TRUMBULL COLLEGE: September 8, 2026
Every year, I look forward to Labor Day weekend as an opportunity to catch my breath, and I hope the same was the case for you! Congrats to our first years for making it through Orientation and a huge thank you to our FroCos for shepherding them through!!
Hope you had some time to relax over the long weekend and hope you’re enjoying this amazing weather! We made one last visit to the water park part of Lake Compounce, a water/amusement park close to my parents’ house. It was cold, but that meant that the water slides didn’t have a line! Sahej also started 2nd grade last week. :)
Shifting to business, remember that Add/Drop ends this Friday, September 11th 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) if you have a question, since Alice knows the answer to many routine academic questions and can guide you accordingly – she’s amazing.
Remember to scroll through Dean’s Notes each week – I wanted to bring to your attention the Early Career Networking Fair that’s happening tomorrow evening. Attend to meet representatives from nearly 50 organizations spanning finance and quantitative trading, consulting, technology, life sciences, nonprofit, government, publishing, education, and more!
Wishing you all the best as we settle in for the term!
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 (there’s a small text blurb at the top of the page that is updated regularly). 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 Wednesday, September 9th (3-4:30pm); Thursday, September 10th (1:30-2:30pm); Friday, September 11th (10am-noon); and Friday, September 11th (2:30-4pm).
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 section of their website devoted to course registration: https://registrar.yale.edu/registration. The “Registration FAQs” and “Key Registration Dates” are particularly useful! There are even registration video guides for using your registration worksheet!
The Add/Drop Period continues until 5pm EDT on this Friday, September 11th. 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. The courses listed on your registration worksheet at 5pm on Friday, Sept 11th will constitute your fall course schedule.
Canvas Worksheets and Registration Worksheets are different! The Canvas worksheet – while useful 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 on distinguishing the two worksheets in the Registration FAQs.
Overloads, 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 11th @5pm). To request an overload or underload, make an appointment with me or visit my open Zoom hours. NOTE: Requesting an overload also requires you to complete an online form: Credit Overload Petition (Yale College) during and well before the end of Add/Drop.
Course Overlap Information: A student may not elect courses with meeting times that overlap, even if part of the course is recorded.
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: the Professional School Course Enrollment Request (Yale College). School of Management courses require two forms. After receiving SOM’s approval using their form, attach a screenshot of that approval to the Professional School Course Enrollment Request (Yale College) during Add/Drop.
NOTE: If the system allows, you should also add the professional school course to your registration worksheet for 0.0 credit. If the request is approved, the University Registrar’s Office will apply the appropriate course credit to your schedule.
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: You cannot elect the CR/D/Fail option for courses at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences or at a professional school.
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 required form(s) and the Registrar’s Office determines the course credits for that course based on 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/graduate-and-professional-school-courses-for-yale-college-credit.
See the YCPS for details: https://catalog.yale.edu/ycps/academic-regulations/special-academic-arrangements/#Grad_and_Professional_Courses.
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 is a tool that tracks your progress toward the bachelor’s degree. You can learn about – and access! – Degree Audit at https://registrar.yale.edu/student-records/degree-audit. 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 noted)
September 11 Add/drop period ends, 5pm
September 15 All students planning to complete degree requirements at the end of the fall term must file a petition by this date.
September 15 Students in their final term of enrollment must petition to complete the requirements of two majors by this date.
September 15 Students in their final term of enrollment planning to change their major, must by this date, declare as such in Yale Hub.
September 15 Students in their final term of enrollment planning to earn a certificate, must by this date, declare as such in Yale Hub.
September 16 Final deadline to apply for fall-term Leave of Absence.
September 16 Withdrawal from Yale College on or before this date entitles a student to a full rebate of fall-term tuition (Undergraduate Regulations).
September 24 Last day to withdraw from a course offered in the first half of the fall term without the course appearing on the transcript.
CLASS SPECIFIC NOTES
FIRST-YEARS
First-Year Distributional Requirements: At the end of 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 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 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 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 language. A course completed CR cannot count toward a junior distributional 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 language requirement. A course completed CR cannot count toward the distributional requirements for the Bachelor’s degree. 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 15th, is the deadline to file a petition for students planning to complete their degree requirements by the end of the fall term.
