Student Guidelines & Resources

Graduate students in the Department of Pharmacology will generally not be permitted to hold outside employment. This policy may be waived in cases of exceptional circumstances, when a formal request for such a waiver is approved by both the Chairman of the department.

Trainees in the pharmacology graduate training program are not entitled to vacation as such. At the discretion of his/her adviser, the student is eligible for holidays as listed below. See the current Tulane University Academic Calendar for details on University holidays.

The time between a summer session and the fall semester is to be utilized as an active part of the training period. A period of terminal leave (vacation) is not permitted nor may payment of stipend funds be made for leave not taken.

Any pre-doctoral student leaving the premises of the Department of Pharmacology for any reason for an extended period (more than 1 week) must request approval in writing for such leave stating the reasons for the absence. Approval for such leave may be granted by the student's major adviser and the Chairman of the Department of Pharmacology. Any student approved for an extended leave of absence may not be permitted to receive financial support.

Determination of the tax status of an individual receiving compensation from any grant is the responsibility of the Internal Revenue Service.

The Public Health Service will not intercede in behalf of an individual in relation to military status. However, the department Chairman may write a supporting letter to the draft board to request that considerations be given for exemption. A trainee stipend may be continued for a period not to exceed 15 days of military active duty training in any one Public Health Service appointment period.

Tulane Medical Center graduate and professional students are eligible for care at the Student Health Service. It is the responsibility of the student to obtain a routine physical examination prior to entering and to ensure that immunizations are current. Most illnesses and/or accidents are treated directly by the Student Health Service. Dental work and refractions for glasses are the student's responsibility. The University's policy is that students must have health insurance coverage. This requirement can be met by subscribing to the Student Health Insurance Plan offered through the University; or by providing evidence of coverage under your parent's or your own hospitalization plan. Stipend Checks

Trainees supported by a fellowship will receive their checks on biweekly basis. Some types of fellowships may be paid on a monthly basis. If you have been awarded a fellowship, please check with the administrative office to determine when your monies will be received. They will be available in the Pharmacology departmental office.

See Tulane's Web site for housing for on/off campus sites: tulane.edu/studentaffairs/housing/grad/grad-options.cfm
You may also look into housing/apartment availability by contacting the downtown university housing site Deming Pavillion (Medical School) at (504) 988-6275. Alternatively, you can access the Internet for various apartment guides at http://www.move.com, www.apartments.com, www.apartmentlist.com or www.apartmentfinder.com.You may also contact, via the Internet, a local real estate company that lists apartments with no associated finder fees.

A list of courses and number of hours taken must be approved by the student's advisor and the Chairman prior to registering by TUTOR or uptown. This is necessary in order to facilitate accurate record keeping and to ensure proper progression through the selected tracks.

Mailboxes and e-mail addresses are assigned to all students and faculty. Students are asked to check their e-mail accounts daily, as they may contain important notices regarding course work, seminars and other current information. Telephone messages are often relayed in this manner.

Supplies needed to carry out doctoral research must be requested through the student's adviser. The department is not responsible for textbooks, etc., needed by the trainee for courses taken.

Pharmacology Seminars are held weekly on Friday at 12:00 noon in either room 4700 or 7062 during the academic year. The name of the speaker and topic will be posted on the department's website and electronic bulletin board outside the pharmacology office. Announcements will also be sent monthly by e-mail. All students are required to attend. Even though some graduate students may not be registered for seminar they may be called upon to present a seminar.

Advances in Pharmacology is held each Thursday at 12:00 noon in room 4700 or 7062 during the academic year. All MS students & 2nd year PhD students are required to attend. Even though some graduate students may not be registered for Advances in Pharmacology, they may be called upon to present in the course.

A doctoral trainee will neither be permitted to register for more than 12 semester hours during the Fall or Spring semesters nor in excess of 6 semester hours in the summer session with the exception of first year students who are required to register for 13 hours in the fall semester and 16 hours in the spring of the first year only. The department will not be responsible for course charges in excess of those required and approved for their graduate degrees. It is extremely important that each trainee keep an up-to-date schedule of courses completed, registered for, or planned, in the departmental office. This information is also needed for budgetary purposes.

The Medical Library is primarily a reference library for the use of professional personnel in medicine and allied sciences. A complete guide to the use of the library will be helpful to new students. These are in the Medical Library at the front desk.

Meetings sponsored by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (as part of the Experimental Biology meeting) are held yearly. Participants need not be a member to present a paper. However, one must be sponsored by a member of the Society in order to submit a paper. Ordinarily doctoral students do not attend until they have completed two years of study. Funds permitting, the department usually pays the student's way to one meeting per year.

Tulane University recognizes the inherent dignity of all individuals and promotes respect for all people. As such, Tulane is committed to providing an environment free of all forms of discrimination including sexual and gender-based discrimination, harassment, and violence like sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and stalking. If you (or someone you know) has experienced or is experiencing these types of behaviors, know that you are not alone. Resources and support are available: you can learn more at titleix.tulane.edu.  Any and all of your communications on these matters will be treated as either “Confidential” or “Private” as explained in the chart below. Please know that if you choose to confide in me I am mandated by the university to report to the Title IX Coordinator, as Tulane and I want to be sure you are connected with all the support the university can offer. You do not need to respond to outreach from the university if you do not want.

Any and all of your communications on these matters will be treated as either “Strictly Confidential” or “Private” as explained in the chart below.

Strictly Confidential

Except in extreme circumstances, involving imminent danger to one’s self or others, nothing will be shared without your explicit permission

• Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) | (504) 314-2277
• Student Health Center | (504) 865-5255
• Sexual Aggression Peer Hotline and Education (SAPHE) | (504) 654-9543

Private

Conversations are kept as confidential as possible, but information is shared with key staff members so the University can offer resources and accommodations and take action if necessary for safety reasons

• Case Management & Victim Support Services | (504) 314-2160 or srss@tulane.edu
• Tulane University Police (TUPD) - Downtown | (504) 988-5531
• Title IX Coordinator | (504) 314-2160 or Erica Woodley (Asst VP & Dean of Students) ewoodley@tulane.edu