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PARENT’S NEWSLETTER September 2008 FRESHMAN CONVOCATION The freshman convocation was held on August 24 th at the Carole and Barry Kaye Auditorium. Dr. Rose Sherman shared her top ten tips college success today to help students on their FAU journey during the matriculation ceremony. 1. Go to Class and Participate This sounds so obvious doesn’t it but it can be so tempting to skip classes particularly early morning classes. Please avoid the temptation. No one will police you to make sure that you attend. In some classes, it may be part of the grade in others it won’t. Attending class forces you to stay on track and keeps you aware of changes in assignments and due dates. It also reduces the amount of homework that you will have to do. Your professors will be more willing to work with you if you attend class and participate. If I as a faculty member could pinpoint a single reason why some students fail, it is because they did not attend class and fell further and further behind as the semester progressed. If you have not done this already, this is a big campus. Take the time this weekend to locate each building and classroom that you will be in beginning on Monday. Many of our courses have blackboard sites. You can begin this weekend to look at those sites and download the syllabuses for courses you are taking. 2. Be Well Rounded Don’t feel pressured to make a hasty decision about a career or major. World Futurists tell us that more than half of you may eventually work in careers that don’t exist today. They also predict that with the population of developed countries in Europe declining, many of you may eventually be recruited to employment in other countries. To prepare yourself for these future changes, take courses that will be of genuine use to the mind and challenge yourself. History, economics, science, geography, math, foreign languages and English literature are very important. Learn about the new field of nanotechnology. How many of you would have chosen to read Nickel and Dimed if it had not been assigned as part of your freshman reading? When you do read books like this – do you not find that it broadens your perspective about life. It also emphasizes a need for education to avoid becoming a member of the working poor. This is what education is all about. 3. Find a Place to Study and Do your Assignments Many of you may find that you have problems studying in dorm rooms, your apartment or maybe even your family home. You need to find a place that is yours --- free from as many distractions as possible so you can focus and really get your work done. Do your assignments, seek help early if you need it and don’t procrastinate. Keep track of exactly when your work is due. You will find that your College Professors will be much less sympathetic than high school teachers about your excuses unless you have already proven yourself to be an excellent student. 4. Remember Teachers are People Too Take time to get to know your teachers. We are here for you and this is especially true here at FAU. We want you to succeed. We all keep office hours. It is posted on our doors and on the course syllabus. This is time for you to seek help. If you have classes during office hours, let us know and we can schedule a different time. When e-mailing your professors do it from your FAU e-mail account (we don’t want messages from susierocks@hotmail.com – they also have a higher likelihood of going into our junk mail) and be sure to use complete sentences indicating your full name and what class you are enrolled in. Nothing impresses a teacher more than a student who has read the assignment and is prepared to talk about it. Nothing distresses a teacher more than a student who arrives in their office to complain about their grades or a student who waits to last few weeks of a semester to seek help if they are failing. Keep in mind that graduate schools and employers want letters of reference from teachers. Your professors will be much more likely to write you a great letter if you have taken the time to get to know them. 5. See out Advisement and Use Study Resources Some of you may know today exactly what you want to do and what you plan to major in. Seek advisement early from those departments. Some of our programs such as nursing and architecture are limited access at the junior level. They require specific courses and excellent grades. Do your homework on this. The Career Services office is a great place to learn about careers that you may know nothing about. We have some excellent resources on campus that you should take the time this weekend to learn about. One of the most important skills that you need to learn while in college is how to write. if this is a struggle for you, use the writing center early and often. 6. Develop Healthy Habits and Watch your Appearance Starting college can be very stressful. If you are far from home, you may feel very homesick. This is not unusual. It is a big transition. Being on your own requires a great deal of self discipline to get enough sleep, get up early, eat well, take care of your personal needs, work if you have a job and keep up academically. It is really important to develop healthy sleeping and eating habits, find time to exercise and maintain a neat and clean appearance. You will feel better and do academically if you do this. 7. Manage your Time Wisely and Seek Balance in your Life College is different than high school. Your time is much less scheduled and so it is up to you to manage your time. You may feel very overwhelmed after your first week of classes when you learn about all the expectations. This is not unusual. Plan your time so you don’t procrastinate on the completion of assignments. Save time to be able to carefully review and spell check your work. This is not like high school. You are expected to turn the work in on time. We are preparing for your future where that will be expected at work. If you do need help in a course, seek out the tutoring resources in each department. If you are not sure where to go, the department secretaries can help you with this. It is also important to seek balance in your life. You need to plan time to relax and have fun. 8. Learn to Monitor your Own Behavior Most of you