KU PARENT ASSOCIATION E-NEWS
April 2008
In this issue:
Academic Calendars
April is Alcohol Awareness Month
Cultural District's Opening Week Events
Health Insurance for Graduates
"How to Study for Finals" Workshop
Jayhawk Boulevard Flora Tour
Kansas Relays
KU's American Cancer Society Relay for Life
Parent Break Stations
Selected Dates
Student Housing Information
Test Preparation Courses
Upcoming Events
KU Parent Assistance Telephone Number: (785) 864-5872
To view this newsletter online: www.parentassociation.ku.edu
To be removed from this list, visit: www.vpss.ku.edu/KUPA/listserv_remove.shtml
Academic Calendars
The academic year is planned years in advance. You can view the approved academic calendar through 2010 at: http://www.registrar.ku.edu/calendar/terms.shtml. Do you wonder about important academic deadlines? You can find deadlines on the University Registrar’s website. Visit: www.registrar.ku.edu/calendar/academic.shtml.
April is Alcohol Awareness Month
College is a time of great transition and experimentation. Research shows that parents continue to have significant influence over the attitudes and behaviors of their college-age students. This influence extends to students’ use of alcohol. Share your expectations for responsible behavior and remind your student that if they choose to drink, they can have more fun drinking responsibly than drinking to excess. For more information about college students and alcohol visit: www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/CollegeParents/. For more information about alcohol education at KU, visit: www.studenthealth.ku.edu/wellness/wrc.shtml.
Cultural District Opening Week Events
Inside the new Sabatini Multicultural Resource Center is the Cultural District which brings together the resources of University departments, museums, entertainment facilities and student organizations. The Cultural District’s Opening Week Events include:
April 21st Haskell History Lecture.
April 22nd Nevil Shed of the Texas Western Miners tem will lecture on being part of the 1966 NCAA Men’s Division I basketball tournament.
April 23rd Gustavo Arellano will lecture about his book “Ask A Mexican.”
April 24th Unveiling of Dr. Norm Yetman and Dr. Chico Herbison collection.
April 25th Dedication ceremony of the new Sabatini Multicultural Resource Center.
April 25th Urban Bush Women and the men of Compagnie Jant-Bi at the Lied Center.
For exact times call the SMRC at 785-864-4350 or visit: www.mrc.ku.edu/.
Health Insurance for Graduates
For those students graduating and needing health insurance, the Kansas Alumni Association offers GradMed. This is an inexpensive, comprehensive, short-term health insurance for alumni as well as new graduates. You can learn more about this health insurance option by visiting: www.gradmed.com/av3/index.asp?AssnID=301.
How To Study for Finals Workshop
The end of the semester can be the most stressful time of the semester. The Academic Achievement and Access Center will present a "How to Study for Finals" workshop on Monday, May 5, to help students focus on finals. The workshop will be held from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. in 30 Strong Hall. The topics will include how to approach finals, how to best prepare, and when to start studying. All students are welcome (undergraduate and graduate), registration is not needed (students may simply show up), and the workshop is free. For more visit: www.achievement.ku.edu/workshops/.
Jayhawk Boulevard Flora Tour
Two botanists with KU’s R.L. McGregor Herbarium, Craig Freeman and Caleb Morse, plan to lead a free public tour of flora along the main campus thoroughfare, Jayhawk Boulevard, on Saturday, April 26. The tour will begin at 11 a.m. at the Kansas Union lobby and is limited to about 40 participants. Reservations may be made with Margey Frederick by calling (785) 864-7103 or e-mailing mfrederick@ku.edu. To learn more about the tour visit: www.news.ku.edu/2008/february/21/flora.shtml.
Kansas Relays
The Kansas Relays are an annual spring tradition at KU. This year’s event is April 16 -19 in Memorial Stadium. KU students are admitted free to the Relays. Tickets for the Kansas Relays are in the form of admission buttons and are valid for all days of the event. All seating is general admission. Buttons are $10 for adults, $5 for students/youth and seniors. Children under five are admitted free. To learn more about this KU tradition, visit: http://kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/c-relay/kan-c-relay-body.html.
