Important Dates

Thursday, February 1, 2007 Black History Month begins

Monday, March 5-Sunday, March 11, 2007 Spring Break

Wednesday, April 25, 2007 Last Day of Classes

Thursday, April 26, 2007 Study Day

Friday, April 27-Thurs. May 3, 2007 Spring Exams

Saturday, May 5, 2007 10am and 2pm Spring Commencement

For a more dates, please view either the

Academic Calendar

www.enrollment.memphis.edu/registrar/calendars/academic/ay0607.htm

or the University Event Calendar

http://events.memphis.edu

(best if viewed using Explorer)

Talk By Actress Cicely Tyson Will Highlight Black History Month

A dialogue with award-winning actress Cicely Tyson will highlight Black History Month activities at the University of Memphis. The calendar includes a full schedule of pageantry and programs, musical events and lectures.

Tyson will speak Wednesday, Feb. 7, at 7 p.m. in the Michael D. Rose Theatre. The event is free and open to the public.

In 1972 Tyson was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the critically acclaimed Sounder. In 1974 she won two Emmy Awards for her portrayal of a 110-year-old former slave in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. Other acclaimed television roles include Roots, King (in which she portrayed Coretta Scott King), The Marva Collins Story, When No One Would Listen and Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (for which she won another Emmy).

Other Black History Month events and dates include:

Thursday, Feb. 1 – Opening ceremony with presentation of the Authur S. Holman Lifetime Achievement Award to Judge Russell B. Sugarmon Jr., 7 p.m., Rose Theatre

Friday, Feb. 9 – Freedom Ball/Mahogany Awards, 7 p.m., University of Memphis Holiday Inn

Wednesday, Feb. 14 – Igniting Excitement, 3 p.m., Rose Theatre

Friday, Feb. 16 – Gospel Explosion, 7 p.m., Rose Theatre

Tuesday, Feb. 27 – “Beyond Size 6” with Pam Williams, 1-3 pm., Panhellenic Building ballroom

Wednesday, Feb. 28 – Closing Ceremony, 1 p.m., Rose Theatre

For more information on any of these events, call the Office of Minority Affairs at 901-678-2054. A calendar of events is online at http://saweb.memphis.edu/minorityaffairs/doc/BHM%20Calendar%202007.pdf

Student Financial Aid Office

In a few weeks, many of you will be filing your 2006 income taxes. Tax time is FAFSA time!! Don’t lose out on free money!! New and continuing students are encouraged to complete or renew their 2007-2008 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before March 1, 2007 to ensure the best financial aid package for the next academic year. To apply, go to: www.fafsa.ed.gov. The school code for The University of Memphis is: 003509.

Students interested in taking classes during the Summer 2007 semester should visit the Student Financial Aid Office at 103 Wilder Tower beginning mid-March. A “Summer Update Form” will be available for students to complete. Funds for Summer financial aid are extremely limited because it is a trailer to the 2006-2007 academic year. Federal Pell Grant funds (if eligible) are available only if you attended part-time in the Fall 2006 and/or Spring 2007 semesters, or did not receive payment for one of those semesters. If you received aid at another institution during the Fall and/or Spring semesters, our office would also have to consider what aid you already received.

The Student Financial Aid Office is also transitioning to the new Banner System (Spectrum) this year. More information about this conversion will be available in the next Parent E-News. Updates will also be posted at our website at: http://www.enrollment.memphis.edu/FinancialAid/

Alan Shapiro Opens River City Writers Series

Acclaimed poet Alan Shapiro will open the spring River City Writers Series with two events Feb. 13-14. He will give a reading of his work Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. in the Psychology auditorium, and will conduct an interview Feb. 14 at 10:30 a.m. in Patterson Hall, Room 456. Both events are free and open to the public.

Shapiro is the author of nine volumes of poetry, two memoirs, a work of criticism and a collection of essays. His most recent books of poetry are Tantalus in Love and Song and Dance. Shapiro’s numerous awards and honors include those from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Guggenheim Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Writer's Award, the Kingsley Tufts Award, and the Los Angeles Times Prize for Poetry. He teaches at the University of North Carolina.

