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Summer Session Course Information

2018 Summer Session Information

Summer courses are not available to students in the Class of 2022.

Quick Facts

  • Six week session June 4-July 13, 2018.
  • Eight courses to choose from (based on student survey responses).
  • Courses taught, with office hours, by Holy Cross faculty.
  • Courses have same standards/expectations as seen during academic year.
  • Tuition: $2,395 per course (plus lab and studio fees where appropriate).
  • Non-refundable deposit of $250 is required to enroll.
  • No federal financial aid available; very limited Holy Cross financial aid is available to Holy Cross students by application.
  • Limited on-campus housing is available to Holy Cross students (TBD).
  • Permission to take two courses requires the approval of a class dean.
  • Course can be taken P/NP at same cost (but does not count toward 32 course requirement unless it is uncovered before graduation).
  • Course grade factors into HC GPA if taken for letter grade.
  • Each course must have a minimum number of students enrolled to run.
  • After tuition due date, it will be determined if each course will run. If enrollment does not reach the necessary minimum by mid-May, the course will be canceled.
  • Library will be available during posted summer hours but Academic Services and Learning Resources and other support offices (including Health Services, Disability Services and Counseling Center) will not be accessible to students over the summer.

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Enrollment

Enrollment begins February 15 for Holy Cross students and extends to the first day of classes. Enrollment begins February 22 for students from other Colleges/Universities and these students will need to submit a completed authorization form from their home institution; this form will need to be approved by Holy Cross before enrollment is permitted.  No students will be able to enroll until the non-refundable deposit has been paid. Within one business day of the deposit being credited to your account, the Registrar’s Office will activate you for summer session and you will be able to enroll in a course through STAR. You will be notified by the Registrar’s Office as soon as you have been activated to enroll for summer. Non Holy Cross students will be enrolled by the Registrar's Office and will receive an email confirmation once enrollment has been completed.

Deposit

Students are required to pay a $250 nonrefundable deposit to secure a spot in a class. Only under the following circumstances will a refund of the deposit be allowed:

  1. The class is canceled by the College and there is not another class the student wishes to enroll in.
  2. The student attempts to enroll in a class within one week of making the deposit and the class is full.

The deposit will not be refunded if the student decides not to enroll in a summer class or if the student attempts to enroll in class more than one week after making the deposit and the class is full. 

Paying the Deposit

There are three options for paying the deposit:

  1. Electronically - a link will be available beginning February 15th. Online payments are available via holycross.afford.com. Go to the middle of the page where it states “Make a Payment Here”.  Open up the grey box and select Summer Session.
  2. In person – visit the Bursar’s Office, O’Kane 159, Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Be sure to specify that it is a deposit for summer.
  3. By mail – send check or money order to the Bursar’s Office – be sure to specify that it is a deposit for summer: Bursar’s Office, One College Street, Worcester, MA 01610

Please note: the deposit cannot be made via wire transfer.

Financial Aid

There is no federal financial aid available for summer courses. There will be very limited Holy Cross summer aid for Holy Cross students.  Aid will ordinarily be considered for only one course.  Applications for financial aid for tuition only may be submitted through the following link: Summer Session Financial Aid Application.

If you require financial aid to be able to take a summer course, we advise that you not pay a deposit until after you know your financial aid status.  Remember, the deposit is nonrefundable.

Housing

There will be limited on-campus housing available for Holy Cross students during the summer (for an additional charge). Housing is not guaranteed. There will be a weekly cost ($145/week) for the 6 week session. The application for housing will be available in mid-March. Information can be found online here. Students will be notified as to the availability of housing for Summer Session on April 23.  Specific assignments will be relayed at a later date. For questions, please contact the Residence Life office at 508-793-2411.

If you require on campus housing to be able to take a summer course, we advise that you not pay a deposit until after you know your housing status. Remember, the deposit is nonrefundable.

