TRUMBULL COLLEGE: Pre-Fall term Dean’s Notes
Hi Trumbullians! Hope you had some time to relax over the long weekend and hope you’re enjoying this amazing weather! Over the long weekend, we managed to jam in a whole bunch of fun activities, from fruit-picking at Lyman Orchards and visiting Silver Sands State Park to some indoor fun at Dave & Buster’s. :) It was fun and restorative.
I hope you did something fun and had some downtime to look carefully at syllabi as you finalize your schedules! Remember that Add/Drop continues this week and ends on Tuesday, Sept 10th at 5:00pm. More info on that below.
Add/Drop period is a particularly busy time for all of the RC Deans’ offices. Some of you have realized that popping into my open Zoom hours can be an efficient use of your time. If you haven’t already, please get into the habit of %20alice.kustenbauder@yale.edu">copying Alice on e-mails to me – thank you. Please also come by the office (G104) – Alice may know the answer to your question, and when I have a few minutes between meetings, she can try to squeeze you in for a quick meeting with me.
Wishing you all the best as we settle in for the term. Have a wonderful rest of the week!
Meeting with me – please take note of my open Zoom hours (below)
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 THURSDAY, 9/5 (11am-noon) and FRIDAY, 9/6 (2-4pm).
Please note that I teach on Wednesday mornings during the fall term.
ACADEMICS
Important Notes on Course Enrollment
The University Registrar’s Office has a helpful website devoted to course registration, at registration.yale.edu. The “FAQs” and “Important Dates” are particularly useful! There are even video tutorials for using your registration worksheet!
The Add/Drop Period continues through this week, but ends promptly at 5pm (ET) on Tuesday, September 10th. During Add/Drop, you may add courses (if the course is open or you have permission to enroll) and drop courses within Yale Course Search without a fee. When Add/Drop ends, the courses on your registration worksheet at that 5pm on September 10th will constitute your fall course schedule. After Add/Drop, late adds are exceptional and rare.
Canvas Worksheets and Registration worksheets are different! The Canvas worksheet – a useful scratchpad for planning purposes – does not enroll you in courses. It only allows you to see the announcements and assignments of those courses during Drop/Add. To enroll in a course, you must include it on your registration worksheet. Read more in the Registrar’s FAQ on distinguishing the two worksheets.
Overloads, Overlaps, Professional School Courses, and Other Petitions
Course Loads Requiring Special Permission: A schedule of 3.0 course credits or a schedule of 6.0 or 6.5 course credits needs Dean Chandhoke’s permission before the end of Add/Drop (September 10th 5pm). To request an overload or underload, make an appointment with me as soon as possible. NOTE: Requesting an overload also requires you to complete an online form: Petition for Credit Overload (Yale College).
Course Overlap Information: Enrollment in courses that overlap in meeting times is generally not permitted. If you find you MUST enroll two overlapping courses, you must petition the Committee on Honors and Academic Standing through my office. The rules governing overlaps depend on the type of courses that overlap: namely, whether they are “asynchronous” or “synchronous.” Please see below for details. But regardless of the type of course, it is always the case that:
* there must be sound academic reasons for such an overlap
* petitions to my office are due by the end of Add/Drop period;
* no more than two courses may overlap;
* the express permission of both instructors is necessary, but not itself sufficient, for approval;
* the two final exam times, as given in Yale Course Search, may not overlap.
Synchronous/Asynchronous Overlaps
An asynchronous course (as below) refers to a course approved to have a period that does not require in-person meeting at the same time; a synchronous course refers to a fully synchronous course.
(a) Two synchronous courses may have a small and insignificant overlap in meeting times (i.e., no more than 15 minutes once per week, including travel times), with permission from the instructors of both courses, via petition to the residential college dean, so long as the final exams do not overlap.
(b) One asynchronous course may overlap with one synchronous course, including for the full class meeting time, with the permission of both instructors, via petition to the residential college dean, so long as the final exams do not overlap.
(c) Two asynchronous courses may overlap with each other, including for the full class meeting time, with the permission of both instructors, via petition to the residential college dean, so long as the final exams do not overlap.
To petition, here’s what you need to do:
1. Confirm that the final exams for the two courses are offered at different times.
2. Explain how enrollment in the two courses is possible, despite the conflict in published meeting times (refer to the information above).
3. Secure both instructors’ explicit (written) permission to take the two overlapping courses
4. Fill out the Petition for Overlap Online Form with all of the relevant information, including the instructors’ permissions. Do not just email me the details.
