The document is a letter from the Chair of the Cornell University History Department welcoming new graduate students to the program. It provides key information about initial meetings with advisors to plan coursework, language requirements, and expectations for the first year of study. Students are instructed to meet with the Graduate Advisor and either their intended major professor or other faculty to determine their first semester's courses and other requirements.

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rHe cRADUATE scHool
' bornell University
APC: ds
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SAGE GRADUATE CENTXR
ITHACA, NENf YORK 148'3
Februar5z 15, 1980
Ms. Smita Purushottam
C-II/85
Bapa- Nagar, New Delhi
India
Dear Ms. Purushottam:
I am pJ-eased to inforur you that the Graduate School has approved your
applieation for admission, for fall 1980, for the PhD program in the
field of History.
Admlssion to the Graduate School is highly conpetiti.ve; we are deli.ghted
that we can count you among our successful applicants. We Look fonrard
to having you at Cornell and belleve that you will find your graduate
program here challenging and rewarding.
Applicants who are successful in the Cornell Graduate Fellowship
Competition will be inforned of their awards by April 1. Information
about assistantships will come directly from the fields as decisi.ons
are made. Information about loans arrd work-study opportunities may
be obtained frorn the Graduate School Counselor, Financial Aid Offlce,
203 Day HaLl.
Please return the enclosed forns by t'lay 10 in order that we may process
your admission. Shoul-d you choose to make other plans, we wouJ.d appre-
ciate notification as soon as possible so that we can offer adnission
to anoihef applicant.
Registration for new studeats w111 take place during the week of
August 25, 1980. Specifie details will be avaj-lable later. If you
have any questions, please do not hesitate to write to the Graduate
Adnlssions 0ffice at Sage Graduate Center or call at (507) 256-4884.
Sincerely yours,
C,/r^ C*,,,rn
ALison P. Casarett
Dean
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xc: History

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THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
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Alison P. Casarett
Dean
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Enclosures
ec: Field of History
Cornell Universily
SAGE GRADUATE CENTER
ITTTACA. NE}T YORK T48'}
Marc-h 27, L98O
Ms. Srdta Purushottam
c-rr/8s
Bapa Nagar
New Del-hi, INDIA
Dear Ms, PurushotEam:
On behaLf of the Fellowship Board, it gives me great pleasure to inform you
that you have been awarded a Sage Graduace FeLLowship for the L980-81 acadenic
year, This provides a stipend of $350O for the academic year p1-us tui!!o-1r" In-. ---*
!datt*.oo; th; FteLd oE Eld-ory has authorized me'to offer you suPport in the form
of a Department Felloruship, Tlaching Assistantship or hourly employment for youf
seconcl aad third years of- graduate study. A stipend, salary' or hourly r^tage and.les
tuitLon will be piowided in accordance with the rates established by the Universitrr
for those academic years. Renewal of the ar.rard eaeh year is contingent upon satis-
factory acadernic performance on your part, as judged by your fie1d. This ar'rard is
rnade in recognition of your fine academic record and your promise as a graduate
student. I,Ie hope that you will- accept this award and enroll as a graduate student
at Cornell.
These ar.rards are intended to be hel-d in consecutive years. In addition' many
felLorsships, are reserved for continuing students, and other forms of supportt such
as research assistantships or traineeshipsr moy also be availabl-e depending upon
your field of study,
This award is subject to Corrrellts regulations on applying for a New York
State Tuition Assistance Program Award, as described in the attached sheet. I'Ie
also have enc}osed other information relevant to ,,awards and procedures aE Cornell"
University.
For your convenience r.re have enelosed a post card which you should return to
the Gra<lrraEe F€lJ-or*ebip.Off:ieer,-11"6 Sage Graduate eenler' by,-Apfil .150- indicaling,-..--"
your aeceptance or rejection of this award. If possibl-e, tre would appreciate aR
LarLier repLy so that rile can make optimum use of the funds available to us-
I trust this award will enabl-e Y to attend Cornell this fal1.
Sincerel"y yours
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CORNELL UNIVERSITY
ITHACA, N. Y. 14S,3
DEPARTI{ENT OF HISTORY
I
McGRAv HALL
Manch 31, 1980
Sincenelw 'rollrsr
607-216-4367
Dear Ms. purushottam.
3r no,.u' "oU rrl]l perj:A.;ts hs.l,e healC the
fco.j r:.e.;l's inai -rou have been aii.anceci *-Sug"
graduai;e fellowsirl"p to studv at Cornel_l n6xt
:_?sr, rlih a stioend of .$j5(j0 plus tuitlon. The
iii-stor" Dept l*ourd expect to be abLe to offerwou flnanci-al support as a teaching fellow bsvond
aext w*e'.rr asauminq vou make satisractor.r progress
to;aro a phD.
