthusiastically fulfilling all the functions of the new church (i.e., worship, evangelism, missions, ministry, discipleship, fellowship, etc.)
* Participate in the training and coaching/mentoring provided by the sponsor church, association, and/or state convention.
* Commit to planting a Southern Baptist church as defined by a balance of:
a. Doctrine = Affirmation of SBC doctrinal teachings and beliefs as expressed in the current Baptist Faith & Message. Most churches will use “Baptist” in the church name. If “Baptist” is not used in the name, there must be a stated affiliation with the SBC in all the founding documents of the church [constitution and bylaws, articles of incorporation, etc.].
b. Participate in Acts 1:8 Kingdom Missions = participate in mission causes through the Cooperative Program (it is suggested a minimum of 10% of undesignated receipts be given) as well as extending missions involvement through associational, state, national and international missions offerings.
* Incorporate an intentional plan to multiply/reproduce yourself annually by starting new Bible study units, ministries and church plants.
* Submit a monthly report to sponsor church and copy all covenant participants.
* Participate in personal and event evangelism training provided by the association and/or state convention.
* Submit the Annual Church Profile (ACP) at the appropriate time.
* Demonstrate a working knowledge of Baptists distinctives including the doctrine and cooperative missions of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Suggested Covenant Guidelines 2
Southern Baptist
Church Plant Covenant Agreement
The undersigned parties enter into a covenant relationship, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to plant a new church. All agree the final authority and responsibility for the actions and activities of this new church plant rests primarily with the sponsor church and the church plant congregation.
The covenant agreement is a commitment of all the undersigned participants to provide support to the church plant for up to a maximum of _____ years from this date. If a participant is committing to a shorter time of support, this will be reflected in a brief statement in an attached addendum.
By the approval of the Baptist Church (sponsor) by official church action on
(date), a commitment was made to sponsor
church plant according to the guidelines and time frame specified in this “Church Plant Covenant Agreement”. The signatures below represent a commitment on all participants to this Covenant Agreement and guidelines for the above mentioned church plant.
Sponsor Church Representative Date
Church Planter/Pastor Date
Associational Director of Missions or Representative Date
Baptist State Convention Representative Date
Termination of This Covenant Agreement
A. Conditions in which any covenant partner can terminate participation in the agreement:
1. The Church Plant clearly departs from the doctrinal stance expressed in the current SBC Baptist Faith & Message.
2. The Church Plant ceases to fulfill the commitment to participate in giving to Acts 1:8 kingdom missions according to the agreed upon percentages.
3. Should the Church Plant constitute as a church without the agreement of all covenant partners, a partner may cease funding support and participation in the partnership within 90 days.
4. The church plant significantly fails to live within the guidelines.
5. Moral or ethical failure on the part of the new church pastor.
B. Cooperating Entities may terminate this relationship for other reasons after consultation of all parties and an agreed upon time frame for termination.
C. The inconveniences associated with multiple congregations in one facility, cultural differences, differing worship styles, or different models of outreach and ministry shall not be sufficient reason for termination of the relationship.
Suggested Covenant Guidelines 3
AlcoBlow®
User Handbook
RM42053 Revision 2.3 June 2013
User Handbook GB
2
User Handbook GB
Contents
1
SAFETY INFORMATION
5
2
USEFUL INFORMATION
6
2.1
Items supplied and packaging
6
2.2
Useful information on taking a breath
sample with the AlcoBlow®
7
2.3
Taking a breath sample reading -
quickly and accurately
7
3
OPERATION
7
3.1
Getting started
7
3.2
Switching On and Off
9
3.3
Mode of Operation
9
3.4
Active Mode Testing
10
3.5
Passive Mode Testing
11
3.6
Checking a Container
12
3.7
Display Light Indications
13
4
MISCELLANEOUS
14
4.1
Cleaning and Maintenance
14
4.2
Disposal
14
4.3
Technical Specification
15
5
WARRANTY
16
3
User Handbook GB
IMPORTANT INFORMATION! RETAIN FOR FUTURE USE!
Read the instruction manual carefully before using this device, especially the safety instructions, and keep the instruction manual for future use.
