Dear Butler Seniors,

Welcome back from what I hope was a restful Spring Break! I’m writing now with brief reminders to support your progress toward graduation! Please read carefully and save : )

• SENIOR YEAR COURSE LOAD: there may unfortunately be different rumors floating around about this topic.  As I mentioned at the start of this semester, even if you had a large number of courses going into senior year, all AB seniors must complete a minimum of SIX COURSES PLUS A THESIS, and all BSE seniors must complete at least EIGHT COURSES (however, BSE independent work is included in the course count).  AB’s may follow a 3/3 or 4/2 course pattern.  Engineers, you must take a minimum of four credits each term.  Full year BSE independent work counts for one course in each term.  There really are NO EXCEPTIONS to these requirements.
• PDF/DROP ELECTION (MONDAY, MARCH 17 through 11:59pm FRIDAY, APRIL 4): At this point in the semester, Tigerhub will no longer work for senior course drops. ALL SENIORS HAVE REGISTRATION HOLDS for course drops below the term minimum regardless of individual progress to degree. This hold is not punitive. It is simply meant to serve as a safeguard against accidental course drops that may render a senior ineligible to graduate. If you are thinking of dropping a course below the term minimum, please complete and forward to me the following course enrollment worksheet and we can discuss your reasons for the requested drop. 
• CLASS ATTENDANCE:  A Princeton undergraduate degree is grounded in a common experience of full-time, residential, in-person study, and this year the University expects teaching to be fully in person. If you need to miss class due to illness or any other reason, please note our normal policies:
  • Faculty are not expected to open Zoom links to accommodate students who are absent for any reason (health-related or otherwise); instead, we want to ensure that students who are ill focus on their recovery and then make up missed material in collaboration with their professors and with the support of their academic deans. 
  • Reach out to your instructors if you have questions about how to make up a missed class and/or missed assignments. Faculty may choose to record and post their lectures or their class notes; allow a student to review a classmate’s notes; meet with the student during office hours; or ask the student to complete an assignment they consider fair and equivalent. 
  • If you have any other questions about how to approach an absence from class, please reach out to me. In keeping with our normal academic policy, we are happy to work with you to arrange a make-up schedule for classwork and homework assignments.
• SENIOR THESIS: The countdown is on so make every Friday “Thesis Day!”  If you treat your thesis as a seminar and set aside at least a three- or four-hour block on Friday afternoons, you will be well on your way. I will be emailing you separately with more information about the revival of our Butler Friday Writing Cafés this spring so keep an eye on your emails! You can also come see me if you need help or have questions about the thesis-writing project.  Don’t forget that the Writing Center has special 80-minute appointments for seniors with fellows in your field.  And check out the “Senior Action Plan” on the ODOC website, as well as the Undergraduate Research calendar, which lists IRB deadlines, workshops, and more.
• If you feel yourself slipping this year, GET HELP immediately.  See me, or see your Assistant Dean for Student Life Joe Rolon, who is a wonderful resource for all of your non-academic concerns.  Senior year can bring a whole host of external stressors, and you don’t need to handle them alone.
• Finally, print out this email and read it frequently!  It represents the distilled wisdom of generations of deans.  (And in general, you should be checking your Princeton email regularly for messages from Butler, since we’re trying to keep all of you on track for graduation!)

We are looking forward to seeing you in person, and hope that you’ll join us on March 21st for our next Friday Writing Café’s at 1:00 pm in Studio ‘34 and Friday Teahive at 3:00 pm in the ’42 Lounge!

Good luck with the second half of term, and please contact me if you have any senior questions. To make an appointment with me, please email me or stop by the College Office (1976 Hall, Ground Level Room 028).  

All the best,
Dean Andrews 

Dr. Rashidah N. Andrews

Dean of Butler College
1976 Hall, Suite 028F
Princeton, NJ 08544
Phone: 609.258.4954 I Email: [email protected]  
Pronouns: She/her/hers (What’s this?)
Undergraduate Advising Website
Please email your availabilities to schedule an advising appointment with me!