http://www.simpson.edu/faculty/teaching/las/letter.html

Each faculty member teaching a Liberal Arts Seminar needs to write a summer letter welcoming their first year student advisees to the LAS class. These letters will be printed and mailed by Shelly Priebe. Please e-mail your letter to Shelly Priebe by July 1. Advice for writing your letter is provided below, along with excerpts from letters faculty members have sent in the past. You may choose the option of communicating electronically i.e. setting up a facebook for the class etc instead of sending an actual letter. If you go this route, please let Shelly know so that she knows your class is covered.

Introduce Yourself as Their Advisor

They will already have been told that the instructor of their LAS is their advisor, but that doesn’t mean they remember that. Make sure students know you are their advisor.

By registering for my Liberal Arts Seminar in American Government, you have chosen me to be your academic advisor for the fall. – Eduardo Magalhaes

As your faculty advisor for the upcoming academic year and your instructor for Foundations of Education, I’d like to take this opportunity to send my greetings and welcome you enthusiastically to the Simpson Community. – Patti Young

Introduce Your Seminar Assistant

Let your students know that there is a seminar assistant associated with your course who is there to serve as a peer mentor and to help them in their transition to Simpson.

Our seminar assistant, Emily Gerlock, is a junior student who has taken courses in German at Simpson and has taken part in Simpson's Schorndorf Semester abroad. She will be available to help you with any problems you may encounter in your transition to Simpson College. – Patricia Calkins

Reveal Your Personality

Try to write a letter that sounds like it comes from one individual to another individual rather than a letter that sounds like a form letter. Yes, I know it really is a form letter, but it doesn’t need to sound like one.

Although this will be my first time teaching a Liberal Arts Seminar, I have taught introductory Biology at Simpson for two years. I also teach human and comparative anatomy, histology, herpetology (study of amphibians and reptiles), and I will teach a one-hour course on mammals next spring. This May I took a class to Costa Rica to study rainforest biology and next May, Dr. Brittingham and I will lead a group of students to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. I am currently conducting a number of research projects including radiotracking rattlesnakes, describing tadpoles from Sri Lanka, and comparing the skeletal anatomy of softshell and painted turtles. – Jeff Parmelee

Although my excitement about teaching psychology and my dedication to students are two important characteristics about me, I do have other interests. I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I am an avid Star Trek fan. My office is decorated with Star Trek toys and with “blueprints” of the Starship Enterprise. After classes start this fall, you are invited to drop by my office anytime to admire (or laugh at) my collection. – Sal Meyers

Share Your Excitement

Discuss how excited you are about teaching your LAS and share your plans for the course. Let students know what they can expect once from your class.

Most courses of this sort rely on textbooks. We will not be doing that. Instead we will be using a "great books" approach. Reading classic works can be a bit intimidating at first since the traditional lecture/textbook format is familiar and comfortable, but I, the destination leaders, and previous students all agree on the superiority of the great books approach for this course. The books that we will read are varied. They range from a blood-drenched war poem, the Iliad, to the gospel of Mark, Dante's Inferno (a tour of Hell), and Machiavelli's Prince, a timeless guide to underhanded political manipulation. -- Nicolas Proctor

Explain the Purpose of the LAS

Remind students of the purpose of the LAS. You don’t necessarily need to explain all six goals of the LAS program; just give them a general sense of the purpose of the program.

As you may already know, we’ll be doing much more in our section than simply taking an introductory course in communication. Our liberal arts seminar will help you become fully integrated with life at Simpson. We’ll work together to pick up study and time-management skills, begin the process of setting academic and professional goals, and make the full transition from high school to college. – Brian Steffen

College study provides many “tests” beyond those of the classroom: balancing academic and co-curricular responsibilities, developing new friendships, handling roommate problems, enjoying new freedoms, pursuing new opportunities, adjusting to separation from family and friends, withstanding the easy but treacherous use of credit cards, and so on. The liberal arts seminar is structured to help you address these issues with the support of your classmates and Simpson College staff members. In addition, Scott Shoger, a senior psychology major will serve as your seminar assistant. Scott will assist you and classmates as together you encounter new opportunities, responsibilities and problems. He’s been there! – Carl Halgren

Provide Contact Information

Encourage students to contact you if they have any questions or concerns. Provide phone numbers and possibly also your e-mail address so students can reach you. Consider encouraging students to write back so you can get to know them.

