Spring ‘06 and Lagniappe Semester
- When does the regular Spring semester start?
It is presently our intention that the Spring semester for all schools and colleges will begin on January 17, 2006, as originally scheduled. Residence halls for first-year students open on Thursday, January 12, and freshman orientation will be January 12-15. Residence halls for upperclassmen open on Saturday, January 14. - What is the Lagniappe semester and when does it start?
Lagniappe is intended to be a concentrated regular term so that students affected by Katrina can stay on track with, or even accelerate, their degree programs. We currently expect the Lagniappe semester to begin on May 15, 2006. - I am an undergraduate who attended the Fall term at another university. Will I be able to attend both the regular Spring and Lagniappe terms at Tulane?
Absolutely. We hope that many students will use the Lagniappe term to either get back on track or even to accelerate progress toward completion of their degree requirements. Students who visited at another institution can use Lagniappe in several ways. If you were unable to take a full schedule of classes at a host institution, Lagniappe allows you to make up credits that you were unable to complete in the fall. If you did take a full schedule of classes at a host institution this fall, Lagniappe allows you to accelerate progress towards your degree OR spread your Spring term classes over two semesters to deal with other personal issues caused by the disruption of Katrina. Of course, students may also elect to enroll only for the Spring term; Lagniappe is totally optional. - What courses will be offered during the regular Spring term?
Right now each school is developing its course offerings for the Spring term, keeping in mind that some students visited at a host institution this fall, while others did not. A tentative list of courses for each school will be posted sometime in mid-October, if not sooner, and priority registration will be in November. - What courses will be offered for undergraduates during the Lagniappe semester?
The class schedule for the Lagniappe semester is currently being developed. Whenever possible, however, courses that are typically available as the second half of a fall and Spring sequence will be available in the Lagniappe semester. - When will undergraduates be able to register for the Lagniappe semester?
Registration for the Lagniappe semester begins on November 9. You can register for Spring at the same time. - I understand that the undergraduate Lagniappe semester is seven weeks. Does that mean that the classes won’t be the same as those we usually have?
Classes during Lagniappe will be scheduled for the same number of hours as during a normal semester. Due to the compressed time period of the Lagniappe term, each class meeting will be somewhat longer. - How many credits or courses can I take during the undergraduate Lagniappe term?
We are recommending that you restrict your enrollment to three courses (9 to 10 credit hours). With the approval of your advisor, however, you may take a maximum of four courses but in no case more than 13 credit hours of academic work. - Isn’t the Lagniappe term just another undergraduate summer term?
No. The Lagniappe semester will have many more courses than a regular summer term. As is the case with summer school most of the classes will be taught by our best and most senior faculty, but students will have greater opportunities in Lagniappe for working with faculty and for participating in experiential learning than is the case in a normal summer term. These opportunities might include laboratory research, field work, archival research, internships, and service learning. In addition, the Lagniappe semester will offer a full range of co- and extra-curricular activities. - Will research and grant opportunities available through the colleges during the regular semester be available during the Lagniappe semester?
Yes. Many of the colleges support research activities that deepen and enrich students’ academic experiences, and these colleges will extend internship and research grant opportunities to students studying in the Lagniappe semester. - What are the tuition and fee charges for the regular Spring semester?
Tuition and fees for the regular Spring semester for all students will be those published in the 2005-06 fee schedule and payable consistent with standard university policy. The fee schedule will be posted online along with the Spring course information. - What will the undergraduate tuition and fee charges be for the Lagniappe term?
Tuition for the Lagniappe term is based on the number of credit hours in your schedule, calculated at the rate of $1,000 per credit hour. Fees will be prorated and amount to $660. However, if you have paid your full-time tuition to Tulane for both the Fall ‘05 and Spring ‘06 semesters, then you will be able to enroll in the Lagniappe semester courses on a tuition-free basis. - If I only paid part-time tuition to Tulane for the Fall ‘05 semester, how does the policy regarding Lagniappe tuition and fee charges referred to in Question 12 affect me?
For any student who attended classes in the Fall ‘05 semester on a part-time basis and paid his or her applicable tuition to Tulane, and who pays his or her full-time Spring ‘06 tuition to Tulane, the charge for Lagniappe will be $500 per credit hour, plus prorated fees as explained above. - I plan to graduate after the regular Spring ‘06 semester, so I will not attend the Lagniappe semester. Is there any benefit for me?
For seniors who complete their degree requirements at the end of the regular Spring term (and therefore derive no benefit from the Lagniappe semester) we will provide you with a $5,000 credit toward tuition in any Tulane University advanced degree program to which you are admitted and enroll within the next three years; i.e., on or before August 2008 - During the Lagniappe semester, will undergraduates be able to live in university housing and will dining services be available?
University housing and full meal service will be available. Room and board charges will be prorated for the 7-week Lagniappe term. - Will financial aid be available to undergraduates for the Lagniappe term?
Tulane-funded financial aid will be available for the Lagniappe term and other forms of financial aid may be available. The amount of aid that you receive from Tulane will be determined based on: (1) each family’s financial condition, as is regularly determined using our needs analysis test, (2) the actual costs associated with the Lagniappe term, and (3) the amount, if any, of financial aid that you used in fall 2005 and during the regular Spring term. The amount of aid will be calculated as soon as you register for the Lagniappe term and select your housing option. - Will there be a commencement ceremony for Spring graduates? If so, when will it be held?
Yes, there will be a Tulane University commencement this Spring and it will be held on Saturday, May 13, 2006, one week earlier than originally scheduled.
