Academic Resources Fair

The Academic Resources Fair for first-years is a College-sponsored event held during the New Student Orientation Program, the week before classes start. Students are prepared for the Fair and bring substantive questions to the faculty representatives in attendance. Both faculty and students alike have rated highly this event, and the College finds it to be extremely successful in introducing our new students to the academic departments, programs and centers, as well as to members of our faculty.

This year the Fair will be on Wednesday, September 2, 2009, from 11:00 am-1:00 pm in the Roone Arledge Auditorium, Lerner Hall.

Study Abroad Fair

The annual Study Abroad Fair, now in its third year at Columbia, brings hundreds of our Columbia undergraduates together with the nation-wide sponsors of Columbia-approved Study Abroad programs. Departments that actively support study abroad for their majors may want to participate in this event. Kathleen McDermott, Executive Director of the Office of Global Programs, will contact all Directors regarding departmental representation at the fair and you can contact her at 4-1219 and km26@columbia.edu if you have additional questions.

This year the Fair will be on Friday October 2, 2008 in the Roone Arledge Auditorium, Lerner Hall.

Departmental Events

Because students report that informal faculty-student events create a friendlier and more relaxed interaction between advisers and advisees and enhance the students' work in the major, we strongly urge that departments conduct a number of their own such events during the year. Many departments organize:

• Welcome back events for returning majors in September or October
• Open houses for prospective majors, involving both faculty and upper-class majors, throughout January and February in preparation for Major Declaration
• Regular brown-bag lunches and informational forums

Hazel May, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, can assist you in communicating information about these gatherings to students and the College provides financial assistance to help defray the cost of such events. You can contact her at 4-6372 and hm2135@columbia.edu.

Faculty Availability for Registration Advising and Spring Consultation

As Director, you should be available during the fall and spring registration periods as well as during change-of-program periods to answer questions and solve problems for students and faculty alike. If your department has a number of faculty advisers, you should make sure that they, too, are available to students during these periods.

Of particular importance is your availability during the spring consultation period, during which students consult with faculty to develop their academic programs for the following academic year and to prepare to register for fall classes.

Relevant dates for your calendar:

• Major advising for Spring 2010 registration - November 9-13
• Spring 2010 registration - November 16-20
• On-line major declaration - February 2010
• Spring consultation - April 5-9
• Fall 2010 registration - April 12-16