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Parent
E-mail—April 25, 2008
—Thank a Teacher
—Request for Your Help
—Parents of Graduates
—End of Semester Workshops
—Sophomore Experience
—Miscellaneous
The countdown is on: two weeks until the last day of class, and
three weeks and a day until final exams are over. Students may
finish earlier, depending on when their last exam is scheduled.
Families who have a student returning home for the summer may
want to check out the tips on the "family re-entry" experience
(www.parent.umn.edu/summerbreak.html).
This week, students have been trying to celebrate the University's
annual Spring Jam events, but they've been at the mercy of the
weather. Spring Jam finishes tomorrow with a 5K run and a Block
Party. The Saturday Block Party events planned for outdoors are
being moved into Coffman Union, due to the promise of more rain
and chilly temperatures (www.sua.umn.edu/events/springjam/).
—Thank a Teacher
A good teacher makes a huge difference in a student's interest
in a topic and sometimes in their choice of careers. The University's
Center for Teaching and Learning offers an online form that allows
students to express their appreciation for a teacher who has made
a positive impact. If your student has mentioned a particularly
inspiring faculty member or teaching assistant, please encourage
him or her to Thank a Teacher at www.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/resources/thank/.
—Request for Your Help
The University Parent Program works with the parents of all undergraduate
students because we believe that parent support is important to
student success. In addition to working directly with parents,
we collaborate with a number of offices around campus to promote
student retention and success. We are currently seeking donations
through the University Parent Fund for contributions to be used
to help students in crisis. Every year we have students who face
a financial loss through such events as an apartment fire, crime,
accident, or family problem. There are times when insurance or
family members cannot provide assistance in these critical situations,
and this fund helps students as they work to stay in school and
resolve their difficulties. If the University Parent Program has
been helpful to you, please consider making a contribution to
the University Parent Fund.
Any contributions, large or small, are helpful. For more information
or to make a donation, see www.parent.umn.edu/fund.html and
be sure to specify University Parent Fund in your contribution.
—Parents of Graduates
Congratulations on your student's achievement! We know that family
support is important not only in encouraging students to attend
college, but also for staying and succeeding during the college
years. Please don't unsubscribe from the parent newsletter just
yet. There may be last-minute commencement notices or tips that
come up during the next few weeks that we would like to pass along
to you. If you need details about your student's commencement
ceremony, your student should have all the specific information,
or check here: www.umn.edu/twincities/commencement/index.php.
—End of Semester Workshops
University Counseling and Consulting Services is offering two
workshops next week to help students prepare for the end of the
semester. "Effective Test Taking Strategies" will discuss
ways students can master their testing environment, manage stress
associated with taking exams, and explore strategies for maximizing
recall on exams. "Stress Management" focuses on tips
and techniques to help identify, work through, and even prevent
some of the harmful effects of stress. More information is at
www.ucs.umn.edu/education/SASS_workshops.htm#work1.
Students can register by calling 612-624-3323. Space is limited.
—The Sophomore Experience
In higher education, we spend a lot of time talking about first-year
students' transition to college and figuring out how to provide
appropriate services to freshmen. In recent years, there has been
more attention given to seniors as they prepare to transition
out of college. Within the past few years, both nationally and
locally, we're thinking about the particular needs of second-year
students. (At this point, we tend to see juniors as a fairly stable
population, excited about the opportunities they find as they
begin to focus on their majors and not yet encumbered by the prospect
of next steps beyond college.)
It would be helpful for parents of this year's sophomores to let
us know what issues you have seen during the past year with your
student. There may have been concerns when your student returned
home last spring, as they prepared to leave for school again in
late summer, perhaps some readjustment or rethinking of friendships
when they got back to school or moved through their sophomore
year, concerns about changing majors or choosing a major, or any
number of any issues. There is some indication that the sophomore
year is when students take significant steps toward evaluating
and internalizing their personal values.
Please send your comments, experiences, or thoughts to parent@umn.edu.
—Miscellaneous
Our Parent Question of the Month for April is online at www.parent.umn.edu/.
Please take a moment to respond to the question.
Some facts and figures about the University of Minnesota, Twin
Cities: the University's enrollment for fall semester 2007 totaled
50,883; of that number, 28,703 were undergraduates. Last year,
the University granted 11,304 degrees. The Twin Cities campus
comprises 1,233 surface acres and 265 buildings. More facts are
posted online at www.umn.edu/urelate/00_pdfs/eFacts08.pdf.
Sincerely,
Marjorie Savage
Parent Program Director
University of Minnesota
www.parent.umn.edu |
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