SUNY Fredonia launches new “May Term,” enhances slate of summer offerings

Two-week courses allow students chance to get ahead while still enjoying full summer.
Information fair to be held Tuesday, March 24.

SUNY Fredonia’s department of Lifelong Learning and Special Programs has unveiled its course offerings for Summer Sessions 2009, and it includes a new option that administrators are hoping many students will find intriguing — even if they attend college elsewhere.

Beginning the Monday following Fredonia’s commencement, the campus will launch a concentrated, two-week “May Term” through which students can complete one of 12 offered courses. From May 18 to 29, students can complete classes in anthropology, biology, business administration, education, English, music, philosophy, sociology, and others in a highly streamlined fashion, and still have more than two full months of summer left.

“We have recognized that we really need to structure our summer and winter sessions around what students need, and what appeals to the goals they have, not only for graduation, but also for their entire college experience,” said Lifelong Learning Director Eric Skowronski. “Students take summer session classes not only to get ahead, academically, and get closer to graduation, but to give themselves a more manageable workload as well in future semesters. However, summers are often critical for them to find jobs and save money which will carry them throughout the academic year.”

“Students obviously go to college to get an education,” Skowronski explained. “But most also want to gain a variety of experiences during their four years on campus, and enjoy a good balance and high quality of life. Our summer and winter sessions give them a much greater chance to accomplish that goal.”

The new May Term is just a component of a full slate of summer session offerings on the Fredonia campus, including two separate five-week sessions and one 10-week session for courses which require a larger time commitment. All totaled, nearly 200 courses are offered during the summer at SUNY Fredonia, and others are still being added as student needs are identified.

“We have a wide variety of course options because we have such a wide variety of student needs,” Skowronski continued. “Not only do many current Fredonia students choose to enroll during the summer, but we also have many students who attend or are about to begin college elsewhere who choose to take advantage of courses here which will transfer to their primary institution. There are also many permanent area residents who decide that summer is a good time to start a new career path or continue their education. We like to think that we have something for everybody during the summer.”

An informational fair about all of Fredonia’s Summer Sessions will be held on Tuesday, March 24 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of the Williams Center on the Fredonia campus. The event is free and open to the public. Questions are also welcomed by contacting Lifelong Learning and Special Programs at 716-673-3177, or visiting www.fredonia.edu/summer.