From the Graduate Students:

Welcome to the Philosophy Department!

We, the graduate students in the Philosophy Department at Boston College, have put together this information to aid you in your move to Boston as well as to answer a few questions we thought you might have about the department.  We wanted to provide you with some user-friendly information about Boston and the BC philosophy department to make your transition into being a graduate student at Boston College as smooth as possible.

Housing

Apartment Listings:  The Off Campus Housing Office located in 21 Campanella Way, Suite 220, maintains a list of available housing generally within a five mile radius of Boston College.  The list is updated every day and is an invaluable aid to those searching for housing.  Each listing includes the proximity to BC, whether parking is included, the monthly rent, and if public transportation is close.  Many Boston College students live in Brighton, near Cleveland Circle, because this area is close to the BC Shuttle Service.  Grad students also live in Newton and Brookline.  The lists are available online at our website, www.bc.edu/offcampus.  A BC username and password are required; however, incoming and perspective students may use an online request form to receive a special temporary ticket that provides them access.  The rental market in Boston can be very competitive and this year the market is soft and landlords are lowering their rents and paying the rental agents the “commission fee”.  Try negotiating lower finder fee/commission fee prices if there is a fee to the tenant.  Also, you should not be hesitant to try to negotiate lower rents for the apartments themselves.

Roommates:  We have recently added a new online service to help people find roommates.  On our site you will find the Off Campus Roommate Finder.  Through this, you can add yourself to a list of perspective roommates and browse the list for people looking to find a roommate to apartment search with, or fill a room in their apartment.  Similar to the listings, a BC username and password are required; however, incoming and perspective students may use an online request form to receive a special temporary ticket that provides them access.

Accommodations:  The Housing Fair for Grad/Law students will take place on June 17.  On campus housing is available should you require overnight accommodations during your visit from June 15 to July 17 if you cannot make the Housing Fair.  Students may stay on campus a maximum of three nights in the University Guest House.  Please call (617) 655-5555 to make a reservation or visit www.bc.edu/reslife.  The rate is $37 per person, per night, based on double occupancy.  Single rooms, if available, are $54 per night.  Residential Life will begin taking Guest House reservations on May 25.

Other Resources:  On our site, www.bc.edu/offcampus, you can find many resources to aid you in your planning and in your searching process.  You can find lists of Rental Agents, Hotels and Motels, Bed and Breakfasts, and lots of other helpful information on the website.  Also, our housing and roommate listings are open to the public during the summer season.

If you are interested in finding a roommate situation with other philosophy graduate students, you may email RoseMarie DeLeo, our Graduate Program Assistant, and she will notify you of students now present at Boston College who may be looking for roommates for next year, or other incoming students you might be able to connect up with.  Her email address is:  deleoro@bc.edu

Transportation

The BC Shuttle:  Boston College provides its students with a free ride to school.  (Please see enclosed map with the Shuttle Route outlined on it).  One note:  Many real estate agents do not know what the BC Shuttle is, so if you mention it to them they will think you are talking about the T, Boston’s public transportation system. 

The T:  The T service which serves the areas west of the city of Boston is the green line.  There are four branches of the green line: B, C, D and E.  The B Green Line, which runs down Commonwealth Avenue runs directly to Boston College.  The C line runs the length of Beacon Street to Cleveland Circle.  Most Boston College Students take the B, C and D lines. (Refer to map once again to see where they are located!)  If you want to go downtown the D line is fastest and the B.C. Shuttle will drop you off right at the Reservoir station.  The B and C lines are more accessible, but they stop more often than the D line, so it takes longer to get into the city.  But if you want to go to places between Brighton and Boston proper, the B or C lines are the way to go.  The D line is also more expensive; $1.50 if you get on at Reservoir and $3.00 if you get on at Chestnut Hill.  The B and C lines are $1.25 if you are going into town, but if you are headed away from downtown Boston and getting onto the T above ground, then it is free.  The T usually runs every ten minutes, although especially on the D line it can be much less frequently on weekends.

