SCUE releases new 'Roadmap' to guide Penn freshmen

Freshmen confused about how to navigate the ins and outs of life at Penn are about to get some help The Student Committee for Undergraduate Education distributed its new, revised Roadmap last Friday to all members of the Class of 2002. The 79-page Roadmap, a comprehensive guide to academics at the University, focuses primarily on the fundamentals of planning a successful academic career. "Penn is a totally different campus now, and it is gratifying to see that we have been able to inform the freshmen of these changes," said SCUE Chairperson Rachael Goldfarb. Since the last edition was published in 1996, the 1998 Roadmap has grown by about 24 pages to include a section on the new college house system and the improved technology available at Penn. "There was no technology information available in the 1996 Roadmap," said Goldfarb, a College senior. "Computing information is incorporated into all of the chapters, as students can now access many Penn programs online through Web addresses and course scanners." The Academic Resources chapter has a section devoted to campus technological resources including multimedia labs, the computer resource center, and establishing e-mail accounts. SCUE has also included an entire chapter on the new college house system. Chapter four includes information on all 12 college houses and their programs. Residential Advisory Board Chairperson Emily Pollack, a College junior and SCUE member, did a great deal of research about the new college house system and the residential advising program. "This is an important part of Penn, as it provides many key components of the student experience," Pollack said. "The Roadmap includes the role of advising of the house deans, academic advising access, and many interesting programs available within residences." SCUE also addressed the issue of advising in the four undergraduate schools in chapter three of the Roadmap. Goldfarb said she contacted Diane Frey, the College's director of advising, to provide an accurate account of the current status of advising at Penn. "The Roadmap diverges from the school's handbooks," said Goldfarb. "It provides a more down-to-earth account from students who know what it is like to sit and wait for advising." All of the SCUE subcommittees worked in collaboration with Goldfarb and Aaron Fidler, SCUE's vice chairperson, to revise the student guide and represent the ideas and philosophies of various SCUE members. "The Roadmap turned out really well, as it explains many of the new University programs including Speaking Across the University and the Vagelos Scholars Program," said Fidler, a Wharton junior. "It is a humorous, student-written and -edited account of the Penn experience." The Roadmap is funded by the SCUE Class of 1958 fund.

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