Faculty and Staff Resource Page

This webpage acts as a repository of resources, and guides, for faculty and staff of the BU Computer Science Department. Please save the link to this page in an accessible place for your future references. We will periodically send notifications if this page updated via email.

Immediate Issues and Emergencies

Important Dates in Fall 24 & Spring 25

Space, Amenities and Building Management

BU Department of Computer Science
665 Commonwealth Ave Boston, MA

Departmental Spaces

Building hours

Monday – Friday: 7am to 7pm (ID card access required); 7pm to 10pm (ID card access only)
Saturday – Sunday: 8am to 5pm (ID card access required); 5pm to 10pm (ID card access only)

Department Office Hours

Monday – Friday: 6 am-8 am (ID card access only); 7 pm-10 pm, 9 am-6 pm: (no card required).
Saturday – Sunday: 6 am-10 pm (ID card access only)
Holidays: 9 am-6 pm (ID card access only)

To get or replace a BU ID please use the ID Card Request form from BU HR. For building access please email csmgr@bu.edu.

General Directory

6th Floor: Administrative Offices & Master’s Lounge
- Printer Room
- Mailboxes
- Office Supplies
- Shredding Bin
7th Floor: Systems
8th Floor: AI
9th Floor: DATA
10th Floor: Theory, Security, PL

Proprietary Spaces
These rooms are sometimes bookable through the main office. Please fill out the CS Room Reservation Request Form. Please note that these rooms are often used for classes so are available intermittently during the semester.

CDS 1001
CDS 364
CDS 614
CDS 701
CDS 801
CDS 950

Requesting Classroom Changes
Classrooms assignments are firm unless there is an extenuating circumstance. However, if a class change is necessary, the change request must be made not later to one week prior to the start of classes in a given semester. We will do our best to accommodate your request in a timely manner, but please be mindful any changes need to be processed by the registrars office and that timelines is out of the departments hands. To request a change, please contact Academic Program Manager.

Requesting a Room for a One-Off Event
Faculty and staff may request rooms for one-off events, exam accommodations and meetings. Please send room requests with as much notice as possible. We will do our best to accommodate your request, but please be mindful that during the semester availability of rooms, especially within the CDS building, is extremely limited as rooms book out months in advance. To request a room fill out this form.

Amenities

Printers

Located on the 6th floor
To connect to the printers you must have an active ID and you can follow the instructions listed on the wall in the print room.
For printer connectivity issues please send an IT Ticket to support@cs.bu.edu.
TFs are responsible for class-related printing and scanning.

Coffee Machines

Coffee machines are located on floors 7-10 in the shared kitchen are an available during the semesters. A user guide is available beside the machine on each floor.
Faculty, students and staff are responsible to using (and cleaning) their own glass mugs.
The machines are stoked with Dark Roast expresso beans and whole milk.
The department will stock the machines with up to two gallons of milk a week.
If the machine is out of beans, please notify the front office.
Decaf coffee is available on in the 6th floor staff kitchen, next to the mailroom.
Faculty and staff are encouraged to get coffee shops around campus, during periods where the machines are offline.

Sustainability and Custodial Services
As BUs first LEED Platinum Certified building, the Center for Computing and Data Sciences has some specific policies around waste.

Trash is not collected from individual offices, but rather from central trash, recycling and compost bins on each floor.
Occupants are expected to sort their trash into these bins.
Cups, plates, utensils and napkins will not be provided by the department; occupants are expected to use reusable cutlery and dishware.
Paper signage is not allowed outside of bulletin boards in each floor’s shared kitchen.
Thermostats in each office allow for your temperature to fluctuate within a 4 degree Fahrenheit.

