Welcome to the January 2024 edition of the Parents and Families newsletter!

Supporting your Ole during the winter months

Written by Lily Moreschi ‘24. Lily is a Dance & Quantitative Economics double major from Virginia and works as a Student Specialist in Alumni and Parent Relations.

It’s no secret that the Minnesota winters can be long and tough for college students, even if your Ole is a native Minnesotan! Your Ole just experienced a rigorous fall semester, and looking ahead to January Term and spring semester can seem pretty daunting. Many college students deal with feelings of sadness, loneliness, and burnout in the winter. While you might not be able to support your Ole in person, there are plenty of ways you can help your Ole this winter season. Here are a few ideas and tips that have helped me stay upbeat during the winter!

• Let your Ole know you are there for them even from afar! A simple text message or quick phone call is a great way to casually keep in communication with your Ole and let them know you are there to support them.
• Mail a letter. Many Oles agree that it’s really fun to receive a letter or postcard from someone you care about! Mailing a letter is also a great way to check off tip #1!
• Encourage healthy habits. When the weather is cold and dark, it can be very easy for college students to let go of healthy habits. Encouraging your Ole to stick to a healthy sleep schedule, exercise or engage in physical activity, or spend time having meaningful social interactions can help your Ole stay more positive and upbeat during the long winter months. 
• Be mindful of how you talk about the weather. Yes, you read that right — the weather. This quintessential small talk topic can very quickly become a real downer in the winter months when the weather is cold and gray day after day. Encourage your Ole to see the cold weather in a positive and fun light. Make a snowman! Take advantage of the hours of daylight! Watch the snowfall with a warm drink! The possibilities are almost endless. 

If you are concerned about your Ole’s wellbeing, get in touch with someone at the school who can help. If you’re not sure who to contact, your student’s class dean is a good person to reach out to:

• Chang Dao Vang, Associate Dean of Students; First-Year Class Dean
• Justin Fleming, Senior Associate Dean of Students; Sophomore Class Dean
• Tim Schroer, Associate Dean of Students; Junior and Senior Class Dean

Class deans are always here to ensure your Ole has a successful and fulfilling college experience.

Everything you need to know about January Term

Written by Lily Moreschi ‘24

It’s hard to believe January Term is already here! Whether this is your Ole’s first January Term (formerly known as Interim) or their fourth, this article is your one-stop-shop for January Term FAQs!

How many classes will my Ole take?

Your Ole will take one class during the month of January. Unlike semester-long classes, most January Term classes meet for at least two hours every weekday. While some common prerequisite classes (classes such as Principles of Economics and Introduction to Anthropology) are restructured from a semester syllabus to a January Term syllabus, most classes are unique and only offered during January Term.

Who is on campus?

All first-year students (with a few exceptions) will be on campus. The make up of sophomores, juniors and seniors on campus tends to vary. Many Oles participate in off campus programs during January Term after their first year, but not all. While there are fewer students on campus than in the regular semesters, campus certainly doesn’t feel empty.

Does my Ole have to take a class every January Term?

All first-year students are required to take a January Term class on campus. After their first year, your Ole has the choice to take an on-campus January Term class, participate in a January Term study abroad/away program, or complete an academic internship for credit. In total, your Ole must have 3 full January Term credits in order to graduate. 

How much does January Term tuition, room, and board cost? 

All January Term fees are wrapped into the semester bills. There is not an additional bill that will have to be paid. Your Ole will have to select their meal plans for January Term and Spring separately on SIS, but the January Term board costs are already accounted for in the semester meal plan fees. 

Why does St. Olaf have a January Term?

January term provides an opportunity for instructors and students to focus their entire attention on one course for a full month and offers a time for single-minded study in depth. Overall, the 4-1-4 schedule St. Olaf follows improves the quality of academic instruction by concentrating student effort on fewer courses at one time; by providing opportunity for independent study; by providing integration of intellectual experiences and philosophy of life through interdisciplinary and capstone courses; and by allowing for students to complete more than one major.

Housing for the 2024–25 academic year

Written by Associate Dean of Students for Residence Life & Student Conduct Christopher Medley

Residence Life is making preparations for the 2024–25 academic school year. Information received on the housing experience has been assessed and several updates have been made as we continue to review our processes both for efficiency and effectiveness.

Introducing the Assistant Director of Housing Operations

Residence Life is excited to welcome Evan Fisher-Damsgard, the assistant director of housing operations, to the team. His main focus is maximizing the use of the housing software to improve the residential experience. Evan is the main point of contact for housing assignments on-campus, room changes, hall storage, building break operations, and student check-out processes.

Important Housing Information

• The second submission deadline for Residential Housing Exemption is January 3, 2024 and students will be notified by January 10, 2024. Students who applied in December have already received a response from Housing.
• Mohn Hall will be all first-year students for the 2024–25 academic year.

Housing Selection Process Updates

During Spring 2023, Residence Life experienced some software challenges during the housing selection process, and we heard concerns from students. These challenges are being addressed to ensure an improved process for the upcoming academic year. We are committed to improving the 2024 Housing Selection Process.

Details on how students receive individual priority numbers and group selection times are reviewed below:

How does a group of students receive their selection timestamps?  

1. Students will receive a randomly generated priority number based on their Anticipated Graduation Year (2025, 2026, 2027) and not their classification (Sophomore, Junior, Senior).
2. After students have formed their roommate groups, their priority numbers combined produce an average number.
3. The average numbers are then ranked and provided a selection time.

How and when will each group of students select their room?

1. The 2024 Returner Student Housing Selection Process will launch in January with the release of the timeline. 
2. Residence Life is working with the software vendor to ensure timely room selection start times.