 Summer update Welcome to all the parents and family members of the Class of 2018, and the returning families of the Class of 2017, to the Parents and Family Association Newsletter! The purpose of this monthly e-newsletter is to bring together the families of freshman and sophomore students and University departments to help our students succeed. Campus administrators from different areas will provide information a month in advance so that you know how to encourage and help your student. I look forward to celebrating the success of our students with you! If your student is taking ZipStart classes this summer, encourage him or her to keep in contact with their academic advisor with any issues or questions. For those students who will begin classes in August, it's important to keep mentally and physically sharp by reading, exercising and playing music and more. We want UA students to graduate in 4 years or less with minimal debt, and a competitive resumé. Ask your students if they are registered for 15-16 credits for fall semester or will have completed 30-32 credits this academic year. Learn more. Be sure to schedule an appointment with an advisor to get the right class before they fill. In this issue:
Best wishes, Nancy Roadruck Assistant Vice President for Student Success pfa@uakron.edu uakron.edu/pfa On Facebook Tuition due dates and ways to pay Fall semester payment is due-in-full Monday, Aug. 25. Billing information is available to your students online in My Akron. Learn more about due dates. OR The last day to sign up for the payment plan is Friday, Aug. 29, to avoid late fees and possible enrollment cancellation for nonpayment. Learn more about the payment plan. How to get access Learn how your student can authorize you to make a payment with Parent Access or grant UA permission to disclose information to specific individuals about them with the FERPA Release. Financial Aid disbursement Financial Aid disburses (is applied to the student’s account) 10 days prior to the start of the fall term. The first disbursement date is set for Aug. 15, 2014. Aid disbursements will continue throughout the fall semester as student’s complete the application and/or verification process. Aid will only disburse to students who have completed all of the steps required to receive their federal student aid. If you are planning to use loans to pay a University balance, your student must accept his/her loans via My Akron:
Complete the Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling
Tips from advising on AP Credit Later this month UA will get the test scores of students who took Advanced Placement (AP) exams. Students who have active records at UA and received scores of 3 to 5 for specific AP exams will receive a correspondence in the mail. Students will need to contact their academic advisor for help in changing their fall semester classes if the AP course affects their schedule. Included in the mailed correspondence is the Award of Alternative Credit Agreement which tells the students what they will get at UA for specific tests with specific scores, and another sheet titled Procedures for Accepting Advanced Placement Credit. This sheet provides the students with information about the cost per AP credit awarded and the necessary steps to take to purchase and have their AP credits posted. In case a student decides to purchase the credits and have the AP credits posted, he/she should use the Award of Alternative Credit Agreement, and follow the instruction on the Procedures for Accepting Advanced Placement Credit. For further information, contact Mrs. Monique Beauvais mb3@uakron.edu. New Roo Weekend During advising and registration day, freshmen heard a little about New Roo Weekend, exclusively for new students. The weekend is the kick-off to the Akron Experience, taking place Friday, Aug. 22, through Sunday, Aug. 24. These three days are mandatory and will give your student dozens of tips to help them get ahead, meet new friends, faculty members and staff. Some social events include a Movie on the Lawn, comedian Josh Blue, RooFest: Student Organization Fair and more! Visit the New Roo Weekend website to learn about what to bring, where to check in and see a tentative schedule of events. See the details. Accessibility Services The Office of Accessibility (OA) assists students with permanent or temporary disabilities. Office staff are trained professionals who meet with students on an individual basis to discuss any disability-related concern they feel may adversely affect them in their classes. Some students may have received services in high school. These students need to provide the OA with documentation addressing learning disabilities, ADD/ADHD, physical, or psychological disabilities. The OA looks at each student holistically and understands that to be successful in higher education, students need to be comfortable accessing all campus resources — including, when needed, the Office of Accessibly. For more information on the registration process, please visit the Office of Accessibility’s website. Students interested in providing notetaking services for students with disabilities, please view our notetaking webpage. Getting ready for the residence halls and off-campus living Moving into a residence hall can be very exciting. This month students will learn what residence hall they are assigned to and, if available, the name(s) of their roommate(s). Many students tell us they have spoken with, texted and e-mailed their roommates many times before arriving on campus. Once students learn which halls they will be living in, many will want to take another look at the Residence Life and Housing website to learn which residence halls have specific amenities. Residence Life and Housing also offers free tours of every residence hall throughout the summer. Stop by Ritchie Hall or call 330-972-7800 to arrange for a tour of your son or daughter's new home. Some helpful tips for parents include:
The parents of new students shared with Residence Life and Housing staff that managing logistics are just as important to them as meeting a roommate is for their students. That is why the Department of Residence Life and Housing has a list of items to bring and information about when and how to move in to each residence hall on the RLH website. Keeping your student safe and smart As the temperature rises, so does the number of outdoor events and parties. Recently, the University launched a new safety awareness campaign to remind students of the many resources we have to keep them safe both on and off campus. Included are easy personal safety tips and a new mobile app to make it easier to report a safety problem (and get rewarded for a safety tip that works!). We encourage students and parents to sign up for our Z-Alert emergency text-messaging service, which is one quick and easy way to be made aware of urgent safety issues or weather-related emergencies. Remind your student to sign up to receive Z-Alert and to subscribe to The University of Akron's official twitter feed for important campus messages. Save the Date - Friday, Oct. 17 Celebrate Oktoberfest Akron style with Zips Men's Soccer! “Soctobefest” will take place Friday, Oct. 17, as the Zips face West Virginia. Join your student and experience Akron Soccer! More information will be available in the August newsletter. |