Dean’s Notes 4-7-2025

April 8, 2025

TRUMBULL COLLEGE: April 7, 2025

Well, the grass is getting greener, and daffodils and tree buds are plentiful, but if you didn’t already have a case of the Mondays when you woke up this morning, this weather probably sealed that Monday feeling! ;) I know these April showers will pay off…eventually. :)

I have always thought of this part of April as a time for reflection and it’s fitting that the Advising Period falls during this time. We’re nearing the end of the academic year, and every cohort of students probably has something on their mind. First-years and Sophomores might be reflecting on their courses over the last two or four terms – know that there’s still plenty of time to declare your major (April is a great time to meet with DUSes!). Juniors are often relieved to think that the bulk of their core major requirements will finally be done, and they can finally focus on electives and can look ahead to senior essays/projects. And Seniors, approaching the next transition is exciting, but it can also be daunting! Please know that I’m here…for all of these conversations, and I am always here to listen – it’s the part of my role that is most rewarding. I will try to pop in additional open Zoom hour blocks over the coming weeks – they’re always listed at the top of my Calendly page in the little blurb.

Wishing you all the best with everything you have going on – April is also a busy time. Remember, Fall 2025 course registration opens next week! https://registration.yale.edu/

Popping this up here – a request from the YCDO: Please remember to complete the Enrolled Student Survey. This is a great way to give feedback about how Yale College can improve the undergraduate experience for yourselves and your successors.

Meeting with me:
To make an appointment, please use the Calendly scheduling tool, https://calendly.com/dean_c, or reach out to Alice with any scheduling issues.  For in-person meetings, please come to the office. We’re right here in Trumbull G104, which you can access across from Entryway A or through Entryway G. Zoom meetings (including open Zoom office hours) will be through my Zoom page: https://yale.zoom.us/my/skchandhoke.

My OPEN ZOOM office hours for each week are listed on the top of my Calendly page. When you click on the Zoom link, you will be placed into a waiting room. I will speak to students (one-on-one) in the order they “arrive.” My upcoming open hours are Friday April 11th (10-11:30am). Please check the little blurb on Calendly for my latest open Zoom hours.

ACADEMICS
Advising Period continues through Monday, April 14th. This two-week period presents a great opportunity to connect with your advisers before Fall 2025 registration opens.

  • First-years and Sophomores: connect with your college advisers
  • Don’t yet have a major? Begin (or continue) exploring prospective majors. Many departments and programs will offer information sessions
  • If you have declared your major, check in with your department about your progress and anything that’s unclear in Degree Audit
  • SENIORS:  check in with your DUS(es) and Certificate Adviser about completion of your requirements for graduation!

Yale Degree Audit:  Degree Audit displays the Yale College, major, and Certificate requirements that you have already completed and those that are still pending. Check out the “Look Ahead” feature helpful as you plan future courses or the “What If” to see what would happen if you changed your major, added a Certificate, etc.  Access Degree Audit through Yale Hub. If you believe that information in your degree audit is incorrect, contact our office.

UPCOMING DATES AND DEADLINES (5pm unless noted)

April 7 (Mon)       Deadline for Class of 2025 to confirm degree, diploma name & address

April 14 (Mon)     Advising Period ends

April 15 (Tues)     Fall term registration opens for Class of 2026, 8am

April 16 (Wed)      Fall term registration opens for Class of 2027, visiting students, and Eli Whitney students (without a class year), 8am

April 17 (Th)         Fall term registration opens for Class of 2028, 8am

April 25 (F)           Classes end; reading period begins.

April 25 (F)           Last day to convert from a letter grade to Cr/D/F option for a full-term course and/or a course offered in the second half of the spring term.

April 25 (F)           Last day to withdraw from a full-term course and/or a course offered in the second half of the spring term.

