Information for Arriving Students
The
information below should answer the most frequently asked questions
posed by incoming students. If you don't see your question answered
below, email us at fyp@stlawu.edu or give us a call at (315) 229-5909.
For information on the May and July mailings, click here.
REMINDER: The move-in date
for new students is Monday,
August 25th, 2008. Residence halls open at 8:00 AM. Other important dates to remember can be found here.
The final Orientation Schedule will be provided to each student in their packet when they check in at their residence hall. Classes begin on Thursday, August 28.
To go to a specific
topic, click on any of the ones listed below, or scroll at your
leisure:
To
Ship Belongings in Advance (Return
to Top)
The
Central Mail Room (CMR) is located on the first floor of the
Student
Center. Each student has a private
combination-operated box, which he or she keeps throughout his
or her continuous time at
St. Lawrence. The CMR is a facility to dispense mail and parcels to St. Lawrence students. It is not an agent of any carrier and cannot guarantee delivery of outbound parcels. If a parcel is valuable or irreplaceable, students should work directly with a carrier or agent of their choice. Here are some options:
United Parcel Service (UPS): www.ups.com
Federal Express (FedEx): www.fedex.com
United States Postal Service (USPS): www.usps.com
To ship some of your belongings to your CMR mailbox at St. Lawrence, address the packages in the following way:
Your name
CMR Box Number (to be sent to you in early August)
St. Lawrence University
23 Romoda Drive
Canton, NY 13617
If you must ship package(s) prior
to receiving your CMR box number, clearly mark your
parcel with the words “Incoming Class of 2012
Student” or "Incoming New Student." We strongly prefer
that you ship items after you receive your CMR Box number.
Stamps can be purchased by Community-Wide Account (CWA) at the Central Mail Room Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or 24 hours a day at the automatic teller machine (ATM) located on the first floor of the Student Center, or during open hours of the North Country Savings Bank branch office on the third floor.
Change of Home Mailing Address:
If you or your parent/guardian address changes, please contact the Admissions office at
315-229-5261, Payson Hall, to notify us of the change. It is imperative that we have
an accurate mailing address on file. You may also fax to FYP at 315-229-5709 or email fyp@stlawu.edu.
Arrival and Orientation (Return
to Top)
•Thursday, August
21: Arrival date for those participating in the North Country Pre-Orientation
Trips (Those participating in North Country Pre-Orientation Trips
will receive separate arrival time information.) Students
registered for the North
Country Trips will be allowed to move their belongings into their
room prior to leaving on their trip (more information will be sent
to you after your registration is processed and approved). PDF application
•Monday, August 25: Orientation begins for all new students. The date you must arrive on campus; first year residences open at
8:00 a.m.
•Early Arrivals: Students will not be permitted
to drop off items or move into residence halls prior to Monday, August
25. However, rooms are generally available in local motels; see
list of accommodations below.
•Monday, August 25: Family Orientation - begins at 10:30 a.m. and ends at 4:30 p.m. Parents/families are invited to those events
that take place prior to 4:30 p.m. Families will have time to say goodbye to your son/daughter after Matriculation and before their first meeting with their FYP, which starts between 4:30 and 5:00 p.m.
•Tuesday, August 26 and Wednesday, August 27: Orientation for new students.
•Thursday, August 28: First day of classes.
Transportation (Return to Top)
Getting Here by Air
•Ogdensburg, New York, 30 minutes away,
is served by a commuter airline; please check with your
travel agent.
•Ottawa, Ontario, Canada’s airport
is about 75 minutes away; rental cars are available there.
•Syracuse, New York, is 2 ½ hours
away. Adirondack Trailways bus service (315-379-0923) is available
from the Syracuse airport.
Taxi Service
For St. Lawrence students only, the University provides a limited free, reservation-only taxi service to the airports/train stations in Syracuse, Ottawa, Montréal, Watertown, and Ogdensburg:
•At each official semester vacation or break.
•Once each semester per student for personal use.
