September, 2008
First Year Students:
Welcome to Middlebury. We hope you will find your four years here stimulating and rewarding.
This booklet intends to help you as you establish yourself at the outset of your Middlebury experience. It presents important information about initial expectations in a dialogue of "frequently asked questions." These, in brief, are the rules of the game.
You registered this summer for your First-Year Seminar. We have found this program (introduced in 1992) to be a most effective advising concept for new students. Students and advisers get to know one another through their ongoing interaction in class. In taking on a seminar, advisers have assumed the responsibility of being one of the most important influences in the lives of new students in their first months at Middlebury. For students, your first year in college is a challenging transition. The opportunity to meet on a frequent basis and to get to know your faculty adviser is important and should be fully exploited.
Advisers share their concern for you with many others who provide students with the support they need to succeed. Our Residential Life Staff, including First-Year Counselor (sophomores, juniors, and seniors who live in first-year halls in our dorms) reinforce the academic mission of the College by maintaining a vibrant residential community.
I hope you will get to know the "people who can help" listed on the back cover: They are also happy to answer your questions in the crucial beginning weeks, and thereafter.
We look forward to meeting and working with you in this exciting enterprise.
Karl Lindholm
Dean of Advising
I. GETTING STARTED
I know what my first year seminar is. How will I select my other courses?
You will meet with your first-year seminar on Thursday morning, the first full day of Orientation. Your seminar professor, who is also your adviser, will go over course selection and registration for classes, and you will sign up for individual meetings with him or her for later Thursday or Friday. Some professors structure this first class to be a broad introduction to Middlebury’s academic environment, while others choose to begin exploring the seminar topic immediately.
Following your seminar, all students interested in taking classes in departments that require placement exams will take exams; see your Orientation materials for more details. The results of these tests will help you to plan your class schedule. Later in the afternoon, you will attend the Academic Forum in Kenyon Arena, where all of Middlebury’s academic departments will have faculty representatives available to answer any questions you may have.
After talking through your interests with your adviser, taking placement exams, and attending the Academic Forum, you will register for your remaining course at Registration on Saturday morning. This event is structured as an in-person arena-style registration in Kenyon Arena (the hockey rink). All of your future registrations at Middlebury will be done on-line. Do not worry about class registration: it will all be thoroughly explained by your faculty adviser and by others familiar with the process.
A normal course load is four courses. Classes meet for a minimum of three hours each week. Some classes, especially in the languages and sciences, meet more often for intensive language drills and laboratory work, and others have evening film screenings. You’ll need to spend some time experimenting with different courses schedules. The whole process can resemble a jigsaw puzzle at times as you figure out what courses actually fit with each other.
The Middlebury campus is large for a school of its size (240 acres), so we allow fifteen minutes between classes. Don’t hesitate to take classes that meet back-to-back; there is ample time to get from one place to another.
The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Research (CTLR), centrally located in the Library, will also hold hours during Orientation when students can come in and review course choices with professional staff members and upper-class student advisers.
Will I actually be able to get into the classes I want or need?
It’s entirely possible that you won't get exactly the class schedule you want most. Courses and sections are limited in size to ensure classes of a reasonable size, and courses do fill up and close.
When you arrive at Middlebury, you will be assigned a random registration number which determines the order in which you will enter Kenyon Arena to register. This is a simple lottery system with numbers from 1 (a very good number to have) to the 600s.
Your seminar professor will go over strategies that respond to your registration number and will encourage you to make priorities among your course choices. You should read the descriptions of all the 100-level courses in the Catalog. Don’t be afraid to take a calculated risk: the Middlebury curriculum is rich in subject areas which were not offered at your secondary school. You will be advised to explore alternatives and come to registration knowing three or four ways that your first-semester courses will satisfy your needs.
What if I get a bad lottery number?
You will get the courses you need to satisfy your academic goals. It is good to have a master plan, and to have confidence that you will get into the courses you need. It’s also okay not to have a master plan; things will work out.
I'm confused by Middlebury’s distribution requirement.
Don’t be; it’s not that complicated. We have a course distribution requirement based on eight categories of courses, and a cultures and civilizations requirement involving four categories of courses. You must take one course in seven of the eight academic categories, and one course in each of the four cultures and civilizations categories.
A listing and explanation of these categories are in the hard-copy Catalog (the Catalog in its most up-to-date form can be accessed on-line through the College’s web page) and pages 11-12 of the First-year Seminar Registration materials you received this summer.
