From: Parents E-newletter [parents@memphis.edu]
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2007 12:46 PM
To: Michael L Carter (mcarter1)
Subject: Parents' E-news November 15, 2007
Parent E-News
November 15, 2007
A light at
the end of the tunnel…November can be a stressful month academically, socially,
emotionally, and physically for students. Students may feel increased academic
pressure due to procrastination or the difficulty of work assigned. Major class
projects or papers may be due at the same time that pre-final exam stress
emerges. Encourage your students to continue to find the balance between
academics, recreation, and social activities. Encourage time management that
includes focused study time as well as breaks for food, rest, and recreation.
Reminder: You can click on the links below to go directly to the topics listed. (Some web-based emails may not support this feature)
Residence Life and
Dining Services
CALENDAR
AND IMPORTANT DATES
November
22-23, Thursday-
Friday
Thanksgiving Holiday
December 5,
Wednesday
Last day of classes
December
7-13,
Friday-Thursday
Exams
December 15,
Saturday
Fall 2007 Commencement (FedEx Forum)
http://saweb.memphis.edu/commencement/
January 14,
2008,
Monday
Spring Classes Start
Link to entire Academic Calendar:
http://www.enrollment.memphis.edu/registrar/calendars/academic/ay0708.htm
or the University Event Calendar http://events.memphis.edu (best if viewed using Explorer)
11/17
UAB
2:30pm
11/24
SMU
1pm
BASKETBALL
11/15 Oklahoma (2K
College Hoops Classic) – NYC 8
pm
11/16 Connecticut/Gardner Webb (2K College Hoops Classic) –
NYC TBA
11/20 Arkansas State 7
pm
11/27 Austin Peay 7
pm
12/04 USC (Jimmy V Classic) – NYC 8 pm
12 /15 @ Middle Tennessee 6
pm
12/19 @ Cincinnati 6
pm
12/22 Georgetown 11
am
12/29 Arizona 9
pm
For
more details, click http://gotigersgo.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/mem-m-baskbl-sched.html.
U OF M EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT PROGRAM LAUNCHES ONLINE TUTORING
Even the brightest student can
get stuck on a math program at 9 p.m. on a Tuesday. While the U of M has on-campus learning
centers to offer assistance, now there’s a place to go for help without leaving
home. The University’s ESP (Educational Support Program) is launching its first
online service, an evening tutoring program called ESPOnline.
Students
can get real-time help with accounting, math, science and writing. The program
currently is using the “Ask” feature, which allows students to ask tutors
questions by instant message from 8 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. They
can post a question at any time and receive an answer, usually within 24 hours.
Tutors will respond Monday through Friday, and students can view responses in
the program’s archives at any time.
“We
expect the program to be more successful for questions with short answers
rather than ones requiring in-depth answers,” said Dr. Barbara Bekis, ESP
coordinator. The five-week pilot study will allow program staff to make
adjustments before the spring semester.
ESPOnline
is a collaboration between ESP and Extended Programs. The goal is to provide
tutoring to working adult students, students from satellite campuses, and
others who need extra help during the evenings or can’t make it to the learning
centers during their operating hours.
“Online tutoring
is expected to attract students who are studying and need to contact a tutor
from their study place,” said Bekis. “Students who will utilize OnLine will
likely also come to the ESP Learning Centers.”
The online tutors are U of M students who regularly tutor at the
ESP Learning Centers. They will offer help in accounting, including principles
1 and 2 and intermediate; all math, through Calculus 2; writing, including
grammar, citations, technical issues, clarity, and organization; and science,
including chemistry through Organic 2, biology, and trigonometry-based physics.
The
ESPOnline Web site is www.memphis.edu/onlinetutoring. More information about the program is
available by calling 901-678-2704.
RESIDENCE LIFE AND DINING
SERVICES
Fall 2007 Closing
The University of Memphis residence halls
will close for the Semester Break on Friday, December 15, 2007, at 3 PM. All residents are required to leave the
residence halls 24 hours after their final exam, unless they are involved in
Commencement Exercises.
Residents of
Carpenter Complex and Richardson Towers do not have to vacate their rooms
during the Semester Break unless their Spring 2008 room assignment has been
canceled.
Residents required to vacate their rooms
during Semester Break will not be allowed to remain or be readmitted to the
buildings during the Semester Break. The
residence hall staff will not be available to permit reentry into the buildings
after closing.
Residents of Rawls, Smith, South, and Mynders
are required to sign up for an appointment to check out and surrender their
room keys to their resident advisors before they leave. Residents of Richardson Towers and Carpenter
Complex should sign up for a room inspection.
Students who are not returning to the
residence halls in the Spring must officially check out of the room no later
than 3 PM on December 14 and cancel in writing with the Residence Life and
Dining Services Office in Richardson Towers.
Students who are returning for the Spring are
not required to remove their belongings from their rooms during the break;
however, they should take all valuables and possessions needed during this time
period.
