Orientation – Fall 2020

At Christendom, academic rigor and excellence is expected of every student. To this end, integrity is an essential part of the academic process. In an effort to educate each student thoroughly about the concept of plagiarism, every student at Christendom must complete a tutorial and pass an online test about plagiarism. This requirement holds even if you completed the tutorial last academic year. This test must be completed before you come to campus in August or you will not be permitted to submit written assignments during this academic year. Instructions for using the tutorial, registering for the test, taking the test online, and forwarding the certificate that indicates you passed the test can be found below.

How long will this take? In total, watching the tutorials and taking the test should take no more than two hours. The tutorial can be accessed at your convenience; you do not need to watch all of the material at once. You do need to complete the test and email your certificate to the Academic Dean. If you have any questions about the plagiarism tutorial or test, please email the Academic Dean, Dr. Ben Reinhard, ben.reinhard@christendom.edu.

Step 1: Watch and complete each section of the tutorial HERE. The tutorials are available for free online through the University of Indiana website. Each of the five tutorials include videos explaining the concept of plagiarism and giving examples of different kinds of plagiarism. They also include practice questions for the larger test.

Step 2: Register to take the exam HERE. This is a two-minute process that requires entering your email address (use your Christendom.edu) and a few quick biographical details. Please select “I am an undergraduate or advanced high school student” to begin the registration process.

Step 3: Take the test HERE. You can take the test as many times as necessary to pass, though the test will not tell you exactly which questions you missed. It will give you general information about which areas you should brush up on if you do not pass.

Step 4: Forward your certificate to the Academic Dean at honor@christendom.edu. Once you have passed the test, a certificate will be emailed to the account you provided. Once forwarded, we will record that you have met this requirement.

You will be required to hand in a copy of this certificate with the first written assignment in courses here at the College.

• Christendom Beginnings 6/12/20 – Residence Life Housing
• Christendom Beginnings 6/17/20 – Orientation Guidance & Dinner RSVP
• Christendom Beginnings 6/19/20 – English/Literature Dept. Reading
• Christendom Beginnings 6/22/20 – Student Support Services
• Christendom Beginnings 6/26/20 – Vehicle Registration & ID Card
• Christendom Beginnings 7/1/20 – Student Employment Website
• Christendom Beginnings 7/3/20 – Plagiarism Test
• Christendom College 7/10/20 – Grammar Diagnostic Exam
• Christendom Beginnings 7/13/20 – Student Handbook
• Christendom Beginnings 7/17/20 – Latin & Math Classes
• Christendom Beginnings 7/24/20 – Student Activities & Athletics
• Christendom Beginnings 7/31/20 – Class Registration
• Christendom Beginnings 8/4/20 – Freshmen Success Workshop Series
• Christendom Beginnings 8/7/20 – Welcome Week Schedule

Order Apparel

Order your Christendom gear before you arrive!

• Christendom College t-shirts and sweatshirts order form
• Online Gift Shop

Housing and Residence Hall

What if I want to arrive before 10:00 a.m. on Move-In Day? 

You may come to campus prior to 10:00 a.m. but please know that our student Welcoming Committee volunteers and staff will not be available to assist you with moving in, answering questions, and welcoming you until 10:00 a.m. We would really like to give you a warm Christendom welcome and therefore ask that you wait until 10:00 a.m. for arrival if possible.

What are the amenities in my room? 

Each student will be provided one twin bed, one closet space, one drawer set, one desk, and one desk chair. You should bring any thing you feel you need beyond the above items. Please remember:

• That residence hall rooms are well-sized, but remember that space is limited! Don’t over pack and consult with your roommate to see if you can share some items (floor lamps, refrigerators, etc.) to conserve space.
• There is no on-campus storage.

How will I get a key for my residence hall and room? 

All residence halls are accessed using your student ID (which also serves as your meal card and library card). When you check in at the John Paul the Great Student Center upon your arrival you will receive your ID. Room keys are given to students upon request. Roommates will need to discuss expectations for locking the room to avoid accidentally locking each other out.

How & when will I find out who my roommate is & which residence hall I will be living in? 

This information will be emailed to you between July 27th and August 3rd. If you have questions about your housing assignment, we ask that you contact Student Life after August 3rd via email at residencelife@christendom.edu.

What if I don’t get along with my roommate or want to change housing assignments? 

We are committed to creating a positive housing experience for all of our students. We understand that it can be difficult to adjust to a new person as a roommate. First, we ask you to wait until you physically meet the person before making any judgment – as the old saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover (or as the new saying goes, don’t judge someone by their social media accounts). If you need assistance in this area, our Resident Directors are there to help you with any housing or roommate questions or concerns you have. They have strategies for facilitating charitable discussions between you and your roommate and can help you with most concerns regarding this situation. You may consult them at any time and also expect that they will be around the halls in order to get to know you and see how you and your roommate are doing. Should you need a complete change in housing, you will need to consult the Director of Residence Life and moves may be possible only after the first two weeks of the academic year.