It makes sense to keep course distribution in mind as you choose classes. The requirement that you cannot choose more than one course this term in any one discipline ensures distribution at this point.
Does the first-year seminar count toward the distribution requirement?
Yes. Check the First-year Seminar Registration booklet to see which distribution category or categories (in bold-face capital letters) your seminar covers.
Are there any idiosyncrasies in the Distribution Requirement?
You won't get Foreign Language credit for first-year French or first-year Spanish. This is because many students have taken French and Spanish in high school, and might choose to repeat that work at Middlebury in order to satisfy the distribution requirement.
Other than that, it's pretty straightforward: one course in seven of eight categories. Note in the course catalog that distribution categories are listed after the course description.
I want to continue studying the foreign language I studied in high school. How do I know my level? How do I know which course to take?
As noted earlier, on the first Thursday of Orientation, placement tests will be offered (see page 28 in the First-Year Seminar Registration booklet for a full schedule and explanation of placement tests). You can also speak with faculty members from particular departments at the Academic Forum on Thursday afternoon.
Does it make sense for me to begin a new language now, or should I wait until I have my feet on the ground?
If you want to study abroad in your junior year in the language you are considering taking, you should probably begin now. If you start next year, you will be required to come to come to Middlebury summer school in order to be qualified for study abroad.
Keep in mind, however, that studying at Middlebury in the summer is a great way to learn languages. Students who begin the "less-commonly taught" languages – Arabic, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, or Japanese - in their first year often take the third year of the language in the summer before going abroad in the junior year.
So if I want to study abroad, I have to be qualified to study in the language of the country in which I am studying?
As simply stated as possible, our study abroad policy is as follows:
a) If you study in a country whose people speak a language we teach at Middlebury, you must qualify at the intermediate/advanced level (two years or more of college study).
b) If you study in a country whose people speak a language we do not teach at Middlebury (for example, in Scandinavia, Greece, Poland), your program of study must include language study.
c) If you study in an English speaking country (i.e. the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia), you must be able to meet other conditions established by the Programs Abroad Committee.
Over half of Middlebury students study abroad in their junior year. Most of those students are taking classes in the language of the host country.
May I take two languages?
Yes, but keep in mind distribution concerns. It doesn't make sense to begin two languages in the first semester. First year language study usually has an intense winter term component that would be impossible to accommodate in two languages. Wait until next year to begin a second new language.
May I take two lab courses in the sciences?
Yes, but keep in mind distribution concerns. The wisdom of taking two lab courses depends entirely upon your science background and aptitude. If you are a very strong science student, and you have an ambition for a career in the sciences, go ahead. In other cases, your high school record and aptitude scores might indicate that it would be wise to wait and not take two lab sciences immediately.
What about pre-med - and other majors with lots of requirements?
If you plan to be pre-med, you should be sure to see Arlinda Wickland, Health Professions Adviser, during Orientation or in the first week of class in order to familiarize yourself with the pre-med course requirements. Pre-med requirements are printed in the First-Year Seminar Registration booklet you received this summer (page 9), and are also available on line. You don't have to major in the sciences to be pre-med, but it's important that you start early and take the right sequence of courses.
Other departments, Economics and International Studies, for example, ask you to get started early in order to get through required preliminary courses. Again, read the Catalog. Talk to your adviser.
Should I worry about my major now?
It's okay if you don't know what you want to major in. The first year is for experimenting, finding out about yourself and your interests. If you hope to study abroad in your junior year, however, it does make sense to get started in your major this year, so you will have required courses out of the way by then. Likewise, it is important to start pre-medical courses if you intend to take the MCATs during your junior year.
If you have two or three major possibilities, take classes in your first year in those areas, and you will end up knowing more about your direction at the end of the year. Read the Catalog closely so you know the demands of different departments in which you are interested.
I love Biology; I think I’ll major in it. May I take more than one course in Biology this semester? In any department?
No. The first year is for spreading out, to experience liberal arts diversity, to "distribute" your courses over the curriculum. In the second semester, with your adviser's support, it is possible to take two courses in the same department, but keep in mind distribution concerns.
May I take five courses - or six?
No. First-year students take a maximum of four courses. No exceptions in your first semester. The rule for five courses is: "permission is granted to students who have maintained an average of B or better in the two preceding terms." If you think an exception is warranted for the spring, see your adviser and then your Commons dean. Five is the maximum number of courses allowed, and then only with authorization.
How about three courses?