TUTORING
Advising Resources:  http://advising.yalecollege.yale.edu

Sc/QR Tutoring:  https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/undergraduates/stem-tutoring-programs

Language Tutoring:  https://cls.yale.edu/programs/language-tutoring

Yale College Writing Center:
https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/undergraduates/undergraduate-writing-and-tutoring.  The Yale College Writing Center offers a variety of resources available to all students looking for support as they complete writing tasks during their time at Yale:

  • Adam Reid Sexton is the Trumbull College Writing Tutor.  His office is in room Basement 29.  Adam teaches three courses in the English department (The Craft of Fiction, Reading and Writing the Modern Essay, and Writing About Music) and is a Critic in the graduate School of Art.  During summer 2022 he taught Writing About Music for Yale in London.  Adam is also a writer; his next book, Difficult Listening, is due to be published soon.
    To meet with Adam, please reserve a half-hour by logging on to https://www.yalewco.com/index.php, and be sure to share a Google doc of the material you want help with by 7am on the day of your appointment.  Include the instructor’s prompt, your focus for the meeting, and when the paper is due.  Adam looks forward to working with you!
  • Writing Partners are Yale College or graduate school students selected for both their writing skills and their ability to talk about writing. They have drop-in hours at  Poorvu 6 days a week, offer Zoom appointments, and Weekly Partners for more robust writing goals. Whether you join the Writing Partners in person or online, please register for an account at WConline before visiting
  • The Writing Advice webpage offers a range of information and resources related to writing in Yale College. It includes sample student essays from a wide range of disciplines, allowing you to read good models as you learn to write in a new field, and also features extensive advice about writing with Turnitin.

Yale Academic Strategies Program/Office of Educational Opportunity:
https://yaleconnect.yale.edu/PoorvuAcademicStrategies/club_signup
https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/academic-strategies-program

Our mission is to help all Yale undergraduates be active, empowered learners at Yale. Through peer academic mentoring, interactive workshops, and connections to resources, we hope to provide you with the tools that can propel you towards your goals.

STEM Navigators.  Want to learn the best practices for succeeding in introductory STEM Courses? Join STEM Navigators, a mentoring network that provides you with information, events, and support to guide you through these crucial first courses.

Disability Peer Mentorship Program.  DPMP pairs students with peers of similar backgrounds to create networks of support for people with disabilities at Yale. The diverse experiences of disability in our community include physical & mobility disabilities, chronic illnesses, mental illnesses & psychiatric disabilities, neurodiversity & learning disabilities (including ADHD, dyslexia, autism), sensory disabilities & processing disorders (including vision impairments, blindness, and d/Deafness), and other conditions. You do not need to have a formal diagnosis to participate. Disability Peer Mentors help individual students develop critical self-advocacy skills, connect them to institutional resources, and find community around disability identity. Request a DPMP Mentor. First-year students can also request mentorship and guidance about Student Accessibility Resources through the SAS Peer Liaison Program.

Meet with our Learning Specialist.  Have a learning difference or other condition that affects how you accomplish your academic work? We can talk with you about new approaches for meeting Yale’s academic challenges. Contact Geoffrey Canales (geoffrey.canales@yale.edu) for an appointment.

Individual Mentoring.  Get organized for the semester by meeting with an Academic Strategies Mentor. Mentors will help you develop a weekly study routine, offer strategies for approaching complicated readings and p-sets, and help you develop a plan for prepping for those first exams. Our online mentoring schedule is live. If you’d like to schedule a meeting before then, please email us at academicstrategies@yale.edu. 

Workshops.  Our famous workshop sessions are available in person and online! Register via the YaleConnect links below. FYI: Poorvu CTL M104A is upstairs from the York Street Entrance to Sterling Memorial Library. Poorvu CTL 120 A, B, C, and 121 are the classrooms on the first floor. Questions? Contact us at academicstrategies@yale.edu.

