First-Year Students

Web registration opens next Monday, April 8th and closes at Midnight on April 19th. 

Any registration submitted after the 19th will be considered late and will incur a $25.00 late registration fee as well as invalidate any student in this category for both Haverford and Bryn Mawr lotteries.  Tri-Co Course Guide is up to date as of this minute;

Please check your web transcript now, assuring you (and the Registrar) that your listed Adviser is correct.

Do not submit your web registration to your Adviser for approval until you are absolutely sure of the courses you wish to take.  Once you submit, you cannot make any changes until your return to Haverford in late August.

Tips for selecting courses for sophomore year:

•  Exploring a possible major is key.  If you are already considering a major based on the courses you have taken, make sure you try a different professor in the same department.
• Balance is important.  Take a look at your degree audit and see what requirements you still need to fulfill.
• You will need to fulfill the Foreign Language requirement, or have a plan to do so, before declaring a major.

You may want to check out the Deans Web site for sophomore year information at:

www.haverford.edu/deans/sophomoreyear/timeline.php

Tuesday, April 9, 2013                 4:30PM -Chase Hall Auditorium

Anthony Bogues, Harmon Family Professor of Africana Studies and Director of the Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice, Brown University    “Frantz Fanon, Freedom and a Radical Politics of the Human.”

Tea at 4:15PM.

From the OAR

Dear Sirs and Madams: How To Write An E-mail

 Procrastination and Perfectionism: Pitfalls and Perks

Wednesday, April 10      7:30-10:00pm                    CPGC Cafe (Stokes 104)

Creative Actions Workshop
Environmentalists Can Be Fun Too! Eat! Talk!  Network! And become artists for a night–the cool  kind of artist!

Join forces, Enviros, for a big Tri-Co party and workshop for the student environmental groups at all three colleges. We’ll eat pizza, get to know each other, make plans to take over the world–and make our own smoothies.

And we’ll enjoy a super-quickie crash course on “environmental art actions” by visiting artist Jenny Price and a workshop on how to use these public actions to address the issues we care most about. How can we get people to garden? Recycle? Use less energy? Care about justice? Divest?!!

All we ask of you is to  RSVP here and BYOSC (bring your own smoothie container). We can’t wait to see you there!  Please feel free to email Tapoja Chaudhuri at tchaudhu@haverford.edu with your questions about the event.

There are a number of important tasks that are required before you arrive on campus August 29:

Complete the Technology Orientation, as explained in the “Getting started with Technology at Haverford” post. See blogs.haverford.edu/firstyear/2012/06/20/getting-started-with-technology-at-haverford/ for details.

In order to provide you with information that will be useful as you complete your placement exams and begin your academics at Haverford, we are asking all students in the Class of 2016 to complete the Academic Integrity Tutorial, which can be found at  Academic Integrity Tutorial (Class of 2016). This is not optional. The information contained will be followed up with additional information when you arrive, so we need each one of you to complete it before you arrive on campus August 29.

Don’t forget to send the photo for your OneCard – www.haverford.edu/security/OneCard/

Complete Placement exams – See the Update on Deadlines post of July 22

To insure that all incoming students can come into these discussions with a common base of knowledge, we are asking all first-year students to complete a required, 30-minute on-line course entitled, “Lasting Choices: Protecting Our Campus >From Sexual Assault.”  Please complete this course before you arrive on campus later this month. To access the course:
Click on the link: www.studentfyi.com

• First-time users should select the link to create a new account on the right side of the screen.

• Use Haverford’s institution registration code:  0491-S101-XY12

As part of Customs Week, all incoming students participate in small, seminar-style lectures and discussions with members of the faculty. The seminars are intended to help introduce first-year students to Haverford’s academic environment and provide an opportunity to engage in earnest and intellectual discourse before the start of classes.

Topics for the discussions range from the meaning of the Opening Ceremonies at the 2012 Olympics to the science of personality. There are 21 seminars from which you may choose; space will be limited to 18 students in each seminar. The link below will bring you to a list of faculty members who will lead these discussions, along with their respective topics. Please take a few moments to look over the offerings and choose one that is of interest to you. Once you arrive on campus for Customs Week, you will receive the exact details about your seminar in your Customs Week schedule.

Enrollment in these seminars is on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you find that the seminar for which you want to register is already full, simply sign up for another seminar that piques your interest.

