Letter to Incoming Class of 2010 (August, 2006)June, 2006
Re: The Class of 2010
Dear Students and Parents:
It is a pleasure for me to join many others in welcoming you to Orientation for the Class of 2010. Over the next two days, you will receive a great deal of information covering a wide range of topics. I want to take this opportunity to highlight a few topics that I hope you will take a moment to discuss over the upcoming summer months.
Alcohol and Drugs
One of the most important discussions parents and students can have prior to the start of the school year involves the issue of drug and alcohol use. The choices that students make regarding their personal conduct will have an extraordinary impact on every aspect of their lives, including their academic performance and their status as students.
You will be receiving a copy of the student handbook which outlines the implicit and explicit standards of conduct for all students at the University. During the next few months, I ask that parents and students have an open and frank discussion about the use of alcohol and drugs. Specific issues could include expectations regarding attending class, academic performance, involvement outside of the classroom, disruptive behavior, demonstrating respect for others, etc. Parents and students should have a clear understanding of each others expectations concerning high risk behaviors and what the consequences will be for such behaviors.
Civility and Acceptance
The Class of 2010 is notable in many positive respects, not the least of which is the rich diversity of backgrounds and experiences we see among its student members. For many students, you will be meeting and interacting with students from different ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. We anticipate that each student will learn from and support the differences in others, and be respectful of each other. Exposing students to the broadest spectrum of ethnic, cultural and socio-economic diversity is one central way of advancing powerful scholarly pursuits, and supporting the Jesuit tradition of developing men and women committed to advocating for the best interests of others.
StagWeb
Fairfield University provides a secure-access web portal to deliver most of our e-services to students. This portal, appropriately named StagWeb after our mascot and nickname, can be found at http://stagweb.fairfield.edu. All students are issued accounts to access their personal information stored in University databases, receive web-based personal and campus announcements, and utilize an official e-mail address.
University policy, outlined in the Student Handbook, requires that students utilize their StagWeb accounts and check e-mail on a regular basis. During the course of the upcoming year, students will be required to utilize StagWeb to perform a number of functions, including:
- Registering for courses
- Reviewing filing requirements and accepting financial aid awards
- Participating in the housing lottery and assignment processes
- Viewing and printing academic schedules
- Viewing final grades at the conclusion of each semester
- Completing mandatory and voluntary surveys
Please note that for these and other functions, paper communications will not be sent. Therefore, students must check the web-based announcements posted on StagWeb, as well as their e-mail accounts, for information and instructions.
Parking
Fairfield University is a residential and pedestrian campus. Walking, bicycles, or the campus shuttle are the primary means for getting around the campus. It is approximately a 15-minute walk from one end of the campus to the other, and in most cases, it takes no more than 10 minutes to walk between the main campus buildings.
Full-time, undergraduate freshmen (with the exception of commuting students) cannot have vehicles on campus, even on a temporary or short-term basis. Exceptions to this policy may be granted by the Department of Public Safety. Generally, special privileges for freshmen parking will be considered only in the event of a personal or family emergency that goes beyond reasonable inconvenience, or in the event of an unusual or compelling medical need, which must be certified by the Health Center.
Violations of the parking policy will be documented and referred for disciplinary action, in addition to any ticket or towing charges assessed to the offender.
I thank you for taking a moment to consider these important topics, and wish you a restful and enjoyable summer.
Sincerely,
Thomas C. Pellegrino, Ph.D.
Dean of Students | 
