Undergraduate Advising and Research

 
Home > Pre-Major Advising > Resources for Faculty > Faculty Handbook 2008-2009 >

Changes 2009-2010

The Pre-Health Advising Program

  • The pre-health advisor is now Stacy Barton. Any student interested in pursuing a curriculum that will prepare them for application to medical school or other graduate schools in the health professions should make an appointment to see Ms. Barton during their first term at Dartmouth. Students should contact through Ms. Barton through Career Services (blitz or call Annette Hamilton). She will meet students, however, in her office in 11 Parkhurst.

Changes in the Class Deans Structure

  • What were formerly the First-Year Office and the Upper Class Deans Office have merged into a single office called the Office of the Deans of Undergraduate Students.
  • Incoming students will now be assigned a dean, who will be their dean for all four years. The student deans (whose official title is now “Assistant Deans of Undergraduate Students”) will have a mix of students from all four years. Any student is of course able to meet with any dean.
  • The Office of the Deans of Undergraduate Students has 5.5 deans: Teoby Gomez, Leigh Remy, Lisa Thum, Kent Yrchik-Shoemaker, Colleen Larimore, and John Pfister (1/2 time). The office is headed by Rovana Popoff.
  • The Acting Dean of the College is Sylvia Spears.

IAS (Integrated Academic Support)

  • IAS, formerly administered by the First Year Office, is now under the administration of the Academic Skills Center, directed by Carl Thum. The IAS curriculum comprises WRIT 2-3, MATH 2-3, and CHEM 2. See below for more information.

Writing and Seminars

  • The Writing Program is now under the leadership of Director Christiane Donahue.
  • Students placed into WRIT 2-3 have no choice about their section assignments. This will be completed before they meet with their individual advisors.
  • Students placed into WRIT 5 are pre-selected to take it either fall term or winter term. This is indicated on the upper-left hand corner of their placement record. Those who are scheduled to take Writ 5 in the fall term elect their choices for the section of WRIT 5 by September 18 (between 8:00 AM and 5:30 PM), that is, prior to their individual advising meeting. Their placement will be available to them (and you) by 8:00 AM the next morning.
  • Students exempt from WRIT 5 must take their First-Year Seminar in the FALL Term. This will be indicated on the placement record through their exemption (“EX”) from Writing 5 (WRIT 5). These students will elect their choices for their First-Year Seminar by September 18 (between 8:00 AM and 5:30 PM), that is, prior to their individual advising meeting. Their placement will be available to them (and you) by 8:00 AM the next morning.
  • A student wishing to change sections for a First-Year Seminar or WRIT 5 before the start of classes should go to the Registrar’s Office:
  • On September 21 (Monday) a student can switch into a section that has open spaces by visiting the Registrar’s Office in McNutt. Under no circumstances will they be able to overfill a section.
  • No changes will be allowed on September 22 (Tuesday).
  • Starting on Wednesday, the student must obtain the written permission of the instructor into whose section s/he wishes to join before going to the Registrar’s Office. Under no circumstances will caps to classes be exceeded.

Chemistry

  • As of last year, CHEM 3 is no longer be offered and the only general chemistry courses will be CHEM 5-6 and CHEM 10.
  • CHEM 2: Quantitative Reasoning in Chemistry, provides the additional preparation for general chemistry that is needed by some students. CHEM 2 is an invitation-only, fall term course that will focus on developing a strong quantitative basis for understanding chemical relationships as well as practicing the skills needed to solve chemistry problems. CHEM 2 is supported by the IAS program.
  • CHEM 2 has no laboratory, but in-class experiments will introduce the analysis, interpretation and presentation of chemical data.
  • Invitations to take CHEM 2 are based on pre-matriculation mathematics and science record and will be indicated on the Placement Record.
  • Students invited to take CHEM 2 must successfully complete the course in order to take CHEM 5, which is offered in the winter term. CHEM 2 may be deferred until the sophomore year, if the student chooses.
  • Please contact the Chemistry department (chemistry@dartmouth.edu) with questions.

Biology

  • Biology substantively changed their beginning curriculum in 2006. Now, BIOL 11 (The Science of Life) is the gateway to all major courses, and there are no exemptions from BIOL 11 for any student. This is a non-lab class, and has no prerequisites. It is offered fall, winter and spring terms, and multiple sections are offered in the fall and spring terms. This substantially simplifies advising beginning study in Biology, since BIOL 11 is the gateway to all other courses.
  • Note that each section is focused on a different topic, and a student may want to consider which topic corresponds most closely with his or her interests.
  • Note that pre-health students who do not plan on majoring in Biology must take BIOL 11 prior to taking the Biology classes with lab required for medical school admission (BIOL 12 and BIOL 13). This effectively adds another course to the pre-health curriculum. Note that BIOL 12 replaces what used to be BIOL 15. BIOL  13 replaces what used to be BIOL 16.
  • Note: A student concerned about starting the study of science at the college level may consider starting with BIOL 2 (Human Biology), also offered fall term, which, though a non-major course, is a good introduction to college-level science.

 

Last Updated: 9/3/09