TUTORING
Advising Resources: http://advising.yalecollege.yale.edu
Academic Strategies Program: https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/academic-strategies-program
Sc/QR Tutoring: https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/learning/help-with-stem/stem-tutoring
Language Tutoring: https://cls.yale.edu/programs/language-tutoring
Writing Center/Tutors/Partners: https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/undergraduates/undergraduate-writing-and-tutoring; https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/undergraduates/writing-center
Trumbull Writing Tutor: Adam Sexton is Trumbull’s Residential College Writing Tutor. He is eager to work one-on-one with any and all Trumbullians on writing of every kind, from academic papers to creative writing to fellowship applications. A Senior Lecturer and Course Director in English, Adam has taught at Yale since 2013 and has served as Trumbull’s Writing Tutor since 2014. He also coordinates the TC Mellon Forum. To make a tutoring appointment with Adam, go to https://www.yalewco.com/
Academic Strategies Program. The Academic Strategies Program (ASP) is just one of the ways that the Office of Educational Opportunity (OEO) helps students identify and work towards their academic and experiential learning goals. Visit https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/learning to find out other ways OEO and the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning can help. The ASP helps students navigate the “hidden curriculum” at Yale, the invisible set of underlying assumptions and expectations about how to do well as a student. We will feature ASP workshops in each Dean’s Notes – but before to check out OEO’s other offerings.
ASP Workshop - How to Do Your Senior Year. Senior year is a balancing act – finishing strong while preparing for what comes next. In this workshop, you’ll take stock of your priorities, reflect on your final goals, and talk through big-picture decisions with guidance from juniors and seniors who’ve been right where you are. Tuesday, September 8, 6-7pm, Poorvu CTL, Room M104A
ASP Workshop - How to Get Started on Your Post-Grad Plans. Not sure what you want to do after Yale—or know where you’re headed but aren’t sure how to get there? This interactive workshop will help you explore your interests and priorities, learn how to connect with people who can help you explore possible paths, and start building a realistic timeline for your next steps. You’ll leave with concrete strategies, Yale resources, and at least one action you can take to move your post-grad planning forward. Tuesday, September 8, 6-7pm, Poorvu CTL, Room 120C
Eli Whitney + Transfer Student Caffeinated Commons. Join us for community, conversation, and caffeine! Drop by this relaxed weekly hangout hosted by the Academic Strategies Program’s Eli Whitney & Transfer peer mentors—sometimes there’s a theme, workshop, or discussion, and sometimes just snacks and good company. Whether you’re here to chat, decompress, connect, or set up your weekend, you’re always welcome.
Wednesday, September 9, 3-5pm. Poorvu CTL, Room 118A
Thursday, September 10, 9:30-11:30am, Poorvu CTL, Room 118A
First-Year Essentials 2: How to Optimize Your Reading. Not all reading strategies are created equal. This workshop introduces flexible, evidence-based techniques for reading more effectively across disciplines - whether you’re prepping for class, writing a paper, or studying for exams. Learn how to approach texts with purpose, not just persistence.
Wednesday, September 9, 6-7pm, Poorvu CTL, Room 120C
Friday, September 11, 2-3pm, Poorvu Center CTL, Room 120C
ASP Workshop - How to Organize Your Time. Time management isn’t just about being busy—it’s about making time for what matters. In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn strategies for balancing your coursework, extracurriculars, and life outside of Yale. With the help of ASP Peer Mentors, you’ll explore different approaches to scheduling, planning, and managing overwhelm—then start crafting a system that works for you. Thursday, September 10, 5-6pm, Poorvu CTL, Room M104A
ASP Workshop - How to Manage a Heavy Reading Load. When the reading piles up, it can be hard to know where to start—or how to keep up. This workshop introduces practical strategies for prioritizing, previewing, and staying engaged with your reading without spending every waking hour on it. You’ll leave with a toolkit for reading more effectively and efficiently, developed and tested by students who’ve been there. Friday, September 11, 3-4pm, 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. Schedule a weekly OCS newsletter tailored to your interests and check out https://ocs.yale.edu/channels/student for events, opportunities, resources, and reminders from OCS.
Job Postings. Be sure to check the OCS Blog, CareerLink, the Common Good and Creative Careers (CGCC) for job postings and opportunities.
Register Now & Attend Tomorrow! 2026 Early Career Networking Event. Whether you’re searching for an internship or full-time role, exploring career possibilities, or simply curious about different industries, the Early Career Networking Fair offers an opportunity to connect directly with employers and professionals from a wide range of organizations. Attend to meet representatives from nearly 50 organizations spanning finance and quantitative trading, consulting, technology, life sciences, nonprofit, government, publishing, education, and more. Wednesday, September 9, 5:30-8:30pm, The Omni Hotel, 155 Chapel Street
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.
