| Parent
E-mail—October 2, 2009
—Career Planning
—Financial Update
—Parents' Role in Student Success
—Gopher Gifts
—Mini Study Abroad
—Beat the Bugs
—Can You Help?
—Homecoming 2009
—Student Conduct
—Miscellaneous
This is a long message, but there's a good deal of important news
included. Please get yourself a cup of coffee or tea and take the
time to go through all the items in this message. If you don't
have time right now to read all of it, make an appointment with
yourself very soon to read through it. Thank you.
—Career Planning
Career development and career fair opportunities are on the calendar
for students throughout October:
Although first-year students may not be ready yet to plan for
graduate school, it's not too early to start thinking about what
comes after graduation. Students at all levels are invited to the
annual Graduate and Professional Schools Day from 10 a.m. to 2
p.m., Wednesday, October 14, in the Great Hall, Coffman Union.
First- and second-year students will learn about undergraduate
preparation for graduate school as well as tips for extra-curricular
involvement. Juniors and seniors will get information on the application
process and ideas for funding graduate school. Details are at www.cclc.umn.edu/GSD/.
A Government and Law Enforcement panel will be discussing careers
in government and law enforcement from 12:30 to 2 p.m., Tuesday,
October 13, in Room 215 Hubert Humphrey Center on the West Bank.
Students can hear from professionals working in these fields talk
about their career paths, what is required to do these jobs, and
why students might consider a career in any of these fields. (And
the word is that there will be free cookies.)
Students who attend the panel program on October 13 will be well-prepared
for the Government Job and Internship Fair that's coming at the
end of October. This job fair about careers in public service will
be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, October 26, in the Great Hall
of Coffman Union. Students can register for the event by checking
the information at www.mcucsa.org/govjobfair/.
A Health Careers Fair is scheduled from 2 to 5 p.m., Tuesday,
October 13, in the Great Hall of Coffman Union. Students who are
considering jobs in a health profession can met admissions staff
from U of M programs that educate health professionals. While many
students envision a job as a doctor, dentist, nurse, or veterinarian,
this career fair will introduce them to the wide range of health
professions and help them understand the training and requirements
for careers they may not have previously considered. More information
is online at www.healthcareers.umn.edu/events/healthcareersfair/.
One more note on career planning: U of M students who are interested
in health careers can take free, online, non-credit short courses
to guide them through the preparation and application processes
for professional programs. Refer your student to this Web
site.
—Financial Update
The first payment for tuition and billing is due October 7, and
the second statement will be e-mailed to students on October
10. Full
payment schedule for fall semester.
As we start the month of October, it's fairly common to come across
students who are facing a reality check about their financial management
skills. Students who incur significant debt and struggle to manage
their money are likely to face more challenges than just balancing
their budget. Student debt is often connected to academic difficulties,
high stress and health issues, and even higher rates of drinking
and smoking. The One Stop Web site has a series of money
management tips for students.
Parents also play a role in students' financial literacy. To learn
how money issues affect students at the University of Minnesota
and to pick up some talking points for working with your student,
please check out the Seminar
for Parents: College Finance.
This online course for parents was created by the University's
Department of Family Social Science and the University Parent Program.
And after you've gone through that seminar, please fill out the
evaluation on the Web site. We really need your feedback to help
us assess and improve our materials.
—Parents' Role in Student Success
In our last parent e-mail, we noted that families make an important
contribution to student success by understanding the student
experience, supporting student learning, and empowering students
to take personal responsibility for their social and academic
choices. In order to help parents understand those steps at the
college level, we have developed a set of Desired
Outcomes for Parent/Family Involvement to help facilitate appropriate and successful parental involvement
during the college years.
The first of these outcomes says, "Families contribute to
student success by understanding the student experience and knowing
about resources available at the University of Minnesota."
We want parents to be aware of the unique challenges and opportunities
facing today's college students, including the academic and non-academic
expectations for students during the college years. Those expectations
are listed in our Student
Development Outcomes.
It is also helpful when parents know about student support services
available on campus and understand how students can access those
services. Although students are likely to report problems to their
parents, and they often will ask family members for help, it is
important for parents to encourage their student to seek support
and assistance independently. When students make contact with the
services on campus, they learn about the institution, they gain
problem-solving skills, they establish connections on campus, and
they develop self-confidence.
—Gopher Gifts
Students are always happy to receive a treat, and the Gopher Express
has added some new Care Package options that include fresh-baked
cookies: the Birthday Bash (which comes in a large or small size)
and the Fresh Baked Care Packages all feature cookies along with
other items. Check out these and other ideas to surprise your
student on the Gopher
Gifts page.
—Mini Study Abroad for Parents
We frequently remind parents that the college years are not just
about your student. While students are learning new things, experiencing
new opportunities, and expanding their world, parents can be
doing all those things themselves. The University Parent Program,
in partnership with the University's Learning Abroad Center,
has developed at 12-day trip for parents to Paris and Montpelier,
France, from March 31 to April 11, 2010. The program will recreate
in short form a sample of what students experience when they
study abroad.