Dining Services

Fixed price block meals for the summer can be purchased directly through Dining Services. Dining locations and hours will be posted on the Holy Cross Dining website (note there are no dining services on the weekends).

Important Dates and Deadlines

  • Deposits accepted beginning – February 15
  • Open enrollment for Holy Cross students beginning –  February 15
  • Open enrollment for students from other colleges/universities (authorization form required) beginning - February 22
  • Financial Aid application for Holy Cross students available – February 15
  • Housing application for Holy Cross students opens – mid-March
  • Financial Aid application due –  March 20
  • Financial Aid decisions announced - April 6
  • Housing application for Holy Cross students due –  April 18
  • Housing availability decisions announced – April 23
  • Full tuition payment due – May 15
  • You may add a course up to the beginning of the second day of class.
  • You may drop a course (removed from record) before the third day of class.
  • Pass/No Pass declaration –  June 15
  • Last day to withdraw, with W posted to transcript–  June 30

Tuition

Tuition is due by May 15. You will be dropped from the course for nonpayment and will not receive your deposit back. 

To enroll after May 15, full payment of tuition (which included the $250 nonrefundable deposit) within one day of enrollment is required. You will be dropped from the course for nonpayment. You need to contact Kelly O’Brien at kobrien@holycross.edu so that you can be activated to enroll. 

 

Tuition Refunds

If the College cancels a class, the tuition will be refunded 100% (including deposit)
If you decide to drop the course before the second class meeting, you will receive 100% of the tuition (minus the $250 deposit) 
If you decide to drop the course before the third class meeting you will receive 50% of the tuition (minus the $250 deposit) 
If you decide to drop the course on/after the third day of class, you will not receive a refund.

 

Costs/Fees

Tuition - $2395 per course
Science Lab Fee - $200
Art Supply Fee - $70
Housing - TBD
 

Contact Information

For additional information or questions, email us at: summersession@holycross.edu


Courses

(Updated April 23, 2018) 

CHEM 141: Environmental Chemistry
TRF 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM : Professor Amber Hupp

Prerequisites: None
Requirements Fulfilled: Natural Science Common Area; Environmental Studies Major and Minor

In this course, we will explore the fundamental chemistry involved in local and global environmental issues. Students will learn how anthropogenic activities, such as the burning of and generation of products from fossil fuels, affect Earth’s air, land, and water chemistry. The current and future viability of alternative energy sources, such as nuclear, wind, and solar power, will be discussed and compared to traditional coal and oil-based power sources. Lectures will combine problem-solving, chemical demonstrations, and hands-on experiments. If time permits, we may visit an active landfill site or a water treatment facility. No prior background in chemistry is required or expected.

CISS 299: Social Entrepreneurship
MWR 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM : Professor Ja-Nae Duane

Prerequisites: None. Students enrolled in CISS 299: Entrepreneurship in spring 2018 may not enroll in this course.
Requirements Fulfilled: Social Science Common Area

By 2020, one in six people will be an entrepreneur. But how does an entrepreneur make an impact? Through social entrepreneurship, entrepreneurs use business methods and strategies to help solve social and environmental challenges. Within this class, students will learn business methodologies and approaches that they will begin to explore and test through a project-based learning environment. A premium will be placed on students application of these tools within the field to best understand the landscape and challenges and opportunities that come with it. Students enrolled in this course will be required to work a minimum of 20 hours a week at an approved internship site; evaluations submitted by the internship supervisor will count for 30% of the student's final grade. The Center for Liberal Arts in the World and the Center for Career Development can provide assistance in identifying internship opportunities, though students are responsible for applying to sites and securing an internship.

ECON 199: Statistical Analysis
MTW 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM : Professor Robert Baumann

Prerequisites: None
Requirements Fulfilled: Mathematics Common Area; Economics Major and Accounting Major (equivalent to ECON 249), Psychology Major (equivalent to PSYC 200) and Sociology Major (equivalent to SOCL 226); Statistics Minor; Health Professions.