Christendom College and the Town of Front Royal

How far is Christendom College from town and what if I need to get to town for something? 

Christendom College is about 4 miles from the center of Front Royal, Virginia. We encourage you to explore the area via the web prior to your arrival. Click here for the local Chamber of Commerce website. The College offers multiple town runs each week. The College will have a van that stops at various places like the grocery store, local banks, Walmart, etc., where students can stop and pick up things that they need. Once you arrive on campus, you will see signs for the town runs and corresponding departure times and locations. How do I get to the doctor’s office?  Students are highly encouraged to locate local personal health practitioners and establish a relationship with them prior to their arrival on campus. If a situation occurs where a student needs to go to the doctor, the student is expected to arrange transportation via a local taxi or by asking a friend who has a car to take them. The College does not provide transportation to personal appointments. In the case of an emergency, an ambulance will be called.

General Student Life Questions

What is the Student Handbook and how do I view it before I come to Christendom College? 

The Student Handbook conveys College policies, provisos and important College information to the student. Each student should thoroughly read the Student Handbook so they know and understand College policies. Beginning August 3rd, the Student Handbook can be viewed online.

When my parents bring me to campus, how long do they have to stay or how long are they allowed to stay? 

During the FALL Orientation Weekend there is a parent orientation session and a faculty, staff and parent reception . Both of these events are just for parents. The parent orientation session is geared at helping parents to understand the College’s culture and resources for their student. The faculty, staff and parent reception allows the parents to meet the faculty and staff of Christendom College. All other orientation sessions are just for new students. While parents are free to stay locally over the weekend, parents should know that the students will be very busy all day and all evening with orientation events and settling in. The first few days of orientation are crucial for new students as they get to know their classmates and fellow College colleagues. The College highly encourages all new students to be fully engaged in the Orientation events of the weekend.

Your Student ID and Student Email

What about my student ID number and my email address?

Your student ID number can be found in the first email you received from Student Life personally addressed to you (sent to the personal email address you gave to Admissions). Each student will be assigned a Christendom email address, which will aid in collegiate communications as well as provide each student with College email capabilities. You will receive an email with your new Christendom email address (usually firstname.lastname@christendom.edu) and password in an email sent to your current personal email address by June 10^th. You will need this login or password to receive your christendom.edu email. After June 10^th, all official College emails will be sent to your Christendom email account rather than your personal account.

Christendom Family Directory

Is there a Christendom Family Directory? 

A Family Directory will be compiled early in the fall semester when the roster for the year is finalized. Families will be contacted with the option to have their information included in the directory, and then it will be emailed out to those who indicate they would like to be included. We hope the directory facilitates communication between Christendom families, particularly those who live in the same area and would like to coordinate travel to and from campus for holidays and breaks.

Student Handbook

What is a good resource for questions about policies and what to expect as a student? 

The Christendom College Student Handbook is a document which contains policies, resources and general information about being a student at Christendom College. The Student Handbook aids the student in understanding the environment of the College and personal conduct expectations in the areas of Academic and Student Life. Furthermore, the Student Handbook will answer many questions you may have ranging from residence life to student organizations to Mass and meal times. Before you arrive at Christendom, we ask that you read the Student Handbook in its entirety.

Here is a link to the 2019-2020 Student Handbook. Read or download the handbook here!

• Grammar Practice Test
• Grammar Definitions
• Grammar Guide

When will I know my class schedule? 

During Orientation, you will be assigned an academic advisor, meet him/her, register for classes and receive your class schedule. This process is built into the Orientation program and will be listed on the final Orientation schedule, given to you upon your arrival at the College.

During the month of July, new students will be contacted by the registrar with details about how to register online for classes for the Fall 2020 semester.

What about a book list and how do I buy my books? 

The online booklist is a new system for viewing all required and recommended books. On the booklist, you will be able to select a course, choose the professor teaching the course, and then see both the required and recommended books for that course. You will not be able to start ordering books until receiving the Registrar email mid- July. By then the booklist will be made available. You can then purchase those books on Amazon, or through another seller. Please note that there is no longer any place on campus to purchase textbooks. When buying from other sellers, students should search for books using the ISBN indicated on the booklist page. Students are responsible for obtaining all required books by the first day of class, and they are strongly encouraged to have the books delivered to their homes before coming to campus in the fall. Please send questions and comments to bookstore@christendom.edu