Should you give this device to another person, it is vital that you also pass on these instructions for use
Explanation of symbols
This instruction manual belongs to this device. It contains important information about starting up and operation. Read the instruction manual
thoroughly. Non-observance of these
instructions can result in serious injury or damage to the device.
WARNING
These warning notes must be observed to
prevent any injury to the user.
CAUTION
These notes must be observed to prevent any
damage to the device.
NOTE
These notes give you useful additional
information on the installation or operation.
Manufacturer
Date of manufacture
4
1 SAFETY INFORMATION
* Only use the device for the specific purpose described in the user manual. Any misuse will void the warranty.
* The device is not designed to be used by persons (including children) with limited physical, sensory or mental abilities, or by persons with insufficient experience and/or knowledge, unless under observation by a person responsible for their safety, or unless they have been instructed in the use of the device.
* If a fault occurs or the device is damaged, do not attempt to repair the device yourself, as this will void the warranty. Contact your dealer and only have repairs carried out by authorised service partners.
* Do not move the device away from in front of the subject until the sample is taken or else fresh air may be mixed with the sample taken and reduce the reading.
* Do not let the subject blow smoke into the device.
* Do not hold the device at an angle to the subject, hold it straight on.
* Do not let the subject blow very hard into the device; this could damage the flow sensor.
* Do not use the device if it is damaged.
* Do not open up the device, it contains parts which might be harmful if handled incorrectly.
* Do not use the device in damp environments.
* Do not immerse the device in water or other liquids. It is not watertight.
* For cleaning, follow the instructions in 4.1 Cleaning and maintenance.
* Do not shake or tap the device. Do not drop it.
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User Handbook GB
* Protect the device from direct sunlight, extremely high or low temperatures, dirt and dust.
* If the device is not going to be used for a long period, remove the batteries.
2 USEFUL INFORMATION
Thank you very much
Thank you for your confidence in us and congratulations! By purchasing the AlcoBlow®, you have acquired a high quality product by Lion Laboratories Ltd.
To ensure the best results and long term satisfaction with your Lion AlcoBlow® we recommend that you read the following operating and maintenance instructions carefully.
2.1 Items supplied and packaging
Please check first of all that the device is complete and is not damaged in any way. If in doubt, do not use it. Send it to a service point.
The following parts are included:
* 1 Lion AlcoBlow®
* 4 Batteries (AA type, LR06) 1.5V
* 1 Packing box
* 1 User manual
The packaging can be reused or recycled. Please dispose properly of any packaging material no longer required.
If you notice any transport damage during unpacking, please contact your dealer without delay.
WARNING
Please ensure that polythene packing is kept away from the reach of children! Risk of suffocation!
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User Handbook GB
2.2 Useful information on taking a breath sample with the AlcoBlow®
When the subject blows into the sample cone, the flow rate is monitored against time. Once the minimum conditions of flow and time are satisfied a small sample of breath is taken from the sample cone and passed to the sensor.
2.3 Taking a breath sample reading - quickly and accurately
The Lion AlcoBlow® allows contact-free indication of alcohol in a breath sample. The sample is taken from a distance of 2.5cm, the person blowing straight into the sample cone hard enough to trigger the audible flow alarm and long enough for the Status indicator to go RED. The alcohol in the sample is analysed and the presence of alcohol indicated on the display LED within 5 seconds. This allows for its use where many people have to be tested quickly for the presence of alcohol.
Additional function
Apart from indicating whether alcohol is present in a person’s breath the AlcoBlow® can also be used to check containers, such as bottles, cans or glasses for the presence of alcohol.
3 OPERATION
3.1 Getting started
Removing / Inserting batteries
The AlcoBlow® requires the batteries provided to be fitted prior to first use. After a period of use, if the Battery Low Indication appears, (flashing Status and Display Lights) you must replace them with four new 1.5V batteries (LR06, AA).
Removal
Turn the battery cap ? 90° anticlockwise and take the cap off. Take out the batteries.
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User Handbook GB
Insertion
Put in four new 1.5V batteries (LR06, AA). Make sure the batteries are the right way around (see the diagram on the rear label). Put the battery cap ? back on lining the lugs on the case up with the gaps in the cap and turning the cap 90° clockwise.
WARNING
BATTERY SAFETY INFORMATION
* Do not disassemble batteries!
* Clean the battery and device contacts if necessary before putting in the batteries!
