| Parent
E-mail—October 30, 2009
—Career Planning
—Program for Parents
—Financial Update
—Parents' Role in Student Success
—Halloween Weekend
—Miscellaneous
A couple of notes about University Parent e-mails:
Although we promote the Parent Listserv during orientation, at
other parent events, and in the print version of the University
Parent newsletter, there are a number of U of M families who
are not aware of this listserv. If you know families with students
attending the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, will you please
mention the listserv and, if they are not receiving the e-mails,
invite them to sign up? All they need to do is send a message
to parent@umn.edu asking to be on the Parent Listserv. We do
not allow e-mail addresses to be used for any reason except parent
messages sent through the University Parent office.
If you want to be removed from the listserv, please send a message
to parent@umn.edu with the word "remove" and your e-mail
address. We do not connect parent e-mail addresses to student data,
so we don't know when your student graduates or leaves the University.
We need to receive a request for removal from you through the parent@umn.edu address.
—Career Planning
There are several programs and events coming up that will help
students think about future careers:
Those who are interested in teaching can attend "Teaching
In and Out of the Classroom: An Information Fair for Students," from
1 to 3 p.m., Tuesday, November 3, at the Regis Center for Art,
Influx Room on the West Bank. In addition to information about
classroom teaching, students can learn about nontraditional options
such as teaching English abroad, community education, AmeriCorps,
and internships and volunteer work that give a sense of the teaching
profession.
"Internship Advice and a Pizza Slice" is a panel discussion
open to all CLA students from noon to 1:30 p.m., Thursday, November
12, in the President's Room, third floor of Coffman Union. The
program will explain why internships matter, how to find one, and
how to get as much out of the experience as possible. And the bonus
is that there will be free pizza. For more information, see www.cclc.umn.edu/Events/Internship_Advice.html.
A future career in business does not require a Carlson School
of Management degree. Students can learn how liberal arts majors
can track into business jobs at the "Business Careers for
CLA Majors" workshop from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., Friday,
November 13, in B33 Johnston Hall. The program will discuss skills
that companies are looking for, how to acquire those skills, and
information on business-related majors, minors, and internships.
(Other colleges within the University also have degrees that lead
to jobs in business. More information on business majors is available
at http://admissions.tc.umn.edu/viewbook/Business.html).
Parents sometimes have trouble understanding how their student's
major will translate to the work world. For parents whose student
is majoring in the arts, you can refer your student to the program, "What
Can I Do with a Major in the Arts?" at 12:15 p.m., Thursday,
November 12, in the Regis Center for Art, Influx Room. Arts professionals
will provide information and insights on their careers; the program
is recommended for students majoring in visual or performing arts.
For more information, see www.cclc.umn.edu/Events/WCIDWAMI_Arts1.html.
More information on CLA
majors and career planning also contains a link
to a favorite parent Web site, "What
Can I Do with a Major in...?" that includes career options
for all CLA majors.
—Program for Parents
Parents of first-year students are invited to attend "The
Three Pillars of Student Wellness: Physical, Mental and Spiritual
Well-Being," a program sponsored by the University of Minnesota
School of Public Health and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. The
program will address some of the common issues and stressors for
first-year students, including eating disorders, sexuality, drug
and alcohol usage, stress from academic workloads, and credit card
debt. A reception prior to the event will include refreshments
and "heavy hors d'oeuvres" from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m., with
the program from 7 to 9 p.m., Thursday, November 12, at Thrivent
Financial Corporate Auditorium, 625 Fourth Avenue S., Minneapolis.
Speakers include Dr. Ed Ehlinger, director of Boynton Health Service;
Katherine R. Reuer, minister of Grace Lutheran Campus Ministry
who works with U of M students; Dr. Steven A. Hermann, a mental
health provider at Boynton Health Service; Hilmar Wagner, director
of Nutrition Services for the Emily Program which addresses eating
disorders; and Scott Morrell, adjunct professor at Concordia University
in St. Paul.
—Financial Update
The second payment for fall semester is due November 4, and the
third billing will be sent to students via e-mail on November
7.
