TO YOUR BA UNDECLARED! BA Preview WELCOME

WELCOME TO THE BA! How to find Prof. Susan Whitney, Associate Dean for Student Affairs, in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) – responsible for students in the Undeclared BA: By In person: Office hours from 2:30-4:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, 330 Paterson Hall or by appointment By phone: ext Betina Kuzmarov, Associate Dean in the Faculty of Public Affairs, Student Success: or ext

UNDECLARED BA Choosing not to declare a major now is a great choice! Feel free to take advantage of this first year to explore different subject areas or disciplines, to try something completely different from what you studied in high school and to be open-minded about all of your different options When do you have to declare a major?  By the end of First Year or at least before you start Second Year

WHERE TO GET HELP OR MORE INFORMATION Prof. Whitney can help point you in the right direction; please feel free to drop by or get in touch; contact Prof. Kuzmarov for programs in FPA Your professors, your TAs, the Undergraduate Supervisors in the Departments, and librarians Student Academic Success Centre: Student Experience Office: Learning Support Services – 4 th Floor Library:

… our Frequently Asked Questions! Get to know your BA with…

1. What do the acronyms FASS and FPA stand for? FASS: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences FPA: Faculty of Public Affairs You will probably take courses in both faculties, and once you decide on your major, you will then be a student in the corresponding faculty However, your primary affiliation will probably eventually be with the department that houses your major. Thus, if you choose to major in English, you will be a student in the Department of English.

2. If you were to decide to major in Political Science, which faculty would you be in? Faculty of Public Affairs

3. What about if you choose to major in Film Studies? Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences

4. Who can you speak to before deciding whether you should major in Geography and Environmental Studies? The Undergraduate Supervisor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies The Student Academic Success Centre One of your professors (especially if you are taking a course in DGES) Prof. Susan Whitney (Associate Dean in FASS)

Can you major in more than one subject? Yes It is possible to combine most of the disciplines offering BA courses/programs in FASS and FPA (keep in mind that you must be admitted to some specialized programs, like the Bachelor of Journalism and the Bachelor of Humanities, and many, if not all, of their courses are restricted to those students) You can also add a Minor to your program

6. Can you still Major in French even if you didn’t take French in first year? Generally, yes but… You should definitely consult the Undergraduate Supervisor (in whichever department you are considering) and with Student Academic Success Centre In some cases, it may mean you will have a bit of catching up to do, but not always, so it is always worth getting information

7. How do you know if the first-year Economics and Math courses you took this year will count toward a major in Economics? You can consult the Undergraduate Calendar (which lists all the required courses for all majors), the Student Academic Success Centre, the Undergraduate Supervisor in Economics You can also run a “what if” audit – to find out how to do this, visit the Student Academic Success Centre

8.Where can you get help to ensure that you are properly citing all of your sources for a Sociology (or any other) essay? The Learning Support Services (4 th Floor Library) can provide help; they have workshops and online tutorials Ask the instructor and / or the TA for help Often instructors will provide students with a model that they would like them to follow

9. You have a class that ends at 2:30 pm and another one that starts at the same time. Should you worry about being late for the second class? All classes at Carleton start 5 minutes after the stated time and end 5 minutes before the stated time That means that your 2:30 class should end at 2:25 and that the other class will start at 2:35 This gives you time to travel between buildings, but if you have classes in buildings that are far from each other, you’ll have to walk fast!

10. What is the latest date to change your course selection for Fall and Winter terms? Can you drop a course after these dates? September 17 th is the last day to make changes to your courses for Fall courses and for Fall-Winter courses; January 16 th for Winter courses That means if you can drop a course before these dates, you can pick up another one without any difficulty However, you can drop a course after Sept. 17, and up until December 8 th, for Fall courses (you just won’t be able to pick a new course for that semester), and up until April 8 th for Winter, and Fall-Winter courses

11. You have a class in LA B243. Where is that? Loeb Building, Tower B, room 243 You can find all the abbreviations for the different buildings on Carleton’s website and on the maps around campus

12. What are professors’ office hours for and who can use them? Professors are supposed to hold regular, weekly office hours, and they are meant mainly for undergraduate and in some cases graduate students Sometimes professors will ask you to make an appointment but generally, they are meant to be in their offices during those times and are available for student consultations You should go meet your instructors! They are interesting people and are more than happy to meet their students individually!

13. You’ve made a decision about your Major, but in second year, you change your mind. Can you still make changes to your major? Absolutely! A majority of students make changes to their Major and/or Minor at some point during their course of studies. It is always a good idea to consult with the Student Academic Success Centre and the Undergraduate Supervisor to make sure that you know what the changes may entail To make changes, go to the Registrar’s Office website: record/change-of-major/

14. Name one opportunity for learning outside of the classroom that Carleton offers you. Co-op Alternative Spring Break Internship Practicum Exchanges Community Service Learning Volunteer opportunities Courses that are taught away from campus (Italy, Rwanda, Greece, Israel, Québec City, etc.)

Does Carleton have a career service? Should students in First Year go? Yes to both questions! You should definitely go to the Career Services in your first-year (401 Tory Building) even if -- especially if -- you don’t know what kind of career you might want to have They have many different services to help you think through some of your options and also to help you with summer jobs!

16. Is it too late to sign up for Co-op if you didn’t apply for it when applying for admission to Carleton? No! Many BA programs offer a co-op opportunity You can apply for Co-op this year or at the beginning of second year (depends on your program) You should visit the Co-op office or consult the website this year to ensure you are aware of requirements and important dates education/future-cu-students/

17. Where can you go to consult a doctor if you do not have a family doctor here in Ottawa? Carleton University has a Health and Counselling Service on campus You can drop in to see a doctor or you can make an appointment for various services related to mental and physical health

18. Where can you go for a swim and how much will it cost you? The Athletic Centre has an Olympic sized pool and it also offers a wide range of services and classes You can use the Fitness Centre and the pool for free with your student card (check pool schedule) You can register for various classes (spinning, aerobics, dance, yoga, etc.) for which you have to pay a small fee Try a class for free in mid-September

19. What can you do if your laptop just broke and you have an assignment due tomorrow? The Library has a service lending out laptops There are also many desktops in the library as well as printers that you can use You will also find that in some departments there are computer labs that students can use to complete assignments and / or print assignments

20. Where can you get information about academic accommodations? Carleton’s Paul Menton Centre provides a wide range of services to help you with academic accommodations and other types of support (note- takers, tutors, transcriptions, etc.) It’s important to provide necessary documents well before your first mid-term or exam