•Unlimited family emergency trips as verified by the dean of student life.
You must show a copy of your airline/train ticket and a valid SLU Community ID card as verification that you are a St. Lawrence student. Incoming first-year students should bring something displaying their St. Lawrence Community ID number, such as the letter with this guide, to use until they obtain their ID card.
To make reservations:
Option 1: 72 hours in advance through Security x7777
Option 2: To and from Ottawa Airport only - 24 hours in advance through West-Way Taxi, Ottawa,
613-727-0167 (make reservations with Leslie Adams)
Option 3: For taxi service to and from Montreal airport or train station ONLY, please contact Linda Bascom, security and safety, 315-229-5010.
You may cancel without charge up to 12 hours before departure or pick-up; cancellations made
less than 12 hours before reserved time are subject to charge. No-shows will be billed full price of service reserved. At times other than official University breaks, a limitation on the number of uses per student will apply. Updated information regarding the taxi service is available at www.stlawu.edu/taxi.html .
During the academic year, a taxi service is available for short-distance destinations. For St. Lawrence students with a valid campus ID card, the University pays the first $5 of any trip. For additional information on hours of operation and cost of service, contact the security office at 315-229-7777. You may also obtain information from www.stlawu.edu/security .
Visiting Canada
St. Lawrence University is less than a 30-minute drive from the Canadian border. You must have a valid U.S. passport.
Foreign drivers entering Canada are encouraged to have a Canada Non-Resident Inter-Province Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Card in their possession while driving in Canada, to verify they have insurance. This card is available from the insurance agency that issues your insurance coverage and should list the effective date of coverage, expiration date, policy number and insurance agency.
Getting Here by Bus
The Canton bus stop is a short distance from campus. There are two Adirondack Trailways (315-379-0923)
bus runs daily between Canton and Syracuse; bus and train connections
can be made there,
and the
buses
also make stops at
the Syracuse airport terminal. Adirondack Trailways also
offers one round trip a day between Canton and New York
City via Albany.
Leave the Driving to Us During Breaks
At University breaks in October, at Thanksgiving, at
the end of the fall semester, and for spring recess,
St. Lawrence University
contracts with a private
bus
company
to provide
reasonably
priced
one-way and round-trip transportation to major Northeast cities.
Buses depart from and return to the campus.
Recent destinations (subject to change, depending on students’ travel
needs) have been Albany, Springfield/Hartford, Boston, Syracuse (airport and downtown),
Binghamton, New York City, and Rye, NY.
For more
information, please call 315-229-5010.
Information on the scheduled arrival/departure times and associated
costs is distributed to students at the start of each semester and
can be viewed at http://www.stlawu.edu/bus.html .
This service is with Premier Coach Company, Inc. Reservations
and payments are
handled
at St.
Lawrence's student financial services office, Student
Center Room 315, phone 315-229-5581.
Places to Stay (Return to Top)
If you want to arrive a little early and spend the
night in the Canton area, we recommend the following places (make your own arrangements in advance), or check out more regional accommodations at http://www.stlawu.edu/accom.html .
