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Table of Contents

Academic Life
A St. Olaf Education
The 4-1-4 Calendar
Academic Resources
Majors and More
Graduation Requirements
Campus Facilities

Academic Regulations
Entering St. Olaf
Transferring to St. Olaf/Transferring Courses
Registering for Courses
Special Registrations
Successful Study
Counting Courses and Credits
Academic Status
Curricular Regulations and Advice
Records/Policies
Leaving St. Olaf

The Academic Programs
How to Use This Catalog
Africa and the Americas
American Conversations
American Racial and Multicultural Studies
American Studies
Ancient Studies
Art and Art History
Asian Conversations
Asian Studies
Biology
Biomedical Studies
Chemistry
Chinese
Classics
Communication and Theater
Computer Science
Dance
Economics
Education
English
Environmental Studies
Family and Social Service
Family Studies
Fine Arts
Foreign Languages Across the Curriculum (FLAC)
French
German
Great Conversation
Hispanic Studies
Historical Perspectives
History
Integrative Studies, Center for
Interdisciplinary Fine Arts
Interdisciplinary Studies
Japanese
Linguistic Studies
Management Studies
Mathematics
Media Studies
Medieval Studies
Middle East Studies
Molecular Biology
Music
Neuroscience
Nordic Studies
Norwegian
Nursing
Philosophy
Physical Education
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Religion
Romance Languages
Russian
Russian and Central European Studies
Social Studies Education
Social Work
Sociology/Anthropology
Spanish
Theatre
Statistics
Women's Studies

International and Off-Campus Studies
Overview
Programs Led by St. Olaf Faculty
Study/Service Programs
Student Teaching Abroad
Interim Courses
Semester and Year-Long Programs

Special Programs
Education Put to Work
Pre-Professional Preparation

Admissions and Financial Aid
Admissions Procedures
Financing Your Education
Financial Aid Program

Life Outside the Classroom
Residential Life
Student Services
Co-Curricular Activities

People
Board of Regents
Emeritus Faculty and Staff Members
Faculty, 2000-01
Administrators, 2000-01

Facts and Figures
History and Heritage
Recent Statistics

College Calendar
2000-2001 College Calendar
2001-2002 College Calendar
2002-2003 College Calendar

Special Registrations

CARLETON INTER-REGISTRATION

St. Olaf and Carleton College students may enroll in courses on either campus. A course taken at Carleton must receive prior approval of the Carleton instructor and registrar, and be worth at least six variable Carleton credits. A Carleton course must be properly registered in order for credit to be awarded (see procedure below). As a general rule Carleton will not inter-register St. Olaf students for Carleton courses which are routinely taught at St. Olaf. Carleton courses are computed in the St. Olaf grade point average.

Registration for a Carleton Winter Term course is considered a full St. Olaf load. A St. Olaf student may not simultaneously register for a St. Olaf Interim. A Carleton Winter Term course counts as one St. Olaf Interim (January Term).

Physical Activity courses must be inter-registered. A PHA course taken at Carleton will count toward the General Education requirement (PHA) at St. Olaf, but no credit will be given toward the total number of courses required for graduation. A student wishing to apply a Carleton course to his/her major should consult with the appropriate department chair or program director before completing the inter-registration procedure. Consult the Registrar's Office for the procedure to secure General Education credit approval before completing the inter-registration process.

To enroll in a Carleton College Course:
  1. Obtain an application from the St. Olaf registrar.
  2. Obtain the signature of the Carleton instructor and the Carleton registrar.
  3. Complete an application each term that you take a Carleton course. Example: You must register for two Carleton terms if you wish to take the Hebrew 101-102 sequence.
  4. Return the completed application to the St. Olaf registrar's window for approval. The application will then be sent to Carleton for approval, and a copy returned to the student.
  5. Drop a Carleton course by obtaining a change of registration form from the St. Olaf registrar's window. Have it signed by the Carleton instructor; return it to the St. Olaf registrar by the posted Carleton drop deadline.

Note that St. Olaf students cannot register for an independent study or independent research with a Carleton faculty member.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

St. Olaf College permits enrollment on a part-time basis in most regular college classes at a reduced rate of tuition. Prospective continuing education students must comply with the following:
  • Continuing Education students must be 25 years of age or older and non-degree seeking or be a St. Olaf graduate;
  • Register on a space available basis;
  • Register no earlier than the first day of classes with signatures from faculty.

Continuing education students who later decide to become degree seeking may count only 7 (seven) courses taken under the continuing education guidelines toward a degree.

Persons wishing to take courses as continuing education students must obtain and complete the appropriate paperwork in the Registrar's Office prior to attending class. Any questions should be directed to the Registrar's Office.

