Dear Obie first-years:

I hope you are having a delightful summer, and that you are excited about your arrival here in August. Offices across the campus have been diligently preparing for fall orientation 2009, and we look forward to meeting you in just a few weeks.

I hope that you have been reviewing the campus web site, and checking out the resources and opportunities available to Oberlin students. In many cases, the descriptions of what is available is only part of the story, and you will need to see for yourself if your fall schedule should include, for example, a radio show at WOBC , a shift at the campus bicycle co-operative , or volunteering for the Spanish in the Elementary Schools (SITES) program.

It's only natural, some might say, for you to go through some growing pains while you are at the College. It is certainly natural for a young foal to stumble to her knees and onto her nose while she is learning to walk. Yet, of all the species on this planet, we humans have a monopoly on the capacity of collective knowledge. We can draw upon the experience of others to expand our happiness and limit our despair. We can turn to our peers and our elders for advice, and retain the skin on our noses that we might otherwise lose.

The Student Academic Ambassador Program is designed to help limit your losing skin from your nose and your knees, and to help you get the most out of your Oberlin education. This program includes juniors and seniors selected by faculty and administrators to help you negotiate the academic, administrative, and cultural terrain of Oberlin College. These students are willing to share with you their vast knowledge about classes, majors, study-away programs, and so on: all you have to do is ask. To get a small sample of that knowledge, check out their individual pages, which include biographical information, reflections about their favorite first-year courses, as well as insights about local cuisine and the under-utilized resources of the College and the city.

Previous ambassadors, including Daniel Gessner and Shira Ziegler (both '08), have received prestigious awards, and I expect members of this year's team of ambassadors will garner their own over the coming years. These students are quite fantastic, and I do hope you will take the time to share your stories with them, and allow them to share their stories with you.

You will be able to find Ambassadors at nearly all of the events of orientation and, during the group advising session, you will have the chance to meet your Academic Ambassador face-to-face. Over the course of the semester, he or she can assist you with your fall course selection, explain how to enroll in courses in the Experimental College (a.k.a. EXCOs), and help you select a great Winter Term project. Likewise, Ambassadors can address more mundane questions about where to eat and how to rent a bicycle. Academic Ambassadors are available throughout your first semester at Oberlin, and they are eager to help you establish a solid foundation for your academic career at the College.

You will have the opportunity to meet your ambassador in person on Thursday, August 28th , during the group advising session and at the lunch that follows. Your ambassador will also be inviting you to meet sometime near the end of the first week of classes. Look for an e-mail from your ambassador during the week of orientation. (Conservatory students will meet the Conservatory Academic Ambassadors during that lunch, as well.)

To view this year's roster in the Arts and Sciences by major, click here .

Welcome to Oberlin College.

Warm regards,

Randal Doane

Assistant Dean of Studies

Coordinator of the Academic Ambassador Program