Tea Time is the long-standing (and well-attended) weekly social event for grad students and faculty in the CS department.

For a long time, the name stood as a misnomer, since no tea was actually served. However, recently (around early 2016), GRACS acquire supplies of tea leaves. With an electric kettle and a microwave in the lounge, we can now enjoy donuts,

Occasionally, Friends of Computer Science join us at Tea Time.

From: Siddharth Natarajan (siddnat)

For future Tea Time Czars:

It's not very hard to continue doing Tea time at all. There are only four major things you have to do.

1. Find an appropriate time to hold it every week, and book the Faculty lounge for the rest of the semester at that time using the online calendar on the departmental webpage. Let Nancy Hatchett know about the schedule. Some weeks, if the department needs to schedule something else at that time, they'll notify you and tea time can be moved to the GRACS lounge for that day.
2. Call up Ken's donuts. The number is (512) 320-8484. Simply tell the gentleman who picks up that you're calling from the UTCS department regarding the standard order of samosas and donuts for tea time. Let him know what time and day it'll be held each week, and they'll deliver it to the departmental office sufficiently in advance. Please let them know about all changes in plans a day or two in advance. This also goes for starting the order for the semester. You DO NOT have to go to Ken's to pick up the snacks. Also, please give him the name and the telephone number of the person in charge, so that he can get in touch with them regarding orders if any problems or questions arise.
3. Every week, on the day of tea time, send out a reminder to the csgrad list by around 11am. Let people know what time and location tea time will be held. If snacks will be served in multiple batches, please indicate that as well. Also, shoot an email to Nancy Hatchett <nph@cs> the previous day and ask her if any company representatives will be attending tea time the next day. She frequently arranges for this, since historically tea time has been held on the same day as the Faculty lunch, encouraging visiting representatives to hang around for a few hours after lunch to meet with graduate students.
4. Finally, go pick up the snacks from the Grad office (PAI 5.72B), and carry them over to wherever tea time is being held!