Eventually, of course, you'll leave your student on campus and return home. But you're never far away. Outlined below are many of the concerns that might arise during a typical school year, and how to address them (usually by phone).
As parents, you should know that your most important contacts are the deans of the two Colleges, who are responsible for the academic and personal well-being of their students. Each dean's office provides information and advice concerning academic programs, academic standards, and co-curricular activities. The deans are available to talk with students about academic and personal problems or any other concerns they may have. The deans (with the Committee on Standards) consider exceptions to academic policies, review students' academic records at the end of each semester, and act on disciplinary cases. All student grievances not under the jurisdiction of the student governments are brought to the attention of the deans. The deans' offices publish a policy manual, Community Standards Handbook, each year, which contains more detailed descriptions of the Colleges' policies as well as grievance and appeals procedures.
During the first year, the deans make an effort to meet every new student so that a personal relationship is established early. Students may also seek advice from their resident adviser, the chaplain, or a professional counselor. Concerns and questions voiced by parents are appropriately first directed to the deans. The interim dean of Hobart College is Eugen Baer and the dean of William Smith College is Cerri Banks. Please contact them, or the offices identified, when you have concerns.
The academic calendar is maintained by the Registrar's Office (315-781-3651).
The deans play an important role in academic counseling and are available to assist students, make referrals, and talk with concerned parents. Students are encouraged to seek assistance from the professor of the course in which they are having difficulty, and the student's faculty adviser may be contacted for guidance as well.
To recognize strong academic performance, Dean's Lists are calculated each semester. Students are notified of this honor immediately following the end of the semester. Phi Beta Kappa is represented at Hobart and William Smith by the Zeta Chapter of New York. Each spring, students from the junior and senior classes are chosen to become members. Other scholastic honor societies acknowledge excellence in various academic fields and awards are given each year to students in various academic disciplines.
Students who experience academic difficulties (warning, semester GPA less than 2.0 and probation, overall GPA less than 2.0) meet with the deans to identify the source of the problem and develop stronger study and time management skills. The deans also refer students to other offices that may help students improve their performance in the classroom.
The Career Services Office provides individual counseling to assist students with self-assessment, choosing a major, career exploration, and professional/graduate school and job searches. Interest inventories, a computerized guidance program, and various presentations are offered to help students learn about and explore career options. Parents, alumni/alumnae, and others participate in on- and off-campus panels and events to share their experience and knowledge of the "real world" and career options. A workshop series addresses choosing a major, career decision making, résumé and cover-letter writing, interviewing skills, professional/graduate school and job search strategies. A variety of internship and job shadow opportunities are available for students interested in gaining experience. Through the recruitment program and career/graduate school fairs in various geographic locations, students can interview with representatives from a wide range of organizations and schools.
Learn more by exploring the Career Services home page.
Commencement takes place on the Sunday morning following Senior Week. The date is available as the academic calendar for each year is set. Residence hall accommodations and special campus meals are offered to parents and families of graduating seniors. In the spring semester of the senior year, detailed information about Commencement reservations and costs is mailed to parents. Questions may be directed to the Parents Office, (315) 781-3546.
The director and associate director of financial aid are available to discuss aid eligibility with students and/or parents. Call (315) 781-3315.
The Hubbs Health Center (315-781-3600) and the Counseling Center (315-781-3388), at 119 and 91 St. Clair Street, respectively, provide medical and counseling services to students. Medical services provided by nursing staff are available weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and weekends 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.; mid-level medical providers and/or a physician are available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and are otherwise on call to consult with the nursing staff as needed. Counseling services are provided weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; in addition, an on-call counselor is available to address psychological emergencies 24/7, and can be reached by calling Campus Safety at (315) 781-3656. More details about the Colleges' medical and counseling services are available by visiting each department's Web site.
The Office of Intercultural Affairs oversees a wide range of programs and services designed to attract, support, and retain a diverse population of students, and to educate the campus about the rich and diverse cultures represented by students, faculty, and staff.
