Hello, and welcome to Lafayette College! You have officially transitioned from the Office of Admissions to the Office of Advising & Co-Curricular Programs. This moment signifies your matriculation into the College and is the first of many personal and educational milestones you will experience over the next few years.
This message contains a great deal of important information regarding the tasks you will need to complete prior to the start of the Fall 2021 semester. Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Office of Advising & Co-Curricular Programs. We are here to help.
YOUR GUIDE FOR THE SUMMER AND BEYOND
As you prepare to arrive on campus in August, the firstyear.lafayette.edu website is a wonderful resource that will help you during your transition to the College. Please follow the instructions on this site to prepare for your first semester. The website is your hub for all sorts of pertinent information including a summer checklist of all required and optional steps to take, answers to frequently asked questions, and information on academic advising and campus life resources.
Throughout your admissions process you have been connected through Lafayette Landing, which will continue to serve as a great place to connect with members of the Lafayette community as you prepare for the fall semester.
In addition, please be sure to follow our Advising site on Instagram (lafcoladvising) and follow us on Twitter (LafayetteAdvising); our social media sites can serve as great repositories for new information over your next four years.
COURSE EXPLORATION AND SELECTION PREFERENCES
As a new student, it is time to review the course offerings at Lafayette for the Fall 2021 semester. The First Semester Course Selection Preferences website is dedicated to helping new students explore and ultimately select first semester course preferences. You should begin exploring the site now to understand your course options and to take online placement exams in Mathematics, Chemistry, and Foreign Languages.
You should have received your Lafayette NETID and password setup instructions by this time. You will need that information to complete the online placement exams as well as the course selection preferences process. Placement Exams will be available to you until September. Please follow the instructions on the First Semester Course Selection Preferences website to submit your courses preferences by JUNE 11th This process is not first come first served, but if you have questions please feel free to connect with the advising office.
LAFAYETTE ACCOUNT
You are required to enter your emergency contact information into Banner Self Service by June 30th: https://selfservice.lafayette.edu/
In Banner Self Service this information can be found under your Personal Information tab
FALL COURSE SELECTION PREFERENCES
As you prepare to make course selections you will use https://fyreg.lafayette.edu to review fall semester courses and take placement exams
As a first year student you will receive an individualized course preferences link in your Lafayette email that you will use to submit your course preference selections
Course selection preferences open on May 11th and remain open through June 11th to ensure you have time to utilize the many resources at your disposal
Preferences are not first come first served, but it is highly encouraged that you submit your preferences by June 11th.
You will have the opportunity to connect with your advisor and participate in a course adjustment period before the semester begins as well.
HOUSING ASSIGNMENT AND MEAL PLAN
Beginning June 1st, you will have access to the First-year Housing Application through your MyHousing dashboard. Your application preferences will be used to make your room and roommate assignment. Expect an email around June 1st with instructions. For general information regarding housing for incoming students, please visit https://reslife.lafayette.edu/information-for-new-students/
You will automatically be enrolled into a 20-Meals-Per-Week plan on your student account. For general information about dining on campus, please visit https://dining.lafayette.edu/
ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES & ACCOMMODATIONS
Students who would like to establish disability and request accommodations and/or related services must self-disclose their disability to Accessibility Services. Accessibility Services is committed to ensuring equal access and participation in College-sponsored programs by fostering an accessible learning environment and providing comprehensive, professional services for students. Driven by the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Accessibility Services implements a robust, structured process to establish disability, understand how disability may impact a student and make informed decisions about accommodations.
Accessibility Services information: https://hub.lafayette.edu/disability-services/
BAILEY HEALTH CENTER FORMS
Health Forms will become available to you in June and will be due in July | https://lafayette.medicatconnect.com
Those who experience significant or severe medical conditions that do not rise to the level of a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, yet still require consideration, should note this condition, as well as any specific needs that this medical condition necessitates, within their medical history forms to be submitted to Bailey Health Center. Requests that are not received by the deadline established by the health center may not be fulfilled prior to the start of the new semester.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
If you are planning to volunteer with children or elderly populations at any point during the academic year, please begin the process of securing your background clearances as soon as possible.
You will need:
PA Criminal History Record Check
PA Child Abuse History Clearance
FBI fingerprint
Please visit the Landis Center for Community Engagement website for more information about this process and how the College joins the campus and community members to create knowledge and action for the betterment of ourselves and our communities.
PREFERRED FIRST NAME POLICY
To foster an environment that is inclusive and that encourages self-expression, Lafayette College has established a policy whereby any College community member may use a preferred first name. Please visit https://diversity.lafayette.edu/preferred-first-name-policy/ to review the policy and and learn how to set your preferred first name.
FAMILY PREFERED CONTACT INFORMATION
To confirm the College has your family’s preferred contact information, please ask them to complete the Family Information Form as soon as possible. For multiple-parent/guardian families, please make sure each person completes the form. This will ensure they are receiving family newsletters with helpful information and announcements.
ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSE (EAP) CENTER
The English for Academic Purpose (EAP) Center at Lafayette College aims to equip English learners with the reading, writing, and oral communication skills and the knowledge of US culture necessary to succeed in an English-speaking college setting.
If your native language is not English, we strongly recommend you attend the English Language Learning workshops and register for the ENG 100 Academic Writing class [W] provided by the EAP Center during your first academic year. Meanwhile, there are English language tutors that are available during each semester to help you with your academic writing and speaking skills. The EAP Center is located on the 3rd floor of Scott Hall. To learn more about other support that is provided by the EAP Center, please visit the website at https://advising.lafayette.edu/eap/ or contact the Office of Advising.
TUITION PAYMENT
Due August 6th, 2021
FIRST-YEAR ORIENTATION
First Year move in and orientation will take place August 27th through August 29th. Information regarding orientation can be found at firstyear.lafayette.edu. Please check the site throughout the summer regarding updates for the orientation program.
FIRST FEW DAYS OF CLASSES
First day of class: Monday, August 30th
Classes are in session for Labor Day: Monday, September 6th
Drop/Add deadline: Friday, September 10th
BREAKS DURING FALL SEMESTER
Fall Break: October 11th-12th
Thanksgiving Holiday: November 24th-26th
See the Registrar’s website for academic calendars: https://registrar.lafayette.edu/additional-resources/academic-calendar-for-future-years/
Please refer to firstyear.lafayette.edu to follow a complete list of the required and optional steps for starting your first semester at Lafayette. We are really looking forward to welcoming you in person in August!
Sincerely,
Dean Morris
First-Year Class Dean