U.S. Particle Accelerator School
Program Information:
June 4-15, 2018 USPAS Session hosted by Michigan State University and held in East Lansing, Michigan, USA
Sleeping rooms, breakfasts & dinners, the Computer Lab and the Study Room will all be held at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center (219 S. Harrison Road, East Lansing MI 48824). Most classes will be held at the Kellogg Center; two classes will be held on campus.
Classes ending on Friday, June 8 or Friday, June 15 will finish at 12:00 (noon). When booking return air tickets students should allow time for their class to end at noon plus transportation time to the airport before selecting their flight time home.
Registration Fee
The Registration Fee is $1,700.00 if your Application Form is received before March 15, 2017; after March 15 the fee increases to $1,800.00. The $1,700/$1,800 registration fee includes 12 breakfasts and 12 dinners. The Registration Fee for attending a one-week class is $1,200.00 and includes 5 breakfasts and 5 dinners.
Scholarships
To be considered for financial support you must submit four documents: an application form; a cover letter explaining why the USPAS is important to your career and describing prior research experience, work with or as a user of particle accelerators; your CV; at least one letter of recommendation. USPAS scholarships are awarded without regard to race, gender or national origin. Consideration will be given to balancing class sizes.
Note: International students requesting a scholarship who are NOT from U.S. visa-waiver countries must already be in possession of a visa that is valid for the entire period of the USPAS session. A copy of your visa must be faxed (630-840-8500) to the USPAS before the March 15 deadline date.
If you are AUDITING your course
If you are auditing your course(s), you will not enroll at Michigan State University and will not earn a grade. You are not required to complete homework assignments nor take any exams. Your acceptance email will include a USPAS Audit Form.
If you are taking your course for CREDIT
If you are taking your course(s) for credit, you will enroll at Michigan State University through the USPAS. Students enrolled for credit are expected to complete homework, take all exams and participate fully in class. If you successfully pass your class(es) you will earn 3.0 units of credit from Michigan State University. Your acceptance email will include a MSU/USPAS Enrollment Form.
Academic Status at Michigan State University
Students must make final confirmation of their choice to take their course for credit or audit on or before Tuesday June 5, 2018. Official transcripts will be maintained by MSU. Domestic students receiving financial support from the USPAS must take their course(s) for university credit.
International participants
This USPAS program is open to participation by both U.S. and non-U.S. citizens. The program is an intense learning experience sponsored by Michigan State University from June 4-15, 2018 only. Because this program is not a course of full-time study, an F visa (student visa) is not appropriate. We believe a B visa (visitor/business visa) or Visa Waiver is appropriate. International participants not currently residing in the U.S. may attend the program and may request financial sponsorship, but they may not earn credit from MSU. International participants receiving financial support from the USPAS must participate fully in all aspects of their session and will receive a letter confirming their attendance and rating their performance. Failure to turn in assignments or take exams could jeopardize financial support awarded by the USPAS.
Note: International students requesting a scholarship who are NOT from U.S. visa-waiver countries must already be in possession of a visa that is valid for the entire period of the USPAS session. A copy of your visa must be faxed to the USPAS at (630-840-8500) before the March 15 deadline date.
An International Participant Registration Form will be emailed in your acceptance packet.
Housing
By reserving your hotel room via the link we provide in your acceptance email, you may take advantage of our special reduced hotel room rate and any extras we have negotiated for our group at the Kellogg Center (for example, free parking for overnight guests, free wireless internet in your sleeping room). Single hotel rooms will be available $103.00 plus 13% tax per night and a double room (shared by 2 people) will be $51.50 plus 13% tax per person per night. Rooms may be reserved at our rate 3 days before and after the School dates, based on hotel availability.
The Kellogg Center has an onsite fitness center and $4.00 daily access to MSU's intramural facilities. Sleeping rooms have a coffee pot with coffee, a hair dryer, iron/ironing board and an alarm clock. Hotel check-in time is 4:00 pm and check-out is 12:00 pm (noon).
Please confirm your departure date when you check-in to the hotel as hotels often charge an Early Departure Fee (equal to one night of housing) if you change your departure date after you check-in. As is true with any hotel, this hotel may impose access and service charges in addition to time charges for phone calls (even for credit card or 800-number calls) so it is wise to confirm applicable charges from your sleeping room before using the telephone in your room.
