Ethnobotany Track Advice

What should I do to prepare myself for coming to UH?
Before arriving at UH:

• Recognize that paperwork in the State of Hawai'i tends to be very slow. If you are expecting to receive a paycheck for work as a teaching or research assistant, plan on receiving your first check no earlier than mid-semester. If you get one earlier you will be pleasantly surprised.
• Be prepared to work hard and without a great deal of assistance. Graduate students are expected to learn the ropes and not have their hand held. It is a good idea to read a book on surviving graduate school. There are several different books available that cover the range of problems frequently encountered. A good book will include recommended ways to prevent or deal with problems when they occur.
• Bring any equipment or supplies that you will need to conduct your work. Pencils, notebooks, etc. are not supplied. The University has a large number of computers available, however most students invest in their own computer equipment. Students who expect to conduct laboratory based research or work within Hawai'i may be best served with a desktop computer. Those expecting to conduct research abroad may be wise to invest in a laptop computer. Most faculty members in the department currently use the PC platform, a few use Macintosh computers. Students can set up personal computers to access the campus network and the Internet either with ethernet cards or with a wireless card. Wireless Internet is available, however, the Ethernet networks are predominant. The department will not be responsible for providing each student with a computer so plan ahead for your own needs.
• Plan for certain expensive elements of life in Hawai'i. Housing is generally quite expensive and most students find themselves in abodes that are of lesser quality than their standards elsewhere. However, there is so much to do outside and the weather is almost always pleasant, so many students find that housing quality is a minor problem. Heating and cooling are not usually needed so electricity bills are usually very low. Hawai'i is not truly tropical so the temperatures are not truly hot. Likewise, it is not truly temperate so the temperatures are not truly cold. Food can be very expensive or cheap depending upon what is eaten. Many students grow gardens because vegetables and fruits can be very expensive. Diets that consist of Asian foods tend to be relatively cheap. Diets consisting of of typical Pacific Island or American foods can be quite expensive.
• Transportation on O'ahu is moderately good. Buses travel to all of the major locations however connections can be slow and it can take hours to get between two places that are not very far apart. Bicycles are highly recommended. Some students elect to use cars or scooters. Parking on campus is very expensive and should be considered when deciding to use a car.
• Desk and office space in the Department of Botany is limited. An attempt is made to provide each student with a space they can use, however sometimes there is none or a space may be lost for one reason or another after it is assigned. Do not assume that you will have space. Plan to create a good reading and writing space off campus.

Before School Begins:

• Check in with the Graduate Student Coordinator (Dr. Kim Bridges) to make sure that no paperwork is outstanding and to receive an assigned desk space.
• Leave a deposit for an office key.
• Find assigned desk space.
• Get parking permit (if needed).
• If assigned as a Teaching Assistant (TA) or Research Assistant (RA), meet with the course/lab organizer and determine responsibilities for the semester. NOTE: ALL TA's and RA's are on duty Monday through Friday from the first day of classes until the last day of finals week unless special permission is received or a state holiday occurs.
• Determine Interim Committee members and tentative list of course work deficiencies (from Graduate Student Coordinator). If there is any dispute about course work deficiencies, gather the appropriate supporting information (course syllabi, etc.) for making your case to the Interim Committee.
• MS students need to identify a paper that you have written that demonstrates your ability to conduct and write about scientific research. Have a copy of this paper with you when school starts so it may be presented to the Interim Committee
• Register for eight credits of courses including BOT 601 and BOT 610. Other courses may serve simply as place holders until a meeting has occurred with the interim committee. It is a good idea to register for any course work deficiencies that are offered before registering for other courses that may be more appealing.

Shortly After School Begins:

• Arrange for a meeting of the Interim Committee and distribute copies of the paper demonstrating ability to conduct and write about science. At the meeting, be prepared to present evidence that disputes one or more deficiencies and be prepared to discuss a plan to take the remaining courses as soon as possible. The Interim Committee can also discuss potential Permanent Committee members if you feel ready to do this.

How is graduate school going to be different from my undergraduate experience?
Typically undergraduate students apply to learn from a department of faculty members through a predetermined set of courses. Successful students may complete the program without major interaction with any particular faculty advisor. Faculty members rarely concern themselves with the financial success of any particular student and do not keep track of students outside of their progress through particular courses. Undergraduate students receive a great deal of hand holding and guidance that streamlines their progress.

Graduate school is quite different. Students apply to learn primarily from one or two faculty members. Courses are individualized and there is very little predefined structure. Successful students must interact heavily with faculty members, particularly their major advisor. The major advisor and other faculty members worry about and work hard to find financial support for students, often pushing the student to help themselves through grant writing, etc. Major advisors and other faculty members try to keep track of students in order to encourage them and help them to be successful. Graduate students are expected to be highly independent, motivated, resourceful and responsible.

What courses do I need to take?
Course work requirements will vary greatly from student to student and are typically the result of negotiations between the student and permanent committee. However, there are some courses required of all Botany graduate students:

All entering graduate students MUST take BOT 601, 602, and 610.

