Orientation Spring 2013
December 21, 2012
Dear Incoming Student:
On behalf of the Student Services staff, we look forward to welcoming you to the Perkins community! I write today to give you more information on our upcoming New Student Orientation.
Spring Orientation is Tuesday, January 22, 2013 and will begin at 8:00 a.m. in Prothro Hall. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. Attendance to all parts of New Student Orientation is required of all entering students. Please plan to park in the Meadows Museum underground parking garage noted on your campus map (#60). Soon you will receive directions and a parking pass that can be utilized for that day if necessary.
Keep in mind that your Orientation will include a walking tour of Southern Methodist University’s campus. As such, we recommend that you dress for warmth and comfort.
Transportation to Dallas (Houston-Galveston Extension Program Students)
Students will be asked to provide their own transportation to Dallas. Current information on Southwest Airlines can be found at www.southwest.com.
**Prices will vary based on time of purchase. Perkins is in no way endorsing any particular airline, but has outlined Southwest Airlines flights as only an example of the cost to travel by air to Dallas.
If you will be enrolled in the Houston-Galveston Extension Program, Perkins will provide shared accommodations for one night at the Holiday Inn-Dallas Central Park Cities. To register for a hotel room for the evening of January 21, please visit our website at http://smu.edu/theology_tools/forms/hotel_reservation_request.asp and request accommodations by clicking on “orientation” and following the website directions; please do this no later than January 4. A complimentary hotel shuttle service will be available for transportation to/from Dallas Love Field airport (by calling the hotel at 214.750.6060) and to/from the SMU campus.
This required Orientation is a time for you to gather information that will be essential to you as a Perkins student. To help you plan, we have provided links to the following for your careful review:
Registration
For your planning, spring 2013 classes begin on January 24 for the Dallas campus. Courses offered at our extension program (Houston-Galveston) begin on January 28. Be sure to check your individual schedules for the first meeting of your classes. SMU will be closed December 22, 2012 -January 1, 2013. We ask that you register for your classes beginning on January 3, but no later than January 23.
The first link above is a letter from the Perkins Registrar, Janelle Hampton, that you will need to read first in reference to registration. Courses available to first-year students are marked with a bullet to the left of the course on Spring 2013 Schedule of Classes. If you are a transfer student from another theological institution, eligibility for other courses that are not marked should be determined after consultation with the Perkins Registrar prior to New Student Orientation. Ms. Hampton may also be contacted at jhampton@smu.edu or at 214.768.2152 on January 2, 2013.
You can register for courses on-line via http://access.smu.edu using your Login ID (SMU ID number) and password. The SMU ITS office should have forwarded this information to you. If you have not received such information, please call the SMU ITS Help Desk at 214.768.4357 and be sure to identify yourself as a new, incoming student for the Spring 2013.
Normally, students meet first with their academic advisor prior to registering for courses, and the advisors approve of course selections by signing the course request form. However, as a new student, you will register on-line and then an academic advisor or the Perkins Registrar will be available to sign your course request forms during Orientation. MTS students should note that due to the flexibility of the degree, you do not have a course planning guide, but pre-requisites still apply. (Non-degree students should remember that their enrollment is for one-year; after this, they must seek permission of the Director of Student Services if they wish to continue taking classes as a non-degree student.)
In reference to academic honesty, all incoming Perkins students are required to complete the SMU Academic Honesty Tutorial and Quiz located at http://smu.edu/cms/honesty, print a copy of your completion form and turn it in during New Student Orientation on Tuesday, January 22, 2013. This tutorial will be available to you beginning January 3.
If you have not returned your Intent to Enroll form (or have forgotten whether you returned it), one is available in the links above. Please fax it to us so that we we may prepare your account for registration on January 3.
Tuition and SMU Housing
If you have made (or are making) arrangements for on-campus housing, SMU residence halls and commuter rooms will be open for move-in as early as 9 a.m. on Tuesday, January 13, 2013. You will need to check-in at McElvaney Hall (#56 on your campus map) front desk to get your keys. Please bring a picture ID with you when you check-in.
While your tuition payment will not be due until February 20, you are able to sign-up for a monthly payment plan if necessary. If you are interested in a monthly payment plan, please e-mail Paola Sotomayor at paola@smu.edu (214.768.2799) in the SMU Division of Enrollment Services. Tuition and fees for the Spring terms is $826 per credit hour in Dallas and $ 727.50 per credit hour for extension courses. For information about Federal student loans, please contact SMU Graduate Financial Aid Counselor, Barbara Waters, at bwaters@smu.edu or 214.768.2644. If you are interested in a student loan, please complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Other Information
If you are enrolling in Dallas, you will be asked to pay a $15 community life fee and also have the opportunity to purchase Perkins gear (t-shirts & hoodie sweatshirts from $15-$27). It may be a good idea to bring your checkbook to Orientation. Also, be aware that you will have your student identification card made during Orientation, so come prepared to be photographed. As you can see, we have many things to cover in a relatively short amount of time, so plan to be on time and to attend Orientation in its entirety.
Additionally, with your SMU ID and password information, you can now access your SMU e-mail account at https://webmail.smu.edu. Please make it a habit to check your SMU e-mail account frequently. This is the main way that the University will be contacting you once you enroll.
Effective January 1, 2012, Texas law requires that all new students under the age of 30 must provide documentation to the Health Center demonstrating that they have been vaccinated against Bacterial Meningitis within the past 5 years and prior to the 10th class day of their first term. Visit the Health Center website for more information at http://smu.edu/healthcenter.
Article for Discussion
Attached is a copy of an article in preparation for Dr. Elaine Heath’s orientation presentation, Five Challenges to the Missional Church of the Future. Dr. Heath is our McCreless Assistant Professor of Evangelism. During New Student Orientation, we will have small group discussion about the essay.
Please read all of your Orientation materials carefully and thoroughly. And, just in case you have any problems with the encased links from this note, a copy of this document and all links is located at this site: http://www.smu.edu/Perkins/Admissions/orientation.aspx.
Lastly, if you recently graduated from a college or university degree program, please request a final transcript be sent to Perkins before new student orientation.
Let us know if you have any questions or concerns. I look forward to having you in the Perkins community. We hope you have a very Merry Christmas and New Years and we will see you at Orientation!
Sincerely,
hscii
Herbert S. Coleman, II
Director, Recruitment & Admissions
hcoleman@smu.edu
214-768-2139 office
214-768-4245 fax
P.S.
A few books (available at Cokesbury) that might be helpful as you prepare for your first year of seminary include:
How to Think Theologically by Howard W. Stone and James O. Duke
How to Read a Book by Mortimer Jerome Adler
On Writing Well by William Zinsser
Seminary Student Writes by Deborah Core
Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms by Donald K. McKim.