The Bus:  The 86 Bus is the most convenient way to get from BC to Harvard Square which is filled with interesting stores, coffee shops and bookstores of great quality (both new and used).  You can catch the bus at the Reservoir T-stop which is accessible by the BC shuttle.  The 86 goes through Brighton to Harvard Square and takes about 20 minutes.  The cost for riding the bus is $1.00.  The bus usually runs every 20 to 30 minutes, but on the weekends it can be as infrequent as every hour and 20 minutes.  There are schedules for the busses which can be obtained on the busses occasionally, or at various T stops (Park Street for instance).

Having a car:  Many students do not have cars because parking at Boston College and also in the residential areas is extremely difficult.  Students who have access to a car find it easier to live further away from Boston College where street parking is not as difficult to find as it is in the Brighton area.  Students living in the Brighton/Brookline area often have to rent a parking space for $100-$150 a month.  Newton is a popular area for graduate students with cars.  The Boston College shuttle also goes to the Newton campus, so it is possible to live in Newton and take the shuttle into school, but Newton is further from downtown Boston and not as easily accessible by T.  In order to park a car on campus, a parking sticker is required.  Stickers cost $200 per year and are issued by the ID and Parking Office in Lyons Hall.  Identification and vehicle registration are required to receive a sticker.  There is no overnight parking allowed on campus.

The First Few Days

Before you embark on your journey to the many bureaucratic offices of Boston College, stop by the philosophy department which is located on the third floor of 21 Campanella Way (617) 552-3847 and give your new address and phone number to RoseMarie DeLeo so she can get you on the department mailing list. 

ID Cards:  All Boston College students must have an Identification Card to use the school’s many facilities.  In order to get your photo taken for the ID, go to the Office of Student Services located in Lyons Hall.  It is important to do this early as you will not be able to check books out of the library, or pick up loan checks without it.  The BC ID also provides free admission to many Boston area museums including the Museum of Fine Arts.

Registration:  The first time around registration can be a bit of a hassle. You will be sent registration materials over the summer. You may either pre-register or register during the first week of classes.  If you haven’t pre-registered or don’t have your materials, you need to visit the first floor of Lyons Hall to acquire a registration booklet and class listing.  Graduate students often sit in on classes during the first week of school before making a final decision.  Graduate students are allowed to take most 500-699 level courses, but should be aware that these classes vary by professor as far as whether they will primarily be directed towards graduate students or advanced undergraduate students.  Professors will make this clear in the first days of class.  Because of the shopping period faculty understand that just because a graduate student is in their class on the first day does not mean that the student is committed to taking that class, so they do not object if students "drop" their class, however professors do not appreciate it if students try to "add" classes late, especially if it is a class which meets once a week.  Many faculty members are open to one-on-one Reading and Research courses, but these usually need to be arranged well before the beginning of the semester.  Feel free to ask other graduate students if they have suggestions about which classes to take.  If you desire more detailed descriptions of the courses, the department posts the course descriptions in the reception area of the third floor at 21 Campanella Way.

Financial Aid and Employment:  Financial Aid is located on the first floor of Lyons Hall.  The On and Off-Campus Employment Office is also found on the first floor of Lyons and can be a great resource for finding out about ways to earn money.  They have listings ranging from child- and elder-care to library positions.  Loan checks as well as stipend checks are picked up in More Hall on Lower campus (by the B line T stop).  Student ID is necessary to receive your check.  Stipend checks are available on the 16th of the month.  For loan checks you will receive notification in the mail as to when they will be available as it is different for each person.  More Hall is also where you will need to fill out tax forms.

Health Services:  If you need to get shots for Immunization records, you will find the Health Services in the first floor of Cushing Hall (617) 552-3225.  Immunizations requirements can be found on the Health Services web at university health services at bc.edu/health_services.  Massachusetts law requires all full-time students to be covered by Health Insurance in order to be protected in case of hospitalization.  For students who do not carry such a policy of their own, Boston College is required by law to provide accessibility to a health insurance policy so that students may comply with the state mandate.  The policy is underwritten by Koster Insurance Company and there is a charge of $503 for the Fall semester and $641 for the Spring semester or $1,144 for the academic year (August 15, 2005-August 14, 2006).  Graduate students may also be seen during the academic year on a fee-for-service basis at a charge of $70 per primary care clinic visit, or $80 per specialty clinic visit.  Contact Health Services (617) 552-3225 for more information.