As you prepare for your entrance into this newest phase of your education, please know of my willingness to help in whatever ways I can. If you have any questions over the summer, feel free to phone me at home (515-961-xxxx). You may also reach me via email: speller@simpson.edu. I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer. I am looking forward to seeing you in August. – Rick Spellerberg

I hope you enjoy the rest of the summer. If you have any questions please feel free to phone me at my office (515 961-1826) or at home (515 961-xxxx). You may also reach me by e-mail: kolln@storm.simpson.edu. I am looking forward to seeing you in August. – Werner Kolln

Summer Reading Assignment

Please spend some time in your welcome letter reminding students about the summer reading the received at summer orientation. Remind them that they are responsible for reading and thinking about the book. At the very least, you should remind them that discussion of the book is part of Fall Orientation. This is a good opportunity to mention it if you decide to integrate the reading more deeply into your class. Together, these may provide extra incentive to students to read this book before they arrive on campus.

The readings for this course include the LAS summer reading, The Kiterunner. If you did not pick up a copy of this book at summer registration, it should arrive soon. This is a good book, and it is an integral part of our course. Read it before you get on campus because once you arrive your hours will be filled with great rapidity. We will discuss The Kiterunner the first time we meet as a class. The reading prompts that you received along with the book should provide some jumping-off points for our discussion. This will be a good opportunity to make a solid first impression on me, Ashley, Steffani, and the other students in your section, so make sure that you have something interesting to say about these questions. If you want to bounce some ideas around or attempt to clarify something confusing about the book, consider using the facebook group or simply email me or the destination leaders directly. Importantly, this will not be the only time we discuss the book; we will draw on the connections between it and other course materials throughout the fall. It will probably even appear in some way or form on an examination. -- Nicolas Proctor