KU’s American Cancer Society Relay for Life
Each year on the first Friday of May, hundreds of KU students, faculty and staff participate in the annual fundraising walk for the American Cancer Society. This is a student run project that raises thousands of dollars for cancer research. The Walk takes place in Memorial Stadium. For more information on how your student can participate contact: Megan Jones at mrjones@ku.edu or Stacie Shroeder at stacie.schroeder@cancer.org.
Parent Break Stations
The move-in weekend can be stressful for new to KU parents. The KU Parent Association will again be hosting Parent Break Stations near the three major student housing complexes of Oliver, GSP-Corbin and the Daisy Hill Halls. The Parent Break stations will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday, August 17th. The stations will be open on Friday, August 15th for parents of women participating in sorority recruitment from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
We will have seasoned KU parents joining KU staff members in offering parents a cool drink, a friendly smile, and answer questions that parents have once their student is moved into the residence halls.
If you would like to volunteer to be one of those seasoned parents working at a Break Station, please send an email to parents@ku.edu with the subject line Break Station. All we ask for is a 2-3 hour time commitment and a friendly smile.
April 17 Last Day to withdraw from a class
May 18 Commencement 2008
June 3 First day of Summer Term
July 25 Last day of Summer Term
August 21 First day of Fall 2008
October 16-19 Fall Break (No classes, University offices open)
December 15-19 Final Examinations
January 15, 2009 First day of Spring Semester
March 16-22, 2009 Spring Break (No classes, University offices open)
May 17, 2009 Commencement 2009
KU Student Housing Information
The end of the semester is nearing! In addition to studying for final exams, students who live in the residence halls, scholarship halls, or Jayhawker Towers are beginning to make plans to move out for the summer.
The residence halls will close at 11:00 p.m. on Friday, May 16, 2008. The scholarship halls remain open until 12:00 noon on Saturday, May 17, 2008 for those students who need to complete hall cleaning responsibilities. Jayhawker Towers closes at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, May 20, 2008. Graduating seniors participating in Commencement who live in the residence halls and scholarship halls should discuss their move out needs with their Complex Director.
Students are asked to sign up for a check out appointment with hall staff members. The appointment should last no longer than 15 minutes. During the appointment a staff member will collect keys and forwarding address information, as well as inspect your student’s room to ensure that it is empty, clean, and that no damage has occurred to the room or its furnishings.
Prior to the check out appointment, there are a few things students should do to prepare. The appointment should occur when the student has moved all of his or her belongings from the room and the student is ready to leave the hall. Students are expected to have the room clean. Cleaning supplies and extra trash bags are available at the hall front desks and special drop-off sites have been identified at each hall for large trash items. By the end of April, each residence hall and scholarship hall resident will receive a copy of the Check-Out Gazette that provides a more detailed overview of the process. Encourage your student to review this information to avoid unnecessary delays or charges at the end of the semester.
Summer housing is available in Hashinger residence hall and Jayhawker Towers for students taking summer classes. For questions about summer housing, please call the Department of Student Housing at 785-864-4560.
Test Preparation Courses
KU Continuing Education offers Test Preparation Classes for the following graduate school test: LSAT, GMAT, GRE. The classes are offered in both Lawrence and Kansas City. Visit www.continuinged.ku.edu and use the keyword “testprep.”
Upcoming Events
There is always something happening on the KU campus that supplements the class room experience. Below are a few of the upcoming events students might enjoy.
Tea is served most Thursdays at 3 p.m. at the Kansas Union.
Self-Defense for Women, April 26th at 4pm in the Student Fitness and Recreation Center.
Chief Justice John Roberts will speak April 30th at the Lied Center.
University Dance Company recital is April 17 & 18 at theLied Center.
KU Baseball versus Oklahoma is May 2nd at Hoglund Ball Park.
University Flute Choir Concert is May 5th at Swarthout Recital Hall.
Address your questions or comments to parents@ku.edu. Please do not use the Reply key to send e-mail messages.
To change your e-mail address, send your old and new e-mail address to parents@ku.edu.
To subscribe to the list, visit www.vpss.ku.edu/KUPA/listserv.shtml.
Helpful Links:
KU Parent Association: www.parentassociation.ku.edu
KU Information: www.kuinfo.ku.edu
KU Alumni Association: www.kualumni.org
KU Endowment Association: www.kuendowment.org
KU News: KU news releases are available online at www.news.ku.edu