All USPAS participants should make their hotel room reservation via the link we email to you. All reservations require a one-night deposit to hold your room. No charge will be made to your credit card unless you fail to cancel your reservation as directed on the form, i.e., 72 hrs. in advance of your scheduled arrival. If your deposit is made by check, it will be credited to your stay or it will be refunded if cancellation is made before the deadline. We do not recommend using a debit card for your one-night deposit or to pay for your hotel room. The hotel will "hold" an amount of money on your debit card and it could take your bank several days to release that hold. You would not have access to those funds during the "hold" period.
Even if your accommodations are being paid for by the USPAS, you must guarantee your arrival by credit card or by a check in US dollars (the one-night deposit). Please remember that this is only a guarantee (a deposit). After your arrival, the room charges for housing scholarship students will be paid directly by the USPAS and your deposit (if made by check) will be returned to you. If your guarantee is made by credit card and you arrive as scheduled, no room charges will be put on your card. It is important that you tell us if your travel plans do not match what is on the web form; note that some date changes may make you responsible for payment, e.g., if you arrive earlier than or stay later than School dates. Also, if you are scheduled to have a roommate and one does not appear, notify the USPAS Office the following morning so that your room can be reassigned if necessary. Otherwise you may be responsible for room charges. Supported students are also advised that the hotel will require a credit card or a cash deposit upon arrival to guarantee payment of any personal charges to your room which are not included in USPAS financial support; these charges would include telephone calls, room service, restaurant charges, in-room movies, etc. We do not recommend that you use a debit card for this type of payment guarantee.
Please note if you are receiving financial support from the USPAS to cover your sleeping room: the USPAS will only pay for your room during the dates of the program. If you arrive earlier or stay later than those dates, you are responsible for paying the extra cost.
Parking
There is no charge for parking if your hotel reservation is made through the link we email to you. For non-overnight guests and those who make their reservation outside of our group block, parking charges are $1.00 per hour or the maximum daily rate of $8.00.
Meals
Group breakfasts and dinners are included in your USPAS Registration Fee. Dinners will be provided from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. beginning Sunday, June 3 through Thursday, June 14 (including the weekend, i.e. 12 dinners). Breakfasts will be provided from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. beginning Monday, June 4 through Friday, June 15 (including the weekend, i.e. 12 breakfasts). Meal tickets for accompanying persons must be purchased separately from the USPAS Office. Participants are free to make their own lunch arrangements.
USPAS Registration and Course Check-In
Registration will be held on Sunday June 3 from 5:00 to 9:00 pm at the Kellogg Hotel and Convention Center (219 S. Harrison Rd., East Lansing MI 48824) with dinner from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The USPAS Director will give a talk at 7:00 pm.
If you do not register with the USPAS on Sunday night, you must register on Monday morning, June 4. If you arrive after registration hours Sunday night, please check the hotel information boards to locate the USPAS Office. If you are scheduled to arrive for classes the second week only (June 11-15), information will be provided so that you know when and where meals will be served, what your classroom assignment is, and to remind you to check-in with the USPAS Office on Monday morning (June 11). The USPAS Office will be open weekdays beginning Monday June 4, during normal business hours.
Study Rooms
USPAS Study is scheduled at the hotel every evening from 7:00 p.m. to midnight daily (including the weekend).
Computer Lab and Internet Access
The USPAS will provide a Computer Lab with wireless Internet access for classroom, homework and email purposes. Participants are free to use the PCs in the Computer Lab when the room is not scheduled for class. The Computer Lab is open from 6:30 a.m. to midnight (including the weekend).
Airport and Ground Transportation
The Kellogg Center has a shuttle van to and from Lansing Capital Region International Airport, the Michigan Flyer Bus Stop and the East Lansing Greyhound / Amtrak Station. There is no charge to use the hotel van but you must pre-arrange your pick-up/drop-off by calling 517-432-4000 or 800-875-5090 (24 hours prior notification is required). The shuttle service is offered from 7:00 a.m. (departing hotel) until 10:30 p.m. (last available time for scheduled pick-up). Please read this pdf about the shuttle van.
There are several airports from which to choose but the two most likely options are:
1) the Capital Region International Airport in Lansing (LAN) is about 20 minutes from the Kellogg Center. The hotel has a shuttle van service to this airport or you can call a taxi/Uber.
2) the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) is about 90 miles from East Lansing but has the most flights, and likely, the lowest airfares. From the Detroit Airport you can take the Michigan Flyer coach bus to East Lansing for about $32 one way or $54 round trip. Once you arrive at the Michigan Flyer bus stop in East Lansing you can take the hotel shuttle or a taxi/Uber.