Regular degree-seeking students registered full- or part-time in the traditional college program are not permitted to take courses at the reduced rate as continuing education students.

INDEPENDENT STUDY/INDEPENDENT RESEARCH

Independent work is a privilege to be extended only if those involved agree the student is prepared to benefit, that the proposal is well planned, and that there is previous course work in the area to give credence to independent study. The following regulations apply:
  1. Total work to be done shall approximate that expected for a regular semester course. No proposal worth less than or more than a full (1.00) course will be considered.
  2. Independent study/independent research may fulfill an elective credit or a credit in the major, but it may not fulfill a General Education requirement (except for a course with writing [WRI]).
  3. Independent study/independent research is not a substitute for a regularly offered course, but a special type of educational experience with purposes different from those for which regular courses are designed. Ordinarily, prerequisite course work will have been completed in the area of the independent study.
  4. A student may take up to a total of three independent study courses. A student may also take two independent research courses in each field in which he/she has completed five courses. Independent study is registered by department or program as 298, Level II. Independent research is registered as 398, Level III. First-year students may not take an independent study course.
  5. Applications for independent study/independent research are available at the registrar's window and in department offices. Several signatures are required. Students should complete the form before they register for the independent study/independent research.
  6. Independent study/independent research courses are considered as residential-supervised, not off-campus correspondence experiences. With the exception of already established independent courses on study/service programs, a St. Olaf independent study/research credit cannot be registered during a term in which the student is on a St. Olaf (or non-St. Olaf) off-campus program, and independent work cannot receive credit during that off-campus term, nor while a student is not in residence at St. Olaf. This prohibition includes "senior project" or thesis courses which often are in the nature of independent study/research.

Questions about independent study/independent research should be directed to the Registrar.

INDIVIDUALIZED MAJORS

Students have the option of proposing a self-designed, integrative major through the Center for Integrative Studies, at any time during the sophomore year or at the beginning of the junior year. A student may propose any sequence of courses, seminars, independent studies, or experiential learning as the means of pursuing an individualized major. Among other things, a proposal for an individualized major must include

(1) a description of the proposed subject matter;

(2) a list of 10 or more proposed courses and other learning experiences, and an explanation of how each contributes to the major;

(3) an initial proposal for a two-credit senior integrative project; and

(4) a summary of the student's preparation to carry out the proposed major.

The proposal must have the support of a faculty academic adviser. The coherence, depth, and feasibility of each proposal is evaluated by a faculty review committee convened by the CIS. If the proposal is approved, the student may pursue the individualized major with the support and encouragement of the Center. When the student's work is complete it is presented to a faculty certification committee for review. Students pursuing individualized majors also keep a web portfolio of their work in the major as a means of demonstrating the connections among its various components, to the work of other students, or to other sites of public discussion.

For reference to more information about individualized majors or other programs of the Center for Integrative Studies, consult the Index.

INTERIM (JANUARY TERM)

Three successful Interim courses are required for graduation. The January Interim is a four-week period of intensive study in one area. Students may take only one course or program of instruction during Interim. For example, St. Olaf students enrolled in a Winter Term course at Carleton are not permitted to enroll in the St. Olaf Interim. The Carleton course equals a full Interim load. Students enrolled in an Interim course or program cannot audit another course for the purpose of having a second transcript entry, e.g. "successful audit."

Upperclass students may choose an off-campus Interim at one of approximately 25 other 4-1-4 colleges on an Interim Exchange basis under the terms stated in "Interim Exchange" below. The Registrar's Office has a list of participating colleges and the application form.

Departments and interdisciplinary programs have varying requirements concerning the use of Interim courses in the major, or to fulfill graduation requirements. Students should consult the department or program, this catalog, and the Interim Class and Lab Schedule.

Students who enroll at St. Olaf for the year, but who elect to omit the Interim course are not entitled to a refund of Interim tuition or room. A student must apply for a board credit through the Business Office before leaving campus. No credit will be given once interim begins.

Specific regulations as they apply to Interim include:
  1. First-year students must register for an Interim course unless they have prior approval from their class dean.
  2. For students who originally matriculated at St. Olaf, three successful Interims are required for graduation. Transfer students admitted with sophomore or junior standing must successfully complete two Interims as is the case of transient students who spend the sophomore and junior years at another institution.
  3. For senior "participators" who have successfully completed two Interims, a St. Olaf summer school course taken after Commencement may count as the third Interim. The St. Olaf summer school course replacing the third Interim must be an in-class, residential course. It cannot be off-campus independent study, independent research, Economics 389, senior thesis, or other types of non-residential instruction.

