Summer is fast approaching, which means both the newly reinstated May term and both summer sessions at SMU are as well.
Kathy Rowe, director of summer studies, said that as the schedule of classes for summer continues to grow students should check back often to see what course offerings become available, both in and out of their majors.
Among a plethora of new classes being offered, there have also been significant changes to the financial aid process for May term, which Rowe said “is going to be really great” for student opportunities.
“[Similar to J term], if a student is only taking May term, you can now get your aid for May for just the three hours,” Rowe said.
Originally, students would not have been able to apply their aid package to the three-hour limit of May term.
Now, students can not only use their aid package for May term, but they also have the option of combining those three hours in May with a single course during one of the summer sessions to total the typical six hours of summer school.
“You can use those three hours to count toward your six hours,” Rowe said. “This really makes a difference for students as they try to determine when is best to take [classes].”
Rowe said that this combination of hours or aid for limited hours is going to help alot of students, especially those who want to stay for May only.
One course highlighted during May term is a course that prepares students for internships and employment in nonprofits.
Currently listed as a sociology course, Rowe hopes by next summer the course will be cross-listed with some other disciplines, such as arts management and engineering majors working in the nonprofit spectrum.
“It’s going to help [students] understand how nonprofits work at alot of different levels,” Rowe said.
In addition to preliminary plans to have local Dallas-area nonprofit owners come in to lecture frequently, Rowe said that the plan for the class will delve into the base-line needs of running nonprofits such as those profiled.
“There’s a whole curriculum on getting money but there’s a whole other way of asking people for their sweat equity,” Rowe said.
For more information on enrollment and class offerings for both May term and summer sessions, visit smu.edu/summer.