* Remove discharged batteries from the device immediately!
* Increased risk of leakage, avoid contact with skin, eyes and mucous membranes! If battery acid comes in contact with any of these parts, rinse the affected area with copious amounts of fresh water and seek medical attention immediately!
* If a battery has been swallowed seek medical attention immediately!
* Replace all of the batteries simultaneously!
* Only replace with batteries of the same type, never use different types of batteries together or used batteries with new ones!
* Insert the batteries correctly, observing the polarity!
* Keep the battery compartment well sealed!
* Remove the batteries from the device if it is not going to be used for an extended period!
* Keep batteries out of children’s reach!
* Do not attempt to recharge these batteries! There is a danger of explosion!
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User Handbook GB
WARNING
BATTERY SAFETY INFORMATION
(Continued)
* Keep unused batteries in their packaging away from metal objects in order to prevent short circuiting!
* Do not throw used batteries into the household refuse; put them in a hazardous waste container or take them to a battery collection point, at the shop where they were purchased!
3.2 Switching On and Off
Switch On
Press the ON / OFF button ? down for 1 second.
NOTE
During Switch On the device will run diagnostic checks assuring functions operate correctly.
Switch Off
Press the ON / OFF button ? down for 1 second at any point during the operation of the device.
Automatic Switch Off
The device switches off automatically 2 minutes after the last operation. Both indicator lights flash and the alarm sounds to indicate the shutdown process is taking place.
3.3 Mode of Operation
Active Mode
The subject blows into the sample cone ? and a sample is taken automatically for analysis.
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User Handbook GB
Passive Mode
For use when the subject is unable to provide a sufficient sample for automatic sampling, e.g. an unconscious patient, or for testing the contents of a container.
NOTE
During the sample process do not move the device away from the subject until the sample has been taken. This avoids allowing fresh air diluting the sample.
3.4 Active Mode Testing
This mode requires the subject to blow Actively into the device. It is the most accurate method of operation.
* Switch on the device using the ON/OFF button O. Once diagnostics are complete the STATUS light OO will turn GREEN.
* Hold the device with the sample cone OO 2.5cm (1in) directly in front of the subject’s mouth.
* Tell the subject to blow directly into the sample cone OO moderately hard and continuously. The STATUS light OO will turn AMBER if the subject is blowing hard enough.
* Once a correct sample is taken the STATUS light OO will turn RED and an audible alarm (double beep) will indicate the subject can stop blowing.
* Within 5 seconds the result will be displayed on the DISPLAY light ©, the colour of the light indicating the level of alcohol in the breath sample. The displayed result is accompanied by an audible alarm giving an audible indication of the result. (See 3.7)
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User Handbook GB
* The device will reset the DISPLAY light © after 2 seconds.
* A further test can be performed once the STATUS light OO turns GREEN.
NOTE
When the device is in regular use, particularly at low ambient temperatures, it is advisable to use a paper tissue to clean any breath condensates from the sample cone.
3.5 Passive Mode Testing
This mode of operation is used where the subject is unable or unwilling to blow into the device. This method of sampling will not always produce as reliable a reading as that given by Active testing.
* Switch on the device using the ON/OFF button O. Once diagnostics are complete the STATUS light OO will turn GREEN.
* Hold the device with the sample cone G 2.5cm (1in) directly in front of the subject’s mouth or nose.
* While the subject is breathing out, or perhaps talking, press the PASSIVE button ®, wait for the device to take a sample before removing the device from in front of the subject.
* Read the result from the DISPLAY light ©. If the light was GREEN, you may wish to repeat the procedure in case a useful sample was not taken.
* A further test can be performed once the STATUS light OO turns GREEN.
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User Handbook GB
3.6 Checking a Container
The device can be used as an 'electronic nose' to check a container to see if it contains alcohol.
CAUTION
It is very important that the device only samples the vapours from the test liquid inside the container. The device must not contact any fluids directly, this could damage the device.
* Hold the device with the sample cone ? fairly close to the liquid to be tested, and preferably in a relatively sealed environment.
* Press the PASSIVE button ?, wait for the device to take a sample before removing the device from the container.
* Note the indicated alcohol reading on the DISPLAY light ?.
* A further test can be performed once the STATUS light ? turns GREEN.
