President’s Welcome – New On-Line Catalog

Welcome to Sterling’s new on-line catalog, where you will find all of the College’s course offerings for the academic year 2007-08, descriptions of Sterling’s curriculum and majors, as well as lots of other information useful to students and their advisors, faculty and staff in general, and anyone else interested in learning more about Sterling College.

This new electronic catalog does not have the familiar feel or look of the College’s traditional printed catalog, nor is it as handsome. You can’t slip it into your backpack or briefcase, mark it up with a pencil, or dog ear a page. In addition, there is an actual learning curve, although not a very sharp one, to this catalog. And finally, our electronic catalog is not even complete; there are capabilities and features that will not be ready for some months yet.

Still, we believe the new catalog is an advance for two reasons.

First, because it is electronic as opposed to physical there is an environmental savings* of some significance. Until this year, Sterling printed as many as 3500 catalogs at considerable cost in money and to the environment, despite the fact it was printed on recycled paper and with “friendly” ink.

Secondly, the new catalog is designed to help improve a new and more comprehensive approach to student advising. As students and their advisors consult on academic choices and paths, the new catalog, with its “add to the shopping cart” feature, can help students and faculty see various scenarios and combinations of courses students might compose. This will be especially important with our new emphasis on self-designed majors.

So I encourage you to open up the catalog, familiarize yourself with its contents and features, make suggestions as to how it can be improved, and explore the full range of Sterling’s offerings and academic opportunities.