Senior Thesis Power Hours.  Time for seniors to set goals and work together on their theses!  Monday, April 7, 7-9pm, Poorvu CTL Room 120A

Eli Whitney ASP Study Group.  Come connect and study with the Eli Whitney community!  Wednesday, April 9, 1-3pm, Poorvu CTL Room 121 and Saturday, April 12, 3-4:30pm, Poorvu CTL Room 120A

Autism Discussion Group.  Join our autism discussion group, a supportive space where you can share your experiences, challenges, and triumphs with fellow students who understand. connect, learn from one another, and build a community that celebrates neurodiversity.  Thursday, April 10, 5-6pm, Poorvu CTL Room 120C

FGLI Fridays @ The NACC.  Take a break, unwind, and recharge at FGLI Fridays! Hosted by FGLI Thrive, this weekly hangout rotates between different campus partner locations. Stop by for a chill afternoon of board games, crafts, snacks, and great company with fellow FGLI students. Whether you’re here to relax, get creative, or connect with FGLI Ambassadors, this space is all about you—building community and taking the break you deserve. See you there!  Friday, April 11, 4-6pm, NACC Lounge, 26 High Street

STEM Navigators Sunday Study Hall.  Snacks? While studying and meeting peers? Come complete your p-sets, study, and meet your peers in your STEM courses. Snacks and peer mentors are here to help you with any questions about majors, summer opportunities, or classes to take in the future! NOTE: Tutoring NOT provided by mentors.  Sunday, April 13, 2-3pm, Poorvu CTL Room 121

CAREER STRATEGY
The Office of Career Strategy (OCS) offers career advising, professional school advising, employment and internship opportunities, and career development resources. The office works with students and alumni to clarify career aspirations, identify opportunities, and offer support at every stage of career development. Check out OCS events, opportunities, and services at https://ocs.yale.edu/channels/student.  There are still several Career Fairs coming up this Spring!

OCS Resource Spotlight:  CareerShift.  CareerShift is a powerful tool for searching internship and full-time positions posted across thousands of employer websites and other public sites. It also allows the job seeker to find millions of contacts for networking (including Yale alumni) and find recruiters for various companies or by industry.

Meet with an Outreach Coordinator! Interested in learning more about fellowships and career resources, but unsure where to start? Meet with one of our Outreach Coordinators! OCs are Yale students with first-hand experience and knowledge of fellowships and career opportunities available at Yale. OCs hold office hours in all residential colleges on biweekly basis. Check out the Office of Fellowships Instagram for locations!

OCS Upcoming Events & Deadlines
Yale Career Panels Program presents: Yale STEM Career Advice and Networking Event.  This virtual event will feature a 45-minute panel on the opportunities in STEM, followed by an electronic, virtual “ballroom” where experienced Yale alumni in various STEM fields will host individual tables that attendees can join. The attendees will have a list of the experienced advisors in advance and will be able to choose which tables they want to visit to get career advice and to ask questions. The attendees will be able to move from table to table during the one hour and 15-minute networking and advice portion of the event. Organized 14 years ago by a group of Yale alumni volunteers, these Career Panels strive to provide candid, unvarnished views of featured professions. Monday, April 7, 7-9pm, Online Event (register for link)

FBI Virtual Information Session.  Join the FBI New Haven Office for a virtual information session to learn more about the 2026 Honors Internship Program (applications open April 14th). The Honors Internship Program (HIP) is the perfect opportunity to set your career in motion. Ideal for undergraduate students between their junior and senior years, this paid internship can be a direct pipeline to full-time employment after college..  Tuesday, April 8, 3-4pm, Online Event (click for link)

OC&C Strategy Consultants Virtual Case Workshops.  At OC&C, we use experience, analytical thinking, and uncommon sense to solve challenges that puzzle CEOs. We work with Fortune 500, fast growth clients as well as Private Equity investors across the Retail, Consumer Goods, Luxury, Leisure, Media, Technology and Business Services sectors. Join us for this virtual & multi-campus on April 8th or April 9th for advice and insight on how to ace your case interviews!  Tuesday, April 8 or Wednesday, April 9, 6-7:30pm, Online Event (click to register)