NOTES
If the DISPLAY light ? shows AMBER or RED then the liquid contains alcohol to some degree. If the reading is GREEN then repeat the test at least twice to be sure the sample was correctly taken from the liquid vapours.
If the alcohol level in the sample was very high then it may take a minute or even longer for the sensor to clear and the STATUS light ? turns GREEN.
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3.7 Display Light Indications
Status light
* GREEN - the device is ready to take a sample
* AMBER - the subject is blowing at a satisfactory flow rate
* RED - the instrument has taken a sample, further samples are inhibited.
* Flashing RED/AMBER - the breath sample is insufficient wait for a GREEN light before asking the subject to blow again
* Flashing RED - low battery
Display light
ALCOHOL DISPLAY LIGHT
COLOUR
Indication
GREEN
AMBER
RED
Alcohol
Level
ZERO - LOW
MEDIUM
HIGH
Approx.
BrAC
0.04(mg/l)
0.00 –
0.05 – 0.09
0.10+
%BAC
0.000 –
0.010
0.011 –
0.020
0.021+
Both lights together
* RED/AMBER/GREEN Sequence - functional test at switch on
* Ten Red Flashes - automatic switch off warning 13
User Handbook GB
4 MISCELLANEOUS
4.1 Cleaning and Maintenance
* Do not immerse the device in water or other liquids. It is not watertight.
* To clean the device use a soft cloth slightly dampened with water.
* Never use aggressive cleaning agents, thinners, benzene, isopropyl alcohol or tough brushes.
* Do not use or store the device in an environment where the ambient temperature or humidity is too high or too low (see operating conditions in the 'Technical Specification' section) in direct sunshine, in the vicinity of static electricity or in a dusty environment.
* Remove the batteries if you do not wish to use the device for an extended period of time. Otherwise there is the danger that the batteries may leak.
* If the device is used as described in these instructions, an annual service is recommended, to ensure accuracy is maintained.
4.2 Disposal
Do not throw away or dispose of in a landfill site. Return to the local dealer or manufacturer.
Please remove the batteries before disposing of
the device. Dispose of old batteries at a battery
collection station, a recycling site, or in a shop. Consult your municipal authority or your dealer for information about disposal.
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User Handbook GB
4.3 Technical Specification
Name and model: Lion AlcoBlow®
Software: SW 42010
Display system: 2 Tri-colour LEDs
Power supply: 4 batteries 1.5 V
(type LR06, AA)
Measuring range: Low - 0.00 to 0.04 mg/l BrAC
0.000 to 0.010 %BAC
Medium - 0.05 to 0.09 mg/l BrAC 0.011 to 0.020 %BAC High - 0.10+ mg/l BrAC 0.021+ %BAC
Response time: approx. 5 seconds at 0.00 mg/l
BrAC
Display hold time: 2 seconds
Audible alarm: Advises of change in display
status
Automatic switch off: 2 minutes after the last operation Operating
temperature range: -5°C to +40°C
Storage
temperature range: -15°C to +55°C
Dimensions: approx. 265 x 48 x 48 mm.
Weight: approx. 300 g including batteries
The CE mark of this device refers to the EC directive 93/42/EEC MDD.
This device is designed for domestic use, law enforcement, industrial/safety applications and medical
applications. For commercial use, a metrological
inspection and service must be carried out once a year. This calibration will be charged for and carried out by your local dealer or the manufacturer.
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User Handbook GB
Electromagnetic Compatibility
The device complies with EN 60601-1-2 standard for
electromagnetic compatibility. Inquire at Lion Laboratories Ltd for details.
In accordance with our policy of continual product development, we reserve the right to make technical changes without notice.
5 WARRANTY
Please contact your dealer in case of a claim under the warranty. If you have to return the device, please enclose a copy of your invoice and state what the defect is.
Lion Laboratories Limited
Ty Verlon Industrial Estate
Barry
Vale of Glamorgan
CF63 2BE, Wales UK
Tel:
+44
[0]
1446
724500
Fax:
+44
[0]
1446
724501
E-mail: info@lionlaboratories.com
sales@lionlaboratories.com
Web: www.lionlaboratories.com
Please visit the link below for details of your local dealer:
www.lionlaboratories.com/international-distributors/
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