Hotels
Best Western University Inn
90 East Main Street (US Rte 11)
(adjacent to campus),
315-386-8522, 1-888-386-8522
www.bwcanton.com
E-mail: sales@bwcanton.com
Comfort
Suites
6000
US Rte 11 ( one mile East of Canton)
315-386-1161, Fax: 315-386-2515
Bed and Breakfasts
Misty Meadows B&B
1609 State Highway 68 (4.4 miles East of Rte. 11 North on
Rte. 68)
315-379-1563, Fax: 315-379-9016
www.mistymeadowsny.com
E-mail: info@mistymeadowsny.com
Ostrander’s B&B
1675 State Highway 68 (four miles from Rte. 11)
1-877-707-2126 or 315-386-2126
www.ostranders.com
E-mail: ostbbinn@northnet.org
The Craftsman Suites and White Pillars B&B
395 Old State Road
(five miles west)
1-800-261-6292 or 315-386-2353
www.whitepillars.com
E-mail: wpillars@yahoo.com
Amish Country Inn
441 Old State Road (five miles west)
1-800-261-6292 or 315-386-1550
www.whitepillars.com/amish.html
Email: amishcountryinn@yahoo.com
Brambles Inn and Gardens
48 Elm Street
Potsdam, NY 13676 (10 miles from Canton)
(315) 268-0936
www.thebrambles.biz
Email: thebrambles@thebrambles.biz
Things To Bring (Return
to Top)
The University provides the basic furnishings
for residential living, but many people find that a few small additions
help them feel at home. You may want to bring a few of these items:
alarm clock/radio; hangers; pillows; bedspread/comforter, blanket and
mattress cover; linen; rug (floors are tile); desk lamp; iron; decorations (one or two tapestries or pieces
of material per room and any other decorations must be hung so as not
to mar walls or paint or create fire hazards); and a fan.
You can have in your room a radio, stereo, TV/VCR/DVD
(each residence has a TV lounge with cable service), small
(3 cu. ft.) refrigerator (only one per room), small microwave/ toaster oven (as long as all
are UL approved). Realize, however, that we do not expect you to
bring each item! We recommend that you talk with your prospective
roommate about which of you has which items to bring so as to not
unnecessarily duplicate things.
Here are some of the suggestions we received from the first-year
class about what to bring and things to know about coming to campus:
click here. You can also read about it in the New Student Guide, Planning Ahead, page 4.
For safety reasons, the following are not allowed
in student rooms: waterbeds, space heaters, sun lamps, hot
plates, candles, incense, immersion coils, air conditioners and halogen lamps, toasters, fax machines, darts and dart boards, charcoal or gas grills, ceiling fans, dimmer switches, hot tubs/spas/pools, and hookahs.
Because of delivery and electrical issues, water dispensers and water delivery (five-gallon jugs) are prohibited in all University-owned residences.
No pets except fish are permitted in University-owned student rooms or other campus buildings. Privately purchased loftable beds are not permitted in residential buildings. Loftable beds are available for many residential areas - see custodial or residential staff for more information.
Cable television is available in all residential rooms. Accordingly, TV or radio antennas are
not permitted to be placed on any part of a University building, tree or structure.
For more detail regarding University Policies and Procedures you will
be issued a Student Handbook at the beginning of each academic
year. To view a copy go to http://www.stlawu.edu/studentlife/index.html and
click on View the Student Handbook.
Personal Property Insurance (Return
to Top)
It is important to know that students assume ALL responsibility for any loss or damage to their personal property. The University does not assume any responsibility for any such loss or damages regardless of the circumstances. Accordingly, we encourage students to make sure that they have insurance coverage to protect their property.
If your property is not covered under a parent's insurance policy, we strongly encourage you to take advantage of the student personal property insurance policy which we offer through an independent insurance agency. More information can be found by clicking on the Student Property link at the top of the page at www.slustudenthealthinsurance.com .
Banking (Return
to Top)
Banks in Canton - all within walking distance
of St. Lawrence University.
North Country Savings Bank, phone 315-229-7580,
located on the third floor of the Student Center next to the student financial services office, will cash personal and third-party checks of $200 or less for
St. Lawrence University students. A current
St. Lawrence University Community ID card must be presented. Payroll and travel/reimbursement checks issued by
St. Lawrence may also be cashed at the bank. Checks must be presented during normal hours of operation which are Monday through Thursday 12:00-4:00 p.m. and Friday 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
There is also a branch of NCSB downtown at 127 Main Street, phone 315-386-4533.
NSCB also maintains the ATM
machines located inside the Brewer Bookstore and on the first floor of the
Student
Center
.
You can get more information on banking on campus and Student Financial
Services more generally here.
Community Bank NA,
80 Main Street
, 315-386-8319.
Key Bank,
125 East Main Street
, 315-386-8149.
