Associated Student Agencies
The Associated Student Agencies are student-operated businesses that provide a variety of products and services to students, faculty and the Yale community at competitive prices. The office is located in the basement of Hendrie Hall, 165 Elm St. For information on any of these agencies, call 432-1888 or 432-1889. The agencies include: Refrigerator, Cake, Cap and Gown, Care Cubes, Distribution, Laundry, T-Shirts, Newspaper, Ring, Kap, Used Book and Carpet.
Students who wish to undertake or organize commercial enterprises on campus should contact Diane Healey at 432-1886.
Dwight Hall at Yale
Dwight Hall has been the center for student involvement in New Haven since its founding by undergraduates in 1886. Today, over 2,600 Yale undergraduates volunteer through the hall, providing over 100,000 hours of service annually in more than 100 community organizations and programs.
Students work in schools and homeless shelters; they form advocacy groups concerned with the environment, family and poverty issues; or they create their own programs working with youth, the elderly and the poor. Special programs include the Dwight Hall Urban Fellows Program, which teaches students how to create social change at the neighborhood level; the Public School Intern Program, which identifies needs and coordinates services in city schools; the Summer Intern Program, which allows students to create their own program and implement it during the summer, and others. The hall also serves as an information clearinghouse, linking members of the Yale community with community organizations in need of volunteers.
The Dwight Hall Student Cabinet provides support and resources to help students in their work: funding, transportation, computer access, office space and meeting rooms; and advice and training. It also organizes the Dwight Hall Open House, which annually draws over 600 students look- ing for volunteer opportunities. This fall's open house will be Wednesday, Sept. 18. For more information, call 432-2420.
Employment
The Student Employment Office has several ways to help students find jobs:
For further information, stop by the office at 165 Elm St. or call 432-0167.
English Language Institute
The Yale English Language Institute sponsors full-time intensive language courses during the summer and offers part-time, noncredit courses during both the fall and spring terms. The summer courses address the language needs of approximately 250 students, most of whom plan further academic work in the U.S. These courses cover all language skills at levels from intermediate to advanced or bilingual. During the academic year, courses are designed primarily for international graduate students at Yale.
Since 1993, the institute has administered a test of spoken English -- the SPEAK test -- to all incoming international graduate students at the beginning of the fall term. Students must achieve a score set by the Graduate School before they assume teaching duties in their departments. For students who want to strengthen their oral presentation skills, the institute offers a course in the fall term designed for international teaching assistants. The course explores the classroom culture and teaching styles of universities in the United States.
Other courses are offered in advanced expository writing, public speaking, pronunciation and conversation. For more information, call or write Jan Hortas, director, 246 Church St., Suite 101, New Haven, CT 06510-1722, telephone 432-2430, FAX 432-2434; or e-mail: jan.hortas@yale.edu.
Graduate Housing
The Yale Graduate Housing Department maintains on-campus graduate student apartments-dormitory housing and listings of off-campus rental housing for the use of members of the Yale community current Yale I.D. required. Rental listings include apartments, houses, rooms, shares and bed-and-breakfast situations that are available in and around New Haven. The office is located in Rm. 300, 155 Whitney Ave. Hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday. For the convenience of those based in the central campus area, a terminal with up-to-date listings of available housing is located at the Yale Police Substation, 258 Park St. For more information about graduate and off-campus housing, call 432-9756.
Office of Foreign Students and Scholars
The Office of Foreign Students and Scholars OFS&S, located on the second floor of 246 Church St., is the University's representative for immigration concerns for all foreign nationals who are or will be studying or working at Yale. The office is also a resource for all University faculty and staff who admit and-or hire internationals. The office issues the visa documents needed to request entry into the United States under Yale's immigration sponsorship, to request extensions of authorized periods of stay in the United States and to secure school transfers, etc.
No attorneys may represent the University or file petitions with the Immigration and Naturalization Service INS on behalf of Yale or on behalf of a foreign national who will work or study at Yale.
All non-immigrant foreign nationals at Yale must register with the OFS&S upon arrival at Yale and at the start of each academic year. This applies to faculty, students, scholars and staff, including Canadian citizens. Form I-9 a U.S. government employment authorization form must be completed on the day work starts, or at the time of hire, by all foreign students and scholars who will be paid by Yale. It can be completed at the OFS&S.
F-1 students may work on campus for up to 20 hours per week. J-1 students also may work on campus but must request employment authorization in writing from an adviser in the OFS&S. J-1 scholars are authorized to be paid only for the employment stated on their immigration documents. J-2 spouses may be authorized to work if such authorization is granted by the INS. H-1B and O-1 status are also em-ployer-specific. Non-immigrant aliens who work without authorization violate their status. Consult with an adviser in the OFS&S for complete information.