are now over 18 and your behavior is viewed differently from both a legal and societal point of view. When you find yourself in a situation where you are about to engage in an activity or behavior that is personally risky or perhaps illegal, just stop for a minute and ask yourself whether it is really worth the risk you may take. A DUI, drug possession or a charge of indecent exposure may mean you would not be accepted to any professional school, become a teacher or a law enforcement officer. Frankly, the ramifications of even having a misdemeanor on your record today are far greater than they were 32 years ago when I graduated from college. You need to think it through and set your own behavioral standards. Ask yourself, would you want this on the front page of the Sun Sentinel or Palm Beach Post. Would you want your parents to hear about this or would you want to be asked about this when you run for political office 20 years from now. Be careful about what you put on your mySpace or Facebook pages. Many current employers are reviewing these sites prior to making job offers. We are learning that information on these sites is archived and there is an historical record. 9. Make Connections with Other Students and have Fun At first, being in a new college can be very lonely. If you feel this way trust me you are not alone. Work hard to reach out to make friends in your dorms and your classes. You will feel more connected to FAU if join at least one group or organization and attend sporting events. Sure college life is about academics but it is also about meeting people and having a lot of fun. 10. Manage your Money Wisely You may wonder why I have this tip in my top ten. Unfortunately, many college students at the end of college find themselves in significant debt. If you have never had to manage a budget, now is the time to start. Many companies will offer you credit cards at incredibly high interest rates that can easily pile up. If you do carelessly borrow money, before you know it you will graduate owing a great deal of money. This will make it harder to start your career. Avoid borrowing money; take the time to look for every scholarship and financial aid opportunity available. Those are my top ten tips for you for academic and personal success. In closing, Walt Disney liked to say that “If you can dream it – you can do it”. I know that to be true from my own experience. During your time here at FAU, it is important that you try to find your unique gifts where your talents and passion intersect. It is there where your dreams will come true. And in the end, those dreams need to be yours alone --- not your parents and not us your teachers. Congratulations to all of you as you start this journey and my best wishes for great success. New Employee Spotlight The Division of Student Affairs recently hired a New Dean of Students. Below is information about Dr. Corey King. He will oversee several services offered at the university such as Campus Recreation, New Student and Owl Family Programs, Student Union, Office for Students with Disabilities, Multicultural Affairs, Greek Life, Student Code of Conduct and Judicial Affairs. Dr. Corey A. King is currently Associate Vice President and Dean of Students at Florida Atlantic University. Dr. King received a Bachelor’s Degree in Curriculum & Instruction and a Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration/Student Affairs from Florida State University. He received his Doctor of Education in Educational Administration & Leadership from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Dr. King’s career began at FSU in housing & residence life. He continued his higher education career at the University of Florida where he served as a Residence Director, Coordinator for Residential Judicial Programs, and Assistant Dean & Director of Student Judicial Affairs. Corey’s major role at the University of Florida was Associate Dean of Students. In this role he directed the departments of Multicultural Affairs, Greek Life, and Judicial Affairs and he advised the Student Honor Court. Dr. King then became Vice President for Student Affairs at Wheeling Jesuit University, a small private university in West Virginia. He provided leadership to all areas of student life and auxiliary services. Dr. King moved to Greenville, North Carolina where served as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Experiences at East Carolina University. He provided leadership to University Unions (Mendenhall), Greek Life, Center for Student Leadership & Civic Engagement, Event Planning & Conference Services, and a liaison to campus ministries. He is also was the advisor to Student Government. Dr. King is involved with the Southern Association for College Student Affairs (SACSA) and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). Dr. King was also a member of the Association of Student Judicial Affairs (ASJA). Dr. King has participated in many institutes and workshops including the NASPA/SACSA New Professional Institute (NPI), NASPA/SACSA Mid Managers’ Institute (MMI), and the NASPA Senior Student Affairs Officers’ Institute. He was a faculty member to MMI Institute and ASJA Institute. OWL PARENT ASSOCIATION Do you want to be more involved with the school your son/daughter attends? Do you feel you can contribute more toward the development of them? These are all questions you’ve been asking yourselves for awhile. Well, we have the answer for you! Become a member of the new Florida Atlantic University OWL PARENT ASSOCIATION! All parents are welcome to be a part of this wonderful opportunity. You’ll be able to get involved by attending meetings, donating, volunteering, running for office and so much more!
We look forward to starting this new journey with you, PARENTS, as our PARTNERS! Next Meeting: November 8 th at 10 a.m. Question of the Month Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Florida Atlantic University has 5 different FERPA forms:
http://www.fau.edu/controller/student_information/pdfs/FERPA_7_23_07_2_.pdf The student must complete the form and take it to the Controller’s Office with their student ID
Contact the office at 561-297-3542 or http://www.fau.edu/dean/Contactus.php Student should go to Dean of Student’s Office with Student ID for the form.