BOT 601 is offered only in the Fall semester and must be taken in the first Fall semester of enrollment. BOT 602 is offered only in the Spring semester and must be taken in the first Spring semester of enrollment. BOT 601 and 602 together provide an overview of the cutting edge of botany. These courses are particularly helpful for Ph.D. students as they prepare for their comprehensive examination. 

All ethnobotany graduate students must complete the ethnobotany track proficiencies. It is highly recommended that proficiencies be completed prior to application/admission or as soon after admission as is possible. These courses should be perceived as sources of strength for future research and not stumbling blocks or hoops.

All ethnobotany graduate students should take BOT 640 in the first Fall semester of enrollment. This course is the introductory experience for ethnobotany graduate students and will include many important elements that will speed the process of earning a degree as well as help students organize and complete their research projects.

All ethnobotany graduate students must take two semesters of BOT 610 seminar and attend the weekly Botany seminars during all semesters in residence on O'ahu (even if not registered for the seminar). Failure to regularly attend can have negative consequences.

If I am appointed as a research assistant or teaching assistant, when do I need to report to work, when am I "off duty"?
Graduate teaching assistants are expected to report for duty at least 1 week before the first day of classes. The assistant is on duty Monday through Friday even if not teaching on a particular day. The assistant is also on duty until the last day of finals week each semester and over spring break and other non-state holidays. Students are "off duty" when their supervisor indicates they are "off duty" and after the end of final examination week.

Graduate research assistants are expected to report for duty on the first day of their contract and to be on duty Monday through Friday (at least) except for State of Hawai'i holidays through the end of their contract period. The State of Hawai'i only grants one day for Christmas break so do not plan of going anywhere for "break" unless this is cleared with your research supervisor. Students are "off duty" when their supervisor indicates they are "off duty" and when their contract ends.

Students may not travel off O'ahu even on weekends and State of Hawai'i holidays without completion of a travel form that is submitted through the College of Natural Sciences.

What can I reasonably expect from an advisor or other faculty members?
Major advisors are faculty members who:

• take responsibility for the success of a particular student.
• encourage the student to achieve their highest potential.
• serve as a mentor in more aspects than simply academic concerns and often become like "family".
• receive no financial reward for investing time and energy in students.
• can be a students best friend and enemy at the same time.
• have personalities that may conflict or support students.
• will be colleagues or enemies depending upon research and learning situations.
• use their resources to insure success in the next generation of their discipline.

Students can reasonably expect an advisor to:

• assist in determination of courses.
• assist in development of a research project.
• assist in identification of funding sources.
• review written materials BEFORE they are submitted for review by others. (e.g., grant proposals, research publications, thesis/dissertation, job applications, etc.).

Students should NOT expect an advisor to:

• find a research project/idea for them.
• approve of all of the student's ideas.
• provide funding support for the student's research.
• write the thesis/dissertation for the student.
• read over drafts of writing that include typographical errors, fragmented sentences and other garbage writing. (It is unprofessional to ask an Advisor to review a written draft that is not as perfect as the student can make it!)

Other faculty members can be expected to provide some of the same kinds of assistance and advice that major professors do, however it is always important for a student to remember that NO ONE among the faculty owes them anything just because they are a student. Rather, each student should be grateful for the time and energy that faculty members invest in them.

What is an Interim Committee? How is it selected? How do I work with it?
An Interim Committee is a set of three faculty members from the Department of Botany, who are somewhat randomly assigned to assist a new student in getting off to a good start. The committee is assigned by the graduate coordinator prior to arrival of new students. Faculty members who have been advising a new student prior to acceptance may or may not be a part of the committee. New students should find out who their members of the interim committee are as soon as possible. The new student should arrange for a meeting with the interim committee at a time that is convenient for the three faculty members. This meeting should be held early in the first semester at UH.
In most cases a student will meet only once with the interim committee and then will select a permanent committee before the end of the first semester. In a few cases, a student will be undecided of unable to select a permanent committee in the first semester. In these cases, it is important to schedule a meeting with the interim committee at the beginning of the second semester to discuss progress and the structure of a proposed permanent committee. In no instance should a student not have selected a permanent committee by the beginning of the third semester.

How should I prepare for my first Interim Committee meeting?
The first permanent committee meeting should be held as soon as possible after beginning graduate school and having met with the interim committee.  The process of selection of a permanent committee is important to your entire career.  

It is important to remember that faculty members are not required to serve on your committee.  They do this as a service to each student and for their academic discipline.  In this case, the faculty members do not work for the students.  Therefore, students should be aware that faculty members have competing activities and limited time for meetings.  It is the graduate students responsibility to arrange for meeting times and to coordinate plans for the meeting.  Meetings may be held in offices, conference rooms, on or off campus, but space should be arranged in advance by the student.  Do not assume that space will suddenly be available, particularly if it is a group used conference room or other space.  First committee meetings can be as short as 1 hour if the student is well prepared or as long as 3 hours if the student is not well prepared.  It is a very good idea to check with several senior graduate students about their experiences in committee meetings.