NBT Bank,
5 Park Place
, 1-800-NBT-BANK or 1-315-386-2265.
The average cost of book purchases is $325 per semester, Brewer Bookstore accepts cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and Community-Wide Account (CWA) payments.
University Health Requirements (Return
to Top)
The University requires a complete health history
and physical exam for all first-year students, including certain
immunizations and tuberculosis screening. New York State law mandates
that each student must provide proof of immunity to measles, mumps
and rubella. The University is also required to provide each student
with a notice concerning meningococcal immunization and to obtain
a written statement from students regarding their immunization status.
For further information please click here.
Health Insurance for Students
More information about insurance issues will be
enclosed in your first bill from Student Financial
Services, which should arrive in mid-July. If you have questions
about insurance, please contact Campus Support Services at (315)
229-5907 . The
purchase of health insurance through the University is mandatory
unless verification is presented of coverage by a comparable policy. You
may want to purchase the school insurance if your HMO does not cover
out-of-network provider care while in college, or speak to your insurer
about a rider for out-of-network care.
STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE
St. Lawrence University, through Niagara National, representing Markel Insurance Company, provides a comprehensive Student Health Insurance Plan for all St. Lawrence students. This policy runs from August 15, 2008 through August 14, 2009 and the cost is $1,650. Specific plan details and cost information can be found at www.slustudenthealthinsurance.com.
All students, undergraduate and graduate, are eligible for this plan; if needed, dependent coverage can be added. All full time students are automatically enrolled in this plan.
If a student already has equivalent comprehensive coverage, a waiver form must be completed at www.slustudenthealthinsurance.com to eliminate this charge from the student account. Requests for waivers must be submitted each academic year.
All students are required to have either private insurance or insurance purchased through the University while attending St. Lawrence.
Computers, Email, Phones, TV, Fax, and Photocopying (Return
to Top)
Computer information and email
All students automatically receive an electronic
mail address, and all residence rooms are technology-ready so students
can connect their own network-ready computers upon arrival. For general
information about computing facilities for students, including what
we recommend to bring with you, click
here. For information on accessing your email, click here. E-mail
is the primary way of communicating important information on campus.
Students must utilize their St. Lawrence e-mail account. Please call 315-229-5770 for further information and assistance.
In-room Telephone Service
Each residence room is provided with basic telephone
service; emergency access to security and health service; free voicemail,
unlimited local calls and campus calls to students, faculty and staff;
and
receipt of inbound local and long-distance calls. Students need to
provide the telephone of their choice; a standard corded telephone
is suggested as some cordless phones are subject to interference
by neighbors using similar phones.
Long distance calling from the campus will require
calling cards (with toll-free access) or a local/toll-free service
(such as MobileSphere) of the student's choice. SLU has partnered
with MobileSphere, a pre-paid long distance and international service
that provides excellent rates with the convenience of adding funds
over the web for minutes that can be used on-campus, off-campus,
and even on cell phones. For further information, go to SaintsLD.stlawu.edu .
Mobile Phone Service
Although no mobile service provider can guarantee
service 100% of the time, Verizon Wireless and AT&T Wireless
both provide in-building coverage. This allows students to
use their mobile phones within their residence halls as well as in and around Canton. For a more in-depth description of wireless networks and coverage areas, please visit Verizon Wireless on the web at www.verizonwireless.com or AT&T Wireless at www.wireless.att.com .
Television Access
Each residence room is wired to the University cable
system. The University contracts with a local cable TV provider to
deliver a package of TV programming. A campus cable system provides
movies, news and campus announcements.
Fax Service
Students may receive free inbound faxes at the Campus Mail Room. Students wishing to
receive such faxes should provide the sender with the fax number
(315-229-5515); the cover page must include the student's name
and CMR number. The received fax will then be delivered to
the appropriate CMR mailbox. Faculty, staff and students can take advantage of a fee-based fax service provided by the Brewer Bookstore.