Yes. It is your prerogative to take three courses. For some students, taking three courses in the first semester makes good sense. Usually, it is advisable to start with four courses, then drop down to three if the workload is too great, or if one course entirely eludes you. Remember that you have to make up that course credit at some point (unless you have an AP credit, or credit earned from some other college or university prior to coming to Middlebury). International students should take care to maintain whatever full course load your visas require.
A two course load?
No. Students must be registered for at least three courses at all times. They may drop to two only with the permission of the Administration Committee in the case of extreme personal circumstances (for example, a family tragedy or a serious medical problem).
Should I worry about writing-intensive courses?
Not yet. Each first-year seminar is writing intensive. Sometime in the next three semesters, after the first, you will have to take one more writing-intensive class. They are listed in the hard copy Catalog and on the web. You cannot get writing credit for an additional course beyond your FYS in your first semester.
I’m not an ace on the computer. Can I get help?
The LIS Computing Help Desk in the Library takes pride in being user friendly. There are student consultants who will work with you, as well as classes for beginners; also, students in your residence hall will be happy to teach you the basics. Make sure you look over the computer materials provided to you at the Welcome Center when you first arrive on campus. Drop in to the Computer Center in the library during Orientation to discuss with the consultants your needs and concerns, or call the Computer Help Desk at x2200.
Am I restricted only to 100-level courses in my first year?
No. It may make sense for you to take courses at the 200 or (rarely) at the 300 levels. In the natural sciences and languages, students often will "place" higher than the 100 level. Be sure to talk to department chairs at the Academic Forum on Thursday and to take the placement exams at their scheduled times. In the humanities and social sciences, occasionally, you can get permission to enroll in upper-level classes, but keep in mind that assessments (tests, essays, etc.) are based on an assumption of academic experience.
When will I find out about my AP credit?
You should have a letter in your College mailbox from the Registrar’s Office about your AP credit. Your adviser also gets a copy of these results. AP credit guidelines were spelled out in the seminar registration booklet. AP credit awarded appears on your Banner Web transcript.
I took college-level work before coming to Middlebury. How can I get that credit evaluated?
You should first see Jennifer Feehan in the Registrar’s Office in Forest Hall. She will explain the process for getting that work evaluated for transfer credit to your Middlebury degree. You should keep in mind that the rule of thumb is that this study has taken place in a college environment (that is, under the supervision of college teachers, with college students in the class). Also, you may not have used this credit toward your high school degree.
I’m an international student. How about the International Baccalaureate?
Middlebury welcomes students from I.B. schools and awards a full year of credit (9 course credits) for students who earn the full I.B. diploma with 36 or more points, and at least three higher level scores of 6 or 7. Partial credit is also available. See a staff member in the Off-Campus Study Office in Sunderland Hall for further discussion.
I have a certified disability. How does that information get to my professors?
Jodi Litchfield is the Coordinator of the Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA) Office. You should make it a point to see her right away to discuss your disability and the accommodations that make sense, and how best to communicate with your professors.
I need to earn money. Can I succeed in my studies and still work?
Yes. The financial aid award, for those students who qualify, is based in part on the expectation that students can earn spending money. We wouldn't do this if it weren't possible. Job obligations will, however, require you to be responsible when planning your time.
How about sports? I love sports but I'm worried they will take up too much of my time. Should I go out for a team?
Middlebury students should be able to succeed in their studies and commit themselves to a gratifying extra-curricular activity. An extra-curricular activity is an important part of the education of many students. Sports practices begin at 4:30 p.m. at the end of the daily class schedule. The Athletic Department asks for a commitment from its varsity athletes, but understands and wholeheartedly supports the academic priorities of the College. If you play on a team, it will be important for you to manage your time carefully.
II. AFTER THE FIRST WEEK
Middlebury has an Honor Code. How does it work?
Middlebury does indeed have an Honor Code and it’s a very important part of the academic experience at Middlebury. You will learn about the Honor Code during Orientation and receive a booklet that will answer your questions.
None of your exams will be proctored; that is, your teachers will not be in the room. You will write on your exams, essays and lab reports the following pledge: “I have neither given nor received any unauthorized aid on this exam.”
If you are found to have been dishonest by cheating or plagiarizing, penalties are severe (often suspension or expulsion; failure in the exam/essay and/or the course).
Does Middlebury have a class attendance policy?
Some teachers will have an explicit policy, others won’t. Some classes are large and attendance isn’t taken. Most large classes have smaller discussion sections where attendance is crucial and teachers take note of who’s there. It’s perhaps more appropriate to talk about “expectations.” The expectation is that you will come to every class and be engaged, prepared, and respectful of your teachers and your classmates – and of the academic enterprise in general.