Lindsay Goldberg Information Session for Juniors.  Lindsay Goldberg, a leading middle-market private equity firm based in New York City, is visiting campus to host an information session for juniors interested in full-time opportunities upon graduation. The information session will provide an in-depth overview of the firm and introduce Lindsay Goldberg’s full-time Analyst Program, with the inaugural class set to start in Summer 2026. Following the information session, Lindsay Goldberg will host a select group of juniors to connect with professionals from the Investment Team in a smaller group setting. Students should register for the information session and can indicate if they are interested in an invitation to the dinner. Wednesday, April 9, 5:30-6:30pm, Linsly-Chittenden Hall, Room 211

Ivy+ Just-In-Time Virtual Job & Internship Virtual Fair.   Looking for a summer internship or full-time job in 2025? Don’t miss this great opportunity to meet top employers from various industries.  Sign up on Handshake and set your schedule in advance of the event so it fits your needs. Upon registering, students can sign-up for employer group sessions (~30 minutes) and/or 1:1 chats with an employer (10 minutes).  While the event lasts three hours, you can attend as much or as little as desired within the timeframe.  Thursday, April 10, 1-4pm, Online Event (click to register)

[Upcoming Deadline] Summer Experience Award (SEA).  The SEA is a non-competitive, one-time award:  $4k for a U.S.-based opportunity or $6k for an international experience. First Years, Sophomores, and Juniors on financial aid who have secured an eligible summer opportunity are eligible to apply.  Final SEA Deadline = Thursday, May 1

Looking for something else?  You can tailor a weekly OCS newsletter to match your specific interests. 

FELLOWSHIPS AND FUNDING
The Office of Fellowships and Funding helps students identify funding opportunities to support activities such as research, study abroad, low-paid/unpaid internships, independent projects - and navigate the application process. Visit https://funding.yale.edu to learn more.

Fellowships & Funding Upcoming Events & Deadlines
Ellison Scholars Program Info Session: Funded Doctoral Study at Oxford University.  EIT Oxford provides fully-funded doctoral (DPhil/PhD) study at the University of Oxford, where students’ research is directly tied to their work on an EIT project. Scholars actively contribute to EIT’s innovation projects across its four humane endeavours - health and medical science, food security and sustainable agriculture, climate change and clean energy and government innovation in the era of AI, through technological advancements, transforming research into practical solutions and scaling them for global impact. Attend this information session to learn more about the program and application process.  Monday, April 7, 7-8pm, Online Event (click for Zoom link)

Fulbright info session #2: Fulbright Affiliations & Recommendations.  The second of the Fulbright Group Advising Series will focus on how to select recommenders depending on the grant you are applying to. If you have decided to apply to a Study/Research grant, a portion of this session will also cover affiliation letters; what are they? How do you start the process of finding one? What should they include? Please note that this session will be recorded and posted on the Fellowships website.  Friday. April 11, 3-4pm, Online Event (click for Zoom link)

[Upcoming Deadline] ISA Final Deadline.  After receiving admission into or Yale approval for your summer study abroad program, you will have access to the (ISA) International Study Award request form as one of your required pre-departure forms in your Yale Compass account. No late applications accepted. Final Deadline = Thursday, May 1, 11:59pm (Eastern)

[Upcoming Deadline] MacMillan Center Academic Year Fellowships for Language Study. This fellowship supports a year of language study for areas not covered by Light and FLAS fellowships, of languages or proficiency levels not currently offered at Yale.  Application Deadline = Thursday, May 1, 1pm (Eastern)

STUDY ABROAD
Don’t wait to ensure you have the necessary travel documents! Even if you are not yet sure that you will study abroad, you should have a valid passport at least three months in advance, if possible. As a point of reference, the current estimated processing time for a U.S. passport  is 6-8 weeks. International students should research passport renewal for their country of citizenship and be aware of how renewal may impact their U.S. student visa. Visit the Study Abroad Office Travel Planning & Logistics for additional information.

