5/13/21

Hello all-

Hope this email finds you well.  We are jam packed with info for you today- please see below and let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Enjoy the sun.   Best, Monica

Welcome Letters from you to your FSEM students!

The Office of Admissions plans to send each FSEM student a welcome video (they provide) and a personalized letter from their FSEM faculty advisor. The purpose of the faculty letter is to welcome students and foster an early connection to you as their faculty advisor.

The primary goal of the letter is to make a connection with students, to offer a few personal words from a DU faculty member, and, as a trusted colleague suggested, to let them know “there’s someone waiting to shepherd them when they get here.”

We have set the June 14th deadline, but you can submit now as many of you are gone for the summer. However, if you would like additional time to compose your letter and/or adjust for emerging information, we will happily accept them through July 1^st at the link below.  Examples of faculty letters sent in the past are attached to this email for your reference.

You will need to upload your letter to this link: 

https://denveru-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/grace_warner_du_edu/EgUZHqoGmDhAh-9m64ZKSpMBrHBZHx3sR0mhtYVy2Jbhcg?e=Z3XYQP

**remember to sign in using your DU e-mail address.

Discoveries Updates: 

• At this time, FSEMs are scheduled to meet 9am-10am on Tues, Wed, and Thurs of Discoveries week (Sept 7, Sept 8, Sept 9).
• Destinations is scheduled for Friday Sept 10.
• We have about half the usual number of Discoveries Leaders in comparison to last year, and we have a much larger incoming class. Kelly is creating a rotating schedule for Discoveries sessions.
•  It is not planned for Discoveries Leaders to have a role with faculty. We can discuss what needs faculty may have and how we can find ways to support them.
• Advising support will be available during Discoveries week for any students who need it.
• 2^nd year students can move in as early as Wed Sept 8^th and will have the option to join Discoveries programming. We are also working on a 2^nd year specific program for Friday.
• Rosh Hashanah is during Discoveries week, Mon evening through Wed evening. Accommodations will be made for students who will not participate in the regular schedule until Thursday morning.

Destinations Trips:

Scheduled for Friday September 10, 2021. 

Many of you submitted your plans with your FSEM proposal- thank you!  If you have any changes to these plans or have made decisions what you would like to do now that we know we will be back in person, please send us an email to keep us updated. Grace is starting to figure out how many tickets we will need to purchase for such destinations as DMNS, DAM, CO History Museum, etc.  Again, please let us know if your plans have changed by June 1, 2021 especially if you left the information open ended on your proposal. 

This year’s budget will be approximately $30 per student in your class- with the average class size of 19- FYI. 

In the spirit of establishing community and spending time with your FSEM group we will be promoting this year’s Destination trip activities be ½ day affairs and accessible by public transportation.  We are sorry but we will not be able to provide busses this year so please plan accordingly.  We will offer a new on-campus option for FSEM groups to meet for lunch on the campus green if you are not planning to go on a destination trip on Friday. Let us know if you would like to join this option.

Please email me monica.kosanovich@du.edu if you have any questions or concerns about Destinations for this coming fall- I am happy to brainstorm options or alternatives with you. 

5/18/21

Resources from FSEM/ DU Grand Challenges Training Session on Friday, May 14th