July 2007 

To: Upper-class Students 

From: LaRue A. Pierce, Associate Dean of Students, Sophomores 
James Hanson, Associate Dean of Students, Juniors/Seniors 

We hope you have taken personal time this summer to pursue leisure and academic activities and are 
now refreshed and ready for another exciting year. Summer at St. Olaf has been gloriously sunny and 
comfortable. The work on the new science center continues and is on schedule to opening up in Fall 
2008. 

Dr. Edmund Santurri will be the speaker for the opening Convocation to be held on Thursday, 
September 6, at 11:10 a.m., during Community Time. 

Regarding the Campus Phone Directory, the Buckley Amendment (also known as FERPA) allows St. 
Olaf College to release directory information at any time, with or without the consent of the student. 
Directory information that may be released by the College includes the following: 

• student's name, 
• local and home address, 
• local and home 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 prohibit the release of directory information can be made by contacting Pamela 
McDowell, Associate Dean of Students/Director of Residence Life, at 1520 St. Olaf Avenue, 
Northfield, MN 55057. Requests to keep directory information out of the printed 2007-2008 St. Olaf 
College Phone Directory should be received by July 31, 2007 by letter, calling the Residence Life 
Office (507-786-3011), or email to mcdowell@stolaf.edu. 

Please be advised that if you elect to do this we cannot release any directory information on you to 
anyone. For example, if a graduate school or a potential employer calls, we have to say, “We have no 
information on this student”. 

The second important item that we want you to be aware of is that all students are required to have 
health insurance. If you do not currently have health insurance, it may be purchased through St. Olaf 
or a carrier of your choice. Health insurance verification forms and information on purchasing 
insurance through the college will be sent to your home address with your bill this summer. When this 
arrives, please complete the appropriate materials and return them as directed. 

1



Please note the following change: Students who have not indicated to us that they are insured will 
automatically be enrolled in and charged premiums for the college’s health care plan when classes 
begin in September. 

The Residence halls open for returning students at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, September 3rd. Students may 
check in between September 3-4. Please make your travel plans accordingly. 

The first day of classes is Wednesday, September 5th. Students who were not previously registered 
will be registering on Tuesday, September 4. Registration information for those students will be placed 
in their P.O. boxes. Students returning after an absence should pick up their registration materials from 
the Registrar's Office. The Registrar's Office will not be processing drop/adds until Wednesday, 
September 5, 2007. Department offices will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to discuss changes 
and sign drop/adds. 

In closing, all of us at the Dean of Students Office hope and pray that you have a safe, relaxing, and 
refreshing summer. The academic year is quite a grind for everyone and we all need the summer to 
"recharge". Enjoy the time you have left, and find your way safely back to campus. We will see you 
back here in September (or in 2008 for the students who will be studying abroad…) ready to take on 
another challenging, exciting year. 

***HELPFUL LINKS*** 

Check the following web site for useful information regarding your registration. 
http://www.stolaf.edu/offices/registrar/students.html. 
Check the Registrar’s web site for important calendar dates. 

http://www.stolaf.edu/offices/registrar/ 

Check the following web site for useful information regarding parking permits or 
other parking issues. 
http://www.stolaf.edu/stulife/safety/. 
Check the following web site for useful information regarding telephone service. 

http://www.collegetelecom.com/stolaf/ 

Check the following web site for useful information regarding transportation options. 

http://www.stolaf.edu/stulife/sa/transportation/index.html 

Check the following web site for useful information regarding hotel accommodations: 

http://www.stolaf.edu/alumni/motels.html 

2