Residence Life and Dining Services

Fall 2007/Spring 2008 Room Reservation

10 AM – 12 Noon and 1:30 PM – 4 PM each day

<>Wednesday, February 14
Same Room Only- Any resident who plans to reserve his/her same room for the Fall (with the exception of the residents on Freshmen First floors in Richardson Towers and West Hall.) <>

Thursday, February 15
Same Room & Residents of Freshmen First and West Hall

Friday, February 16
Same Room and Different Room on first come, first served basis.
<>

Room Reservation Request Forms that have been distributed to current residents must be submitted to the appropriate Residence Life staff member. Current residents who fail to reserve a room for the 2007 Fall Semester must begin the application process as a new applicant by completing a new housing application and will be assigned based on date of application. Students who are in debt status with the Department of Residence Life and Dining Services will not be permitted to reserve a room until the debt is cleared.

An assignment packet will be sent to the student’s campus postal box prior to check out for the Spring Semester, along with information concerning check-in procedures and rental prepayments for the fall. Students who do not have a campus postal box will have their information mailed to their permanent addresses. A deadline will be given to make the $200 rental prepayment. Students who fail to make the prepayment by the designated deadline will have their room assignments administratively canceled. The $200 rental prepayment will apply toward the semester’s rent. The room reservation request is a binding contractual agreement. Students who plan to cancel their rooms after reserving a room, must cancel by July 1, 2007, in order to receive a refund of the $200 rental prepayment. Students canceling after July 1 will still be responsible for the $200 rental prepayment.

<>Summer Room Reservation
Summer housing will be available in Carpenter Complex. First Summer Room Reservation will be held Wednesday, March 21, 2007. Second Summer Room Reservation will be held June 12, 2007, for first summer residents. If housing is required during the break between the Spring Semester and First Summer opening, students may request this on the First Summer Room Reservation Form. Accommodations will be available in Richardson Towers until First Summer check-in on June 1, 2007, for an additional cost. If only Second Summer housing is required, the student must complete an application for Second Summer Session in the Residence Life and Dining Services Office, 011 Richardson Towers prior to 2^nd Summer.

Closing for Spring Break

The University of Memphis residence halls, with the exception of Richardson Towers and Carpenter Complex will close as 12 Noon on Saturday, March 3 and will reopen on Sunday, March 11. NO ONE WILL BE ALLOWED TO REMAIN, OR BE READMITTED TO THE RESIDENCE HALLS DURING THIS TIME. Residents are not required to move their belongings out of the halls; however, residents should take all valuables with them when they leave.

Author John Grisham speaks to Tigers’ Baseball Banquet

Head coach Daron Schoenrock and the University of Memphis baseball program are proud to announce that best-selling novelist John Grisham will be the featured speaker at the 2007 Meet the Tigers Banquet at the University of Memphis Holiday Inn, on Feb. 16--just four days before the Tigers are scheduled to open the 2007 slate at Ole Miss. Festivities will begin at 7 p.m.

Sponsored by the University of Memphis Bullpen Club, an address from Grisham will highlight an evening that will include dinner, preseason comments from Schoenrock and an introduction of the 2007 Tiger roster.

Grisham will discuss his newest release and first piece of non-fiction literature--The Innocent Man--as well as his greatest passion, the game of baseball.

Individual tickets are available for $100. Corporate sponsorships, consisting of a table of 10 and name recognition on the table and in the program, are being sold for $1000. Corporate partner packages can be purchased for $5000. This package includes a private reception with the world-renowned author from 6 p.m.-7 p.m., as well as name recognition on the table and in the program, an autographed copy of The Innocent Man, photographs and premium seating.

To purchase tickets or reserve corporate tables for this prestigious event, call the University of Memphis ticket office at (901) 678-2331 or (901) 678-4573.

U of M Libraries Will Be “Looking at Jazz” in Seven-Part Series

The University of Memphis Libraries will host a free seven-part series called “Looking At: Jazz, America’s Art Form,” which will include films, live performances and discussion. The library is one of 50 libraries and nonprofit organizations nationwide selected to participate in the project’s pilot program organized by Re:New Media in partnership with the American Library Association and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

“Looking At: Jazz” explores the cultural and social history of jazz as it developed as an art form in the United States. The first program, focusing on New Orleans, Birthplace of Jazz, will be held Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Memphis Public Library’s Central Library, 3030 Poplar Ave.

