Planning for Study Abroad

International Family Orientation, held prior to the fall semester. Email parents@hofstra.edu for more information on International Family Orientation.

Hofstra University Library

Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library, South Campus

Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library is the main 11-story library building located at the south end of the Unispan (pedestrian bridge that crosses Hempstead Turnpike). Axinn Library provides 24/7 online access to over 200,000 full-text journals and more than 800,000 electronic books. Axinn Library offers students a wealth of information resources, individualized research assistance from librarians, and comfortable spaces for individual study, group study, or meeting friends. Encourage your student to take advantage of the group study rooms, the comfortable lounge study area on the ground floor, and the Collaborative Learning Center (CLC), a group study space on the second floor of Axinn Library.

Students may begin their research at the University Library homepage, using the Discovery search box for books and e-books, the A-Z list of databases to access the 260+ electronic databases available to students, and the Research Guides for a basic introduction to Axinn Library’s resources and services. Students may borrow any of the more than 600,000 books by presenting a valid Hofstra ID at the Circulation Desk. When students visit Axinn Library, they should stop at the Reference Desk on the main floor to ask any questions about the services, resources, and spaces available to them.

Studying abroad offers students many opportunities to learn about an academic discipline, a different culture, and themselves. It is also an opportunity that requires planning very early in a student’s college career.

• Hofstra offers many different options for study abroad, so no matter what major a student chooses, they can fit study abroad into a four-year academic plan. We sponsor several faculty-led trips during the January Session, spring break, and summer. We also support programs of various durations offered by established programs with other universities and private study-abroad providers. Hofstra also offers various exchange programs with partner universities in Europe and Asia, where students can study as visiting students.

• Depending on the length and type of program, students may be able to fulfill some University and/or major requirements abroad, but each situation is different. Students should talk to their dean in the Center for University Advising, as well as their faculty advisor in their declared major department to do careful planning, beginning as early as the first year. For students to receive Hofstra credit for courses taken abroad, students must receive pre-approval from the respective chairpersons and deans prior to departure. All students must seek guidance from the Office of Study Abroad.

• If a student plans to study in a non-English-speaking country, starting or continuing study of the language in their region of interest in their first year will greatly expand their choice of study abroad programs. To study in the native language while abroad, students should expect to complete at least four terms of language studies before going abroad. There are many programs that do not require prior language study; in these programs, students are more likely to be in a classroom with other American students, rather than with native students.

For further information about study abroad opportunities, please visit hofstra.edu/studyabroad or contact Suzanne Pike, associate provost for academic support and study abroad, at studyabroad@hofstra.edu.

Buying Books

When do students buy books?

Which books should students purchase?

Students may begin ordering books after they receive their official schedule of classes. Orders for course materials may be placed online at hofstra.bncollege.com

Once students have populated their class schedule into the Bookstore site, they can view the required course materials. They should review each course and choose each book they would like to order; they may purchase or rent in new or used condition. Shipping and FREE in-store pickup are available. Keep in mind that orders are fulfilled in the order they are received, and the number of used books is limited. Students will receive an email confirmation with their order number and a second email when the order ships or is ready for pickup. Pickup is located on the lower level of the Bookstore in the Mack Student Center, North Campus.

The Bookstore will PRICE MATCH textbooks with Amazon and bn.com. Should students find a lower price on either a new or used purchase or a used rental, they should call the Bookstore after they receive their order number. The Bookstore will verify the price-matched title(s) and enter them into the order. More details are available at hofstra.bncollege.com

The Hofstra Bookstore stands behind everything it sells; if a professor changes books or a new professor takes over a course, the Bookstore will exchange the books for the correct ones. Refunds are made within the first week of classes or, for a dropped course, within the first 30 days of classes. Please remind your student to save receipts.

Wear your Hofstra Pride! Use PRIDE23 coupon code at hofstra.bncollege.com for a discount on Hofstra apparel.

Technology at Hofstra

Hofstra provides the following services to students free of charge, unless otherwise noted:

• Microsoft Office 365 for Education – Students can sign up and download Microsoft Office using the MS Office instructions found under My Apps in the Hofstra portal. Remember: STUDENTS SHOULD NOT BUY MICROSOFT OFFICE!

• Printing services (hofstra.edu/prideprint) – Students receive 120 print credits each academic year, allowing them to print up to 1,200 black-and-white single- or double-sided pages. After submitting their print job, a student has up to 12 hours to release their document to any one of 50+ print release stations located across campus.

• Open access technology labs (hofstra.edu/its-labs) –Hammer and Calkins labs both offer Mac- and Windowsbased computers, scanners, a copier, and black-and-white and color printers. When classes are in session, Hammer Lab is open seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

• ITS (Information Technology Services) Service Desk –Provides support for students’ use of the University’s technology resources, including the campus Wi-Fi network, my.hofstra.edu portal, Blackboard, and other services. During the fall and spring semesters, the Service Desk is open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (5 p.m. on days when classes are not in session), and Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Service Desk is closed on University holidays. Students can call 516-463-7777 or email Help@hofstra.edu

• Wireless/Wi-Fi access (hofstra.edu/wireless) –High-speed Wi-Fi is available in every building and many outdoor spaces on campus.

• Computer discounts – Hofstra students are eligible for educational discounts on Mac and Lenovo computers. To access these discounts, students can visit hofstra.edu/buypc and log in to the Hofstra portal.

ITS offers on-campus employment opportunities for students. Interested students can visit hofstra.edu/studentemployment and click on See Available Positions

Visit hofstra.edu/its-parents for more information about Hofstra’s technology resources.

What Are the Liberal Arts?

The liberal arts are the foundation for all higher education because they equip students for a lifelong career trajectory, prepare them to be engaged citizens in local and global communities, and get them ready to lead successful and fulflling lives. College graduates with a liberal arts background –whether they were liberal arts majors or took liberal arts distribution courses – have greater employment stability, higher lifetime earnings, and more fulflling careers than individuals without that background.

Hofstra’s liberal arts education develops students’ critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills and the ability to analyze and communicate information and ideas in both speech and writing in a technologically sophisticated world. These are the skills that employers in all felds need, value, welcome, and pay for. They are also the essential base for all graduate studies and professional success and are the foundation for an engaged citizenry. In a rapidly changing and increasingly globally interconnected world, a liberal arts education provides the enduring skills students need most.

Visit the Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (HCLAS) website at hofstra.edu/hclas for information about majors offered in the HCLAS schools.