Contact the office at 561-297-3050 or registrar@fau.edu Student must type one letter and make a copy. Both copies must be notarized. The student takes one copy to the Registrar’s Office with their student ID. The parent keeps another copy and must present it IN PERSON to the Registrar’s Office for information. Advancing Biomedical Research in Florida Atlantic University FAU partners with the Max Planck Florida Institute Florida Atlantic University soon will be home to the Max Planck Florida Institute. Founded in 1948, the Max Planck Society operates 80 institutes in Germany and around Europe, with a staff of nearly 13,000 and an additional 12,000 researchers and visiting scientists pioneering scientific research in areas ranging from astronomy to the humanities. This will be the first institute in the United States for Max Planck during its 60 years of existence. Scheduled to open in Spring 2009, Max Planck will be located near Scripps Florida on six acres of FAU’s MacArthur campus in Jupiter. The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved the $86.9 million allotment that will fund construction and operation of the 100,000-square-foot biomedical research facility. FAU will be given 10,000 square feet within this facility for classrooms, labs and offices. Along with forming relationships with FAU, Palm Beach Community College and other local educational institutions to enhance bioscience programs, the Max Planck Florida Institute plans to collaborate with Scripps Florida on health-oriented research applications. “This has tentacles that reach deep into our graduate and undergraduate programs, and it advances our mission to create even more connections to integrate at deeper levels with Palm Beach County’s K-12 educational system and the community colleges in our area,” said FAU President Frank T. Brogan. In addition to the grant from the county, the Florida Governor’s Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development is supporting the project with $94 million from the state’s Innovation Incentive Fund. An estimated 1,800 high-tech jobs are expected to be generated over the next 20 years as a result of Max Planck's presence in Palm Beach County. The world-renowned research organization has 17 Nobel Laureates on staff. Most recently Max Planck scientists developed the sensor that is being used on the robotic arm of NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander. The Max Planck Florida Institute plans to advance the world’s knowledge of bioimaging by using advanced techniques to study the molecular process. FAU’s partnership with Max Planck will pave the way for academic and research affiliations, joint-use facilities, joint faculty appointments, student recruitment opportunities and joint seminars and public forums. Last fall, scientists from Max Planck met with FAU’s bioimaging researchers to look at opportunities to collaborate on joint programs and grant applications. The first program that FAU and Max Planck will present together is the 2009 FAU/Max Planck Institute Nobel Laureate Lecture with Professor Bert Sakmann, the 1991 recipient of the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine and director of the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology in Germany. FAU’s Board of Trustees approved a cooperative agreement between FAU and the Max Planck Florida Corporation in July 2008. Calendar of Events
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Breezeway
Series
United Campus Ministries
As students begin or continue their lives and studies at FAU, they will doubtlessly encounter life-styles, philosophies, and behaviors that are foreign or even contradictory to their upbringing or past experiences. As a result, questions, concerns and even personal problems sometimes arise. In such circumstances, students generally find it helpful to talk over their feelings and questions with concerned people. Alpha Nu Omega: Christian Fraternity – working for Christ on Campus. Baptist Campus Ministry: To promote both personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Christian fellowship. Calvary on Campus: With a heart to serve. Campus Crusade for Christ: To lead others to personal faith in Christ as Lord and Savior. Catch the Fire: Christian fellowship. Chabad: Judaism at the heart. Canterburry Club: Episcopal. FAUND Christian Fellowship: To provide students an opportunity to fellowship & study the Word of God. F.C.A.: Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Reaching athletes for Christ since 1954. Hillel: Jewish Student Union – To better communications between Jews and non-Jews and to acquaint Jewish students with their cultural heritage. H.I.S. (Helping International Students): A Christian organization for international students, promoting Bible study and fellowship. Intervarsity: Reaching the world through FAU. Muslim Student Organization: To bring Muslim students together for prayer activities. Newman Club (Catholic Student Union): To give Catholic students and others the opportunities to worship, study Scripture, and enjoy social activities together in the name of Jesus. Tree of Life: Christian fellowship – To know the Lord Jesus Christ as the center of the entire Bible and to know God’s purpose for man as revealed in His Word. Victory Bible Club: Bible studies with free lunch and transportation to Sunday church services.
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Emily
Nowelski, Director of United Campus Ministries (561)
297-3510 or (561) 395-1665.
Available
Monday – Thursday from 9:30 p.m. to 2:00
p.m.
Office of the Month University Center for Excellence in Writing (UCEW) WHAT SERVICES DOES THE UCEW OFFER? • Writing consultants help writers at any point of the writing process (i.e. brainstorming, drafting, revision) with a variety of documents: papers for courses, senior or master theses, dissertations, job applications, applications for graduate school, articles for publication, grant proposals, course syllabi, among other documents. • Consultants help writers understand assignments, generate ideas, and flesh out weak or biased arguments. • Consultants help writers identify and address patterns of error in sentence structure, mechanics, grammar, and documentation format, as well as share proven proofreading strategies. • Consultants will provide consultations for creative writers and their writing projects. • The service is available to all members of the FAU community: full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students, staff, faculty, and visiting scholars.
• Services are provided by nationally certified FAU graduate assistants and peer consultants. • The main Boca site is located at the west entrance of the Social Science Building in room SO 107. • The Oxley site is located in room 116 Tom Oxley Athletic Center. • The Davie site is located in room 140 Liberal Arts Building.
• Go to their website to make an online appointment at http://www.fau.edu/UCEW/ • The UCEW does work with writers on a walk-in basis, but writers with appointments are helped before walk-ins.
• Services are free to all students, staff, faculty, and visiting scholars. |
