Welcome to the Cooper Union Family!

Congratulations on your acceptance into The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art! On behalf of the staff in the division of Student Affairs, I am pleased to welcome you to the Cooper Union community. As the Dean of Students, I am responsible for all of the areas within Student Affairs, which includes Orientation, Housing and Residential Education, Center for Career Development, Health and Medical Records, Counseling and Student Care, Student Diversity and Inclusion, Sexual Misconduct Reporting, Student Code of Conduct, Disability Accommodations, Student Government, and Student Activities.

As you prepare to transition from High School into College, I want to take a few moments and highlight some key pieces of information that you need to be aware of.

Set To Go Program - Transitioning to College

I encourage all students to explore Set To Go, provided by the JED Foundation. This site provides invaluable resources and information for students as they transition from High School into College.

Orientation 2019

New Student Orientation begins on Tuesday, August 27, 2019 and consists of several days of programs designed to acclimate students to studying at The Cooper Union and engaging with New York City. Participation in Orientation is essential to integrating into our community and learning about key resources, policies, and procedures before classes begin. Participation in our Orientation program is essential to building the necessary foundation for your time at The Cooper Union. Students who cannot attend Orientation in its entirety will be at a significant disadvantage and should alter their summer plans so that they can attend the program.

Prior to arriving on campus, all incoming students will be required to complete two online classes, one related to alcohol use and one to sexual misconduct. Information about these classes will be sent via e-mail in July. Students who do not complete the first portion of each of the courses prior to the first day of class will not be able to attend class until the courses are completed.

Orientation is still in its planning stages, but a tentative Orientation Schedule is available online. The final schedule will be published by August 5, 2019.

2019-2020 Academic Calendar

The full academic calendar for the 2019-2020 academic year has been finalized and can now be viewed online.

Residential Education and Housing

Cooper Union operates one residence hall, located at 29 3rd Ave., New York, NY 10003, just across the street from Cooper’s academic facilities. Housing in our residence hall is not guaranteed and is only offered as an option for a student’s first year of study. After their first year, all students need to find their own housing. Students are encouraged to review our Housing FAQ and can apply for housing now using the online application.

The priority deadline for housing was Friday, May 10, 2019. Any student interested in living in the Student Residence Hall should apply immediately using the link above and also contact the Office of Residential Education and Housing via e-mail at ryan.gambino@cooper.edu. The Office of Residential Education and Housing is overseen by Mr. Ryan Gambino.

Health, Medical Records, and Immunization Requirements

All students are required to complete and return a series of New Student Health Forms. All health and immunization forms were due to the Office of Student Affairs by June 3, 2019.

You will not be enrolled in classes until these forms are received and completed. Students who have not completed their health and immunization forms should do so immediately. Students with incomplete health records risk delays in class registration which may mean you will be locked out of classes. Students cannot attend classes at Cooper Union until all of the required forms are completed.

Medical forms that have already been received by our office are being reviewed on an ongoing basis. Students will be notified if further action is needed.

This is a requirement for all students (undergraduate, graduate, visiting, transfer, etc.). If you have previously been a student at Cooper Union, you should contact Mr. Eric Conley to determine if we already have any of your records on file. Mr. Conley can be reached at eric.conley@cooper.edu or at 1-212-353-4116.

Questions about health or medical forms should be addressed to Mr. Eric Conley. Mr. Conley can be reached at eric.conley@cooper.edu or at 1-212-353-4116.

Mental and Physical Healthcare Needs at Cooper

Please remember that Cooper Union does not have any on-campus health center nor does The Cooper Union provide on-site access to on-going mental health services. The Cooper Union assists students in locating local resources for their physical and mental health care, but students are required to function independently and must be able to manage their mental and physical healthcare related issues. We do offer free on-site counseling assessments, but students requiring longer term therapy will need to be referred to a local therapist.

