Program Information:
USPAS Session in Knoxville, Tennessee
January 27 - February 7, 2025

Classes, sleeping rooms, the Study Room, as well as breakfast & dinners will all be held at the Hilton Knoxville Hotel (501 W. Church Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902).

Classes end on Friday January 31 or Friday February 7 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

For students who are not receiving a scholarship, the Registration Fee is $2,000.00 if your Application Form is received before October 1, 2024; after October 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 October 1, 2024, you must send in the Application Form before October 1.

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. Students receiving any of our scholarships 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 up to $600.00 and a USPAS scholarship will cover housing and your registration fee. 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 Michigan State University 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 Michigan State University through the USPAS and will fully participate in class. Because our courses are co-listed there, Indiana 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 3 credits through Michigan State University. 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 MSU/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.

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 noon on Tuesday, January 28. Official transcripts will be maintained by Michigan State University. Students receiving any scholarship or the DPB Travel Award must enroll for a grade/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 Michigan State University from January 27 - February 7, 2025 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 Michigan State University. 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 January 26 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Hilton Knoxville Hotel (501 W. Church Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902). 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, January 27 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 (February 3 - 7), 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, January 27, 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 will provide to you, you may take advantage of a special reduced hotel room rate and any extras (free sleeping room internet, etc) that we have negotiated for our participants at the Hilton Knoxville. A group block of hotel rooms will be available at the FY2025 U.S. federal government hotel per diem rate for Knoxville. A single room will be available for $119.00 plus tax (currently 17.25%) and a double room (shared by 2 people) will be $59.50 plus tax (currently 17.25%) per person per night. Sleeping rooms reserved via the link we email to you are also entitled to free sleeping room wifi access. Rooms may be reserved at our rate 3 days before and 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.

Self-parking at the Hilton Knoxville is $30.00 per day. We have heard that parking is cheaper one block away at the Locust Street Garage https://www.downtownknoxville.org/locust-street-garage/ but have never used it. Their website says $7.00 maximum per day, free on the weekends and free if you enter/exit after 6:00 pm.

Hotel check-in time is 4:00 pm and check-out time is 11:00 am.

There is a full-service Starbucks in the hotel lobby.

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.

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

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 January 27 through Friday February 7 (including the weekend, i.e. 12 breakfasts). Dinners will be provided from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. from Sunday, January 26 through Thursday, February 6 (including the weekend, i.e. 12 dinners). Students attending both weeks of the school will receive 12 breakfasts and 12 dinners, students attending one week of the school will receive 5 breakfasts and 5 dinners. 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 Hilton Knoxville 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, if your book your hotel room through our link, the hotel will provide free wifi in your guest room.

Airport and Ground Transportation

McGhee Tyson International Airport (TYS) http://flyknoxville.com/ is the nearest airport at about 15 miles from the hotel (approx drive time is 20 minutes). A taxi from the aiport to the hotel should cost about $60.

Code of Conduct

Please read our Code of Conduct.

Programs

Program Information: USPAS Session in Knoxville, Tennessee January 27 - February 7, 2025