Phone: 716-375-2400

Email: admissions@sbu.edu

 

FAQ

 

Categories 

Academics 

Housing & Res Life  

Orientation 

 

 

 

Academics 

 1. I am thinking about changing my major. What should I do? 

 2. Do I have to declare a major? 

 3. What if I have Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate credit? 

 4. What if I have transfer credit? 

 5. How many courses will I be taking in the fall semester? 

 6. Do I need to take a language? 

 7. My final high school transcript is not available yet. What should I do? 

 8. When will I receive my fall semester schedule? 

 

Housing & Res Life 

  9. If I am living on campus, when do I move in?   

 10. How are room assignments made? 

 11. When do I request a specific residence hall? 

 12.  When will I know my room assignment? 

 13. Are single rooms available? 

 14. Can room assignments be changed? 

 15. What is a Resident Assistant? 

 16. What is a Residence Director? 

 17. What size are the beds? 

 18. What should I bring to campus? 

 19. May I bring a microwave and a refrigerator? 

 20. What laundry facilities are available? 

 

Orientation 

  21. What are the dates of New Student Orientation? 

  22. What is the schedule for Orientation? 

  23. Must I attend Orientation? 

  24. Is there a fee for Orientation? 

  25. What should I bring to Orientation? 

  26. Do I stay on campus at Orientation? 

  27. Will I have contact with faculty during Orientation? 

  28. When are Welcome Days? 

  29. What happens during Welcome Days? 

  30. Is attendance at Welcome Days required? 

  31. Do parents participate in Welcome Days? 

  32. When am I able to register for orientation? 

 

Answers 

1. I am thinking about changing my major. What should I do? 

 

A change of major may affect what courses you need to take in the fall semester.  If you haven’t already done so, please complete the online registration survey on the home page and confirm your major.  If you’ve already completed the survey please contact the Records Office by email (mradigan@sbu.edu) to make a change request. In some cases a request to change your major requires a re-evaluation of admission requirements, and you may not be eligible to immediately change your major to the program of your choice. 

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2. Do I have to declare a major? 

 

You are not required to declare your major until the end of your sophomore year. If you do not wish to declare one at this time, you will be enrolled as an Undeclared Arts, Undeclared Science, or Undeclared Business student based on your interests.  Those in the School of Arts & Sciences are also enrolled in the Major Adventures Program.  MAP is designed to help incoming students map their future by exploring how their own interests and aptitudes mesh with a college major and potential careers.  For more information of the MAPs program, click here 

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3. What if I have Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate credit? 

 

If you have AP exam scores, the official score report must be sent to St. Bonaventure University’s Registrar's Office. Once the score report is received, you will be awarded appropriate credit based on institutional policy and guidelines. If you haven’t already requested a score report please contact AP to do so. We cannot request a score report on your behalf. You will need to provide St. Bonaventure’s school code which is 2793.

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4. What if I have transfer credit? 

 

If you have earned college transfer credit, you must request that an official copy of your transcript be sent from the institution directly to the Registrar’s Office. Once your transcripts have been evaluated, your schedule may be adjusted, depending on the credit that is transferred. Please note that we cannot accept transcripts as official if they come from the student, even if it is received in a sealed envelope. St. Bonaventure University awards credits for transferred courses but does not include grades earned at another institution in GPA calculations.

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5. How many courses will I be taking in the fall semester? 

 

Full-time students generally take 15-16 credits (5 classes) each semester although the minimum number of credits for full-time enrollment is 12. There are some exceptions to this. For example, students taking MATH 151 or another 4-credit course, or participating in ROTC or music courses may have additional credits. Students may not enroll for more than 18 credits during the fall and spring semesters without special permission from the academic dean. Honors students may take one additional course with their dean’s permission.

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6. Do I need to take a language? 

 

Most majors do have a foreign language requirement. However, foreign language is not required for students pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration degree or a Bachelor of Science in Sports Studies. 

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7. My final high school transcript is not available yet. What should I do? 

 

Your final high school transcript will not be available until after high school graduation. We do not need your transcript to pre-register you for classes, but will need it by the time the fall semester begins. Please verify your official, final transcript is sent to:

Records Office
P.O. Box C
St. Bonaventure, NY 14778

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8. When will I receive my fall semester schedule? 

 

Freshmen will receive their schedules at Orientation in July. You will have the opportunity to meet with an academic mentor during Orientation to review your schedule as well. If you are an incoming transfer student and you are not attending a July orientation session, your schedule will be mailed home during the 1st week of August, assuming we have the official, final college transcripts by that point.

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9. If I am living on campus, when do I move in? 

 

All new students move into the residence halls on Thursday, August 25th. Welcome Days for all new students (residential and commuters) starts at dinner on that day.

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10. How are room assignments made? 

 

Housing assignments are made based on the information students provide on the housing survey. Students are asked to select their preferred living and learning community so that clusters of students with similar interests and experiences will live together in their first year at SBU. This information, along with other questions on the housing preference form, is used to match roommates.

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11. When do I request a specific residence hall? 

 

We do not ask students for preferences regarding a specific residence hall. Based on your responses on the housing survey about your preferred living and learning community, you will be clustered with other students who share similar interests and experiences. We will assign the location of each living and learning community within the residence halls after determining the size and interest level for each community. 

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12. When will I know my room assignment? 

 

Room assignments will be mailed out the first week of August. If you do not receive a room assignment in the mail please, contact us at (716) 375-2512.

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13. Are single rooms available? 

 

We do not offer single rooms for new freshmen. All housing within the first-year residence halls are “double rooms,” meaning you will have a roommate. After your first year on campus, you may enter the lottery process to select a single room in the upperclassmen residence halls.

Transfer students who are designated as upperclassmen in the Admissions process may request a single room within the upperclassmen residence halls. 