To sign up, follow the link below and log in using your Haverford username and password. We request that you select a seminar no later than August 5th, 2012.

Seminars with the Faculty:
www.haverford.edu/customs/seminars_with_faculty/
Nota Bene: If you’re unable to select a seminar by August 5th, 2012, we will randomly assign you to a seminar; no worries!

We are very much looking forward to meeting you! Until then, enjoy the rest of your summers!

Best,

Ben, Jake, and Jay
Customs Heads

Students make many different uses of the libraries’ services and resources.  For a brief introduction, see photos and details on this website: www.haverford.edu/library/first-years/.  Check out the links for student theses, research guides, rare books, DVDs, the Global Terrorism Research Project, and more.

Bonus: If you answer the 9 questions at the end before August 28, you will be entered into a drawing for gift cards from the Wawa, the store where everyone gets their snacks .

Watch for an email in early August from your personal librarian who will be your first point of contact for all library and research needs.

The summer is flying by and there are some deadlines that you must keep in mind:

(June 29) If you have not sent the Faculty Adviser Survey, HERE IS THE LINK.    Your Faculty Adviser needs to know a bit about you before you arrive.  Please fill out the adviser survey which you can find at: www.admin.haverford.edu/servlet/reality/hcadmin/introletter

(July 21) Confidential Health Record -    www.haverford.edu/healthservices/services/forms.php Must be submitted by July 21, 2012. Students under 18 may need assistance/information from their parents when completing the form.  There is a fee penalty if the form is late so, take a look at all the information in the Health Center web site to make sure you are ready to make a healthy transition. www.haverford.edu/healthservices/services Don’t forget the Physical!

August 1st – Health  Insurance www.haverford.edu/healthservices/services

Placement exams:

Mathematics: news.haverford.edu/survey/index.php?sid=99896&newtest=Y&lang=en

Physics: www.haverford.edu/physics-astro/placement.php.

Chemistry: www.haverford.edu/chem/dept/placement/exam.php

Economics:  www.haverford.edu/economics/docs/economics-placement.doc

Chinese Placement Exam: There are two parts to this exam.  One part needs to be completed online by August 10, 2012. The second part will be completed on Thursday, August 30th, the day after you arrive on campus.  Please read the instructions at:   www.brynmawr.edu/eastasian/chinese.html You will find the placement instructions at the bottom of the page.

Spanish Placement Exam – will be available online from Sunday, August 12th until Sunday, August 26th at midnight through Moodle at Spanish Placement Test Fall 2012 .

French Placement Exam -  Available at:    webcape.byuhtrsc.org/?acct=haverford (the password is: paris-dakar).

ALL students in the Class of 2016 must complete the Academic Integrity Tutorial Academic Integrity Tutorial (Class of 2016) and             before they arrive.   These are not optional.

Proficiency in a language other than one’s own, ancient or modern, serves many ends. It deepens an appreciation of one’s own language, increases sensitivity and understanding of the nature of language itself, and enables the student to gain a far more intimate understanding of different cultures than is possible through translations.  Further, with regard to specific disciplinary ends, many graduate programs require a reading knowledge of at least two languages other than English.

For all these reasons, Haverford College requires all of its students to complete two semesters of college-level study of a language other than English by the end of their junior year. Beginning with the Class of 2016 this requirement may be satisfied in one of the following three ways:

(a) One full year of language study in one language at the level in which the student is placed by the appropriate Haverford College language department; or

(b) Language study in a course conducted under Haverford College’s approved International Study Abroad Programs, and as certified in advance by the relevant language department chair at either Haverford or Bryn Mawr, or by the Educational Policy Committee when the language has no counter department at either Haverford or Bryn Mawr; or

(c)  Language study in a summer program administered by Bryn Mawr College in the country of the language if that program is an intensive, total-immersion program, fully equivalent to a full year of language study, and certified as such by the chairperson of a Haverford or Bryn Mawr language department. (CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE)

Language courses may be taken at Haverford or at any of the cooperating colleges: Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore, and with advisor and registrar permission, the University of Pennsylvania. The Haverford department, however, must determine placement. Other restrictions which apply to the language requirement are as follows:

Courses taken to fulfill the language requirement do not meet divisional distribution requirements and may not be taken NNG (non-graded option) at Haverford, CR/NCR at Bryn Mawr or Swarthmore, or P/F at the University of Pennsylvania

FOR INFORMATION ON THE LANGUAGE PLACEMENT EXAMS:

Please keep in mind that in order to help us place you at the level which is best suited to your preparation and potential, you are expected to give your best effort while taking the exam, under the principles of the Haverford Honor Code.