Professional School Courses: A schedule with a course in a professional school requires an additional form for each course to finalize enrollment and determine Yale College credit:
* If it’s a School of Management course: use the SOM Course Enrollment Request and add the SOM course to your registration worksheet (it will appear as 0.0 credits)
* If it’s any other Professional School course: use the Request to Enroll in a Professional School Course (Blue Form)
The deadline to submit these forms is the end of Add/Drop (September 10th 5pm). More “how to” details are at https://registration.yale.edu/resource/how-enroll-graduate-and-professional-school-courses.
NOTE: Only four professional school credits can be offered toward the 36 credit requirement; however, students may enroll in more than four credits understanding that all courses will remain on the academic record and be included in the GPA even if not offered toward the 36 credit requirement.
NOTE: Courses at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and at a professional school cannot elect the CR/D/Fail option.
NOTE: Graduate or Professional School courses cannot count for Distributional Requirements.
Full policy details are in the YCPS: https://registrar.yale.edu/students/course-selection/enrolling-graduate-and-professional-school-courses-credit.
Credit for these courses on your transcript: When you put a Professional School course on your schedule, zero (0) course credits are recorded for the course until you submit your completed SOM or Request Form and the Registrar’s Office determines the course credits for that course after that. Some courses earn 1 course credit in Yale College and some earn 0.5 course credits (most commonly in SOM and EPH). Some do not earn credit. See historical determinations at https://registrar.yale.edu/students/course-selection/enrolling-graduate-and-professional-school-courses-credit.
Independent Studies: (Directed Reading, Directed Research, etc. as listed by most departments). There are limits on the number that a student can enroll in during a given year and over four years. Enrolling in an independent study requires the additional permission of a Director of Undergraduate Studies. See the YCPS for details: http://catalog.yale.edu/ycps/academic-regulations/course-credits-course-loads. Such courses may not be used to fulfill any distributional requirements. Independent study courses, other than senior projects and certain other courses designated for A-F grading by the department offering the course, are graded Pass/Fail. Students cannot petition for a conversion from P/F to A-F; only the department or program offering the course may do so.
Double credit: If you are interested in petitioning to earn double credit in a single-credit course, please read the relevant section in the YCPS, and then consult with me. The deadline to submit this petition is Midterm, but I recommend that you do so well before that date.
Yale Degree Audit: Yale Degree Audit (YDA) is a tool that tracks your progress toward the bachelor’s degree. You can access Degree Audit through Yale Hub. Degree Audit displays the Yale College degree requirements that you have already completed and those that are still pending. A “Look Ahead” feature shows you how future course enrollment might apply toward your degree. If you believe that academic information in your degree audit is incorrect, contact our office.
UPCOMING DATES AND DEADLINES (5pm unless otherwise noted)
September 10 Add/drop period ends, 5pm
September 10 All students planning to complete degree requirements at the end of the fall term must file a petition by this date
September 10 Students in their final term of enrollment must petition to complete the requirements of two majors by this date
September 11 Withdrawal from Yale College on or before this date entitles a student to a full rebate of fall-term tuition (Undergraduate Regulations)
September 11 Final deadline to apply for fall-term Leave of Absence
September 19 Last day to withdraw from a course offered in the first half of the fall term without the course appearing on the transcript
September 21 Withdrawal from Yale College on or before this date entitles a student to a rebate of one-half of fall-term tuition (Undergraduate Regulations)
CLASS SPECIFIC NOTES
FIRST-YEARS
First-Year Distributional Requirements: At the end of your first year (after two terms of enrollment) the student’s record must record enrollment in at least one course credit in two of the three skills categories (WR, QR, and foreign language). For a course with two distributional designations, only one or the other designation can be counted toward the distributional requirements; in other words, no double dipping. A course may, however, count toward both the requirements for a major and for a distributional requirement.
SOPHOMORES
Sophomore Year Distributional Requirement: At the end of the sophomore year (after four terms of enrollment) the student’s record must record enrollment in at least one course credit in each disciplinary area (Hu, Sc, and So) and at least one course credit in each skills category (WR, QR, and foreign language). For a course with two distributional designations, only one or the other designation can be counted toward the distributional requirements; in other words, no double dipping. A course may, however, count toward both the requirements for a major and for a distributional requirement.
JUNIORS
Junior Year Distributional Requirement: At the end of the junior year (after 6 terms of enrollment) a student’s record must show successful completion of all skills requirements: two course credits in QR, two course credits in WR, and foreign language). A course completed CR cannot count toward a distribution requirement. For a course with two distributional designations, only one or the other designation can be counted toward the distributional requirements; in other words, no double dipping. A course may, however, count toward both the requirements for a major and for a distributional requirement.