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The Summer Letter Each faculty member teaching a Liberal Arts Seminar needs to write a summer letter welcoming their first year student advisees to the LAS class. These letters will be printed and mailed by Shelly Priebe. Please e-mail your letter to Shelly Priebe by July 1. Advice for writing your letter is provided below, along with excerpts from letters faculty members have sent in the past. You may choose the option of communicating electronically i.e. setting up a facebook for the class etc instead of sending an actual letter. If you go this route, please let Shelly know so that she knows your class is covered. Introduce Yourself as Their Advisor They will already have been told that the instructor of their LAS is their advisor, but that doesn’t mean they remember that. Make sure students know you are their advisor. By registering for my Liberal Arts Seminar in American Government, you have chosen me to be your academic advisor for the fall. – Eduardo Magalhaes As your faculty advisor for the upcoming academic year and your instructor for Foundations of Education, I’d like to take this opportunity to send my greetings and welcome you enthusiastically to the Simpson Community. – Patti Young Introduce Your Seminar Assistant Let your students know that there is a seminar assistant associated with your course who is there to serve as a peer mentor and to help them in their transition to Simpson. Our seminar assistant, Emily Gerlock, is a junior student who has taken courses in German at Simpson and has taken part in Simpson's Schorndorf Semester abroad. She will be available to help you with any problems you may encounter in your transition to Simpson College. – Patricia Calkins Reveal Your Personality Try to write a letter that sounds like it comes from one individual to another individual rather than a letter that sounds like a form letter. Yes, I know it really is a form letter, but it doesn’t need to sound like one. Although this will be my first time teaching a Liberal Arts Seminar, I have taught introductory Biology at Simpson for two years. I also teach human and comparative anatomy, histology, herpetology (study of amphibians and reptiles), and I will teach a one-hour course on mammals next spring. This May I took a class to Costa Rica to study rainforest biology and next May, Dr. Brittingham and I will lead a group of students to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. I am currently conducting a number of research projects including radiotracking rattlesnakes, describing tadpoles from Sri Lanka, and comparing the skeletal anatomy of softshell and painted turtles. – Jeff Parmelee Although my excitement about teaching psychology and my dedication to students are two important characteristics about me, I do have other interests. I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I am an avid Star Trek fan. My office is decorated with Star Trek toys and with “blueprints” of the Starship Enterprise. After classes start this fall, you are invited to drop by my office anytime to admire (or laugh at) my collection. – Sal Meyers Share Your Excitement Discuss how excited you are about teaching your LAS and share your plans for the course. Let students know what they can expect once from your class. Most courses of this sort rely on textbooks. We will not be doing that. Instead we will be using a "great books" approach. Reading classic works can be a bit intimidating at first since the traditional lecture/textbook format is familiar and comfortable, but I, the destination leaders, and previous students all agree on the superiority of the great books approach for this course. The books that we will read are varied. They range from a blood-drenched war poem, the Iliad, to the gospel of Mark, Dante's Inferno (a tour of Hell), and Machiavelli's Prince, a timeless guide to underhanded political manipulation. -- Nicolas Proctor Explain the Purpose of the LAS Remind students of the purpose of the LAS. You don’t necessarily need to explain all six goals of the LAS program; just give them a general sense of the purpose of the program. As you may already know, we’ll be doing much more in our section than simply taking an introductory course in communication. Our liberal arts seminar will help you become fully integrated with life at Simpson. We’ll work together to pick up study and time-management skills, begin the process of setting academic and professional goals, and make the full transition from high school to college. – Brian Steffen College study provides many “tests” beyond those of the classroom: balancing academic and co-curricular responsibilities, developing new friendships, handling roommate problems, enjoying new freedoms, pursuing new opportunities, adjusting to separation from family and friends, withstanding the easy but treacherous use of credit cards, and so on. The liberal arts seminar is structured to help you address these issues with the support of your classmates and Simpson College staff members. In addition, Scott Shoger, a senior psychology major will serve as your seminar assistant. Scott will assist you and classmates as together you encounter new opportunities, responsibilities and problems. He’s been there! – Carl Halgren Provide Contact Information Encourage students to contact you if they have any questions or concerns. Provide phone numbers and possibly also your e-mail address so students can reach you. Consider encouraging students to write back so you can get to know them. As you prepare for your entrance into this newest phase of your education, please know of my willingness to help in whatever ways I can. If you have any questions over the summer, feel free to phone me at home (515-961-xxxx). You may also reach me via email: speller@simpson.edu. I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer. I am looking forward to seeing you in August. – Rick Spellerberg I hope you enjoy the rest of the summer. If you have any questions please feel free to phone me at my office (515 961-1826) or at home (515 961-xxxx). You may also reach me by e-mail: kolln@storm.simpson.edu. I am looking forward to seeing you in August. – Werner Kolln Summer Reading Assignment Please spend some time in your welcome letter reminding students about the summer reading the received at summer orientation. Remind them that they are responsible for reading and thinking about the book. At the very least, you should remind them that discussion of the book is part of Fall Orientation. This is a good opportunity to mention it if you decide to integrate the reading more deeply into your class. Together, these may provide extra incentive to students to read this book before they arrive on campus. The readings for this course include the LAS summer reading, The Kiterunner. If you did not pick up a copy of this book at summer registration, it should arrive soon. This is a good book, and it is an integral part of our course. Read it before you get on campus because once you arrive your hours will be filled with great rapidity. We will discuss The Kiterunner the first time we meet as a class. The reading prompts that you received along with the book should provide some jumping-off points for our discussion. This will be a good opportunity to make a solid first impression on me, Ashley, Steffani, and the other students in your section, so make sure that you have something interesting to say about these questions. If you want to bounce some ideas around or attempt to clarify something confusing about the book, consider using the facebook group or simply email me or the destination leaders directly. Importantly, this will not be the only time we discuss the book; we will draw on the connections between it and other course materials throughout the fall. It will probably even appear in some way or form on an examination. -- Nicolas Proctor
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