If you are having difficulty in a class, the first question that gets asked is about your attendance in class and your timely completion of assignments.
Will my adviser excuse me from a class?
Advisers can excuse you from their classes, but not from others. They can intercede on your behalf with other teachers and with the deans, but you will have to see the other teachers yourself for excuses.
What's a Dean's Excuse?
The Deans of Commons have the authority to excuse you from class for extreme medical reasons or for personal emergencies. The deans have this authority for practical reasons: to facilitate your lives in times of distress. You explain your problem to one of them, and if appropriate, your dean will contact your teachers excusing you from class and extending assignments. The deans frequently see students experiencing difficulty and can help you access other support services as well.
Can't I deal directly with my professors if I have conflicts?
Absolutely. In most cases, that's the best choice. Some professors do insist on a "Dean's Excuse." The faculty has given the deans exclusive authority for final exam changes and incompletes at the end of the term.
What about Winter Term? How does it work?
Middlebury has had a 4-1-4 calendar since the early 1970s. A normal course load of four courses is the expectation in the Fall and Spring Semesters. In January, students take one class intensively from a special catalog of courses. Though some standard courses are offered (Organic Chemistry for one), generally these are courses that are outside the normal curriculum. A great variety of courses are offered and a number are led by expert teachers from outside our faculty. First-year language classes exploit the Winter Term for intensive language study. A Winter Term course counts the same as a fall or spring course.
In order to graduate you must have at least two Winter Term course credits. After the first year, it is possible to do an internship for credit during January – and many students do (last year, 141 students). Internships are administered by the Career Services Office All students living on-campus in January must be earning academic credit for Winter Term. First-year students must take a Winter Term course on campus. The Winter Term course catalog comes out in November and a special on-line registration takes place at that time.
I'm an athlete on a Middlebury team. Will the deans or the Athletic Department automatically notify my teachers and excuse me from class if I have a game?
No. There are no "excused" absences for athletic contests. We have a concept of "explained" absences that depends on communication between students, teachers, and the Athletic Department. Students on teams go over their contest schedule with their teachers early in the semester to arrange as much as possible adjustments to accommodate conflicts.
The Athletic Department, at the beginning of each semester, sends to every faculty member a list of contests and travel information and copies of the "explained absence" policy. The exclusive authority for excusing athletes from class rests with individual teachers.
What if I don’t like my roommate? May I switch my room?
Early on, there's not much flexibility for change. Try to make things better. Talk directly to your roommate to see if you can work out differences. Talk to the counselors in your residence hall (FYCs, CRAs). The residence hall staff takes seriously the roommate questionnaire you filled out and tries to match you with someone with similar interests and a similar lifestyle.
If you have given the situation some time and energy, you've talked to your FYC and CRA, and it still seems impossible, do see your Commons dean. See what your options are. It is sometimes possible to change rooms and dorms.
I'm having a hard time in one (or more!) of my classes. How do I get help?
Middlebury should challenge you. Our hope is that you find it rigorous. All incoming students have been successful in their prior study, though some will be better prepared than others. First, talk to the teacher of the class. See what the teacher suggests as solutions to your problems with the material of the course. In your first-year seminar, you have a peer writing tutor and, in many classes, an ACE (Academic Counselor for Excellence), upper-class students who have been trained to help with time management.
There are great sources of support in the CTLR (Center for Teaching, Learning, and Research) as well. You can get a peer tutor in that subject area there. Yonna McShane is the Director of Learning Resources. She, or a member of her staff, can explain the array of CTLR services, which provide help to students experiencing academic difficulty.
I'm not a confident writer. Can I get help?
Yes, indeed. The Director of the Writing Program at Middlebury is Kathy Skubikowski (5878). There are special writing courses (WP100-101) as well as professional writing tutors, whose offices are also located in the library. Your adviser may intercede for you or you may go to the library yourself and make arrangements for help. We also have peer writing tutors; you can also get information about that service in the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Research.
How much will this wonderful help cost?
It's all included in the comprehensive fee.
I've tried. I can't do it in one of my classes. May I drop it?
Yes, provided you do so before the end of the fifth week of the semester. That’s a firm deadline. After that, try to salvage the class with a strong effort - or take an "F" and try to do well in your other classes.
What happens to my grades if I drop out of school during the semester? Do I get four "F's”?
