Orientation – Fall 2019

Christendom College Student Handbook

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 2018-2019 Student Handbook. You will be informed when the 2019-2020 Student Handbook is uploaded. Read or download the handbook here!

Student Airport Transportation Website

The Operations Department at Christendom College has a website which further explains the airport transportation offered at Christendom College. The website contains all policies, regulations and pre-scheduled transportation dates and times. It is important that before booking air or train transportation for any College breaks, you first check this website. Please note, this website has additional information and updates not listed in the flyer recently sent to your home.

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. Keys are given to students upon their arrival to campus for the semester. Each roommate is given a key to his or her assigned room. We encourage you to discuss your expectations for locking your room with your roommate 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 30^th and August 3^rd.. If you have questions about your housing assignment, we ask that you contact Student Life after August 3^rd via email at studentlife@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 1st, 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.

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.

• The Registrar will be contacting you during the summer before you come to Christendom to see if you have preferences for your elective courses or professors. If you choose to respond, he will do his best to reflect your preferences in your course schedule for the fall.

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 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.