All international students whose families are with them are required to purchase health insurance for their dependents. Detailed information is available through the Yale Health Plan Member Services Office at 432-0246. All participants in a J program must have medical insurance per the United States Information Agency regulations. Written information is available at the OFS&S.
The OFS&S is open to walk-ins 9-11:30 a.m. and 1-3:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; and 9 a.m.-noon on Fridays. Appointments are available at other times. For more information, call 432-2305.
Resource Office on Disabilities
The University created the Resource Office on Disabilities to facilitate individual accommodations for students with disabilities; to provide access to University programs and activities; to provide information regarding available services, materials and equipment; and to provide assistance in the use of those services or adaptive services. The office, located in Rm. 103 of William L. Harkness Hall, 100 Wall St., also serves as a source of advice and expertise on accommodations for disabilities to the University community. The first step in initiating the process of accommodation is to call the Resource Office on Disabilities at voice TDD 203 432-2324.
Student Financial Services
Student Financial Services, formerly known as the Bursar's Office, is responsible for student accounts, billing and cashiering. The office, located at 451 College St., is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. For inquiries concerning accounts, bill statements, payments and the Yale Charge Account Plan, call 432-2700. For assistance with student loan payments, call 432-2727.
Graduate Financial Aid
The Graduate Financial Aid Office, located in Rm. 128 of the Hall of Graduate Studies, 320 York St., provides students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences with information about financial aid and student loans. Appointments are recommended for students who need to discuss complex or confidential financial aid matters. Contact the office at 432-2739. Office hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. Professional school students should contact the financial aid officers in their respective schools for information regarding finanical aid.
Undergraduate Financial Aid
The Undergraduate Financial Aid Office recently moved to Rm. 212, 246 Church St. The office provides information about undergraduate financial aid. Undergraduates with questions about scholarships or loans should call 432-0360, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, or visit during office hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Friday; 1-4 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.
Tutoring
Yale College operates a tutoring service for undergraduates having difficulty in specific courses. Residential college deans can provide information about this service.
In addition, the Bass Writing Program has appointed college tutors to assist all undergraduates, freshmen through seniors, with their writing. The tutors, who hold regular office hours in the residential colleges, offer advice at any stage of writing, from first outline to final draft. The Expository Writing Office, 493 College St., can provide further information. Call 432-1895.
In order to help students realize their potential in the natural and quantitative sciences, as well as to encourage and sustain their interest in the sciences they study, Yale College has established a Mathematics and Science Tutoring Program in the residential colleges. Modeled after the writing tutor program, this program assigns graduate students to each residential college and to Old Campus to act as tutors. During specified office hours, a tutor is ready to assist students who experience temporary difficulties in their coursework or who seek a deeper understanding of a subject within the tutor's field of specialization. Office hours for math and science tutors are posted in each residential college dean's office and in the "Tutor Hooter," a biweekly flyer distributed to all undergraduate dining halls.
Undergraduate Career Counseling
Undergraduate Career Services, 1 Hillhouse Ave., offers programs and resources to help students and alumni of Yale College further their career goals. The service's primary tasks are helping students make informed choices concerning employment and-or educational opportunities and supporting them in the successful execution of these choices. A range of programs and resources is available, including a reference library of catalogs, career materials and directories, as well as information meetings held throughout the year and consultation with the professional staff. Information is available regarding employment in the private, public and nonprofit sectors; arts and communication; fellowships; internships; the science and health professions; professional study; and Junior Year Abroad Programs. The Office of International Education is also located here.
For general information and referral, call 432-0803. For information on applying to professional schools and to contact the Health Professions Advisory Board, call 432-0818. Other numbers include: Fellowship Program, 432-0820; the Committee on the Junior Year Abroad, 432-0800; Employment Program, 432-0805; and Office of International Education and Resource Library, 432-0816.
Undergraduate Organizations
All undergraduate organizations not operating exclusively within a particular residential college that conduct meetings periodically, sponsor activities on the Yale campus, provide a service or raise funds within the University for charitable or other purposes must register each year with the Office of Student Affairs of the Yale College Dean's Office, Rm. 105, Sheffield-Sterling-Strathcona Hall, Grove and Prospect streets.
All returning organizations must register by the first week in October. Access to funding through the Undergraduate Organizations Funding Committee is not permitted until a group's registration is complete and up to date.
For further information, see Appendix D of the Undergraduate Regulations, and contact the Office of Student Affairs at 432-2908. For information about graduate and professional student organizations, organization representatives should contact their school's dean's office.