Students may have a print/copy/scan/fax all-in-one
unit in their room. The phone lines in our residence hall room currently
have a distinctive ring feature that gives a different
ring
if the call
is coming from off campus. Most fax machines don't like this feature
but IT can turn it off upon being notified of which room you are in.
Photocopying
Student Community ID cards are encoded so that they
may be used on copiers located throughout campus. Each student
is given 125 free copies each semester; students who exceed
this number of copies will incur charges at $.08 per copy which will
be added to their student account at the conclusion of the semester.
Residence
Hall Services (Return to Top)
Furnishings
In each room at St. Lawrence are window drapes and/or
shades, a single bed, desk, desk chair,
dresser, closet space and wastebasket per person (however, we strongly encourage you to recycle
as much as possible in the bins in the residences). The rooms are approximately 12x13 feet for a double and 9x10 for a single, and have tile floors.
Residents are held accountable for the cost of damages to their room and its furnishings; in addition, all members of a floor, residence or first-year college may be charged for an equal share of excessive damages that occur to their public residence areas. More information can be found in the New Student Guide under Your Living Arrangements section, page 2.
Linen/Laundry
A laundry room with washers and dryers is provided
in each residence; there is no charge to residents. A note about
bringing your own linen: the mattresses used at St. Lawrence are
80" long and 36" wide, extra-long twin. The mattresses
are 7 inches thick. You may wish to
check out the available services and fees through Residence Hall
Linens at www.uparents.com/linens.aspx or
call 1-800-957-4338 for orders or 1-800-847-0851 for customer service.
Custodial
Custodians maintain common areas such as halls
and bathrooms daily. Students are responsible for cleaning their rooms and disposing
of trash/recyclables in the trash/recycling room located near their building.
Brooms and vacuums can be borrowed from building staff.
Pets
Fish are the only pets permitted in University-owned
rooms.
Refrigerator and MicroFridge Rentals
The
microfridge combination unit is a 2.9 cu. ft., two-door refrigerator-freezer with a .6
cu. ft. microwave oven. The stand-alone refrigerator is 2.5 cu. ft.
For information regarding rentals,
please contact:
Lewis Freedman
2161 Coddington Road
Brooktondale, NY 14817
Phone: 607-539-6673
Email: LMF10@cornell.edu
Academic Resources (Return to Top)
SLU offers a variety of Academic Resources for you
to draw on in your time here. For more information on all of these,
see the Academic
Resources page.
Family Weekend (Return to Top)
Family Weekend is a St. Lawrence tradition where
families are encouraged to visit and enjoy the campus and University
activities with their children. Details will be mailed in late
summer. Family Weekend 2008 is September 26-28; we
suggest that you look into accommodations now. For information
about staying with local families, call Suzanne Noble, Student Life
at
(315) 229-5550.
Security and Safety Department (Return
to Top)
The philosophy of the St. Lawrence University Security
and Safety department is to provide a safe and secure environment
for the entire University community. The department offers a wide
variety of services to assist students, staff and faculty members
in their day to day living. We ask that all students, staff, and
faculty members familiarize themselves with the student handbook
and all the services provided by this department. The first step
in a successful security and safety program is public awareness.
The Security and Safety Web site can be found here.
The department is located at the back
entrance of 76 Park Street. The office is open “24/7”;
in an emergency you can call from any campus telephone by dialing
5555. You may also use any of the 17 emergency “blue light
phones” or 29 emergency “yellow phones” located
on walkways and building exteriors.
The department consists of seven full-time
security officers, four full-time dispatchers and a strong representation
of student staff
on our Student Safety Team and First Response Team. The department
is charged with the responsibility of enforcing all university rules
and regulations as well as state and federal laws. Officers monitor,
evaluate, routinely identify and report such problems as broken locks,
windows, lighting in need of repair and overgrown shrubbery. In addition,
they immediately address problems considered to be a threat or hazard.
In compliance with “Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security
Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act” (originally the Campus
Security Act), our crime statistics can be found at our homepage.
