OFF-CAMPUS STUDY
The decision to participate in one of the College’s off campus study programs is best left to later in the first year or the sophomore year. However, new students should be aware that language instruction at Bates is required for study in settings where the host language is Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian or Spanish. Most approved programs require the equivalent of at least two years of college-level study of French, German and Spanish and the equivalent of one year of study in the other languages.
THE LIBRARY
Ladd Library will occupy an important place in your life here. Designed to provide comfortable surroundings in which to study and do research, the Library holds a collection of over 600,000 volumes. Be sure to attend the “tour” program offered by the Library staff because an early familiarity with the Library can contribute to your increased efficiency as a student here. The staff works actively at encouraging an atmosphere of quiet and helpfulness conducive to the purposes of the Library.
FACULTY ADVISING
Each new student is assigned a faculty advisor. Students are encouraged to engage their faculty advisors actively in planning their curricular program. All students enrolled in a First Year Seminar will have the added benefit of being advised by their seminar instructor.
During New Student Orientation there is an opportunity for an informal, social meeting with the advisor. Also, there is ample time for more formal, individual discussion of curricular plans prior to the beginning of classes. Thereafter, faculty advisors are available for consultation during office hours (posted on office doors) for any questions or problems that might arise concerning academic work.
JUNIOR ADVISORS
Experience has shown that, at one point or another, all new students will turn to upper-class students for academic advice. Some of it will be good; some of it will be both incorrect and even “bad”. We strongly recommend that you seek advice from those in a position to know the answers to your questions.
All new students will be living with an upper-class advisor or "Junior Advisor." You should feel free to approach your Junior Advisor individually and in groups to seek the answers to whatever questions you have concerning your academic program. Junior Advisors have received training in basic academic advising as well as when to refer/connect first year students with the appropriate faculty member or dean.
In no case should a new student remain reticent when academic questions are unanswered. Seek the advice and learn from the experience of your Junior Advisor. These upper-class students have been carefully selected and trained to help new students with academic advice.
DEAN OF STUDENTS OFFICE
The Deans of Students are also available to advise students on academic concerns and problems, including emergency situations. The Deans (of both students and faculty) oversee the faculty-advising program and work closely with the Junior Advisors. Dean of Students also administers the tutorial program that provides student tutors to other students in need of assistance. As with the faculty and junior advisors, the Deans can be most helpful if consulted as soon as problems arise.
THE WRITING WORKSHOP AND DROP-IN PEER WRITING CENTER
Bates offers a number of non-credit, basic skills enhancement programs especially attuned to the needs of new students. Included among these are study skills and techniques programs, a Writing Workshop and a Peer Writing Center. The Writing Workshop offers a professional staff ready to work with students in improving their writing skills. Precision and clarity of expression are invaluable tools which serve students well in all courses at Bates. New students are urged to drop by the Workshop at 53 Campus Avenue, across the street from Chase Hall, to become acquainted with its resources. See the brochure enclosed in this mailing for further details.
In addition to the Writing Workshop, Bates offers a peer writing workshop, in Ladd Library, during the evening and night time hours. Sessions with peer writing tutors may be scheduled but drop-in visits are also encouraged. These peer writing tutors have received significant training in providing writing assistance.
THE MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS WORKSHOP
The Mathematics and Statistics Workshop offers a variety of tutoring and help sessions to all students who want assistance with mathematical reasoning and comprehension. Of particular interest to many students are the two-hour calculus study sessions that are conducted by student tutors. These calculus study sessions are offered each weeknight throughout the academic year.
One-on-one assistance is available for students of mathematics as well as economics, environmental studies, geology, physics, psychology, sociology, and other disciplines requiring common quantitative or statistical skills.
LEARNING DIFFERENCES
All students with documented learning differences must provide the Office of the Dean of Students with that documentation if they wish to use their accommodations and access additional support. The Dean's Office seeks to respond to the individual needs of students, including those with dyslexia. The Deans will work to provide extra time on examinations, support reading challenges, provide support for obtaining lecture notes, arranging alternative forms of examinations or other appropriate and reasonable responses to the disability. These accommodations are only possible with received documentation. The College's tutorial program administered through the Office of the Dean of Students, as well as the Writing Workshop and Peer Writing Assistance Program, are useful resources for students with learning differences.
Students with extended testing accommodations who plan to take exams for law school or medical school are advised to seek assistance from the Pre-Health Studies Committee and/or the Dean of Students Office no later than the second semester of their sophomore year.
PRE-PROFESSIONAL PLANNING
Bates does not prescribe pre-professional curricula. Students are encouraged to view their undergraduate courses as significant in and of themselves - not mere means to professional ends. Your first consideration should be to take full advantage of the variety of curricular offerings at Bates.
Students planning graduate study in the established disciplines are urged to consult with faculty members of the departments on course selections.
Generally, the pre-health field courses are one year of biology, one year of physics, one year of English, two years of chemistry, and one year of mathematics. New students may want to take Chemistry 107-108 during their first year since two full years of chemistry are needed. The Faculty's Committee on Pre-Health Studies and the Office of Career Services sponsor a number of programs each year that address the dynamic issues in the health care field.
We remind pre-law students that courses which deal with evidence, logical reasoning, clear articulation and exposition, and critical analysis - in short, most courses - are cited by law school admissions committees as desirable. The Office of Career Services is responsible for providing current information on postgraduate legal studies. The Legal Arts Society also sponsors a number of speakers and programs throughout the year.
For students interested in careers in engineering the College offers joint degree programs with a number of prestigious engineering schools. Students spend three years at Bates taking general education requirements and basic courses in mathematics, physics, and other relevant sciences, preparatory to matriculation to the engineering school for concentration in the area of interest for two years. This three/two liberal art/engineering program results in a two baccalaureate degrees - one from Bates and one from the school of engineering. The engineering schools affiliated with Bates in this program are: Columbia, Case Western Reserve, Dartmouth, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Washington University in St. Louis.
The Office of Career Services, 31 Frye Street, maintains current information on a variety of postgraduate professional programs. We advise students to become familiar with the various reference aids available in the Office of Career Services early in their undergraduate careers.
The best preparation for postgraduate education of any kind is a rewarding and enriching undergraduate experience. Again, that is best achieved by following your interests and the advice of your teachers in the selection of courses.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Two activity courses (ten weeks in length) of physical education or its equivalent are required at Bates. The requirement may be met in part by proficiency tests administered by the Department of Physical Education or by participation in intercollegiate athletics, Club Sports, Outing Club activities, or the Modern Dance Company. Students should sign up for physical education with the Department of Physical Education during the first week of classes. We will inform you of the specific date and time in September. In addition, students should be aware that although academic credit is not granted for physical education, completion of two semesters is a degree requirement. Participation in Commencement is not allowed unless the physical education activities requirement has been completed. Given the course requirements for majors, and the popularity of studying off campus and abroad during the Junior year at Bates, we recommend VERY STRONGLY that students complete this requirement by the end of the sophomore year.