Balconies and Outdoor Spaces

Each department manager manages the access to outdoor spaces

Faculty and Staff Expectations and Service

Faculty Leadership Team and Responsibilities (AY 24-25)

Department Chair: George Kollios
- Oversees departmental budgeting
- Serves as point of contact for college and university administration
- Organizes and facilitates faculty meetings
- Prepare and submit annual merit review materials
- coordinate and oversee the work of the faculty leadership
- Attend and participate in monthly chairs’ meeting, CAs meetings, CRA biannual meetings etc
- Promote interests of the department within the college and university
Vice Chair: Evimaria Terzi
- Faculty Actions: oversee hiring, promotion, retention, oversee mentoring
- Oversee mentoring of faculty and lecturers
- Arrange class visits for faculty and lecturers
- Course evaluation review each semester for faculty and lecturers
- Review faculty grant proposals, e.g. CAREER, and draft letter of support if needed
- Oversee discretionary MSR funds to support faculty
- Review sabbaticals and leaves, and coordinate with ACA on impact on teaching
- Organize mid-tenure and promotion review committees
- Coordinate nominations of faculty for awards (internal and external)
- Help Chair with preparing memos, reports, and appointment paperwork
- Coordinate with ACA on graduate programs and MS and PhD Admissions
Associate Chair of Academic Programs: Leonid Reyzin
- Oversee existing programs and their assessment
- Promote new programs
- Course schedules and teaching assignments
- Lecturer Recruitment
- allocation of TF and TF duties assignments/grader support
- Oversea discretionary MSR funds to support programs
- Coordinate with DGS and DGAs on admissions and TF needs
- Coordinate with MPD and DMA on admissions and masters TA needs and with DPE on CA needs
- Help chair with revising members reports and appropriate paperwork
Director of MS in AI: Margrit Betke
- Coordinate with DGS and ACA on admissions and TA needs
- Promote and oversee MS AI program & curriculum development
- Oversee orientation and academic advising of MS AI students
- Routing and approval of course substitutions, internship paperwork, etc.
- Contribute to Web pages, bulletins, etc. for MS AI
- Meet potential MS AI applicants and coordinate with DMA the admissions for MS AIf
Director of Masters Studies and Masters Admissions: Christine Papadakis-Kanaris
- Responsible for the MS advising process, provides academic advising of all MS studentsDay-to-day MS student contact — course substitutions, internship paperwork, etc.Promote MS student life – work with our MS student liaison, etc.
- Contribute to MS program & curriculum development
- Organize departmental presence at recruiting and outreach events
- Web pages: MS pages
- Bulletins: departmental and GRS
- Meet potential MS applicants
- Oversee MS recruitment and admissions process
- Chair of MS admissions committee, including chairing meetings
- Preliminary review and routing of folders to committee
- Oversee/coordinate applicants for admissions and scholarship nominations
- Prepare memos to GRS for admissions and scholarship nominations
- Meet with potential MS applicants
- Coordinate faculty contact with finalists
- Manage admissions webpages
Director of Graduate Studies: Marco Gaboardi
- Promote and develop the graduate program, oversee the MS Program Director (MSPD)Oversee graduate student orientation
- Annual PAS and letters
- Review TF evaluations and note TF performance in PAS letters
- Coordinate grade checks each semester, warning letters
- Letters for exams passed / failed, with copy in student file
- Review graduation applications
- Routing and approval of course equivalence petitions (put copy in student file)
- Web pages: Graduate pages
- Bulletins: departmental and GRS
- Oversee cs-grads mailing list
- Meet potential graduate applicants
- GAANN grant and scholarship coordination (if available)
- Approval of full-time certifications and exam results
- Oversee graduate database management
- Coordinate with DGAs and ACA on admissions and TF needs
- Coordinate, in consultation with Chair and ACA, the teaching of CS 697 (Grad Initiation)
Director of Undergraduate Studies: Dora Erdos
- Acts as faculty advocate for undergraduate students
- Mentor students in BUCS groups
- Organize departmental presence at recruiting and outreach events
- Web pages related to undergraduate program including advising forms and course schedules
- CAS bulletin updates, BU Link course descriptions, prereqa and degree audit www page
- Meet prospective students and their parents, and respond to email/phone queries of undergrad applicants
- Act as a point of contact for other BU units related to undergrads, including CAS Dean for Student Academic Life, CGS, Career Services, etc.
- Contribute to college-wide initiatives on undergraduate education
- Oversee cs-ugrads mailing list
- Oversee (with the help of Associate Chair in case of TFs) scheduling of tutors for the undergrad lab to ensure it happens early each semester
- Coordinate, in consultation with Chair and ACA, the teaching of CS 698 (Grad TF Training)
- Select undergraduate awards and student speaker at commencement; help with the guest speaker selection
- Oversee ongoing review of curriculum, coordination among courses, and prerequisite structure
- Work with admissions office on recruiting students to apply and admitted students to matriculate
Director of Peer Education: David Sullivan
- Expand and oversee peer instruction support (CAs, undergraduate TAs)
Director of PhD Admissions: Emily Whiting
- Oversee PhD recruitment and admissions process
- Chair of PhD admissions committee, including chairing meetings
- Preliminary review and routing of folders to committee
- Oversee/coordinate applicants for admissions and scholarship nominations
- Prepare memos to GRS for admissions and scholarship nominations
- Meet with potential PhD applicants, organize PhD open house in Feb/March
- Coordinate faculty contact with finalists
- Manage Admissions webpages
- Coordinate with DGS and ACA on admissions and TF needs
- Oversee PhD recruitment and admissions process

