Note to Seniors About the New Spring Term
Dear Seniors,
As you know, 2009-10 will be the first year that ends with the new four-week spring term. There will be a long list of innovative and interesting 4- credit courses in the shorter and more intense spring term. Students on campus in spring term2010 must take one regular 4- credit academic course. If they wish and their schedules allow, theystudents may also take some othera one-credit unit such as a PE skill course. . In other words, all students will be enrolled in one, and only one, 4-credit course; some students may have a one- credit course in addition. No one will be allowed to take more than 5 credits.
As the school year begins and you finalize your schedule for the fall, it would be wise to look ahead and make sure you can take full advantage of the new opportunities available in the spring without any risk to the completion of graduation requirements. Here is are a few some general advicethings to consider:
- Don't postpone any remaining GE requirements until the spring. In the past, some seniors were able to take a lab science or a literature course in their final term at W&L. There will be spring courses that satisfy GE requirements this year, but they may not be in the areas you need or they may fill up early in the registration process.
- Finish the PE requirement in the fall and winter terms. There will be physical education skill classes in spring 2010, but not as many as we have had in the past. Moreover, the regular course you choose for this spring might involve travel off campus or special activities that conflict with the PE time slots. No one will be able to take more than one PE course in thethis spring; and no student may enroll in a PE course which conflicts with their primary 4-credit course.. The safe bet is to finish your PE requirement before spring term your senior yearbefore spring term.
- Try to avoid incompletes in your last winter term. It has always been difficult for students seniors to resolve incomplete grades in their final spring spring term. This year, with two fewer weeks, it could be even more challenging.
- Pay attention to your degree audit and make sure you take care of transfer credits, study abroad transcripts and other information that needs to be delivered to the Registrar's Office. A complete and accurate degree audit will give you, and your faculty adviser, a complete clear picture of what you need to take this year. and how those requirements are going to be spread across the next three terms.
The new spring term will include courses that have never been offered before. Some of these academic opportunities will be extraordinary. While we can all look forward to the advantages of the new spring term, we also need to be careful I am confident that all the members of the senior class are going to end their W&L academic careers successfully. With a little extra planning, we can to also all avoid problems that could arise in the timely completion of graduation requirements.
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