At least a week prior to the first permanent committee meeting prepare and distribute to each committee member,

• a cv of your work and course experience (do not assume that faculty members will remember anything from your application.)
• a set of proposed courses and a time schedule for completion.
• a rough draft of a research proposal.  Do this even if you are undecided and think it will change.  This will get you going on the process. Produce an outline/time table for completion of a research project.  The project should have a tentative title, hypothesis question, and possible methods.
• a set of specific grants that you plan to prepare to support your research activities. Check with the GSO for travel funding opportunities, the graduate school for UH opportunities, various federal and state agencies, etc.  Try to have at least three specific grants identified as targets for the current semester.

For the first permanent committee meeting, be prepared to discuss:

• Proposed Courses. 
• Proposed Research. 
• Proposed Grant Applications.

How do I select a Permanent Committee? How permanent is it?
Ideally, each student holds a meeting with their interim committee within a few weeks of beginning school. The interim committee will discuss with the student the normal structure of a permanent committee and make suggestions for how to proceed. The first step in the process is to get to know as many faculty members in the Department of Botany as possible. Make appointments to visit with each and to discuss your interests and their research and teaching activities. Once the faculty members are known, it will be clear which one or ones would serve best as a primary advisor or major professor and which would be supportive in other ways. The student should then ask the graduate coordinator to request that a particular faculty member become a primary advisor/major professor. If accepted, then the student should work closely with the faculty member to create the prepare a recommendation for the balance of the committee. The committee recommendation is then presented to the graduate coordinator who proceeds to formally ask each faculty member if they are willing to serve as a member of a committee. If all agree, then the graduate coordinator and the primary advisor/major professor will present the proposed committee to the Department of Botany faculty in a faculty meeting. The faculty will discuss the appropriateness of the committee for the proposed research area and vote for or against the committee composition. As soon as the committee is approved, the student should arrange for the first meeting.

Participants on a permanent committee can be changed as research projects change or other issues arise, however it is not recommended that changes be made very often if at all. It is particularly difficult to change primary or major advisors but this can occur if needed. Graduate students need to remember that when accepted, they were accepted into the Department of Botany and not into any particular faculty members research group. With that said, it is very important to consider that faculty members will be providing the following generous services toward your career. None of these are required of them, but are gifts to each student.

• time for advising on projects and other issues
• time for reading drafts of proposals, theses/dissertations, etc.
• reputation backing your research and published ideas
• finances supporting research
• research space and equipment

How should I prepare for my first permanent committee meeting?
The first permanent committee meeting should be held as soon as possible after beginning graduate school and having met with the interim committee. The process of selection of a permanent committee is important to your entire career.

It is important to remember that faculty members are not required to serve on your committee. They do this as a service to each student and for their academic discipline. In this case, the faculty members do not work for the students. Therefore, students should be aware that faculty members have competing activities and limited time for meetings. It is the graduate students responsibility to arrange for meeting times and to coordinate plans for the meeting. Meetings may be held in offices, conference rooms, on or off campus, but space should be arranged in advance by the student. Do not assume that space will suddenly be available, particularly if it is a group used conference room or other space. First committee meetings can be as short as 1 hour if the student is well prepared or as long as 3 hours if the student is not well prepared. It is a very good idea to check with several senior graduate students about their experiences in committee meetings.

At least a week prior to the first permanent committee meeting prepare and distribute to each committee member;

1) a cv of your work and course experience (do not assume that faculty members will remember anything from your application.)
2) a set of proposed courses and a time schedule for completion.
3) a rough draft of a research proposal. Do this even if you are undecided and think it will change. This will get you going on the process. Produce an outline/time table for completion of a research project. The project should have a tentative title, hypothesis question, and possible methods.
4) a set of specific grants that you plan to prepare to support your research activities. Check with the GSO for travel funding opportunities, the graduate school for UH opportunities, various federal and state agencies, etc. Try to have at least three specific grants identified as targets for the current semester.

For the first permanent committee meeting, be prepared to discuss:

a) Proposed Courses,
b) Proposed Research,
c) Proposed Grant Applications.

When should I begin working on grant proposals and other research funding opportunities?
Graduate students should develop the skills needed to apply for and manage research grant funding. The most successful students will begin to work with a potential advisor on research grant applications even before arriving at UH. The first semester of graduate school is the most important time for submission of research proposals since it is common for grants to be reviewed in one year for the following year. Students should expect to submit one major or 3-4 minor research grant proposals in their first semester. Typically, students seem to receive about 1 in 3 grants so application for 3-4 grants usually results in at least one funded opportunity.

There is much to "grant writing" or the ability to acquire funding support for research. Students should work closely with faculty members to insure that any submissions are well received by funding agencies and appropriate for their degree and post-degree research plans.