The Office of Communications writes press releases about matriculation, Dean's List, studies abroad, Charter Day and Moving Up Day, Commencement, and other academic achievements as notified by various offices on campus. Many of these releases are sent during the summer, others are sent during or at the conclusion of the semester. Students should complete a news service information sheet notifying the Office of Communications of a hometown newspaper to which students and their families wish the material sent. (These sheets are mailed to all first-year students.) Copies of the release are also sent home and are available online within their matriculation materials.
For questions about hometown releases of related issues, parents are encouraged to contact Mary LeClair in the Office of Communications at (315) 781-3540, or by e-mail at mleclair@hws.edu.
The residential education staff encourages students to work out difficulties as part of the educational process. Students who have difficulty with a roommate should communicate first with their resident adviser, who will work with the roommates to support and encourage communication. Roommate conflicts are the most often seen problem for first-years in residence. If a student is having difficulties with his or her roommate, the student should be encouraged to communicate the challenges in a non-aggressive manner. If mediation is required, the resident adviser should be contacted by the student. The mediation process often takes two weeks where the roommates will meet to discuss their challenges, develop a plan on how to improve some (not all) of the difficulties in the room. They will then come back to see how successful they were. After all attempts prove unsuccessful, only then will a roommate change occur. No changes will be made prior to the third week of each semester.
The students accounts staff are available to discuss financing options available to assist families in meeting their costs of education.
The Colleges will accept prepayment of the total stabilization plan undergraduate tuition at the rate in effect when the student enters the plan. A student whose tuition is paid under this plan does not pay future tuition increases. The plan is not intended for use by students receiving financial aid based on need. Contact the Student Accounts Office with any questions.
Billing dates for the academic year are as follows:
| Billed | Due | |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | July 1 | Aug 1 |
| Spring Semester | Nov. 18 | Dec. 18 |
No student is permitted to register unless his or her bill has been paid in full or arrangements for payment have been made with the student accounts office. All tuition and other charges that are not paid when due will be subject to a late-payment charge. No penalty charges will be assessed where the institution, rather than the student, is in error.
A student who fails to pay the fees and other charges in accordance with our policies may be dropped from the Colleges' rolls and excluded from classes, laboratories, examinations, and occupancy of residence hall quarters until payment is made. The student will be held accountable for all absences incurred through the operation of this rule; and, for continued delinquency, the student will be dropped permanently from the Colleges' rolls. Enforcement of this regulation does not relieve the student of the obligation to pay the fees and other charges due. Until the outstanding accounts are settled, no transcripts or records will be issued by the Colleges.
The chaplaincy at Hobart and William Smith Colleges is designed to support and encourage people to practice and explore their own traditions, as well as to experience the traditions of others. The Religious Life Office staff and faith groups are available to everyone, students and staff, religious and not religious alike. Weekly services are offered on campus in the following traditions: Buddhist, Episcopal, Jewish, Roman Catholic, Quaker, Muslim and Evangelical Christian. In addition, the Canterbury Club, Hillel, and the Newman Club and their advisers offer regular social, educational, and service opportunities.
Find out more about campus programs and Geneva-area worship opportunities by exploring our Web site and check out Residential Education's Web site for descriptions of Jewish Culture House.
Residence halls generally open at 9 a.m. the day before classes begin and officially close at noon the day after exams end each semester. Closing of the halls may vary for individual students depending on their personal exam schedules. Students are to vacate their rooms completely 24 hours after their last exam or noon the day residence halls officially close, whichever comes first. The Colleges do not provide storage over the summer. If storage space is desired, there are several local mini storage companies in Geneva or Simply Storage (1-800-StoreIt) is a storage company that works with college and university students by supplying boxes and arranging a pick-up and delivery date. Any personal items remaining on campus after closing will be removed and donated to charity or disposed of immediately at the student's expense.
All requests for early arrival or late departure because of extraordinary situations must be submitted in writing. Early arrival requests are due three weeks before the beginning of the semester, and late departure requests are due three weeks before the end of the semester. All requests should be faxed to residential education, at (315) 781-3303.