Rent Payment for Spring 2008
Current
residents should have paid the $200 rental prepayment for the Spring 2008
Semester by December 1, 2007, to the Bursar’s Office in Wilder Tower. Current residents who do not make the $200
rent prepayment will have their Spring 2008 room canceled. To
obtain a room after the student’s room is canceled, the student must make the $200 rent prepayment and bring
the receipt to the Residence Life and Dining Services Office and complete
another application for housing for the Spring 2008 Semester. Assignments will be made according to
availability and date of application.
The remainder of the Spring 2008 rent must be
paid by January 11, 2008, for the 2008 Spring Semester. Payments may be paid in advance by mail to
The University of Memphis, Bursar’s Office, P. O. Box 1000, Department 313,
Memphis, TN 38148-0313 or may be paid in
person in 115 Wilder Tower or online at http://bf.memphis.edu/finance/bursar/. If a
resident is receiving financial aid or is unable to make payment in full, the
resident may be placed on an installment plan.
There is an additional charge of $40.00 added to the student’s account
if he/she is placed on the installment plan.
If the student is receiving financial aid or scholarships for the Spring
2007 Semester, all aid will be applied toward any debts owed the University,
such as rent.
Spring 2008 Check-In Dates
Friday, January 11, 2008 or Saturday, January
12, 2008
1 PM – 4:30 PM
All assigned rooms must be claimed by 4:30 PM
on Saturday, January 12, 2008. Residents
failing to properly check into their rooms by the above stated deadline will
forfeit their room assignment and their $200 rent prepayment. In order to prevent the room and rent
prepayment from being forfeited, the student must contact the Residence Life
and Dining Services Office, 011 Richardson Towers, 901-678-2295 before Friday,
January 11, 2008 and request to be placed on the Late Arrival’s List if the
student will be late checking into the room.
Spring 2008 Room Change
Thursday, January 17 or Friday, January 18
Thank you to all who participated in the
Advising Parent Chat. We hope you found it helpful. To those who were not able
to attend, you can review the transcript on our website, http://saweb.memphis.edu/studentaffairs/parentinfo.htm . Simply click on “Parent Chat” and you will find the session
posted by date and topic. We will continue to post the chats as they progress.
Here is follow up information from the last chat:
· A
brand new early intervention program has been designed to alert students who
are not progressing well in a class, either because of poor attendance or poor
performance on assignments. The communication comes from a faculty member to an
advisor to the student. The hope is that the early intervention will prompt
students to visit the faculty member and/or advisor and talk to them about
getting back on track. Studies across the country show this kind of program is
effective.
· The
best way to find out about scholarships is to call the scholarship office,
678-3213. Pat Perry will have answers to any questions you have about
scholarships.
· At
the Student Health Center, students can be tested for allergies, but not given
allergy shots. For more information, contact Debbie Widman or Dr. Capooth at
the Student Health Center, 678-2287.
The next parent chat will be in January on
Financing an Education.
At the end of the fall semester, grade point
averages will be checked for students who have reached the state-designated
brackets. The state of Tennessee designates
specific times that a student’s GPA can be checked for continuing or regaining
eligibility for the HOPE Scholarship. Those checkpoints occur at the end
of the semester in which the student reaches or passes 24 hours attempted, 48
hours attempted, 72 hours attempted and 96 hours attempted. Once a
student reaches 120 hours attempted, eligibility ends. Remember, these
are attempted hours and not completed hours. Any class that appears on a
student’s transcript counts as attempted hours. These GPA checks determine continuing eligibility for the HOPE
Scholarship. Students who reach 24 hours
attempted at the end of the fall semester must have at least a cumulative 2.75
GPA. Students who reach 48, 72 or 96
hours attempted at the end of fall semester must have at least a cumulative 3.0
GPA.
If a student reaches 120 hours attempted
at the end of fall semester, eligibility for the HOPE Scholarship ends
regardless of GPA. The only exception to
this is for students in engineering who can still be eligible until reaching
128 hours attempted.
There is no appeal process available for
students based on GPA or hours attempted.
These state laws are quite specific and are not subject to
interpretation or flexibility by the University of Memphis. For more information on the HOPE Scholarship,
visit www.collegepaystn.com.
All the students at the University of Memphis have been sent
the e-journal, Student Health 101, monthly since September. There is a
parent focused e-journal that corresponds with the information the students
receive. It is the student’s choice whether to read the journal or not. We hope
they read the articles of interest to them personally. Your November issue of
Student Health 101 is now available - here is the link to your edition of
Student Health 101:
Parent
Version
http://www.sh101-digital.com/sh101/112007_2705P/?u1=TXLK
You click on the link above to access your
issue. The student version is the student-only Student Health 101 Newsletter,
while the parent version is a combination of both The Parent Perspective and
the accompanying Student Health 101 Newsletter. If you should have questions,
please feel free to email Jacque De
Fouw, jdefouw@ memphis.edu.
Your
"U of M Parent Information Team"
Remember
the Parents web page with links at http://www.memphis.edu/parents.htm or you can address specific inquiries to parents@memphis.edu . Past Parent E-news are posted at http://saweb.memphis.edu/studentaffairs/parentslist.htm
.
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