INTERIM EXCHANGE

St. Olaf will accept Interim Exchange only from 4-1-4 colleges with which it has an exchange agreement, and only if the Interim is at least 3.5 weeks in length. Interim Exchange courses earn elective credit and may qualify for certain majors. Off-campus programs taken through another college by Interim Exchange cannot be used to fulfill a St. Olaf General Education requirement. Applications available at the registrar's window must be approved by the registrar. The Registrar's Office has some Interim Exchange college catalogs for use; otherwise the student/applicant must procure the catalog for review.

First-year students may not participate in Interim Exchange.

Grades earned at other colleges through Interim Exchange are not computed in the St. Olaf grade point average.

Students who participate in an Interim Exchange are not entitled to a refund of Interim tuition or room. A student must apply for a board credit through the Business Office before leaving campus. No credit will be given once interim begins.

Questions regarding a specific exchange and about course credit from an exchange should be directed to the registrar.

INTERNSHIPS

An internship is a planned, supervised course project integrating study and practical work that is undertaken for the specific purpose of acquiring and applying knowledge through direct experience in a field related to the student's academic program. Credit is not given for on-the-job work only; rather the intent of the internship is to integrate on-site learning and work with the theory of a related discipline. This contrasts with independent study/independent research which focuses strictly on academic study of a subject rather than direct experience in the field. No proposal worth less than or more than a full (1.00) course will be considered. Credit is P/N only. Internships do not fulfill General Education graduation requirements.

To assure that the internship is credit-worthy, students are encouraged to work out an educational project plan well in advance of the internship, and to give careful thought to early selection of the on-site field supervisor and faculty supervisor. It is especially important that systematic and regular reporting be done by the student to both the field and faculty supervisors.

Regulations affecting internships are:
  1. Credit for an internship experience is granted only when the internship is done in conjunction with the St. Olaf program of learning and has full approval of the department or interdisciplinary committee.
  2. For each internship there should be a designated faculty supervisor on campus, and a supervisor within the host agency. Communications should take place between the faculty member, the student, and the supervisor in the host agency during the internship experience.
  3. Each internship should have both a practical work experience within the host agency and supplemental academic work assigned by the faculty supervisor to help guide the student in the application of theory to the analysis of the internship experience.
  4. Students may enroll for an internship as either a Level II (294) or Level III (394) course, using the same criteria for judging the level as in on-campus courses.
  5. No more than four internship courses may apply to the B.A. degree.
  6. Internship applications are available at the registrar's window or at the Office of the Director of Academic Internships. Several signatures are required, and the completed application must be returned to the director of academic internships before the first day of classes. Only after the application is approved can the student register for the internship. Questions about internships may be directed to the director of internships, who must sign the application.
  7. Internship credit cannot be awarded retroactively for study/work done in the past. The internship project must be approved and registered prior to the initiation of the educational experience.
  8. An internship must be registered in the term in which a student receives credit. A department-based internship cannot be a component of a St. Olaf (or a non-St. Olaf) off-campus program.

OFF-CAMPUS PROGRAMS (ST. OLAF SPONSORED)

St. Olaf offers a rich variety of off-campus programs. They are defined only in this catalog and in the St. Olaf Off-Campus Studies Catalog. Specific questions should be directed to the International and Off-Campus Studies Office or to the faculty adviser of each off-campus program.
  1. Participation

    Off-campus study opportunities are available to students who meet the requirements of the host institution and the St. Olaf prerequisites. Certain programs have limitations based on class in college; others are open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Students going on off-campus programs must register for the program at the normal registration preceding the term off campus. Students going on programs that include both the Interim and Spring Semester must register in person at registrations held for both terms.

    Students on St. Olaf-sponsored off-campus programs may have a resident student proxy register for them for the next St. Olaf term.

    Students on academic probation may file an application for participation but must be declared off probation by the end of the semester prior to planned international participation.

    All off-campus programs are closed to first-year students with the exception of certain language Interims. However, a first-year student may file application during the first year for participation in the sophomore year.

  2. Credit

    a. Students considering an off-campus program must consider major and General Education requirements to make sure participation will not jeopardize normal progress toward graduation. Off-campus program courses taken ungraded (S/U or P/N) will not fulfill a General Education graduation requirement.

    b. Certain off-campus courses count toward St. Olaf General Education requirements, as indicated, and, at the option of the department/program concerned, may count toward a student's major or concentration. No credit is granted where courses are worth fewer than three semester credits at the host university. General education credit is not awarded when the course is taken ungraded.

    c. Qualified students must notify the registrar in writing to change a course credit from graded to S/U or S/U to graded where these options exist. If this is done by mail, postmarks must conform to deadlines posted on the college calendar.

    d. Students will not receive transfer credit if they make their own arrangements to enroll in a foreign institution with which St. Olaf has already developed a program relationship. If a student is to receive academic credit, registration must be through St. Olaf.

    e. Except for already established study/service programs, a St. Olaf independent study/research or internship credit cannot be a component in a St. Olaf off-campus program.

    f. Students may not earn more credit on an off-campus program than would be earned on-campus in a given semester.

