Welcome to Concordia
College! |
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We are eagerly
looking forward to you joining us for the beginning of the next school
year. It will be an exciting
time. I want to address as many of your
concerns and questions as possible now, but please contact me anytime if
there is information you need which we have not yet provided. I am sending this to all students who have been
accepted. After you have been
accepted, it is important that you finalize your admission. You finalize your admission by returning
the housing agreement with your $200 enrollment deposit. In the rare chance you will be living
off campus, please return the $200 enrollment deposit with a brief note that
you are living off campus. If you have not finalized your admission then we
are not sure you actually plan to attend, so please help us out by completing
this step. That way we can
properly plan for new students and will have a space for you. The sooner you finalize, the more
likely it is you will receive space in the residence hall of your
choice. Some of the halls will
fill early. In 2003 our housing
was very full – please finalize and reserve your spot. As mentioned in the acceptance letter, you should
plan to arrive no earlier than Wednesday, August 25 and no later
than Thursday, August 26.
Our international orientation will be held on August 27 and 28, and
general orientation begins August 29.
The orientations will give you an opportunity to meet current
international students, meet other incoming students and learn things to help
you be successful while you are here.
It is important you attend. Travel Planning The closest commercial airport to campus is Fargo, North Dakota and I recommend
you fly there as your destination.
It is served by Northwest Airlines and United Airlines. There is no air service to
Moorhead. Fargo is just across the
river from our school, and the Fargo airport only a few kilometers from
campus. Fargo is also served by Greyhound bus service and by Amtrak train service if you prefer. After you have made travel
arrangements, please let me know when
and how you will arrive so we can arrange to meet you. My office number is (218) 299.3004 and my mobile
number is (218) 329.1305. Please
phone ahead if you get delayed in your travels. My email is buegel@cord.edu
if you have email access. If you
arrive and no one is there to meet you, please try to call us, or if all else
fails proceed to the residence hall and contact the resident hall director. When you first arrive in America at a port of
entry you will go through immigration.
You will present your passport, I-20 form, I-94 card (a card you will
receive on the airplane), and your visa. They should stamp your I-20 with the date and port of
entry, write in your I-94 number and admit you with F-1 status for D/S (this
means duration of status). Please call me at any time of the day or
night at the numbers listed above if you have immigration trouble and need
assistance. You may call collect
if necessary. If you have not already returned the health forms,
please return them by post or bring them with you when you arrive. The State of Minnesota requires
certain immunizations (measles, mumps, rubella and diphtheria/tetanus) in
order to be enrolled. These
immunizations can be obtained at our campus Health Center. The people at the Health Center are
very kind, and it is essential you visit
there the
first week to make sure your records
and your immunizations are complete.
Many of you are coming from a great distance. If you plan to arrive before August
25 we may be able to accommodate you in the residence hall or you may have
to make alternative arrangements.
The dining services will not open until August 29, and so you will
have to arrange your own meals until that time. Jim Meier, the Associate Dean of Students and
Director of Residential Life, will be sending you a letter with information
about arrival, housing, orientation and roommates after you have
finalized. Also, the Registrar’s
Office will send a letter with more information about registration. The residence halls generally sleep two people in
each room. They provide you with
a bed, desk or study table, chair, dresser and closet. They do not include, and you will
have to provide, your own sheets, pillow, blanket(s) and towels. You can bring these items with you,
or purchase them after you arrive for about $40 to $100. The beds in Brown, Erickson, Hallett,
Hoyum, Livedalen, Park Region and some rooms in Fjelstad are extra long (203
cm by 99 cm / 80 inches by 39 inches).
In all other halls the beds are regular (190.5 cm by 99 cm / 75 inches
by 39 inches). You may wish to wait and discuss with your
roommate items such as rugs or decorations for your room. Rooms are furnished with curtains or
shutters and some also have desk lamps.
Laundry facilities and cleaning supplies are furnished in each
hall. Most incoming freshman live on campus in the
halls, and are required to have a board plan (the number of meals you want)
providing 14 or 21 meals per week.
If you are an upper-class student and/or one who is over 21 you are
eligible to live in the apartments or off-campus. I would recommend you live on-campus at least one
semester. If you are assigned to
the apartments or live off-campus, please select your board plan carefully – remember you can always increase your
contract for the number of meals you will take, but you cannot decrease the
number of meals in your contract. Here is a summary of our payment policies in the
business office: 1. You will be billed each semester on
the 10th day of school for that semester's charges. Half of the tuition and fees and half
of the room and board will be charged each semester. 2. Health insurance is billed 1/3 in the
fall (we anticipate $178 for 4 months) and 2/3 in the spring ($357 for 8
months). The estimated total
cost for the year will be $535. 3. Book charges will be what you
actually charge at the bookstore.
I suggest you get to the bookstore early to see if used books are
available for the classes you will be taking, and you may consider shopping
on the internet for your books. 4. Financial aid scholarship - the grant
amount is credited directly against your charges. 50% is credited in the fall
and 50% is credited in the spring. 5. Employment is not credited directly
against the account because we do not know how much you will work. Instead, you receive a paycheck each
month paying you for the number of hours you worked. You can use the paycheck to pay your
account, or you can use the paycheck for other expenses. 6. Tuition and room and board are billed
on the 10th day of the semester, and scholarships are credited the same
day. The remaining balance
should be paid no later than the end of the first month (September 30 for the
fall, January 31 for the spring).
7. Interest will be charged on any
unpaid balances from the second month of the semester onward. If you pay charges in advance and
have a credit balance, a discount can similarly be earned.
International students are eligible to work on
campus, but are limited by the BCIS to 20 hours each week while school is in
session. During school breaks
you can work as many hours as you are able to find – usually the college
limits students to 40 hours each week during breaks. The rate of pay for most campus jobs
ranges from $6.50 to $7.50 per hour, and the earnings are subject to
taxes. You will be arriving at the time of year when the
weather is generally pleasant. The summer daytime temperatures usually are
about 25 degrees Celsius. In
winter, the daytime temperatures are about minus 10 degrees Celsius, but can
be as cold as minus 30. Do not
fear! Spring will return and it
will warm up nicely again. It is
essential to have clothing which can be used across these temperature
ranges. Appropriate winter
clothing may include a heavy coat, wool sweaters, snow boots, mittens and
scarves. All of our buildings
are adequately heated. Often
students will dress in layers (a shirt beneath a sweater beneath a coat) so
they can adjust to what is most suitable as they go in and out of
buildings. There are retail and
second-hand stores where you can purchase items after you arrive if you
like. We
very much look forward to your arrival on campus. Please let us know any way we can assist you in
preparing. It is truly the
beginning of a great adventure! |
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