Administrative Team and Responsibilities

Staff Team and Responsibilities

Administrative Staff

Department Manager: Mary Dangora
- Work directly with the Chair & faculty leadership on the long-term planning and implementation of all aspects of departmental operations, including academics, finance, and space.
- Manage all departmental budget & payroll, including full and part-time faculty and non-faculty researchers, staff and temporary employees. Create, complete, and submit annual Academic Planning and budget.
- Recruit, hire, train and supervise and manage departmental administrative staff
- Manage the processes for appointments, tenure & promotion, faculty leaves and sabbaticals, and visas for tenure track faculty, all lectures postdocs, visiting researchers, visiting students, and volunteers.
- Lead and supervise all space renovations and new space construction. Oversee tap access, room reservations and building access
Program Coordinator: James Boyle
- Hires, trains and supervises student workers
- Maintains CS spaces, supplies and facilities
- Assists faculty and grad students with catering orders, ad-hoc room bookings and student reimbursements
- Assists with print jobs of over 100 copies (with 36 hrs notice)
- Event for faculty and students support
Grants Administrator: Caitlyn Lau
- Submit a proposal to a specific solicitation
- Review expenses on sponsored research accounts.
- No Cost Extension/Re-budget requests for sponsored research accounts
- Move incorrectly allocated expenses to the correct account.
- Question about the terms and conditions of a sponsored research
Communications and DEI Outreach Manager: Natasha Patel
- share news items or opportunities for the Weekly Byte, website or social media
- request website updates and changes
- ask for help in design and marketing projects
- engage with alumni and industry partners
- connect students with career coaching
- ask about the DEI Committee or DEI programming and resources
PhD Program Administrator: Tiffany Wu
- Academics and course registration for PhD students
- Funding for PhD students
- PhD admissions and access to Webadmit
- Questions that may involve GRS
- Anything else or misc questions related to PhD students
Master’s Program Administrator: (vacant)
- Answer any questions for the Computer Science MS Programs.
- Registration and Drop/Add course assistance.
- Questions on program requirement
- MS Admissions questions
Academic Program Manager: Gisele Farrell
- Semester course scheduling and other course related inquiries
- Requesting final exam or class room changes (in accordance with registrar deadlines)
- Coordinating grader appointments each semester
- Clarifying academic advising policies or resources
- Support for students of concern
- Convocation event details
- Other academic-related topics
Academic Advisor: Rachael Kelly
- Advises students with last names start with A-G
- Questions related to the undergraduate major requirements
- Assets students with registration advising, four-year planning resources, transfer credit approval and study abroad academic course approval
- Intra University Transfer (IUT) to Computer Science
- Communicates departmental academic policies and procedures to students
Academic Advisor: Giovanna Karlovic
- Advises students with last names start with H-O
- Questions related to the undergraduate major requirements
- Assets students with registration advising, four-year planning resources, transfer credit approval and study abroad academic course approval
- Intra University Transfer (IUT) to Computer Science
- Communicates departmental academic policies and procedures to students
Academic Advisor: Derek Briand
- Advises students with last names start with P-Z
- Questions related to the undergraduate major requirements
- Assets students with registration advising, four-year planning resources, transfer credit approval and study abroad academic course approval
- Intra University Transfer (IUT) to Computer Science
- Communicates departmental academic policies and procedures to student