We will have structured activities daily, including tours and
lectures. You will learn about the foods of France by dining in
local restaurants and taking a cooking class in Montpelier. (Personally,
I'm lobbying for a lecture and sampling of French cheeses, but
I can't promise that yet.) We will take a boat tour along the Seine
River, visit the sites of Paris and the salt flats of southern
France, learn about French wines and lavender, and visit museums
and shops. Activities will be planned for each day, and free time
in the evenings may be coordinated with other participants.
A tentative itinerary is online. Think about it. You can register
now; the deadline for registering is January 19, 2010, but space
is limited.
—Beat the Bugs
Bed bugs are no longer a folk tale; they are an issue of genuine
concern, and yes, bed bugs have been found in the Twin Cities.
Dr. Steven Kells of the University's entomology department and
a national expert and researcher on "all things bed bug" will
be telling students how to recognize the problem, how to minimize
the possibility, and how to address the issue if it exists. His
program is titled, "Beat the Bed Bug! Steps to keep bed
bugs from bugging you." He will present the program twice,
from 10:30 to 11:50 a.m. and from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m., Wednesday,
October 14, in the Coffman Union Theater. The program is free
and is sponsored by University Student Legal Services; students
who cannot attend an entire program are invited to drop in for
as much as they can.
—Can You Help?
The University's office of Usability Services is looking for several
parents of U of M students to test and provide input on a new
Web site that parents of University students may be using in
the future. Appointments are available during the day, on campus,
on October 26 and 27. Each appointment will last approximately
90 minutes. Those who are scheduled to participate in one of
the sessions will receive an honorarium of $50.
If you are interested in helping and can participate in the evaluation
on the Twin Cities campus, please send an email to WEB-USABILITY@LISTS.UMN.EDU with the subject "Parent Participant". Additional information
will be provided after you respond.
—Homecoming 2009
Any families that will be in or around the Twin Cities this weekend
are invited to attend the Homecoming TCF Stadium Tours and University
Open House from 1 to 4 p.m., Sunday, October 4, in the new TCF
Stadium. Tours of the new stadium will be featured, along with
interactive displays and activities showcasing the University's
academics, research, and outreach. The event is free but attendees
are asked to bring non-perishable food items for distribution
to food shelves around Minnesota. Parking will be available for
$3.75 in lots adjacent to the stadium. Details of the event
and parking information
The open house is the first in a week-long series of Homecoming
events. For a complete schedule, see http://www.homecoming.umn.edu/.
—Student Conduct
Students received a message this week from the Vice Provost for
Student Affairs, reminding them to be safe and smart as the University
begins a week of festivities, starting with the Wisconsin football
game tomorrow and continuing through Homecoming Weekend, October
10-11. The University will have additional security measures
in place over these weekends to maintain a safe and enjoyable
environment for everyone. (Parents, please note: there will be
patrols on the watch for drunk drivers, as well as for pedestrians
with open containers. They will apprehend parents and students
alike who are in violation of city and state laws.)
Joyful celebrations can easily turn into dangerous situations.
Please remind your students to be responsible and safe. If they
see riotous behavior, they should move away from the activity,
not toward it. Those who are in the vicinity of a riot can easily
be caught up in the action, and anyone inciting violence can be
ticketed. It is also important to note that crowds of bystanders
can prevent police, firefighters, and rescue squads from doing
their jobs, further endangering themselves and others.
Students are encouraged to take advantage of MSA Express (612-388-6911),
a door-to-door van service available on and off campus on Friday
and Saturday evenings. They can also call 612-624-WALK for a walking
or biking escort, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to on-campus locations
and nearby off-campus locations.
—Miscellaneous
The September Parent Question of the Month asked parents to identify
their greatest concern for their student this year. Health and
Safety topped the list, with 35 percent of respondents checking
that category. We have asked this question multiple times in
previous years, and Health/Safety is usually the major concern—particularly
for parents of first-year students—but in the past the percentage
of parents listing this category has hovered around 20 to 22
percent. We're guessing all the news about H1N1 influenza contributed
to parents' levels of concern this year.
Please check the October
Parent Question of the Month on the University
Parent Web page. And for the full results
of September's poll, see www.parent.umn.edu/previous.html.
Also check the October Timely Issues at www.parent.umn.edu/timely.html.
Finally, let's just acknowledge that the weather has turned in
the Twin Cities. Hoodies are the most popular Gopher Gear this
week. Check out the Walter
Library Web cam to see how quickly students
are moving between classes; no one is lounging on the wet grass
on Northrop Mall today.
Sincerely,
Marjorie Savage
Parent Program Director
University of Minnesota
www.parent.umn.edu
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