Students who have never taken these languages do not need to take the placement test.

Chinese Placement Exam: There are two parts to this exam.  One part needs to be completed online by August 10, 2012. The second part will be completed on Thursday, August 30th, the day after you arrive on campus.  Please read the instructions at:   www.brynmawr.edu/eastasian/chinese.html You will find the placement instructions at the bottom of the page.

Spanish Placement Exam – will be available online from Sunday, August 12th until Sunday, August 26th at midnight through Moodle at Spanish Placement Test Fall 2012 .

Students who are planning or just considering enrollment in a Spanish course at Haverford or Bryn Mawr College at any point in the future must take the Placement Test.     The online Spanish Placement Test must be taken before arriving on campus, even if students are not planning on taking Spanish during the first year.

Students who have never taken Spanish do not need to take the placement test.   There will be an Elementary Spanish section reserved for absolute beginners.

French Placement Exam -  Available at:    webcape.byuhtrsc.org/?acct=haverford (the password is: paris-dakar).

German Placement Exam – Will be available on campus on Thursday, August 30th at 8:30 AM.   Consult your Customs Week Schedule for the exact time and place.

Japanese Placement exam – Will be available on campus on Thursday, August 30th at 8:30 AM. Consult your Customs Week Schedule for the exact time and place.

Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Latin and Russian – There are no formal placement exams for these languages.  Students will be able to speak with faculty representing these departments at the Academic Fair taking place on Monday, September 3rd. or by arranging an appointment to meet with the faculty teaching the introductory class during the shopping period, Sept.4-7.  Students who have never taken these languages do not need to take the placement test.

When choosing your courses for the first semester, you will probably need information about the level at which you should enter a particular field of study. This process is known as “Placement.” In areas where you are particularly well prepared, you may be placed into intermediate rather than beginning level courses. Where no placement exam is given, an interview with the department chair can determine your status.

Most of the placement exams and surveys are available on line this summer and should be completed by August 9.   I encourage you to complete them before you arrive on campus so  your adviser has the placement results when you meet and you can take advantage of all that Customs Week offers and.    Some language placement exams are only available when you arrive at Haverford during Customs Week.  If you are not able to complete the online tests, please contact your Dean, Raisa Williams (rwilliam@haverford.edu) or 610-896-1293.

One other thing to keep in mind about placement exams and their results is that credit and placement are separate issues at the College.  High scores on AP exams will carry credit but will not automatically assure advanced standing in a particular subject.  Such placement depends upon judgments made by the departments concerned after testing or interviews.  Advanced placement on exams administered during Customs Week or on line does not carry credit.  In other words, although students may receive both credit and advanced placement in a given subject, it is perfectly common to receive one without the other.  The two processes are independent of each other.

Please remember that in order to help us place you at the level which is best suited to your preparation and potential, you are expected to give your best effort while taking the exam, under the principles of the Haverford Honor Code.

Information on Language Placement Exams will be coming soon via a blog next week.

Other placement exams available:

Mathematics: blogs.haverford.edu/survey/index.php?sid=99896&newtest=Y&lang=en

Physics: www.haverford.edu/physics-astro/placement.php.

Chemistry: www.haverford.edu/chem/dept/placement/exam.php

Economics:  www.haverford.edu/economics/docs/economics-placement.doc

By now you have received information about many programs and there have been a number of deadlines attached to them.  Here is a recap:

Email activation is due as soon as you receive your credentials.  Signing up to receive blogs and following up with the information provided in them  needs to be a PRIORITY this summer as you begin your transition to college.  If you have not received your credentials you need to contact your Dean, Raisa Williams ( rwilliam@haverford.edu) or 610-896-1293.