One Stop has posted a new Web site with money management tips
for students. The site, "Live
Like a Student Now So You Don't Have to Later," includes
tips for living cheaply, budgeting, and being financially smart.
—Parents' Role in Student Success
In the past few parent e-mail messages, we have discussed several
of our University of Minnesota Parent/Family Outcomes. We developed
these outcomes to facilitate discussion among parents, students,
and University staff about appropriate and successful family
involvement during the college years.
Previous e-mails talked about parents' role in understanding the
student experience and knowing the resources available on campus;
supporting the University's goals for student learning; and determining
when to empower your student to take responsibility and when to
step in and help. We also want to emphasize that we consider parents
part of our University community. We hope that you feel a sense
of pride in and connection with the University and that you are
comfortable attending and participating in campus events. Our students
benefit from the encouragement they receive from all members of
the University as they learn, perform, lead, and serve through
campus and community activities.
The Parent Program's primary goal is to provide family members
with information about the University and the student experience
so that you are able to support your student. We also hope you
will use the information we provide to help other families as they
prepare their students for college or as they work with students
who are in college—at the U of M or elsewhere. Finally, we hope
that if you have a good understanding of the University, campus
services, the typical stages of student development, and campus
issues, you will serve as advocates for higher education and for
the U of M at the state and federal level.
For a complete list of Parent/Family Outcomes, see www.parent.umn.edu/about.html.
—Halloween Weekend
We mentioned this next concern in our last e-mail, but we wanted
to let parents know that students received the following message
last night from Jerry Rinehart, Vice Provost for Student Affairs: Dear University of Minnesota Students,
Since the start of the semester more than 40 University students
have been transported to a hospital emergency room or detoxification
facility as a result of alcohol poisoning. Their alcohol consumption
put them at risk of serious injury and death. Some of these students
have had blood alcohol levels higher than .3, more than three times
the legal limit for intoxication.
In addition, since the beginning of the semester University and
Minneapolis police have issued over 175 underage consumption citations
on campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Fortunately, no one has died this fall due to alcohol consumption,
but all these students have added serious complications to their
lives and futures. If you choose to drink, please do so in a responsible
manner and legal manner. If you have friends who drink, you should
be aware of the signs of alcohol
poisoning and call 911 if someone displays serious symptoms, such as being
non-responsive to your attempts to wake them up.
To understand alcohol's impact on your physical and mental functioning
and, perhaps, save a life, please review the information on the
Boynton Health
Service Web site.
This Halloween weekend, Student Unions & Activities will be
offering a number of events to allow you to celebrate safely. The
pre-game party begins at the McNamara Alumni Center with a performance
by Buckets
and Tap Shoes
and following the game, Gophers
After Dark begins in Coffman Memorial Union with screenings of "The Shining," bowling
and billiards, costume contests for prizes, and free pizza & soda.
In recent years, many local institutions, including the University
of Minnesota have had students die due to alcohol-related incidents.
Please make responsible choices and encourage your friends to do
the same, so we can avoid such tragic consequences.
—Miscellaneous
Because of system maintenance, the One Stop Web site will be unavailable
from 5 a.m. to noon, Sunday, November 1.
Students have received information about becoming an Orientation
Leader for summer 2010, and the deadline to apply is Monday. They
can find more information and fill out the application by going
to www.ofyp.umn.edu.
Each month we ask parents to respond to our Question
of the Month.
Last month, we asked how often parents visit the University Parent
Website, and the results show that
more than 80 percent of you are checking the parent site one or
more times a month. Thank you for using the Parent Web site! Now
we know that we need to keep it up to date. And please respond
to this month's question.
With November starting Sunday, you may want to take note of National
Novel Writing Month, a nod to those who have always wanted to write
the Great American Novel. An article in
The Minnesota Daily describes a group of students who are each
committed to writing a full-size
novel during the month of November.
Northrop Mall doesn't look much like summer anymore. Check the
view from the Walter
Library Webcam.
Sincerely,
Marjorie Savage
Parent Program Director
University of Minnesota
www.parent.umn.edu
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