Students with known medical and/or mental health conditions must find a treatment team in the New York City area prior to beginning classes. Mount Sinai Health Downtown has many locations very close to Cooper Union and provides care to many members of the Cooper Union Community. Mount Sinai Doctors can be a resource to help connect students to a primary care doctor or specialist in the local Cooper Union area; you can search for a physician using their online tools. When searching for a doctor close to Cooper Union, please note that our zip code is 10003.

Students can find Mental Health / Counseling and General Health resources and information on the Cooper Union web site. Questions about counseling and mental health issues can be addressed to Cassandra Jolicoeur, our Student Care Coordinator and Counselor.

Students who disclose physical or mental health conditions on their medical forms will receive additional resources and referrals later this summer.

Disability Accommodations

Students with disabilities who are seeking any accommodations, modifications or auxiliary aids or services regarding any aspect of the full Cooper Union experience—including anything pertaining uniquely to one of the Cooper Union’s distinct schools—must complete the Self-Identification Form for Students with Disabilities. This form is included as part of the incoming student medical forms.

While we absolutely provide reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities, we want all students to be aware that the expectations at Cooper are very high and our programs and courses are extremely rigorous and move very quickly. The speed at which our curriculum advances is rapid, and the rigor and intensity of our academics are fundamental components of how we teach and how students progress through our degree programs. Our courses are challenging for all of our students and any reasonable accommodations that are provided will not alter the expectations of our students or the rigor of our courses.

We take an individualized approach to disability accommodations, understanding that each student is unique and how they engage with our coursework is also unique. The Office of Student Affairs will be in contact with any student who completes the necessary form to review specific needs and to establish a plan. If you complete the Self-Identification Form for Students with Disabilities, we will contact you in late July with additional details and follow-up.

Career Development Resources

Whether your goal is to become an architect, artist, engineer, something else entirely, or you are unsure of your professional interests, it is never too early to start identifying and preparing to achieve your career goals. The Center for Career Development works with students as early as their first semester on campus and you are encouraged to visit often! The Center for Career Development is located on the 4th floor of the Student Residence Hall at 29 3rd Avenue and can be reached at career@cooper.edu.

Athletics and Student Clubs and Activities

Information about Athletics can be found online. If you’re interested in participating in one of Cooper’s teams, please contact David Robbins, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. Dean Robbins will connect you with the appropriate coach.

Students interested in viewing the different clubs and organizations that will available to them in the fall can review the information that is provided on the Joint Activities Committee web site.

Peer Mentor Program

All new students will be part of our Peer Mentor Program. Our hope is that this connection will provide our incoming students with a peer point of contact here at Cooper who can serve as a resource and answer questions for you.

Students will receive information about the Peer Mentor Program throughout Orientation.

Cooper Union E-mail and Future Communications

This message is being sent to your personal email address that you provided when you were admitted to Cooper Union. Your cooper.edu email addresses are being finalized and will be sent to you from our IT department within the next several weeks. Once finalized, all future communications from our office will only be sent to your cooper.edu email address. It is essential that you check your cooper.edu email on a regular basis as you will be receiving vital information throughout the summer.

Cooper Union Identification Card

Students will have an opportunity to email our security team a photo for their ID prior to their arrival on campus in August. Students who provide a photo in advance will be able to have their ID ready for them on the first day of Orientation. A separate email will be coming from Cooper Union Security later in June with details on how to submit your photo for your campus ID.

Academic Programs

Information specific to your academic program of study will be forthcoming directly from your academic school. Contact information for your academic program can we found via the following links:

School of Architecture
School of Art
School of Engineering
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

More details about your experience here at Cooper will be forthcoming, as we get closer to the start of the 2019-2020 academic year. Over the summer, you will receive more information from Student Affairs, as well as from many other areas across the campus.

We’re excited to have you as part of our family and we look forward to meeting you in August.

Sincerely,

Christopher M. Chamberlin
(Pronouns: he, him, his)
Dean of Students
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
29 3rd. Ave.
New York, NY, 10003

P: 212-353-4130 / 212-353-4114
F: 212-353-4044
E: chamber@cooper.edu