SENIORS
Distributional Requirement for the degree: Successful completion of two course credits each in WR, QR, Hu, So, and Sc and completion of the foreign language requirement. A course completed CR cannot count toward a distribution requirement. For a course with two distributional designations, only one or the other designation can be counted toward the distributional requirements; in other words, no double dipping. A course may, however, count toward both the requirements for a major and for a distributional requirement.
Please also note that, Tuesday, September 10 (5pm), is the deadline to file a petition for students planning to complete their degree requirements this fall 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.
* 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. Sign up via this link: STEM Navigators sign up
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.
Essentials for First-Years: Optimize Your Reading. Join the Academic Strategies Program for a series of workshops dedicated to helping first-year students at Yale as well as for building a community of learners. Choose 1 Session:
Thursday, September 5, 2:30-3:30 pm, Poorvu CTL Room 120A
Friday, September 6, 1-2 pm, Poorvu CTL Room 120B
FGLI Welcome Dinner. Join our FGLI Community to eat great food and make new friends. Choose 1 Session:
Wednesday, September 4, 5-6 pm, SML Lecture Hall
Wednesday, September 4, 6-7 pm, SML Lecture Hall
Getting the Most out of Language Classes. Learn the daily habits and mindsets that can help you succeed in learning a language at Yale. This workshop offers suggestions for study strategies and approaches that support this process. Wednesday, September 4, 7-8 pm, Room M104A
Managing a Heavy Reading Load. Feeling overwhelmed by piles of reading? Learn some essential strategies to make the most of your limited reading time. Have less stress and create more free time! Wednesday, September 4, 8-9 pm, Online (register for link)
STEM Navigators: How to Succeed in Intro CS. Are you taking CS50, or other intro CS courses? Want to know how to do well in CS at Yale? Come hear from students who have taken & succeeded in these courses and their major! They will share their insights on how you can tackle the courses when it comes to p-sets, exams, and more. Thursday, September 5, 4-5 pm, Poorvu CTL Room 120C
Strategic Planning for Your Senior Thesis. This workshop offers you foundational strategies for researching, working with resources, and writing, your senior thesis. This workshop is a good complement to the Academic Strategies Senior Thesis Power Hours. Thursday, September 5, 4-5 pm, Poovu CTL M104A
Pathways for First Years. First years get a lot of advice from a wide variety of sources. But what do you really want to get out of your first year? This interactive workshop helps students identify goals and sources of satisfaction, and it offers strategies for avoiding common pitfalls like overextension and burn out. Thursday, September 5, 7-8 pm, Poorvu CTL Room M104A
Strategies for Intro Math. Learn strategies for efficiently working on intro math problem sets and key strategies for studying for exams. Thursday, September 5, 7-8 pm, Poorvu CTL Room 118A
Getting the Most Out of Your Seminars & Lectures. Seminars & lectures are learning opportunities! At this workshop, you will learn about what distinguishes the learning process in a lecture vs. a seminar, and how to strategize for those different processes. We will be talking about how to engage in the classroom, how to take notes effectively, and how to prepare for exams, assignments, and final projects. Thursday, September 5, 8-9 pm, Online (register for link)
FGLI Feel Good Fridays. Unwind and recharge at our weekly Feel Good Fridays! Drop in for a laid-back afternoon of board games, crafts, and connections with fellow FGLI students. Whether you want to relax or chat with FGLI mentors, this is your space to build community and take a well-deserved break. Friday, September 6, 3-5 pm, Poorvu CTL Room 121
STEM Navigators: How to Succeed in Gen Chem. Are you taking general chemistry? Wondering how you can begin to tackle the coursework and lab? Come hear from students who succeeded in the course to know what works best and what to avoid when approaching general chemistry & lab at Yale. Friday, September 6, 4-5 pm, Poorvu CTL Room 120C
STEM Navigators 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: this is studying together–not tutoring! See your Canvas course pages for tutoring resources). Sunday, September 8, 2-5 pm, Poorvu CTL Room 120A
How to Study on a Bus–for Student Athletes & Others who Travel Frequently. Learn strategies for studying and managing your time as you navigate your academic, athletic, and other commitments. Sunday, September 8, 3-4 pm, Poorvu CTL Room M104A
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.
