Frequently Asked Questions

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 The Customs Program is one those things that tends to generate a lot of questions from people who haven't been students here. More are to come, but here's the basics.

Why do we have Customs?
What are Customs People (CP)?
What's an Upper Class Advisor (UCA)?
What's an Ambassador for Multicultural Awareness (AMA)?
What's an Honor Code Orienteer (HCO)?
What are Peer Awareness Facilitators (PAFs)?
What's Customs Week?
Is Customs really a year-long program?

Why do we have Customs?
Customs is probably Haverford's oldest tradition. Harkening back to the mid 1800's, the tradition of upperclassmen showing lowerclassmen the ropes of the College is certainly an old one. Today, the Customs Program is drastically different from the sometimes institutionalized hazing it has been in the past. The overarching goals of the Program are to introduce students to Haverford and to prepare them for the upcoming year. To facilitate this, Customs introduces frosh to a wide range of resources and information oncampus, as well as encouraging students to pursue the College's mission: "Non Doctior Sed Meliore Doctrina Imbutus" or "Not more learned, but imbued with a higher spirit." This essentially hints at the College's committment to the ideal of not just giving students a degree, but helping them learn about both themselves and their world around them.

What are Customs People (CP)?
Customs People are Haverford's alternative to a residential advisor program. Essentially, CPs are there to help the frosh figure out what they want to do and then help them get there. Customs People are sort of like Big Brothers/Sisters crossed with an RA. So you have someone with all the influence and role-model status with the responsibility of the RA, but not the dictatorial situation with most RAs. Two Customs People live on each freshman hall, and serve as resource people for the frosh.

What's an Upper Class Advisor (UCA)?
UCAs are juniors or seniors who live on or near the hall and are particularly adept at navigating the complicated waters of academic requirements and the academic departments. UCAs work in tandem with the Faculty Advisor in advising first-year students about their class choices. UCAs are chosen from a wide pool in the spring by the Deans Office and undergo rigorous education to serve as an advisor.

What's an Ambassador for Multicultural Awareness (AMA)?
AMAs are upper class students who work to increase awareness and participation in multicultural programs, activities, and understanding within a customs group. AMAs work with other members of the customs team to help facilitate dialogues about issues like race, class, and gender. These students also work in conjunction with the Office of Multicultural and International Students Affairs and student groups on campus to help freshmen process through these issues and provide resources to do so. The AMAs serve as an off the hall resource to freshmen to assist in a smooth transition to college life.

What's an Honor Code Orienteer (HCO)?
HCOs are responsible for overseeing first-year students' introduction to the fabled Honor Code. Nearly as old as Customs, the Honor Code is quite possibly one of the most talked-about issues on campus. Each Customs Group's HCO, among other things facilitates discussions about Honor Code issues and encourages attendance at the twice-yearly Plenary meeting. HCOs also function as a more objective, off-the-hall resource for frosh.

What are Peer Awareness Facilitators (PAFs)?
PAFs are pairs of upperclass students who work with each Customs Group (first-year hall) to foster dialog about issues where are important to college students. Each dialog takes place at a weekly hour-long session and can include topics such as Community, Alcohol, Safe Sex and Contraception, Race Relations or Eating Issues and Body Image. Peer Awareness Facilitators also function as off-hall resources for first-year students and can typically help students get in-touch with the many student life offices available.

What's Customs Week?
Customs Week is the College's Orientation. It takes place during the five days prior to the beginning of classes, just before the Fall Semester. During this time, frosh meet the other freshmen on their hall, Customs People, their UCAs, Honor Code Orienteers, Faculty Advisors, and a host of other people along with many of their classmates. During Customs Week, freshmen can expect to have an introduction to many major aspects of the College as well as meet more people than they'll be able to keep track of. It's an exciting time, but most importantly, it's the beginning of everyone's time here at the College.

Is Customs really a year-long program?
Absolutely. While the language may seem a little confusing, the Customs Program itself reaches far past the first five days of the year. Customs Week is the Orientation, but Customs is what happens afterward. It's the interactions and education that happens far outside of the classroom, in the halls and spaces where professors fear to tread, where frosh teach Customs People and the other way around.

If you have more questions, but didn't find the answers here, please contact the Customs Committee for more info.