June 11 - Student Entry Record and Housing Questionnaire (www.haverford.edu/reslife/first-year_students.php)

June 29, 2012 Your Faculty Adviser needs to know a bit about you before you arrive.  Please feel out the adviser survey which you can find at: www.admin.haverford.edu/servlet/reality/hcadmin/introletter

Writing sample  July 15, 2012 www.haverford.edu/writingprogram/placements.php

July 21 - Confidential Health Record -    www.haverford.edu/healthservices/services/forms.php Must be submitted by July 21, 2012. Students under 18 may need assistance/information from their parents when completing the form.  There is a fee penalty if the form is late so, take a look at all the information in the Health Center web site to make sure you are ready to make a healthy transition. www.haverford.edu/healthservices/services

Information on getting started in Haverford’s technical network is available through iits.haverford.edu/help-center/getting-started-at-haverford/ There is an important Quiz which you should complete as soon as possible, but no later than August 29.

FUTURE DEADLINES, MOST OF WHICH WILL NEED TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE YOU ARRIVE AUGUST 29., WILL INCLUDE:

PLACEMENT EXAMS FOR LANGUAGES, CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS, MATH,ECONOMICS

THE ACADEMIC INTEGRITY TUTORIAL

Stay tuned………

BONUS: If you complete the assignment before 8:00 AM (EST) Tuesday, August 28 you will be entered into a drawing for assorted prizes.

If you are interested in playing in the orchestra or singing in a choir, you need to read this information and complete the Musical Interest Survey found at blogs.haverford.edu/forms/view.php?id=103 by August 1, 2012.

THE HAVERFORD BRYN MAWR ORCHESTRA
As an instrumentalist there are many opportunities to perform both in the orchestra and in chamber music.  The orchestra rehearses once a week, Thursday evenings from 7 to 9:30, with one to two performances each semester.  Sectionals are also on Thursday evenings and run by top professional musicians from the Philadelphia area, including some members of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

CHAMBER MUSIC
The chamber music program is exciting and open to all instrumentalists.  The program reflects a wide range of instrumental styles and instrumentation including a brass quintet, percussion ensemble, piano four-hand, woodwind duos and trios, and flute choir. Every year chamber music ensembles have the opportunity to perform in master classes given by internationally renowned artists.

CHORAL MUSIC AT HAVERFORD AND BRYN MAWR The bi-college community is home to an unusually large variety of faculty-led and student-led singing groups embracing a wide range of musical styles.

The Chamber Singers are a select mixed chamber choir of 34 voices who perform a challenging and varied repertoire ranging from works of the classical masters, to international folk-based styles, to the close harmony of vocal jazz. There are frequent solo opportunities for members of Chamber Singers, both with Chamber Singers and in major works with the Chorale.   Rehearsals for Chamber Singers are Monday and Tuesday afternoons in MacCrate Hall (Haverford) and Thursday afternoons in the Music Room at Goodhart Hall (Bryn Mawr) from 4:30-5:45.

Many of the students who sing in Chamber Singers are also leaders or members of one of the many student a cappella groups.  Announcements for auditions for these groups will be posted during the first week of classes.  We also work closely with the athletic department to try to enable singer/athletes to be able to take advantage of both sports and music opportunities as much as possible.

Wednesday night is Chorale night in the bi-college community!  As many as 140 students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members look forward to a mid-week break singing the great masterworks of the oratorio repertoire in performances with full orchestra made up of advanced players from the bi-co orchestra supplemented by professional music students from Temple University and the Curtis Institute of Music.

For any questions about the bi-college choral program check out our website at www.haverford.edu/music/choral/choralpro.php or email director Thomas Lloyd at tlloyd@haverford.edu or call him at (610) 896-1006.

AUDITIONS

Auditions for the Orchestra, Chamber Singers and Chorale, will be held during Customs Week and the first weeks of classes.

More information on Auditions for instrumental music can be found at: www.haverford.edu/music/appliedmusic/instrumentalAdmissions.php

More information on Auditions for singers can be found at:
www.haverford.edu/musc/choral/csingers/auditions.html

CREDIT

Once accepted into any of the above ensembles, you have the option of registering for 1/2 unit credit (pass/fail) (registration for credit is required for Chamber Singers or Chorale).  Graded credit is also awarded for private study.

PRIVATE STUDY

Partially subsidized lessons with a broad range of some of the fine professional musicians in the Philadelphia area are also available to students at Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges.  If you are interested in private lessons for credit and/or subsidy, just indicate this at the time of your audition.  Lists of teachers will be made available during the first week of classes.

See www.haverford.edu/music/choral/privatestudy.php for more information about our voice teachers and registering for voice lessons.

For further information about music at Haverford, go to www.haverford.edu/music/