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14. Can room assignments be changed? 

 

Room changes are not available until after the first three weeks of the fall semester. If there are roommate conflicts, students must work with the Residence Life staff to resolve the conflict. After three weeks, room changes can be made - but only with the approval of the Residence Director and the Coordinator for Residential Education and Housing.

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15. What is a Resident Assistant? 

 

Resident Assistants (RA) are upperclassmen (sophomore, junior, senior or graduate students) who are hired by the Office of Residence Life to serve in leadership roles in the residence halls. Each residence hall has at least one RA assigned to each floor. The RAs work to create a sense of community within the residence halls through programming, helping students in need, and enforcing campus policies.

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16. What is a Residence Director? 

 

Residence Directors (RD) supervise the RAs in the buildings they oversee. In addition to supervising the RAs, RDs also oversee the day-to-day operations of the residence halls by acting as a liaison to the maintenance staff to report maintenance problems; working with the Ministers-In-Residence program; and enforcing University and Residence Hall regulations.

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17. What size are the beds? 

 

The standard University mattress is an extra-long twin that measures 36-by-80 inches. For extra comfort, students may want to bring foam egg crates or mattress covers.

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18. What should I bring to campus? 

 

It is important to personalize your room to help create a “home away from home” while you are on campus. we encourage students to review this list when they are packing to come to campus: What to Bring. We also suggest students contact their roommate to discuss sharing larger items, like the refrigerator or TV. 

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19. May I bring a microwave and a refrigerator? 

 

Students may bring one refrigerator per student but it must not exceed 4.5 cubic feet. Microwave ovens, however, are not permitted. Microwave ovens are available in residence hall lounges for student use. 

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20. What laundry facilities are available? 

 

Each residence hall has a laundry area equipped with coin-free washers and dryers available for student use 24 hours a day. Students need to supply their own laundry detergent. We have washing machines that load from both the top and the front. With our industrial machines, however, student do not need to worry about which type of detergent to use. 

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21. What are the dates of New Student Orientation? 

 

Session 1: July 11 & 12 (Mon./Tues.)
Session 2: July 14 & 15 (Thurs./Fri.)
Session 3: July 18 & 19 (Mon./Tues.)
Session 4: July 22 & 23 (Fri./Sat.)

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22. What is the schedule for Orientation? 

 

Check in will take place on Day 1 of your orientation session from 8:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. Students will have the opportunity to drop their bags off in the residence halls and eat breakfast in the Hickey Dining Hall. The opening ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. in Dresser Auditorium, Murphy. On Day 1 of orientation, parents will end their day at 7:30 p.m. with a coffee and dessert social. On Day 1 of orientation, students will end their day with various late night activities running until midnight. Day 2 begins with breakfast at 8:00 a.m. Orientation will wrap up on Day 2 at 1:00 p.m.

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23. Must I attend Orientation? 

 

Orientation is required for all new students at St. Bonaventure University. We strongly encourage ALL new students to attend summer orientation so that you can begin your SBU journey with other students in the Class of 2015. If you are unable to attend during the summer you must contact us. A “makeup orientation” will take place in August prior to the start of classes.

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24. Is there a fee for orientation? 

 

There is no additional fee for orientation.

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25. What should I bring to orientation? 

 

  • Casual clothes
  • Bed linens (or a sleeping bag) and a pillow
  • Alarm Clock
  • Umbrella or rain gear
  • Comfortable walking shoes
  • Toiletries, towel, and shower sandals
  • Fan

 

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26. Do I stay on campus at orientation? 

 

At orientation all new students do spend the night in one of our residence halls. Don’t forget to pack your bed linens! Parents do not stay on campus; they may make a reservation to stay at one of the local area hotels. Visit www.sbu.edu/fye for nearby hotel information.

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27. Will I have contact with faculty during orientation? 

 

Yes! You will meet twice with faculty from your chosen academic area. The first meeting, on Day 1 of orientation, will be in a group with other students from your academic school. The meeting will review general requirements of your specific program of study. The second meeting, on Day 2 of orientation, is an individual meeting with an Orientation Faculty Mentor. Together, you will discuss your class schedule for your first semester at St. Bonaventure. You will have time to discuss questions you may have about your major and other areas of academic concern.

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28. When are Welcome Days? 

 

Welcome Days will take place Thursday, August 25th through Sunday, August 28th.

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29. What happens during Welcome Days? 

 

First-year students continue their orientation to SBU during the four-day program hosted the weekend before classes begin. Thursday, August 25, is A Day of Gathering. If you will be living on campus, you will move into your residence hall room. Check-in for commuter students takes place on Thursday afternoon. Students and their families are officially welcomed into the Bonaventure family at the Candlelight Convocation on Thursday evening. On Friday, August 26, students participate in A Day of Classes. Required presentations and activities help you to become integrated into the community. A Day of Service is held on Saturday, August 28. The entire Class of 2015 will participate in service activities in the surrounding community and on campus. The final day of Welcome Days, A Day of Involvement and Fun, held on Sunday, August 29 allows students to participate in workshops hosted by clubs and organizations on campus. Welcome Days concludes with a Welcome Home Mass in the Reilly Center followed by a BBQ. 

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30. Is attendance at Welcome Days required? 

 

Yes. Attendance is required at all Welcome Days events.

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31. Do Parents participate in Welcome Days? 

 

Parents are invited to dinner and to attend the candlelight ceremony on Thursday, August 25th. The ceremony will begin at 9:00 p.m. This ceremony officially welcomes your student to the Bonaventure family. Following the conclusion of the ceremony, we ask families to wish their students good luck, say good-bye, and allow them to begin their journey!

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32.When am I able to register for orientation? 

 

Orientation registration will begin on March 25th.

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