Information Technology Staff

IT Manager: Paul Stauffer
Senior Systems Administrator: George Kokkinogenis
Senior Systems Administrator: Scott Norwood
Systems Architect: Stephen Nadas

Finances

Purchases

Faculty are often need to purchase supplies or are sent invoices for various projects. A majority of supplies and invoices can be purchased and processed via the BU procurement system by a department staff member. Please note: purchases from Amazon must be purchased via a department staff member.

To start a supply purchase, email a CS staff member with your needs, budget and the account to which these supplies must be charged. Purchases of over $500 will need two levels or approval, and purchases of over $10,000 will need three levels of approval, so please keep that in mind with processing times.
To process an invoice email the invoice and account for the payment to a CS staff member. Please note that if we have not paid a particular vendor , and that BU runs on a net 60 payment policy. If the payment needs to be paid sooner that 60 days, please let the staff member know and they can request that the payment be expedited. Please understand that whether or not the expedite request is approved is ultimately in the hands of BU procurement.

Restrictions

Electronics purchases should be processed in consultation with CS IT. Please reach out to Paul Stuaffer to start the process of purchasing electronics.
All Amazon purchases must be made via Ariba by a staff member. Amazon purchases made through personal Amazon accounts are not eligible for reimbursement.

Travel Cards and Faculty Reimbursements

All full-time tenure-track faculty and staff at BU are eligible for a travel card, however expenses that can be billed to travel cards are restricted. Faculty may use their travel cards for the following, but all other expenses will need to be processed via Ariba or via a staff P-card:s

Professional Subscriptions/Dues
Airfare
Car rentals
Taxis and Ride Shares
Local Travel
Materials and Periodicals purchased during traveling dates only

Faculty can processes their own reimbursement through Concur.

Restrictions

Receipts: Any expenses above $25 must have a receipt. In the event a receipt has been lost, faculty will be required to submit a missing receipt form through Concur, which will require additional sign off
Amazon Restrictions: Boston University Procurement does not permit BU departments to reimburse Amazon purchases as the University has its own Amazon catalogue that staff can access. In order to have a faculty or student make an Amazon purchase, an email must be sent a department staff member for the item to be ordered for you directly. The PI of the grant or approver of the account CCed.

Purchasing Cards

For items that cannot be purchased via travel card or via an invoice on Ariba, faculty may request for a staff member to make a purchase using a purchasing card. To start a purchase, email a CS staff member with your needs, budget and the account to which these supplies must be charged. Purchase over $1000 or from an unfamiliar vendor may require additional approval from the university P-card administrator. Please keep this in mind for your payment timeline. Amazon purchases cannot be made with a p-card.

Reimbursements for Guests and Students

Faculty and staff in need of reimbursement should complete a Concur report on their individual profile. Guests and students incur expenses that need to be reimbursed from a BU account or grant can fill out the reimbursement request form here. All those seeking reimbursement should have sought approval to have their expense reimburse from their PI or department contact prior to making the purchase.

Restrictions

Receipts: Any expenses above $25 must have a receipt. In the event a receipt has been lost, faculty will be required to submit a missing receipt form through Concur, which will require additional sign off
Amazon Restrictions: All Amazon orders must be requested through CS Administrative Coordinator James Boyle. The PI of the grant or approver of the account should be CCed on the email.

Card Usage Cheat Sheet

Faculty and Staff Resource Page

Immediate Issues and Emergencies

Important Dates in Fall 24 & Spring 25

Space, Amenities and Building Management

Faculty and Staff Expectations and Service

Administrative Team and Responsibilities

Finances

Links to HR and Grants Resources