  3. Grades

    Grades from St. Olaf-sponsored off-campus programs are recorded on the student's official transcript, but do not count in the St. Olaf grade point average or toward the 24-graded-course requirement. There is an exception to each:

    a. A course taught by a St. Olaf professor within a program is computed into the St. Olaf grade point average, and toward the 24-graded-course requirement.

    b. A full-year program (not a semester-length program) gives a student partial graded course credit toward the 24-graded-course requirement even though the letter grades from a full-year program are not computed in the grade point average unless taught by a St. Olaf instructor. Under these conditions, the 24-graded-course requirement is reduced as follows:

    Nine courses earned -- four graded courses reduced
    Eight courses earned -- four graded courses reduced
    Seven courses earned -- three graded courses reduced
    Six courses earned -- three graded courses reduced

    Graded course reduction is not permitted for less than six off-campus, full-course credits in a single program experience. It follows that semester-length or a combination of different semester-length programs do not reduce the 24-graded-course requirement.

OFF-CAMPUS PROGRAMS (NON-ST. OLAF SPONSORED)

St. Olaf students participating in non-St. Olaf programs (foreign or domestic off-campus programs through another college, institution, or consortium unaffiliated with St. Olaf) must secure transfer credit approval in advance from the Registrar's Office. Students may earn elective credit and credit toward a major (if approved in advance by a department chair or interdisciplinary director), but may not fulfill St. Olaf General Education requirements through off-campus (non-resident) programs of other colleges and universities. This restriction includes off-campus programs taken away from the campus at a host Interim exchange college. Independent study taken on such programs will not transfer as St. Olaf credit.

St. Olaf does not approve off-campus programs for transfer credit where the program is essentially a "travel" program, work experience, museums, or other programs that do not have a solid liberal arts, student-instructor component. The student/applicant is responsible for providing the registrar with detailed program descriptions, outlines and course syllabi in advance.

Credits taken on non-St. Olaf sponsored off-campus programs that are less than two semesters in length will not reduce the number of graded course credits required for graduation.

Seniors going on non-St. Olaf programs risk violating the senior residency requirement and should inform the registrar of their plans.

St. Olaf students on non-St. Olaf sponsored programs may not register for subsequent St. Olaf terms through a proxy.

PARACOLLEGE

From September 1969 through May 2000, the Paracollege offered any student in good academic standing an alternative, or "parallel", means of earning the St. Olaf B.A. degree. With close supervision from faculty advisers, students put together educational programs that served their own academic objectives. Paracollege students fulfilled graduation requirements that were different from, though comparable to, the St. Olaf general education requirements. They used a variety of options to achieve their educational goals, including individual or group tutorials with a faculty member, seminars in the Paracollege, courses in the general college, and portfolios. Each Paracollege student completed their work with a senior concentration, an individually constructed and usually interdisciplinary area of study. Students' work in the Paracollege was evaluated by P/N or letter grade depending on the type of course, but always also by a narrative evaluation from the faculty instructor. These narrative evaluations are part of each Paracollege graduate's official academic record.

Current students who would like the opportunity to construct a plan of study for themselves should consult with the Center for Integrative Studies, which opened in September 1999, about the option of designing and proposing an Individualized Major, the successor to the Paracollege senior concentration. For more information about individualized majors or other programs of the Center for Integrative Studies, consult the Index.

SPECIAL STUDENTS

Special students are defined as short-term (one year or less) students who do not plan to graduate from St. Olaf. High school area senior honor students are one category of special students; continuing education students are also considered special students. Anyone not in the categories mentioned above who wishes to register as a special student must consult the Office of Admissions and submit transcripts from any high school or college previously attended. In most instances the registrar requires written authorization for admission from the Office of Admissions.

Part-time students are those who intend to graduate from St. Olaf and who register for fewer than three course credits. Such students must follow the regular admissions procedure.

Both special and part-time students always register on the first day of classes at the registrar's window.

SUMMER SCHOOL AT ST. OLAF

The St. Olaf College summer school consists of two five-and-one-half-week terms, during each of which a student may take a maximum of 2.25 courses. Thus, one may take as many as 4.50 courses, or the equivalent of a regular semester during the summer session. Course descriptions, costs, and other details are available in the Summer School Catalog. Questions about summer school programs, credits and registration should be directed to the Registrar's Office.

Summer school tuition must be paid before a student will be permitted to register for summer courses.

Seniors anticipating completion of degree requirements through St. Olaf summer school should be aware of limited course offerings in a typical summer session.