Study Abroad Upcoming Events
Community Connections: Study Abroad x Chaplain’s Office.  Curious about studying abroad as a religious/spiritual student? Come hear from students who navigated faith/spirituality while studying abroad. Cookies will be provided!  Wednesday, April 9, 4:30- 5:30pm, Chaplain’s Office Seminar Room (Old Campus in the basement of Bingham D)
 

OTHER
YHHAP Fast is Saturday, April 12th.  The Yale Hunger and Homelessness and Homelessness Action Project is back with our largest fundraiser of the year, the YHHAP Fast! Once a semester, over 50% of Yale’s student body donates their Yale Dining meal swipes for the day of the Fast. This semester, the Fast will take place on Saturday, April 12th and donations will be collected from Wednesday April 2nd (8pm) until Friday, April 11th (8pm). 100% of the funds raised by this project will go towards supporting three organizations doing critical on-the-ground work to alleviate food and housing insecurity in New Haven: Haven’s Harvest, Continuum of Care, and New Haven Inner City Enrichment Center (NICE Center). Donate meal swipes or money via our virtual Fast fundraising page. Monetary donations can also be made via or our Venmo handle, @Yhhap-Yale (please include “Fast” in the description). Every swipe and dollar counts, so thank you for being a vital part of our mission to help New Haven!

Residential College Seminars Selection Committee. Residential College Seminars offer unique and innovative courses outside traditional departmental structures. Yale College students who serve as RSC Committee Members review and select residential college seminars, guided by a student coordinator who facilitates communication and leads meetings within their College. Committee members are expected to attend one training meeting at the beginning of the fall term and invest approximately 10-15 hours per term (primarily in the first three weeks). To apply, complete the online application by April 14th.  Questions?  RCseminar@yale.edu.

The Yale Peabody Museum invites student proposals for the Fall 2025 Student Exhibition. Individuals or pairs of students who are interested in developing, curating, and creating a museum exhibition to be on display October 2025-March 2026 should submit the proposal form by April 25th by emailing peabody.student.programs@yale.edu. Concepts need not be limited to topics in science, though successful proposals will thoughtfully relate to the Peabody Museum and make use of Peabody collection objects and specimens. See the Head of College’s March 27th email for full details.

Seeking Schwarzman Sessionists for Fall 2025.  Schwarzman Sessions generate inspiring and interdisciplinary conversations over a nourishing lunch. Community connections are the driving force of Schwarzman Sessions, and we are excited to invite you to propose a Session for Fall 2025. Applications are free and open to the public; the deadline is April 14th. We welcome submissions from Yale students, faculty, and staff, as well as members from the wider New Haven community. 

Yale Farm Workdays continue through Sunday April 27th. Visitors are welcomed at the Yale Farm, 345 Edwards St, for Open Workdays on Friday and Sunday afternoons (2-4pm) this Spring. You may drop by for any length of time; RSVPs are not required.  Just bring a water bottle and wear weather- and work-appropriate clothing.

From YC3
Seamless Transitions: Establishing New Environment/Routine.  Interested in learning skills and strategies to set yourself up for success in a new living environment (i.e. summer internships, graduating and starting a new job etc.)? Come join this 30-minute workshop to learn skills to set up a routine, your space and feel rooted in your new environment! Thursday, April 10, 12:30-1pm, Good Life Center Lounge in Schwarzman

Wellness Wednesday Collab Event with Walden Peer Counselors.  Come join us for our monthly Wellness Wednesday where we will spend time focusing on our mental well-being, as we explore the benefits and impact of journaling, with journal prompts that can enhance how we care for ourselves. This event will be in collaboration with Walden Peer Counselors.  Wednesday, April 9, 2-4pm, Good Life Center Lounge in Schwarzman

From the Yale Library
How to Find Scholarly Articles.  Are you ready to find articles thoroughly and efficiently – without relying on Google Scholar, while also avoiding paywalls ($$)? Learn strategies to find the best possible scholarly articles from Yale Library.
Monday, April, 7-7:30pm, Online Event (register for link)
Thursday, April 10, 7-7:30pm, Online Event (register for link)

First Steps with Zotero.  Learn how to manage your research, take notes, and create a bibliography with Zotero. Yale users can create a free account with unlimited storage!  Monday, April 7, 8-8:30pm, Online Event (register for link)