OCS Upcoming Events
McKinsey and Co Inc Information Session. Our networks—such as All In (Women), MBN (McKinsey Black Network), HLN (Hispanic Latino Network), AAM (Asians at McKinsey), EQUAL (LGBTQ+), and VETS (Military Services)—offer vibrant communities dedicated to fostering growth, knowledge sharing and connectivity. This session will have breakouts by affinity group and you are welcome to bounce between as many groups as you’d like. This event is open to all. Wednesday, September 4, 6-7pm, Virtual (click for link)
U.S. State Department Small Group Coffee Chats. Diplomat in Residence Michelle Kayser will offer small group advising sessions on job and internships opportunities with the U.S. Department of State and how to be a competitive candidate. This session will be in person and tailored to Yale students who are U.S. citizens. The event will fill up fast so please RSVP immediately upon interest. Thursday, September 5, 1:30-2:30pm, Office of Career Strategy, 55 Whitney Ave, 3rd floor
U.S. State Department Summer 2025 Internships Information Session. Diplomat in Residence Michelle Kayser will offer an information session on job and internships opportunities with the U.S. Department of State and how to be a competitive candidate. This session will be in person and tailored to Yale students who are U.S. citizens. The event will fill up fast so please RSVP immediately upon interest. Thursday, September 5, 4-5pm, 55 Whitney Ave, Room 369
Altman Solon Information Session. Members from Altman Solon’s consulting staff will share information about the type of work we do, what a day in the life looks like, and will walk you through our fall recruiting process, including deadlines and what to expect in an interview. Thursday, September 5, 6-7pm, (click for updated location)
Altman Solon Coffee Chats. Have a 1 on 1 coffee chat with a current Altman Solon member of our consulting staff. We’re happy to chat about our internship, full time roles and the firm in general! Friday, September 6, 8:30am - 12pm, (click for updated location)
FELLOWSHIPS AND FUNDING
Yale and outside funding options can help support research, study abroad, public service, unpaid internships, and self-designed projects, in New Haven and around the globe. Postgraduate fellowships support independent projects, graduate study, and much more. The Office of Fellowships and Funding helps students identify funding opportunities and navigate the application process. Visit https://funding.yale.edu to learn more.
Fellowships & Funding Upcoming Events & Deadlines
[CAMPUS DEADLINE] Fulbright US Student Program. Students applying to Fulbright through Yale should submit all materials by the Yale campus deadline: Thursday, September 5 , 1pm (ET)
[DEADLINE] Richard U. Light Fellowship. The Richard U. Light Fellowship Program provides full funding for Yale students of exceptional promise to study Chinese, Japanese, or Korean at specifically approved sites in China, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. Light Fellowships are awarded twice each year and are tenable for one Yale semester, an academic year, a summer, or combinations thereof. NB: attending a Light Fellowship information session is a mandatory part of the application process. Deadline for Spring Study Abroad: Thursday, September 26, 1pm (ET)
STUDY ABROAD
Study Abroad is fully integrated into your time at Yale. By spending a summer, semester, or full academic year studying abroad, you will be taking courses that earn graduation credit at Yale, maintaining your advising network on campus, and using Yale funding (as applicable). Plus – through navigating new environments, norms, and perspectives – you will strengthen your soft skills, including adaptability, resiliency, problem solving, resourcefulness, and intercultural communication. These valuable skills in turn aid your future endeavors when pursuing internships, fellowships, or graduate study.
So, what excites you? Conducting scientific surveys in the Great Barrier Reef? Exploring human rights across multiple cultural contexts? Learning Korean? There is a study abroad experience to fit every goal!
We’re here to support you through the process from start to finish, and it’s never too early to begin planning. Get Started!
OTHER
Yale Farm Workdays. Join us for the first fall Open Workday followed by the first Knead 2 Know talk. Friday, September 6, 2-4pm (K2K and pizza beginning at 4:15), 345 Edwards Street
From the Yale Library
Let’s Find Books. Save a trip to the bookstore by learning how to optimize Quicksearch to find books (including e-books and audiobooks). Bring your course syllabus! Wednesday, September 4, 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! Wednesday, September 4, 8-8:30pm, Online Event (register for link)
*Library Tour* Sterling Memorial Library: Join a librarian for a tour of Sterling Memorial Library! Attendees will learn about the building’s history, architecture, and collections, along with information about borrowing print and digital library materials, and essential library services for students, staff, and faculty. Registration Required; bring your Yale ID. Friday, September 6, 2-3pm, 120 High Street (click to register)
*Library Tour* Marx Science & Social Science Library: Attendees will visit the library’s book stacks and study spaces, including the 24/7 area. Attendees will also learn about the library’s history, along with information about borrowing privileges, research support, how to find your Subject Specialist librarian, and more! Friday, September 6, 2-2:30pm, 219 Prospect Street (click to register)