Post Summer Experience Debrief: Maximize your Experience for Professional and Personal Goals. Join Dwight Hall and the Office of Fellowships for a Post-Departure Workshop to reflect on your summer experience. Whether you were doing research, an internship, or something else, we believe it is important to take the time to reflect upon your experience and learn how to talk about it. This workshop will provide a space for students to discuss all aspects of their summer experience amongst peers and representatives from both offices. Friday, September 11, 1:30-3pm, Dwight Hall, 67 Hight Street
STUDY ABROAD
Thinking about opportunities to study abroad? Head to the “Get Started” tab to search programs that fit your personal and academic interests, check application deadlines, review costs and funding options, get advice on your plans, learn about fulfilling distributional and major requirements with study abroad coursework, and more.
Applications for Spring 2027 Study Abroad are now open! Please note that approval for term-time study abroad is a two-step process; you must both apply to Yale Study Abroad for approval, and directly to your program for admission. For Yale Study Abroad approval, the deadline is October 1, 2026 at 11:59pm. This deadline is stringently forced, with no exceptions. That said, the application is not binding; if approved for spring study abroad, you may still choose to withdraw or otherwise adjust your plans in coordination with our office. As for program admission, deadlines vary by program; you should be able to find this information, and the relevant application, directly on your chosen program’s website.
Study Abroad 101. Learn more from YSA Adviser Katherine Nevils about available study abroad programs, application timelines, associated costs, and how studying abroad can enhance your academic and personal experience. Thursday, September 10, 4-5pm, Online Event (register for link)
TAKE NOTE
Yale Farm Workdays. Visitors are welcome to join the student team for seasonal farm work. On busy days, tasks may finish early — but you’re always invited to stay, learn, and tour the farm with one of our interns. The first Fall Workday is this Friday, September 11, 2-4pm at the Yale Farm, 345 Edwards Street. See the full calendar and details at https://www.sustainablefood.yale.edu/open-workdays.
AI in Yale College: How Students are Integrating AI Tools into Learning. Curious about specific AI tools, how they can aid your learning, or how other students are wrestling with the ethical concerns of this technology? Join a panel hosted by the Student AI Liaisons (SAIL) & the Poorvu Center North to explore how students in Yale College have integrated various AI tools into their undergraduate experience. All are welcome! High quality snacks and drinks provided! Monday, September 21, 7-8pm, Poorvu North (Marx Library), Young Family Study Center
YC3
Wellness Wednesday: Intellectual Wellness. Join YC3 for Wellness Wednesday! This month we are focusing on intellectual wellness. Get on the right track for the new academic year by challenging yourself to explore one new skill or area of your life. Stop by anytime between 2-4pm & grab a snack and free giveaways! Wednesday, September 9, 2-4pm, Yale Schwarzman Center, Good Life Center lounge
Yale Library.
Discover Yale Library. Do you want a chance to win a key to your own study room in Bass Library? Pick up a passport in Bass, Sterling, Arts, or Marx Library and collect stamps as you visit libraries. One winner will be selected on October 14th. Full details at guides.library.yale.edu/DiscoverYaleLibrary.
Let’s Find Books for Class. Save a trip to the bookstore by learning how to optimize Quicksearch to find books (including ebooks and audiobooks). Bring your course syllabus!
Wednesday, September 9, 3-3:30pm, Online Event (register for link)
Thursday, September 10, 11:30am-12noon, Online Event (register for link)
Beinecke Library Tour for Students. Join a librarian for a tour of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library! Students participating in the Discover Yale Library passport will receive a passport stamp on this tour. Registration required; bring your Yale ID. Wednesday, September 9, 4-4:45pm
Walpole Library Tour (with transportation!). Join us for a tour of the Walpole Library in Farmington, CT - and get your Lewis Walpole Library passport stamp! Shuttle & snacks provided. Registration required; bring your Yale ID. Friday, September 11, 9am-12noon, departs from/returns to Poorvu Center, 301 York Street
Request A Personal Librarian. Did you know all undergraduate students have a personal librarian? When, where, and how you connect with us is up to you. See full details at https://library.yale.edu/help-and-research-support/personal-librarians-for-undergraduates.