International Students:  International students are required to register with the Office of International Students and Scholars on the second floor of 21 Campanella Way.  In order to register with this office you will need both your passport and visa.

Libraries:  There are two main libraries on campus.  O'Neill library houses the majority of Boston College's holdings and has a lot of study space.  Bapst library houses the art books and has a special study area reserved for graduate students.  The Lonergan Center is located in Bapst library.  Boston College is a member of the Boston Library Consortium, so graduate students are eligible for a Consortium Card which gives you access to all Consortium libraries which includes most of the academic libraries in the Boston area with the exclusion of Harvard University libraries.  A Consortium card can be obtained from the reference desk in O'Neill library.

The Plex:  The Plex is BC's recreation center.  One can obtain entrance to the rec center either by paying five dollars per visit, or purchasing a membership.  Membership fees are $120 per semester, $230 for the academic year, or $280 annual fee.

Computing Services:  Students may obtain accounts on the student mail system by signing up at the O’Neill Computing Center.  The campus network (Agora), the internet and the world wide web can be accessed through the computers in the mailroom or at other locations on campus.  Remote access is also possible if you obtain a remote access account and the appropriate software.  On line services offered at BC include local and world wide newsgroups, and a site on the World Wide Web.  Personal computing services are also available at the O’Neill Computing Center.

Department Functions

Orientation Meeting:  Usually within the first week of school the department has a mandatory meeting for the new Master's and Doctoral Students.  Here, the Chair and Graduate Director will discuss what the degree requirements are and answer any questions you might have.  This is a great place to meet the other new students in the department. 

Grad/Faculty Committee:  A graduate student committee with faculty liaison was established in Fall 1994 to offer a channel of communication between graduate students and faculty, to provide graduate students with a forum in which to raise and discuss concerns, thus affording graduate students a voice in matters of departmental policy, and giving faculty a means to address the graduate student community.  The committee meets at the request of graduate students and not more than twice a semester.  Committee minutes are posted on the Graduate Student bulletin board.

Department Social:  Within the first month of school the department sponsors a party where you can meet the faculty and veteran students of the department in an informal atmosphere.

The Mailroom:  All lectures, dissertation defenses, calls for papers, Philosophy Forum meetings, and social events are posted on the bulletin board outside of the department rest rooms.  Student mailboxes are in Room 310.  Two computers are located in Room 380M and a laser printer is available for student use in Room 380N.  The computer is linked to the Boston College Computing network, which includes access to the internet e-mail service.

Social Life

Philosophy Forum:  In the Fall of 1992, several students got together and set up a graduate forum called Philosophy Forum.  The group gets together every other Friday afternoon and usually one student presents a paper or work in progress to the group.  The meeting is usually accompanied by a cocktail hour.  Philosophy Forum also has a news group on the internet system where students can find out about Philosophy Forum events and participate in electronic philosophical discussions.

GSA: The Graduate Student Association (GSA) is a college wide organization which sponsors several theme parties throughout the Academic year including a Barbecue at the beginning of the year.  GSA is located in Murray House which is on Hammond Street across from Carney Hall.  Murray House is a great place for graduate students from all departments to study, offering several private study rooms, as well as a small computer lab for graduate student use.  There is also a kitchen and a lunch room, as well as a pool table, television room, and a deck with tables and chairs.

More Information

If you still have questions about apartment hunting, the workings of Boston College, or the philosophy department, please call the department (617) 552-3847 and RoseMarie will give you the name and phone number of one of your peers who has been around the department for a few years and has volunteered to answer your questions.  She will be expecting your calls and will be more than happy to answer any questions she can.  There is also a student guide published by Boston College which is available from the Office of the Dean for Student Development located in 21 Campanella Way.