Given:rour interest in mcdern American
hls!or-'', -it i.s most Llkelw that wou would work
with Pnofessor. RLchar"d polenberg, tbe cur.entchairman of the departmant. He-has worked.
extenslvel.'r on ths unlted states
-Iu"i"g
the 1930s
and 19{0s. you would also want to eonsult our3
mooern German blstorian, rsabei n:ri.---sire wtLlbe on loave next yreer, but t,ou should be ableto wonk ou! a _prograra of stud., wlth her. DanlelBaugh, our modlgn British hlstoni"rrr-*fff U"
here, and you could also rrork wftfr--frfm.
Laten ln the sunurer, assunlng vou do decide
to como here to studw at Co3ne11, iou wt1l
neceive a lLst of farl eourses opon to graduate
studonts and a Letter" of lnstr"ucilons c6ncer"ning
registratlon proeedures and so forth.E. The
gr"aduate school wlll communlcate wlth Tou about
housing. I would reeonmend llvlng the the S"ra_uate dormltorv fon at least the finst term, untilvou learn .Erour wav anound town.
I'{ar.r Beth
Associate
Norton
Pro fes sor
d
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Departuent of History
llcGraw llaLL
CORNELL UNTIERSITY
Ithaca, New York l-4853
August L2, 1980 6A7-256-4367
TO: New Graduate Students la Hlstory
FROM: R, Laurence !!oore, Chalruan
I take pleaeure ln rrelcom{ng you to the Department of History at
CorneLL Universlty. I'ty eolleagues and I hope that your perlod of study
here wLll be stlmulatlng and fruitful.
(Fnorninqs)
You shouLd come to the History office on August 28th or 29th to speak
wlth l'Irs. J111 Dlalefyt, who ls the secretary to our Graduate Prograu. She
wlLl- then send you to aeet Professor Charl-es Peterson, nho ls the Graduate
Faculty Representative ln Hl.story and our Graduate Student Adviser, Ete
is prepared to heLp you with the initlal planning of your graduate eourse
of study.
If you have not al.ready uade up your rnlnd regarding your uaJor professor,
Professor Peterson wLl-L send you to consult wtth those professors whose sub*
divislons of hlstory appear to lnterest you, and he wiLl suggest that you
work out with one of, thes your first termrs program. You may seLect your
opectal coarqlttee at any time prlor to December 5. We advlse you to take time
on thLs decLsLon rather than hurry Lt. Even if you have decLded on your
naJor professorg you nay wlsh more tLne for the seLectlon of your mlnors Fnd
for opportunity Co acqualnt yourself Ln a general- rray with condltlons at
CornelL. In the perlod before you seLect your specLal connnLt,tee, Professor
Petereon and I are authorized by the Graduate School to slgn aLI- papers thaE
require the sigoature of a m@ber of the faculty" Please note, however, that
you must file a t'nor{ns11on of comnitteett form at the Graduate SchooL offlce
by Septenber l-9, L980. If you have Professor Peterson sign thls form ln l-Leu
of a proper cornmfttee, you should fLle a "change of comlttee" form subse-
quently r,rhen you seLect a permaoent coumlttee.
The Department has estabLlshed a mlnlmum of rules regarding graduate
study. They are as fo11or,rs: Al-L candldates for the ph.D. in hLstory nust
take the quallfying examlnatlon during the first two weeks of their second
semester ln resldence. Candldates for the M,A. wtro plan to use the lt{.A.
flnaL examlnatLon as thelr quallfylng examinatLon for the Ph.D. should bear
ln nlnd that aLL three prospectlve members of theLr Ph.D. speclaL col.tmlttee
nnst partl.cLpate in the l'1.A. examination. Durlng the flrst semester each new
graduate student wi1l normaLly take a semlnar or do sone lndivldual r^'ork
w{th hls or her prospectlve maJor professor.
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T0: New Greduate Studente Ln llletory August 12, 1980
Except for those who plan to ptoceed no further than an lf.A, degree,
aL1 hlstory graduate students lrho do not deoonetrate proficlency ln an
approprlate forelgn lansrrasa u;,oa, etrtaance muEt enrotl fn a eullable
laaguage course untl.L proflciency ls demonetrated. prof!.ciency in r* I
languages o,ust be dernonstrated before a candldate for the ph.u. ls elt-l
glble to take the examlnatlon for admiselon to candl.dacy. (Each naJor.l
wlthln the Departmeat fornulates lts o*n Language requlreilent.) A11 first
year students are expected to take at least -three couraes (lncludlng senl-
nare) for credit durlng e?ch of thelr f lrst GEnesqere 'ln residencerl and
to recelve regular Letter gradee in them. At least ooe nf your nlnor fle1de
ebout-d*.be takca !*lthi* the Deparae*t of $lstory.
We look fonvard to eeelng you in the fall.
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