U.S. Particle Accelerator School
Program Information:
USPAS Session in Rohnert Park, California
July 15-26, 2024
Classes, sleeping rooms, the Study Room, as well as breakfast & dinners will all be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel (One Doubletree Drive, Rohnert Park California 94928).
Classes end on Friday July 19 or Friday July 26 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. Traffic to SFO (approx 1.5 hour drive) or OAK (approx 1 hour 15 minute drive) can be longer around rush hour.
Registration Fee
For students who are not receiving a scholarship, the Registration Fee is $2,000.00 if your Application Form is received before April 1; after April 1 the fee increases to $2,500.00. The Registration Fee is prorated to $1,000.00 for students attending only one one-week class. Please note: you do not have to pay the Registration Fee by April 1, you must send in the Application Form before April 1.
Scholarships
Due to funding cuts, USPAS scholarships will be reduced substantially and awards of financial assistance will be more competitive than ever. To be considered 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. Students receiving any scholarship are expected to fully participate in all aspects of the course and must take their course for credit/a grade. Students receiving housing support must share their hotel room with another student. Scholarships are open to both domestic and international students. Consideration will be given to balancing class sizes. Multiple awards are possible.
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.
APS Division of Physics of Beams Travel Scholarship
The Division of Physics of Beams (DPB) of the American Physical Society is once again offering a limited number of travel scholarships to USPAS students. Applicants must be members of the DPB (if you are not already a member you must join before requesting the award; student membership is free for the first year). The DPB scholarship will cover travel expenses and a USPAS scholarship will cover housing and your registration fee. Typical travel awards amounts will be $600.00 with the possibility of larger awards for higher cost points of origin. These scholarships are open to domestic and international students who meet the usual USPAS scholarship requirements (required documents listed above). You can enroll for DPB membership here https://www.aps.org/membership/ and more details on eligibility and the selection criteria can be found at DPB Scholarship Details. You must join the APS DPB unit before requesting their travel scholarship.
Auditing Your Course
If you are auditing your course(s), you will not enroll at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education and will not earn a grade. You are not required to complete homework assignments nor take any exams. Domestic and international attendees who audit their course will be asked to complete a USPAS Audit Form.
Taking your Course for Credit/a Grade
If you are taking your course(s) for host university credit, you will enroll at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education through the USPAS and will fully participate in class. Because our courses are co-listed, Indiana University, Michigan State University and MIT students may directly earn home university credit for their USPAS course. It's possible that other universities will directly award credit for a USPAS course, please contact your university to find out if that arrangement exists. Students enrolled for credit/a grade are expected to complete homework, take all exams and participate fully in class. If you successfully pass a two-week class (or 2 one-week classes) you will earn 4 units of credit through UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education. Students enrolled in 1 one-week course are not eligible for university credit but may ask for their work to be graded and performance rated. Students enrolled for credit will be asked to complete a UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education/USPAS Enrollment Form.
Some non-scholarship students may wish to have their performance graded but do not want or need university credit. A mechanism exists for this, please contact the USPAS for information.
Certificate Course: "Concepts of Accelerator Science and Technology"
Our new one-week certificate course is only available as pass/fail, students cannot audit. University credit is not available but successful students will receive a USPAS certificate upon completion of the course.
Academic Status at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education
Students must make final confirmation of their choice to take their course for credit or audit on or before Tuesday, July 16, 2024. Official transcripts will be maintained by UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education. Students receiving financial support from the USPAS or the DPB must enroll for university credit. Foreign nationals receiving financial support from the USPAS may not enroll for credit, but they must participate fully in all aspects of their session and have their performance rated.
International Participants
This USPAS program is open to participation by both domestic and international attendees. The program is an intense learning experience sponsored by UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education from July 15-26, 2024 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 UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education. 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.
You will be asked to complete an International Participant Registration Form.
USPAS Registration and Course Check-In
Registration will be held on Sunday July 14 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel (One Doubletree Drive, Rohnert Park California 94928). An extended dinner will available from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The USPAS Director will give a welcome talk at 7:00 p.m.
If you do not register with the USPAS on Sunday night, you must register on Monday morning, July 15 before class starts at 9 a.m. If you arrive after registration hours Sunday night, please check the hotel signage to find in which room breakfast is held. If you are scheduled to arrive for classes the second week only (July 22 - 26), 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 staff Monday morning of the second week. The USPAS Office will be open weekdays beginning Monday, July 15, during normal business hours.
You can always reach us at cell number 312-505-8797 should you have questions.