This course introduces probability and statistics. The first third of the course covers summary statistics and probability theory results such as Bayes Theorem. The remainder of the course analyzes random variables, which includes probability distribution functions, expected values, variances, sampling, ANOVA, hypothesis testing, and the Central Limit Theorem. The course concludes with an introduction of least squares estimation. At each topic, the course explores both the theoretical background and their application to real data sets using Excel and other statistical software.

HIST 199: Food and Power

TWR 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM : Professor Christopher Staysniak

Prerequisites: None
Requirements Fulfilled: History Common Area; History Major

Meal time will never be the same again! This course examines the history of American food, and the development of the American food system as we know it today. It is a story of abundance, of transformation, but also one of disparity. Through readings, guest speakers, and field trips, we will look at American food from different cultural, economic, environmental, and sociological angles. We will explore dynamics such as the high cost of cheap meat, the government policies behind casseroles, the power of marketing, the logistical miracle of the supermarket, as well as probe questions of food justice such as food deserts and urban farming. Through our studies we will take advantage of local institutions, including working with (and cooking from) historical cookbooks at the American Antiquarian Society, as well as work with local farms, food banks, and food processors.

PHIL 299: Troubled Minds: Ethics of Trauma
MTWR 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM : Professor Mary Catherine McDonald

Prerequisites: None
Requirements Fulfilled: Philosophy Common Area; Philosophy Major and Minor

Using trauma and traumatic experience as a paradigm, this course will use a philosophical lens to look critically at the way we understand, diagnose, and treat trauma. We will trace the history of trauma from the ancient world to today, paying close attention to the theoretical underpinnings that underlie how we classify and diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our philosophical stance will help us rethink the traumatic response as one that is grounded in strength and the will to survive – challenging the too-commonly held idea that mental illness stems from weakness. Throughout the course, we will consider various types of trauma, from relationship violence to combat. As we consider combat trauma, we will consider the role that we have in the community to help those around us who suffer. One way we might put theory into action is developing a strategic plan to help an organization within the Worcester community better meet their goals (for example, Veterans Inc., an organization committed to helping veterans regain control of their lives post trauma; or Pathways for Change, a rape crisis center in Worcester).

POLS 299: Terrorism
MTR 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM : Professor Eric Fleury

Prerequisites: POLS 103 or permission of the instructor
Requirements Fulfilled: Social Science Common Area; Political Science Major and International Studies Major (specifically International Conflict & Conflict Resolution)

This course will examine the use of terror as a tactic to achieve political objectives. It will trace the development of terrorist violence through the study of historical and contemporary examples, and evaluate definitions and perceptions of terrorism as a crime, act of war, or form of social protest. It will also compare theoretical understandings of terrorism based on ideological motivation, social dynamics, strategic logic, and other variables. Particular emphasis will be given to current dimensions of terrorism and counter-terrorism, and the factors that favor the success or failure of each.

PSYC 228: Psychology of Adolescence

TWR 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM : Professor Allison Ludden

Prerequisites: Introduction to Psychology or Permission of Instructor
Requirements Fulfilled: Social Science Common Area; Psychology Major - Individual, Social, and Cultural Processes Area

Interested in learning more about young people and why what happens during the teen years matters? In this summer’s course Psychology of Adolescence, you’ll learn more about the research behind the headlines that the media throws at us daily. We will study such topics as the “teen brain” and “helicopter parenting,” and examine social media and friendships, sports and extracurriculars, identity and sexuality, and eating behaviors and substance use. This course is designed to give students an overview of research and theories related to adolescent development. It will cover an overall introduction to the notion of adolescence from various historical and cultural perspectives; and it will also cover physical, cognitive, and social development during adolescence with a particular emphasis on identity, contexts, and change over time. The teaching methods I will use in this course will be a combination of lectures, in-depth discussions about research studies and documentaries, small group activities, and hands-on lab work.