|
Graduation Ball Coming Up Soon!
The Graduation Ball will be held on June 4-5, 2003 at the Bilkent Hotel’s Sakarya Ballroom at 7:30 p.m., and will feature a concert by famous Turkish pop singer Deniz Seki.
Below are the Ball dates for different departments:
Wednesday, June 4, 2003; FEASS, FBA, VSCTOM, FMPA, FHL
Thursday June 5, 2003; FS, FE, STHM-VSTHS, BUSEL, FADA and SAL
The ticket price is 80 million TL. per person until May 16, and 90 million TL. after May 19. Tickets will be available for purchase beginning April 28 from the Alumni Office in the Student Union Building. For further information contact the Alumni Office at ext. 2236, and speak to Ebru Ediz.
Spring Fest 2003
May 7, 8, and 9 are days for Bilkenters to mark on their calendars. Once again, Spring Fest is on its way! Spring Fest 2003 will take place between Wednesday, May 7 and Friday May 9. Planned events include cartoon and film shows, exhibitions, talks, concerts, sport and fitness activities, games, tournaments and contests. All activities will be listed in the next issue of the Bilkent News.
News from the Senate
The Bilkent University Senate convened last week to discuss several new proposals. After a lengthy session, the Senate voted in favor of the following proposals:
-The name of the department “Political Science and Public Administration” will be changed to “Political Science” beginning September 2004. The new title will apply to all students who have entered the department beginning September 2004 or later.
- A new research center focusing on “Nano Technology” will be established;
- A new grade, W = withdraw, has been created. This new grade gives the students an opportunity to withdraw from a course up until two weeks before the last day of classes. The W grade will show up in the transcript, but will not affect the GPA. Since the total number of withdrawal grades are limited (4 times maximum for 4-year students, and 2 times maximum for 2-year students); they are to be used sparingly. A student wishing to withdraw from a course must write a petition to the department after consulting with his/her advisor. The W grade will be effective only after the approval of the department. It is highly recommended that W grade be used only to avoid repeat or dismiss conditions. Since the W grade is commonly interpreted as a failure, it should be used only when a failing grade is expected. Students can apply for W grades as of today.
- Student Course Evaluation results from Spring 2003 onwards will be made available to all students on the web. The web address for this information is to be made available soon.
Also in this issue:
|
Spring 2003 Run Is On
Organized by the Physical Education and Sports Center, the annual Bilkent Spring Run 2003 is scheduled for Saturday, May 10, beginning at 11 a.m. All Bilkent University students, faculty, staff and their family members are encouraged to participate, both for fun and fitness.
The course is approximately 4.5 km long, starting in front of the East Campus Sports Hall and ending at the Main Sports Hall. Participants younger than 10 years of age will start from the Main Campus tennis courts, located in the housing area, at 10:45 a.m. Trophies will be awarded to the first three runners to finish in each of the following age groups: 11-15, 16-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-59, 60 and over.
The last day for registrations for the Spring Run is Friday, May 9. All participants will be given special Bilkent t-shirts. For further information contact the Physical Education and Sports Center at ext. 3186 or 1993.
Experiences of an EMSPS Student
The Bilkent University Physics Department has been in charge of the European Mobility Scheme for Physics Students (EMSPS) program since 1996.
This program operates on the basis of an agreement with 180 European Universities and the European Physical Society (EPS). The program’s main aim is stated as follows: “The mobility period shall allow the students to acquire abroad, an equivalent education in a different lingual or cultural environment or, for more advanced studies, to profit from special courses not available at their home institution.”
Students who apply for this program stay at Bilkent for a year or a semester with the support of EPS and Bilkent scholarships. The students, along with their local and home advisors, decide upon the best selection of courses to be taken. The credits are then transferred to the home institution.
Since 1996, 7 students have visited Bilkent from Germany, Poland and Sweden. The physics department has also been selected recently with other departments to participate in SOCRATES/ERASMUS activities at Bilkent.
SOCRATES/ERASMUS is a program that comes with a wide spectrum of services in higher education involving the mobility of students and faculty members in European universities.
Bilkent News interviewed Mr. Lukasz Michalak who came with EMSPS from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland. Lukasz said that one of the motives that brought him to Turkey was to experience a different and exciting culture. He pointed out that the education here was compatible with many other established universities across Europe.
His choice was also made easier by the fact that Bilkent is an English-medium institution. “It is a good chance for me to continue my education here at Bilkent both for my academic and social life. I’ve made lots of friends, most of whom are Turkish, and who are very hospitable and friendly. Also I was surprised when I met lots of international students studying here; this is very enriching in the academic life of a student. Along with my required courses, I have also taken Latin and Turkish as elective courses, which I believe is very advantageous for me” says Lukasz. When discussing the campus, Lukasz says that what he likes most is the layout of the campus, such as the dorms, lecture halls, sport facilities etc. allowing easy access to all areas. One last point he wants to make is about the traffic! He said that he realized upon arriving, that Ankara had a serious traffic problem, but that Bilkent has much better and more regulated traffic.
Lukasz will be returning to Poland at the end of this semester. He added that he is considering the possibility of returning to Bilkent in the near future to continue work on his PhD in Physics. We wish him good luck and safe travels along with a speedy return to Bilkent.
Bilkent News Interactive is best viewed by 800x600 resolution.
You can send comments, questions, etc. about Bilkent News Interactive by clicking this link.
|
