SCUE maps Penn academic life

The Class of 2000 can soon breathe a collective sigh of relief. The Student Committee on Undergraduate Education will release "A Roadmap to Penn" next week -- a guide to academic life on campus that is specifically geared toward freshmen. The 60-page booklet is a follow-up to SCUE's previous publication, "The Practical Scholar," according to SCUE Chairperson Ben Nelson, a Wharton senior. The book provides a chronological guide, beginning with how to use the Penn Automated Registration Information System and concluding with advice on reserving a hotel room for family and friends attending the student's graduation ceremonies, Nelson said. He noted that at least a dozen students -- along with faculty and administrators -- contributed to the guide, which was written primarily by students. According to Nelson, the newest publication to hit the University differs from the annual "Practical Penn" because the latter focuses on Philadelphia and campus activities. Carrie Angoff, a 1995 College graduate, began the project three years ago, Nelson said. According to 1996 Nursing graduate Tasha Cabot, the students who put the guide together attempted to compile information from the University's various publications. "We looked at the materials put out by the different schools and presented it in a manner that students will hopefully find more interesting than other publications," Cabot said. She noted that the guide contains jokes and humorous comments to make the publication "fun and easy to read." The guide was developed as a response to complaints about inconsistent undergraduate advising, Nelson said. He noted that students often have trouble getting answers to their questions, while the answers they do receive frequently contradict one another. Nelson said that "A Roadmap to Penn" is designed to function like a good peer advisor, dealing with everything from choosing classes and declaring a major to studying abroad and popular University myths. "We wanted to give students an academic roadmap to help them structure their academic careers at Penn," he said. He added that he hopes the guide will allow students to avoid asking their advisors minor questions, noting that advisors could then spend more time counseling students on more important issues. But the publication is not meant to replace the advising system. "It is not the be all and end all," Nelson said. "It is intended to supplement to the existing advising system." In the future, the guide will be sent to incoming freshmen before they preregister for classes over the summer. The "Roadmap to Penn" is funded by the School of Arts and Sciences' Board of Overseers, the Admissions Department and the Trustees' Council of Penn Women.

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