Monday, February 3, 2025
News
Student Course and Material Fees Reminder
As we’re thinking about textbook orders for spring term, it’s a good time for a reminder about our student course and material fees policy. As announced in the April 14, 2022 edition of Carleton Today, beginning with the fall term of 2022, Carleton has discontinued most student course and materials fees related to academic credit. Faculty, departments, and programs who would previously have charged students directly for course packets or other course materials now have two options. One is that the department or program can use their operating budget to cover the cost of the materials, and give them to the students free of charge. The other is that faculty can arrange for their materials or course packets to be sold at the Carleton bookstore. Course packets printed and bound by Print Services are easy to distribute this way, at a reasonable price to students. Please note that departments, programs, and faculty are not allowed to bill or collect payment from students, either directly or through the Business Office. If you have questions about this policy, please contact Eric Egge or Jane Rizzo.
Progress Reports for Students Experiencing Difficulties
Faculty members should submit progress reports to the Dean of Students Office for students who are having difficulty in your classes. This could include any of the following: missed classes, missed assignments, lack of communication, disengagement from class, or wellness concerns.
The purpose of submitting progress reports to the Dean of Students Office is three-fold: to confirm for students that they are experiencing academic difficulty; to inform those in a position to assist and support students (Class Deans) of the nature of the difficulty; and to reveal patterns of behavior about students, as they may be struggling in multiple classes.
Your academic progress reports ensure the well-being and academic success of our students.
Honors in Independent Study
Outstanding independent work may be cited for “Honors in Independent Study” at Honors Convocation. Such recognition is based solely on the excellence of the special project and is considered independently of a student’s or students’ academic average or other qualifying factors. The independent study project need not be in the student(s) major field and is available to all students in any class, not just to seniors.
Work submitted for consideration for Honors in Independent Study normally would have been done under the rubric of independent study as listed in the Academic Catalog or as independent research conducted over the summer. This means that course papers, comprehensive projects, etc., would not ordinarily be eligible for consideration; they receive other awards.
Requirements for Submission
For a project to be considered for Honors in Independent Study, the faculty supervisor of the project should submit the following, using the online submission form no later than one week after the last exam day of Winter Term. The deadline for 2025 is 5 PM on Wednesday, March 19.
- 1. A copy of the Honors in Independent Studies project;
- 2. A letter of nomination to the Fellowship Committee:
- detailing the merits of the project and its distinction relative to other student work in the field;
- providing information about its genesis;
- confirming that the project is not substantially identical to the student’s integrative exercise (comps project);
- identifying others at Carleton who would be able to evaluate the project’s merit.
The project will then be given to a second reader for evaluation, and that reader will be asked for a brief report to be given to the Student Fellowship Committee. The Committee shall then determine whether Honors in Independent Study is appropriate.
Please note: According to Student Fellowships Committee precedent, work honored by endowed prizes, departmental honors, etc. is not eligible for recognition for Honors in Independent Study as well. If, however, work in competition for a prize, etc., fails to receive that prize, it would still be eligible for consideration for Honors in Independent Study, provided that all criteria for the latter award are met.
Contact Marynel Ryan Van Zee, Director of Student Fellowships / Convener, Student Fellowships Committee (mryanvanzee, x4300) with questions.
Advising
Check in With Your Advisees Before Advising Days
It’s a great time of the term to check in with your advisees, particularly first-years. You can set up a lunch with your frosh advisees (remember to use your Take a Faculty Member to Lunch credit) and get a sense of how they are handling the midterm crunch. This is also a good moment to begin planning your advising appointments and to remind your advisees to prepare for these sessions. Advisers might want to email their advisees the Academic Advising Worksheet and the Choosing a Major Worksheet to sophomore advisees to help them prepare for advising conversations during week seven. Advising days begin on February 17. Thank you for all the work you do with our students!
Understanding Accommodations: Legal Essentials and Best Practices
The LTC lunch on Tuesday, February 4, in Weitz 236 is an opportunity for faculty, advisers, and students to learn more about accommodations at Carleton. The two presenters, Sean Somermeyer, Partner, Somermeyer Sullivan PLLC, and Sam Thayer, Director, Office of Accessibility Resources, will explore the legal framework of accommodations and how they are implemented here. They will cover rights, responsibilities, and best practices for creating inclusive environments that meet diverse needs, ensuring compliance with laws like Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Carleton Leadership Seminar
The Carleton Leadership Seminar (March 26-28) is an all-expenses-paid, three-day experience in Houston, Texas, where sophomores and juniors explore leadership through hands-on exercises, case studies, and exclusive NASA tours. Led by Carleton alum Jeff Appelquist ’80, this seminar will help your advisees develop their leadership style and practical skills to lead with confidence. (ALL MAJORS encouraged to apply.) Applications close on February 9. Please share with your advisees!
Key Advising Dates:
- Thursday, February 6: Last Day First Five Weeks
- Friday, February 7: First Day Second Five Weeks
- Friday, February 14: Second Five Week Course Drop/Add Deadline (5:00 p.m.)
- Monday, February 17: Advising Days (through February 26)
- Friday, February 21: Ten Week Course Late Drop Deadline and S/CR/NC Deadline (5:00 p.m.)
- Tuesday, February 25: Registration for Spring Term (through March 24)
- Friday, February 28: Second Five Week Course Late Drop Deadline and S/CR/NC Deadline (5:00 p.m.)
Advising Quick Links
- Advising Handbook
- Forms and Decision Trees
- Advising Contacts
- Graduation & Major Requirements
- Academic Rules and Regulations
- Off-Campus Study Programs
- Career Center Resources for Faculty & Advisers
- Office of Student Fellowships ‘For Advisors’ Page
Grants and Fellowships
Spring Fellowship Deadlines for Faculty
There are a range of fellowship opportunities available to faculty with spring deadlines:
- National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowships – support time for faculty scholarship in the humanities and closely adjacent fields: April 9, 2025
- Spencer Foundation Small Research Grants – support research in any area related to education: mid-April, 2025
- Whiting Creative Nonfiction Fellowships – support the writing of “imaginatively composed nonfiction” books near the end stages of the writing and publication process: April 23, 2025
- Wenner-Gren Research Grants – support research in anthropology and related fields: May 1, 2025
If you’re interested in one of these programs, or any other fellowship or grant opportunity, please reach out to the Grants Office to learn more. We would be happy to help you through the application process.
Eric and Mimi Carlson Prize for Excellence in Community Collaboration
Established in 2024 in honor of Eric ’66 and Mimi ’66 Carlson, this award recognizes an individual or group of students (sophomore or above) for being highly effective contributors to a community engagement or civic engagement collaboration during their time at Carleton. Other awards exist to celebrate extraordinary individuals and their leadership; however, this award is focused on excellence in collaboration. Awardees need not be well-known or high-profile. Community partners, students, staff, and faculty may submit nominations to Sinda Nichols by April 15, 2025.
2025 Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellowship Nominations
Is there a first-year, sophomore, or junior who would make the most of an opportunity to deepen their capacity for making social change? The Newman Civic Fellowship, named in honor of Frank Newman, one of Campus Compact’s founders, recognizes and supports community-committed students who have demonstrated an investment in finding solutions for challenges facing communities throughout the country. This is a year-long program that recognizes and supports student public problem solvers at Campus Compact member institutions. Nominations due by April 15, 2025. For more information, please see the CCCE newsletter or email Sinda Nichols.