Make winter count

UD's Winter Session offers four-week courses, special programming

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4:43 p.m., Oct. 27, 2014--Winter Session, the University of Delaware special term between fall and spring semesters, is offering new options this year to better meet student interests.

In addition to the traditional five-week term, beginning Jan.  5, this year several four-week courses are being offered, beginning Jan. 12.  

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"We've been talking to students to determine what they like about Winter Session and changes they'd like to see," Chris Lucier, vice president for enrollment services, said. "For some, the first week of January is just too soon to return from the holiday break, so this year we're testing a four-week session so that students will be able to come back to campus Jan. 12." 

Currently more than 40 four-week courses are available on a variety of topics from an art seminar on creating ice sculpture to an introductory business course in marketing to an education course on cultural diversity to an entomology and wildlife conservation course on basic principles of ecology. 

Also new this year is a special 10 percent tuition discount just for first-semester freshmen. This discount is applicable to the cost of up to four credits.  

"Freshmen are frequently not sure if they want to enroll for Winter Session, and we're hoping this discount, along with the four-week option, will prompt them to give it serious consideration," Lucier said. "We frequently hear from sophomores and juniors that they wish they had taken advantage of Winter Session during their freshman year."

Tuition for Winter Session is already a bargain, with a special tuition cap that allows all undergraduate students to take up to seven credits at the cost of 4.5 credits. These savings can add up. For example, by taking two full Winter Sessions, a student can get the equivalent of a full semester at a greatly reduced cost. 

Winter Session also provides the opportunity for students to focus their energies on one or two courses, to catch up on their degree progress, to check out a possible new major or minor, and to take advantage of experiential learning opportunities. 

Special activities

Thanks to an initiative in Student Life, a number of special programs will enrich the campus community during Winter Session 2015. 

Among these offerings are 

• “Campus Chatter: A New Musical,” which focuses on the history, creation, performance and hands-on preparation for the UD original musical “Campus Chatter,” to be world premiered at UD the weekend of March 20;  

• “Serving Better Together,” a high-impact pilot program that will bring together a group of students from across religious and non-religious backgrounds to engage in meaningful conversation through service; and  

• The “Study At Home” program series, which will mimic study abroad goals by offering a variety of trips and initiatives exploring various locations around campus and also at points of interest in our surrounding community. 

Additional programming will include a Hot Chocolate Festival, guest lectures, workshops and movies,  as well as a Super Bowl watch party. 

Housing and Dining

Many students enjoy being back on campus to take advantage both of the educational opportunities and to engage in the vibrant campus life. For resident undergraduate students living in a traditional residence hall this fall or who register to live there in the spring, there is no Winter Session housing fee. Students who are not enrolled in Winter Session classes may request to live in residence halls for other University-related reasons, such as on-campus employment or research. 

The only students who will be charged any winter housing fee are Associate in Arts students who live in the residence halls during Winter Session while taking Newark campus classes only and those who live in Graduate Student and Family Housing (Conover Apartments or Graduate House).

Students enrolled in winter classes who wish to live on campus during term must complete the Winter Session housing application found on the MyHousing portal. registration form. Additional information is available on the Residence Life and Housing website

All students living in traditional residence halls or suites during Winter Session must enroll in a meal plan, which provides dining options at multiple residential and retail venues across campus. Required meal plans are inclusive of both meals and points, with any remaining points carrying over to the spring semester. 

Students living in off-campus housing or the Christiana Towers who are looking for a convenient solution to supplement their dining needs may voluntarily choose from any of the full or optional meal plans being offered. 

Pencader and Kent Residential Dining Halls will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the week, and for brunch and dinner on the weekends. Retail dining locations will have adjusted Winter Session schedules.

A complete listing of Winter Session hours along with additional information related to the Winter Session meal plan will be available soon on the UD Dining website. Call 302-831-6761 or email Dining Services with questions.

For additional information, visit the Winter Session website or see this special F.A.Q.

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