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Chronicle

August 29, 2019

Around Campus

For First-Year Students, It’s Now ‘Weeks of Welcome’ to the Heights Boston College’s annual rite of welcome for first-year students had a different look this academic year. Welcome Week—the traditional fiveday interval from move-in to the first day of classes—was condensed to four days, and served as the kick-off for “Weeks of Welcome,” a series of events and activities through which new undergraduates can settle into their BC lives. The first Week of Welcome began on Aug. 22, when first-year students moved onto campus, assisted by “Welcome Wagon” student volunteers who helped unload vehicles and made the move-in process as efficient as possible. During the first Week of Welcome, first-year students participated in activities that introduced school traditions, showcased BC academic, employment, recreation, formational, and volunteer programs, and facilitated connections with current students, faculty members, and staff. New events included small-group conversations on the DiversityEdu online course required for all incoming students and a community service opportunity to aid Boston-area schoolchildren.

Carrie Klemovitch, special assistant to the vice president for administration and strategic initiatives, explained that many of the major campus events during the first four to six weeks of the academic year “are really critical to first-year students’ engagement with and transition to BC.” For that reason, she said, Student Affairs is encouraging the new students to experience as much as possible of the Weeks of Welcome, which will include tomorrow’s Student Involvement Fair, Saturday’s first home football game, the Mass of the Holy Spirit and First Year Convocation (Sept. 5), a Multi-Faith Mixer (Sept. 8), a Career and Internship Fair (Sept. 12), and Parents Weekend (Sept. 27-29), among other events. “The first Week of Welcome is designed to help first-year students make connections to the campus, to other students, and to faculty and staff,” said Klemovitch. “We hope students find events, activities, and programs—whether in the first Week of Welcome or throughout that first month of the semester—that will help them feel connected and a part of the University.” –Christine Balquist

First-year students moved into residence halls on Aug. 22, with the assistance of “Welcome Wagon” student volunteers. photos by peter julian

BC Among ‘Best Values’ and ‘Prettiest Campuses’ Boston College ranks 20th among U.S. private universities and 57th overall on Kiplinger’s 2019 “Best College Values” survey. This marks the third consecutive Kiplinger’s survey to rank BC among the top 20 private universities assessed on factors related to academic quality and affordability. Introduced in 1998, the rankings were expanded this year to include 400 public, private, and liberal arts colleges. Kiplinger’s provides an overall ranking of all schools surveyed, plus breakout lists of top values in each category. Kaitlin Pitsker, associate editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine, which publishes the rankings, explained that the rankings are compiled using data on nearly 1,200 public and private four-year schools from Peterson’s Undergraduate Database. Kiplinger’s narrows the list based on measures of academic quality, then ranks each school using cost and financial aid measures: Quality criteria account for 55 percent of total points, and cost criteria account for 45 percent. The ranking methodology assesses areas such as student-to-faculty ratio; test scores ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Jack Dunn SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

of incoming freshmen; the percentage of students who return for sophomore year; graduation rate; cost and financial aid; and student debt at graduation, among other factors. The full list of “Best Private College Values 2019” is available at Kiplinger.com. BC also made the list of “10 of the Prettiest College Campuses in the Country” published by TheTravel.com [thetravel. com/pretty-college-campus-united-states]. The University came in seventh in the compilation, which identified Whitman College in Washington state as the most attractive campus. Others in the top 10 included University of San Diego (second), Princeton (third), Duke (sixth), Lewis & Clark College (eighth), and the University of Richmond (10th). “This campus boasts some of North America’s earliest examples of collegiate gothic architecture,” read TheTravel.com description for BC, noting that Bapst Library “is a Gothic-style building which is cool.” –University Communications

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Sean Smith

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www.bc.edu/bcnews chronicle@bc.edu

Lee Pellegrini Peter Julian

PHOTO BY LEE PELLEGRINI

Alumni spouses Matt and Sarah Hasselbeck (both Class of ’97) presented a talk Monday as part of Portico, an introductory course for all first-year Carroll School of Management students that examines business from global, multidisciplinary, ethical, and social perspectives. Both former athletes, the Hasselbecks have been active in various charitable and service activities.

Christine Balquist Phil Gloudemans Ed Hayward Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan

Patricia Delaney EDITOR

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The Boston College Chronicle (USPS 009491), the internal newspaper for faculty and staff, is published biweekly from September to May by Boston College, with editorial offices at the Office of University Communications, 3 Lake Street, Brighton, MA 02135 (617)552-3350. Distributed free to faculty and staff offices and other locations on campus. Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to The Boston College Chronicle, Office of University Communications, 3 Lake Street, Brighton, MA 02135. A flipbook edition of Chronicle is available via e-mail. Send requests to chronicle@bc.edu.