Letter from the Dean
May 2009
Dear Student:
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to St. Olaf College! We trust that this will be the beginning of something great for you, and as your Dean of Students, it is my intent and commitment that your experience at St. Olaf is the best that it can be within a vibrant, exciting and sometimes challenging community. The people you meet and the experiences you encounter inside and outside the classroom will provide stimulating challenges, new ideas and varied perspectives.
It is my goal as your Dean to not simply manage the student life program, but to be actively engaged in the life of the St. Olaf community. To that end you are likely to see me in a number of places other than the Dean of Students Office. You might find me in the cafeteria, at sporting events, at plays and concerts, at student meetings and forums, or playing with my children in the front yard of my house on St. Olaf Avenue. In any of these places, or at any other time, I encourage you to come up and introduce yourself. I can best serve you and your needs if I know your name and face, and experience tells me that I am a better and more effective Dean if I know you personally.
I am certainly not the only one here that can help you! During your time at St. Olaf College you will encounter many people who are here to provide assistance for you. The Office of the Dean of Students is an instant source of help when dealing with many issues, as well as providing support and opportunities for students to be involved in numerous activities. One person you should certainly take the time to get acquainted with is Rosalyn Eaton-Neeb ‘87, who is the Associate Dean for First-Year Students. She works closely with all new students, including transfers, throughout the first year at St. Olaf, and I encourage you to take the time to stop in and get to know her. Please feel free to contact Dean Eaton-Neeb at any time when you have concerns or questions. If you are an international student, you will want to get to know Luyen Phan. Luyen is the International Student Adviser and will be the initial resource person for international students. Other sources of assistance include other staff in the Dean of Students Office, the Counseling Center, your professors, and academic advisers, the Academic Support Center, Residence Hall Area Coordinators and the College Pastors. There may be times during your stay here at St. Olaf College when it is important to talk things over with an objective listener who can often provide relief and resolve conflicts. Please do not hesitate to ask someone if you need information or assistance.
An important activity your first week on campus will be the events that occur during Week One which starts on Saturday, September 5, 2009. Mr. Tim Schroer, Associate Dean, is coordinating this program and has put together an excellent and exciting several days of events for you. An outline of Opening Day activities is included in this binder. The Week One booklet, with detailed information, will be available when you check into your residence hall. I would encourage you to attend as many programs as possible as these will be important for you as you begin your time here at St. Olaf College. It is also an excellent way to meet other first-year students, residence hall staff members, your faculty adviser and other resource personnel.
Our residence halls will open on Saturday, September 5. We will provide you with your housing assignment mid-summer along with information about your roommate. Information about our residence life program, what to bring with you for your room, and schedules for move-in day are included in this binder––please note the suggested time periods for your room and hall. Should you have any questions about this information, please do not hesitate to contact the Residence Life Office at 507-786-3011.
Classes will begin on Wednesday, September 9. Questions about registration may be directed to the Registrar at 507-786-3015. If you have access to a computer and would like to preview the class options, the Class/Lab Schedule can be located at http://www.stolaf.edu/classlab/20091/. St. Olaf students are assigned a personal identification number (included in this binder) which will appear on many documents from the college.
An important dimension of living on the St. Olaf campus is living together in a respectful and intentional community. The policies pertaining to campus life have been established through values consideration, pragmatic needs and a careful review of the rights and responsibilities of community living. You can find a complete accounting of these standards, as well as other information on student life on the St. Olaf web site at the following address: http://www.stolaf.edu/stulife/.
If you wish to get involved in working to develop and sustain this community, there are a number of avenues available to you. They include activities such as Residence Hall Councils, the Student Government and various positions on administrative, student and faculty committees. I encourage your involvement in these kinds of learning experiences when you come to campus. There will be opportunities during Week One and in the weeks that follow, for you to pursue your interests.
There are a few important items of business that we want to address so that we can best meet your needs when you arrive on campus this fall.
At St. Olaf we strive to make our programs accessible to all students. To accomplish this, it would be helpful, though not required, for us to know of any student with a disability that requires special accommodations. The disability could involve a physical or mental impairment and could include, for example, disabilities that are orthopedic, visual, circulatory, respiratory, or neurological; disabilities that limit hearing, speech, or learning; or conditions such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, or heart disease. Information, questions or concern about this matter should be directed to Ruth Bolstad, Student Disability Services, St. Olaf College, 507-786-3288.
Regarding the Campus Phone Directory, federal law allows St. Olaf to release directory information on students to anyone, unless the student requests that the information be suppressed. Directory information includes the following: student's name, local and home address, local telephone number, date and place of birth, major field(s) of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, dates of attendance, degree and awards received, and most recent previous institution attended. Requests to suppress the release of directory information can be made by contacting Pamela McDowell, Associate Dean and Director of Residence Life, 1520 St. Olaf Avenue, Northfield, MN 55057. Requests to keep directory information out of the printed St. Olaf College Phone Directory should be received by July 15, 2009, by letter or calling the Residence Life Office at 507-786-3011. Please note: As a matter of policy, we DO NOT sell or make available directory information about students or families to outside marketers or agencies, unless required by law or to conduct essential college business.
Please note that if you request to have your directory information withheld, we are not allowed to give out any information, including requests from prospective employers, other colleges, outside financial aid agencies, etc. We are happy to accommodate your request, but ask that you are sure that you understand the full ramifications of requesting this. Please refer to http://www.stolaf.edu/offices/registrar/exempt.html for more information on this.
Finally, it is important that you know that all students will be required to have health insurance. If you are covered under a family policy, you will need to show proof of coverage. If you do not have health insurance, you may purchase it through St. Olaf or a carrier of your choice. Information is included in another section of this notebook.
We are pleased with your decision to attend St. Olaf College and urge you to take advantage of the many opportunities the community offers you. The key to making the most of a college experience is to take advantage of the total college environment––the classroom, labs and lecture halls, as well as the musical events, convocations, sports, recreation and the company of great classmates. Learning can be one of life’s greatest pleasures, and we are confident you have come to the right place. Make the best of these years ahead and you will find them to be some of the most rewarding times of your life. Welcome to St. Olaf College and all the challenges and enjoyments that accompany the years ahead!
Sincerely,
Greg Kneser
Vice President/Dean of Students