No. If you withdraw from school before December 1 in the fall and May 1 in the spring, nothing at all will appear on your transcript. You must remain out of school for at least the next semester. No F's. No refund either.
I can’t wait for it all to start. I know my teachers will be wonderful and I will love my classes. How can I become a professor like they are?
Study. Study. Study.
PEOPLE WHO CAN HELP
DEAN OF THE COLLEGE x3300; 5382
Gus Jordan, Acting Dean of the College (Judicial Affairs)
Karen Guttentag, Assoc. Dean of the College
Katy Smith-Abbott, Assoc. Dean of the College/Ass’t Prof. Art History
Lee Zerrilla, Senior Resident Adviser
Karin Hall-Kolts, Residential Systems Coordinator, x3301
Atwater Commons x3310
Deborah Cousino, Coordinator
Scott Barnicle, Dean
Peter Nelson, Associate Professor, Geography; Michelle Nelson, Ass’t. Dir, Admissions, Faculty Heads
Matt Boucher, Commons Resident Adviser
Brainerd Commons x3320
Diane Burnham, Coordinator
Matthew Pacholec, Dean
Robert Schine, Silberman Professor of Jewish Studies; Marita Schine, Faculty Heads
Elissa Denton, CRA
Cook Commons x3330
Linda Schiffer, Coordinator
Karl Lindholm, Acting Dean, Ass’t Professor, American Studies
Pat Zupan, Professor, Italian Department, Faculty Head
Andrew Middleton, CRA
Ross Commons x3340
Sue Harris, Coordinator
Janine Clookey, Dean
Pavlos Sfyroeras , Assoc. Professor, Classics; Maria Hatjigeorgiou, Religion; Faculty Heads
Maegan Olivos, CRA
Wonnacott Commons x3350
Brenda Fizur, Coordinator
Matt Longman, Dean
Will Nash, Assoc. Prof. American Studies; Deb Evans, Ass’t Prof. American Studies, Faculty Heads
Josh Chan, CRA
CENTER FOR TEACHING, LEARNING, AND RESEARCH x3131
(First-Year Seminar Program, Learning Resources Office, Peer Tutoring; Writing Program)
Kathy Skubikowski, Director/Ass’t Dean for Instruction x5878
Yonna McShane, Learning Resources Director x5142
Jeanne Albert, Dir. Quantitative Skills Support
Mary Ellen Bertolini, Ass’t Director of the Writing Program x3182
Catherine Wright, Tutor-in-Writing x2568
Holly Stark, Tutor-in-Writing, ESL
Jennifer Bates, Tutor-in-Writing
JoAnn Brewer, Peer Tutoring x3131
COUNSELING & HUMAN RELATIONS x5141
Gary Margolis, Director
Ene Piirak, Associate Director
Virginia Logan, Associate Director
Ximena Mejia, Counselor
INSTITUTIONAL DIVERSIY x5615
Jennifer Herrera, Coordinator of Diversity Initiatives
Kathy Foley-Giorgio, Associate Dean/Director of International Student and Scholar Services
Jodi Litchfield, ADA Coordinator
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY x5911
Elizabeth Boudah, Director, Assoc. Dean of the College
Dan Gaiotti, Assistant Director, Patrol Operations
HEALTH CENTER x5135
Mark Peluso, Physician
Terry Jenny, Assoc. Director
Jyoti Daniere, Director of Health & Education
CENTER FOR CAMPUS ACTIVITIES AND LEADERSHIP X3103
Douglas Adams, Director
J.J. Boggs, Assistant Dir. Campus Activities
Derek Doucet, Outdoor Programs Director
ALLIANCE FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
(Resources re: Service, Pedagogy, and Citizenship))
Tiffany Sargent, Director x5082
STUDENT EMPLOYMENT
Dee Gilbert, x5377
REGISTRAR x5770
LeRoy Graham, Registrar
Alice Rouleau, Associate Registrar
Mary Bartz, Transcript Requests
Jennifer Feehan, Transfer Credit
Gloria Gottlieb, Grades
DIRECTOR OF STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS; HEALTH PROFESSIONS ADVISER x2455
Arlinda Wickland
DEAN OF ADVISING x5381
Karl Lindholm, Ass’t Professor of American Studies
CHAPLAIN x5626
Laurel Macauley Jordan
Ira Schiffer, Associate Chaplain/Rabbi
ATHLETICS & PHYSICAL EDUCATION x5253
Erin Quinn, Athletic Director
Missy Foote, Director of Physical Education
Bob Smith, Director of Intramurals and Club Sports