Yale Women's Center
There are a number of organizations on campus which are directly concerned with the status of women at Yale. Many of these groups meet at the Yale Women's Center in the basement of Durfee Hall, 198 Elm St. The center coordinates the activities of a variety of student groups and is also an informal drop-in space which serves as a meeting and office space for various women's groups on campus. It is staffed weekdays and maintains resources such as a library, file system, newsletter and a bulletin board on feminist and women-related issues. Yale women are welcome to come to the center to relax and talk with people or to browse through the materials and learn about upcoming events. For more information about groups using the center or to reach the telephone referral service offered by the center, call 432-0388.
Minority Student Organizations
The Office of the Dean of Student Affairs maintains lists of minority student organizations and information concerning special programs and opportunities for minority students. For information, contact Dean Betty Trachtenberg, Rm. 105, Sheffield-Sterling-Strathcona Hall, 432-2908.
Afro-American Cultural Center
The Afro-American Cultural Center, located at 211 Park St., is in its 27th year of providing cultural, social, political and educational programs with an African, African-Caribbean and African-American theme for students and other members of the Yale and New Haven communities. Activities include lectures, musical and dance performances, symposia, films, theatrical presentations, art exhibits, speakers, poetry readings, social functions and many other events designed for students, faculty, staff and community members. Among the wide variety of organizations in residence at the center are the Black Student Alliance at Yale, the Yale Black Political Forum, the Black Church at Yale, the Heritage Theater Ensemble, the Black Graduate Network, the African Students' Association, the Caribbean Club, Shades and the Urban Improvement Corps a tutoring program. The center also serves as the site for local chapters of Black Greek letter fraternity and sorority organizations. In addition, the center has several community affiliates, including the Paul Huggins Drumming Troupe and the Coalition of 100 Black Women. The center issues a regular bulletin of events and activities called 211 Park Street. For further information, call 432-4131.
Asian American Cultural Center
The Asian American Cultural Center, housed at 295-297 Crown St., serves the educational and cultural interests of Asian American students. The center is affiliated with 20 Asian American student organizations, including the Asian American Students Association AASA. Most of the organizations represent discrete Asian ethnic groups, such as the Korean American Students Association. The purpose of the cultural center is to promote Asian American culture and to educate the public about the social, political and cultural experience of Asians in America. The center maintains a library with an extensive collection of books, papers, videos and magazines, and has a kitchen, lounge, computer room and conference rooms. It is also equipped with a TV and VCR. For more information, contact Mary Li Hsu, assistant dean of Yale College and director of the center, at 432-2906.
Casa Cultural Julia de Burgos
Casa Cultural Julia de Burgos provides an educational, cultural and social forum for Puerto Rican students at Yale and for the New Haven Latino community. The center is supported by the Yale College Dean's Office and operates with the guidance of a board of directors consisting of Yale faculty members and administrators, Puerto Rican alumni, Puerto Rican students at Yale and members of the New Haven Latino community. An assistant dean of Yale College serves as director and is responsible for administering and supervising activities at Casa Cultural. Social and cultural events relating to the Puerto Rican experience are sponsored each year; in the past these have included art exhibits, speakers, theater presentations, recitals and social functions. Most of these events are free and open to anyone interested in Puerto Rican culture.
Located at 301 Crown St., the center houses an exhibit-gallery area, a dance-rehearsal room with a mirror, a library, a conference room, a classroom, a TV room-lounge, a computer room, a fully equipped kitchen, a game room and several offices. Resident groups include Despierta Boricua, the Puerto Rican Parade of Connecticut, Inc., the Yale Police Benevolent Association, the Congress of Latin American Students of Connecticut, Youth Together and the Yale Bicycle Shop. The telephone number for the center is 432-0856. Groups may use center facilities by contacting Valeriano Ramos, director of the center, assistant dean of Yale College and coordinator of Puerto Rican student affairs, at 432-2906.
Chicano Cultural Center
The Chicano Cultural Center, located at 297 Crown St., is a meeting place for Yale students of Mexican descent and the various student organizations which represent them. In addition, the Association of Native Americans at Yale maintains an office in the center.
The center sponsors and supports student-initiated conferences, lectures and discussion groups which explore relevant and timely issues within the Chicano community. It also organizes various cultural events throughout the year, such as poetry and fiction readings, film festivals, guest speakers, political forums, dinners and receptions. The center maintains a collection of Chicano materials within its non-circulating library, as well as a fully equipped kitchen, two conference rooms, a TV-VCR, a computer and fax machine room, and several smaller meeting rooms.
Student organizations affiliated with the center include Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan MEChA, Las Hijas de Coatlicue and the Association of Native Americans.
The center is open to the Yale and New Haven communities. For additional information, contact Shannon Salinas, director of the center, assistant dean of Yale College and coordinator of Chicano Student Affairs, at 432-2906 or via e-mail: shannon.salinas@yale.edu.