Cars
on Campus (Return to Top)
First-year students are permitted to have cars on
campus. We find that many students whose famlies live within
a short drive do not necessarily need one as they can get around
town using the taxi service.
However, the choice is utimately yours. All
motor vehicles must be registered with the Security and Safety Department.
We strongly encourage bicycle registration as well. The entire Motor
Vehicle and Parking Policy can be found here.
Counseling Services (Return to Top)
The mission of Counseling Services is
to help students grow as whole individuals. The staff of Counseling
Services also promotes wellness at St. Lawrence by offereing a variety
of services to the campus community. Counseling Services promotes
wellness at St. Lawrence by offering a variety
of services
to the
campus community. Student-oriented services include individual counseling,
group counseling, and a resource library. Workshops are also offered
on areas such as stress management, wellness, grief, eating concerns,
and the use of Counseling Services. On-campus counseling is
free of charge.
Student ID Numbers (Return
to Top)
Your student ID number will
be mailed with the New Student Guide in a separate letter in early May. If
you are filling out the Health Form you received with your deposit
acknowledgment letter, you should be aware that the deadline for
returning those has been extended to July 31. This will
give you more time to complete your form and get your ID number
to include on it.
Advanced Placement
(AP) Credit (Return
to Top)
If you have completed any Advanced Placement or
IB exams, be sure to have ETS or the relevant school send the results
to SLU. The Registrar's
Office will then determine whether you will get specific course
credit for it. Decisions as to what AP/IB scores count for
which courses are made department by department. More information
on what counts for what can be found here. Questions
about AP/IB credit should be directed toward the Registrar's Office,
315-229-5267. We
ask that you provide us with AP scores, or transcripts reflecting
any other coursework that might count for college credit as quickly
as possible so that your advisor can make use of that information
as you work together to select courses
for the fall.
AlcoholEDU
As part of St. Lawrence’s attempts to reduce
high-risk alcohol use through our Wellness Initiative, all incoming
first year students
are required
to complete a course entitled AlcoholEdu for College. AlcoholEdu
for College is a Web-based alcohol prevention program being used
at more than 350 colleges and universities around the country. In
early July, prior to coming to school, all first year students receive
a letter from the President of St. Lawrence University, Dr. Daniel
Sullivan, in which he discusses AlcoholEdu for College. Instructions
on how to login and complete the course are included with the President’s
letter and will be available online then as well.
It is our hope that completion of AlcoholEdu for College will help
make sure you get your college career off to a healthy start. We
look forward to partnering with you as we aim to reduce high risk
drinking behavior on campus.
Items/Forms to Return to
St. Lawrence University (Return
to Top)
Below is a list of forms and other items you must
return, locations in the New Student Guide (NSG) in parentheses:
- Academic Information form (from Planning Your Education)
- First-Year College & Course Preference form (from FYP Course
Descriptions)
- Statement of Obligation form (from Your Living Arrangements)
- Housing Assignment Profile from (from Your Living Arrangements)
- Co-Curricular Involvement Questionnaire (from Opportunities)
- Spiritual Information and Activities (from Opportunities)
- Hometown News Release form (insert in front pocket)
- Campus ID card photo form and color photo, head-and-shoulders,
2.5" by 3.5" (from Planning Ahead)
- Emergency Access Card (from Tips for Successful Living)
- Three required Health Forms (you received in the front pocket of the New Student Guide)
Optional:
- Parent grade distribution information release form (from Tips for Successful Living)
- Campus-Wide Account Deposit Slip (from Tips for Successful Living)
- Dining Services Recipe Form (from Dining Options)
- North Country Trips Application (from North Country Trips)
- Motor Vehicle registration card (from Planning Ahead)
- Bicycle registration card (from Planning Ahead)
Don't Forget:
Please check the list of forms required to be returned from the inside
front cover of the NSG. Please return all forms and other items
to:
Office of the First Year
St. Lawrence University
23 Romoda Drive
Canton, NY 13617-9988