Housing
By reserving your hotel room via a link we provide to you, you may take advantage of a special reduced hotel room rate and any extras (half-price parking, etc) that we have negotiated for our participants at the Doubletree by Hilton hotel. A group block of hotel rooms have been reserved for USPAS participants. A single room is available for $157.00 plus tax (currently 14.29%) per night and a double room (shared by 2 people) is $78.50 plus tax (currently 14.29%) per person per night. A very limited number of rooms will be available at our rate 3 days before and/or 3 days after the School dates based on hotel availability. We do not control the availabilty of our rate outside the official school dates and those extra dates are confirmed by the hotel separately (and later) from our school dates.
Please confirm your departure date when you check-in to the hotel as they will charge an Early Departure Fee (equal to one night of housing) if you change your departure date after 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.
The hotel has a self-service guest washer and dryer that can be used for a fee. There is a 24-hour fitness center, outdoor pickleball courts and an outdoor pool. Guest room wifi is free.
We have negotiated 50% off parking at the hotel, the cost is $8.00 per day if you book your hotel room through our link.
Hotel check-in time is 4:00 pm and check-out time is 11:00 am.
All USPAS participants should make their hotel room reservation through a link we will send in your acceptance email. 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. We never recommend using a debit card for your one-night deposit or to use when you check-in at the hotel. The hotel will "hold" an amount of money on your debit card and it could take your bank several days (or longer) to release that hold. You would not have access to those funds during the "hold" period. It is allowed but it is not recommended.
When checking in, each guest will be required to give the hotel a credit card to guarantee payment of any personal charges (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 for the reasons stated above.
Scholarship students: even if your accommodations are being paid for by the USPAS, when you make your reservation you must guarantee your arrival by credit card (the one-night deposit). Please remember that this is only a guarantee (a deposit) to hold your reservation. After your arrival, the room charges for housing will be paid directly by the USPAS. 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. If you do not have a credit card to give at check-in for your personal charges ("incidentals"), the hotel requires a cash deposit in the amount of $175.00 that will be refunded in full if you make no personal charges.
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
Our reduced rate for self-parking at the hotel is $8.00 per day (reduced 50%).
Meals
The USPAS will provide group breakfasts and dinners to all participants (students and teaching teams). Breakfasts will be available from 7:30 am to 9:00 am from Monday July 15 through Friday July 26 (including the weekend, i.e. 12 breakfasts). Dinners will be provided from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. from Sunday, July 14 through Thursday, July 25 (including the weekend, i.e. 12 dinners). Students attending both weeks of the school will receive 12 USPAS meals, students attending one week of the school will receive 5 USPAS meals. Attendees are free to make their own lunch arrangements.
Meal tickets will be provided to local attendees and dinner tickets for accompanying persons may be purchased from the USPAS Office.
Study Room
USPAS Study is scheduled at the Doubletree Hotel every evening from 7:00 p.m. to midnight (including the weekend).
Class Computing Requirements and Internet Access
We will not have a Computer Lab with shared PCs so all participants are required to bring their own portable computer to access online course notes and computer resources. This can be a laptop or a tablet with a sufficiently large screen and keyboard. Windows, Mac, and Linux-based systems that are wifi capable and have a standard web browser and mouse are all acceptable. You should have privileges for software installs. If you are unable to bring a computer, please contact uspas@fnal.gov ASAP. Very limited IT support and spare loaner laptops will be available during the session..
The USPAS will provide free internet in the classrooms, the Doubletree Hotel provides free wifi in the guest rooms.
Airport and Ground Transportation
Please note that this hotel is about an hour and a half north of San Francisco/Oakland and there could be considerable traffic when you depart on a Friday afternoon. Classes officially end at noon, remember to allow extra transit time back to the airport. There are 3 airports to consider:
1) San Francisco International Airport SFO, 62 miles from the hotel (approx 1.5 hours to drive)
2) Oakland International Airport OAK, 54 miles from the hotel (approx 75 minutes to drive)
3) Sonoma County Airport STS, 14 miles from the hotel (approx 20 minutes to drive) but a much smaller airport with few direct options
Do not take a taxi from SFO or OAK, the cost is over $200.00 one-way. There is a transportation company that has a very easy and convenient coach bus service between the Doubletree Hotel in Rohnert Park and airports. You can see pricing and schedule here Groome Transportation. One-way from SFO and OAK is $51.00 or $49.00 for students with ID. You can purchase non-refundable tickets ahead of time and pay by credit/debit card or pay the driver in cash or by credit/debit card in person when you make the only stop which is in Petaluma. This coach bus brings you directly to the hotel's front door.
Code of Conduct
Please read our Code of Conduct.