Cookies & Questions.  Get answers to your most pressing library questions (and a free Insomnia cookie!) from a Library Peer Mentor. Wednesday, April 9, 8-9:30pm, Bass Library

Advanced Search Techniques.  In 30 minutes, learn skills to research like a librarian, including how to use advanced search techniques to find books and articles in Quicksearch.  Sunday, April 13, 1:30-2pm, Online Event (register for link)

Browse all upcoming Library Workshops.  Attend at least 3 in one semester to be eligible for a Yale Library tote bag or water bottle.

Prize Opportunities
The Office of the Secretary compiles lists of types of prizes for which undergraduates are eligible. As our office is alerted about specific ones, we will include them in the Dean’s Notes.

Elizabethan Club Essay Prize. The Elizabethan Club awards a monetary prize for the best undergraduate student term paper and/or senior thesis/project on a subject of interest to the Club, e.g. outstanding work on literature, arts, or culture of the Renaissance ● interpretations, adaptations, or criticism relating to literature, arts, and culture of the Renaissance ● work based on research done in the Elizabethan Club Collection (at the Beinecke Library). Work from any department is eligible and nominations can come from faculty, advisors, or the students themselves. You do not need a member of the Club. Anonymized essays must be submitted by Monday, April 21, 4pm as an email attachment to julia.divincenzo@yale.edu.  Submit an electronic copy of a completed paper or thesis, double-spaced typed (maximum of 40 pages: not including thesis abstract, images, figures, and bibliography) with the subject line “Elizabethan Essay Prize, Undergraduate”. Papers should be anonymized by removing all identifying information. Questions? Seniors who won’t complete their senior essays by April 21? Contact julia.divincenzo@yale.edu.

Williams Prize in East Asian Studies.  The Williams Prize in East Asian Studies is awarded to an undergraduate senior in any department for an outstanding paper completed during the current academic year on a Chinese, Japanese, or Korean subject. Papers will be judged on use of primary sources, quality of writing, and depth and originality of scholarship. It is expected that essays nominated for the Williams Prize will make substantial use of materials in East Asian language(s) in any medium, including transcriptions of interviews.  Essays that focus exclusively on Asian American topics normally will not be considered eligible for consideration. Course papers may be submitted.  Please submit the following to nicholas.disantis@yale.edu no later than Wednesday, April 30th at 5pm:

  1. One electronic copy of your paper
  2. Written endorsement from a faculty member of the Council on East Asian Studies (The endorsement must be sent directly from the faculty member to nicholas.disantis@yale.edu)
  3. A Separate Page That Lists
    1. your complete legal name
    2. current campus mailing address and telephone/cell number
    3. Yale College affiliation
    4. UPI number
    5. Student Identification (SID) number
    6. other prizes or awards that your paper is being considered for at Yale

The Richard Maxwell Prize for Translation and Translation Studies.  Open to any undergraduate in Yale College, a $500 prize shall be awarded annually to the best Literary Translation or to the best essay in Translation Studies.  “Literary Translation” encompasses all genres, so long as the chosen work is substantial, while “Translation Studies” is understood to include theoretical and historical questions involving language, culture, and medium. Submissions that combine actual translation and reflections on issues raised or exemplified by the process are welcome.  Submissions must include: (1) a cover letter with basic information about the student’s studies/major and about the context in which the essay/translation was written; (2) a translator’s introduction describing the intellectual and  historical context of the translated text, along with some consideration of its technical features; (3) a copy of the translated text(s) in the original language, as an appendix to your translation; (4) annotation, as deemed relevant, for literary translations.  All submissions for consideration should be sent to sabrina.whiteman@yale.edu by Thursday, May 1st at 12pm (noon). The Richard Maxwell prize for Translation and Translation Studies commemorates the scholarly and pedagogical legacy of Richard Maxwell (1948-2010), an exceptionally wide-ranging undergraduate teacher, scholar and critic.

Type: 
Dean's Notes