The Jazz Age: 1920’s featuring the University of Memphis Southern Comfort Jazz Orchestra, March 29, 7:30 p.m., Memphis Pink Palace Museum

The Swing Era: 1930’s featuring the U of M Faculty Jazz Players, the Southern Comfort Jazz Orchestra and swing dance troupe, April 18, 7:30 p.m., Harris Auditorium at the U of M

Swing, Bebop, and Cool featuring the U of M’s faculty Birth of the Cool group, June 3, 7:30 p.m., Dixon Gallery and Gardens, 4339 Park Ave.

Women of Jazz, Sept. 20, 7:30 p.m., Memphis Drum Shop

<>More Bebop, Hard Bop and Cool, Oct. 11, time TBA, STAX Museum of American Soul Music

Latin Jazz, Nov. 15, 7:30 p.m., Germantown Performing Arts Center

For more information, contact Dr. Jack Cooper, coordinator of jazz studies, at 901-678-2547 or jcooper1@memphis.edu.

Bursar’s Office

Reminder: To avoid a $25 late payment fee, students who elected to pay their Spring 2007 fees using the Installment Payment Plan must pay the second installment by March 1, 2007. The final payment will be due by April 1, 2007.

Fees can be paid by credit card or e-check online at http://bf.memphis.edu/ebursar. Student’s UUID is his/her Universal User Identification. The username and password required to login to eBursar are the same username and password used to login to University e-mail and UMDrive accounts. At this Web site, students can set you up as an authorized user, which will allow YOU to go online to view and pay fees. If the student does not remember his/her UUID or password, go to iAM, the University's self-service identity management website. This website gives students access to a secure website where they can change and maintain information about themselves.

Upcoming deadlines/key dates:

March 1: 2^nd Installment Fee Payment Deadline (4:30 p.m.) for students who utilized the Installment Payment Plan for the Spring 2007 semester

March 8: Fee Payment Deadline (4:30 p.m.) for students who register for Second Session ONLY between January 20 and March 8

April 1: 3^rd Installment Fee Payment Deadline (4:30 p.m.) for students who utilized the Installment Payment Plan for the Spring 2007 semester

U of M Professor Wins CINE Award for Documentary on St. Jude Teachers

Memphis filmmaker Craig Leake has won a prestigious CINE Golden Eagle Award for his recent documentary about a group of schoolteachers at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Leake, an assistant professor at the University of Memphis, produced the half-hour film, The Chemo Ate My Homework, for public television. It has been broadcast several times on WKNO-TV and will appear on other PBS stations this year.

The CINE awards are recognized internationally as symbols of the highest production standards in filmmaking and videography. Among the famous directors whose first major awards included the CINE Golden Eagle are Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard, and such celebrated documentarians as Ken Burns, Charles Guggenheim, Stanley Nelson, Albert Maysles, and Frederick Wiseman.

Leake’s winning entry tells the intimate and memorable story of a small group of dedicated teachers who work with cancer patients at St. Jude. In the safety of the classroom, away from surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy, the students teach the teachers how to cope with grief, live for the day, and value the life of the mind.

HOPE Scholarship

The Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (HOPE) has paid more than $11 million in tuition assistance to students at The University of Memphis this year. If your student is a HOPE Scholarship recipient, there are several things you need to remember.

File your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year. We strongly encourage you to do this prior to March 1, and it must be done prior to September 1 to maintain eligibility.

It is the student’s responsibility to know the rules of the lottery. Rules are available on the scholarship page of the university’s website and at www.collegepaystn.com.

GPA calculations to determine continued eligibility are not done on an annual basis. They are done based on hours attempted by the student. Once a student has attempted 24 hours, their GPA must be a 2.75 or higher. Once a student has attempted 48, 72 and 96 hours, their GPA must be a 3.0 or higher at the time the student reaches those checkpoints. The state of Tennessee does not allow the rounding up of numbers, so those GPA requirements are exact. For example, a 2.99 GPA is not a 3.0.

Under no circumstances should a student begin a semester with 12 or more hours and then drop below 12 hours in that same semester. If a student is thinking about doing this, please contact the scholarship office first so the student will know the ramifications.

Under Tennessee law, once a student has attempted 120 hours, they are no longer eligible for the scholarship. Hours attempted include all repeated classes and all W’s on a student’s transcript. Remember, it’s based on hours attempted, not completed.

If you have any questions regarding the HOPE scholarship, please contact the scholarship office at (901) 678-3213 or e-mail Lottery Scholarship Coordinator Mark McClellan at mmccllln@memphis.edu.