Concord University Parents Club October 2014
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Academic Schedule 2 CONCORD UNIVERSITY PARENTS CLUB September-October 2015 Financial Aid 3 Student Services 4 Dear Parents, Service Projects 5 Fall has arrived on the Campus Beautiful, and with the crisp mornings and falling leaves come days full of Accolades 9 coursework, exams, projects, research, symposia—and midterm grades! Beckley Campus News 10 Outside of the classroom the campus is abuzz with Welcome Week 12 activities! A full week of Homecoming events are planned—and we think this year’s offerings will be the Honors 15 best yet! With a student theme of Pixar films, campus organizations, including fraternities & sororities, are Voter Registration 17 busy preparing their floats for an extended parade route through campus, as well as their dances for the always Horsemanship 18 entertaining Lip Sync contest. We hope you join us for our alumni events and Saturday’s football game, Homecoming 20 complete with a Parents Club tailgate table and corsage sale to benefit our CU Seniors’ projects. Student Resources 21 With a motto of Come to Learn, Go to Serve, multiple Athletics 24 fundraisers and community service projects are always underway. This issue of The Scoop highlights a few of Homecoming Corsages 25 these and many more are planned in the coming months. Important #’s 25 We are proud and pleased that Concord continues to receive numerous recognitions from national organizations and ratings groups, such as the Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report, Best Value Schools, and Social Work Degree Guide. Concord is repeatedly cited for both our educational excellence and affordability. As always, we invite your comments and suggestions. We hope to CU soon! On behalf of the Parents Club, best wishes and peace, Marjie Flanigan Vice President1 of Student Affairs & Dean of Students Academic Schedule Fall 2015 Aug. 17 Classes Begin, Monday, 8am Aug. 18 Late Registration Fee Begins Sept. 4 Last Day to Pay Fees Sept. 4 Last Day for Adding a Course, Friday, 4pm Sept. 7 Holiday - Labor Day, No Classes Sept. 15 Graduation Fair, 9:30am-2pm, Ballroom Sept. 23 Last day to Make Application for Dec. Graduation Oct. 10 Homecoming Oct. 15-16 Fall Break, No Classes, Thursday & Friday Oct. 26-Nov. 6 Advising for Course Selection for Spring 2016 Oct. 30 Last day for Dropping a Course with Grade of "W" or Changing Course Status from Credit to Audit, 4pm Nov. 2-11 Course selection for Spring 2016 Semester Nov. 23-27 Thanksgiving Recess, No Classes Nov. 30 Last Day to Officially Withdraw from the University Dec. 4 Last Class Day Dec. 7-11 Fall Semester Exams Dec. 12 Commencement, 11am, Carter Center gymnasium Spring 2016 Jan. 11 Classes Begin, Monday, 8:00am Jan. 12 Late Registration Fee Begins Jan. 18 Holiday – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, No Classes Feb. 19 Last day for making application for May graduation Mar. 14-18 Spring Break Recess, No Classes Mar. 28-Apr. 8 Advising for course selection for Summer & Fall 2016 Mar. 30-Apr. 8 Course selection for Summer and Fall 2016 April 29 Last Class Day May 2-6 Spring Semester Exams May 7 Commencement & Alumni Day 2 “He found himself wondering at times, especially in the autumn, about the wild lands, and strange visions of mountains that he had never seen came into his dreams.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring News from the Financial Aid Office by Debbie Turner, Financial Aid Director ([email protected]; 304-384-6069) Students have settled into classes but may feel overwhelmed and contemplate withdrawing from a class or two. Before doing so, students should realize that withdrawing from classes has an impact on future eligibility for financial aid. Colleges are required to have a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy to determine if students are meeting a grade point average (GPA) requirement and completion ratio—or number of hours earned compared to number of hours attempted. This ensures that students stay on pace to graduate. Concord’s SAP policy is located on our web page at www.concord.edu, click on Quick Access, then the Financial Aid link (scroll down to locate the policy). There are times it is better for a student to withdraw from a class than receive a failing grade, but the class will count toward the completion ratio. Students must pass 67% of the classes they attempt. Students not meeting any of the standards of 3 the SAP policy are ineligible to receive financial aid in the future. Students are given one semester on a “Warning” status to correct the deficiency. If, after the warning semester, the student is still not meeting SAP he/she must appeal and be approved to receive future aid. Please refer to the policy regarding the appeal process. If a student is ineligible for aid, it does not matter how long he/she sits out—being ineligible remains and the student will have to appeal and be approved in order to receive aid. In addition to meeting SAP, some awards have additional renewal criteria. For example, WV students receiving the Promise Scholarship must complete 30 hours each year and meet a minimum GPA requirement to be eligible for the next year. If a student withdraws from a class, and does not complete the required 30 hours, he/she may not meet the renewal criteria for a grant or scholarship. If your student has questions about the SAP policy or how withdrawing from a class will affect future eligibility for financial aid please have them contact our office at [email protected], phone 304-384-6069, or stop by Marsh Hall Room 206. Student Services Disability Services by Nancy Ellison, International Student Advisor/Disability Services Coordinator Concord University is committed to working with students with disabilities to assess their needs and to assist with academic accommodations that may be necessary and appropriate due to their disability. The Office of Disability Services assists in the coordination of appropriate services, based on the student’s individual, documented needs. We also seek to enhance understanding of disabilities and provide support within the campus community. For more information, please see our website: http://www.concord.edu/student- affairs/disability-services . 4 International Student Services Concord University is home to more than 100 international students representing more than 30 countries. The Host Family Program provides an opportunity for American families to learn about other countries and cultures by having an international student stay in their home during university breaks. In turn, the international student benefits by being able to practice English conversation and learn about American culture first hand in the comfortable, friendly environment of an American home. If you would like more information, please email Nancy Ellison at [email protected] . Athens Family Practice Medical Center Athens Family Practice is a medical clinic available to all Concord University students. Conveniently located just off campus. Concord alumna, Dr. Jessica Aliff, and her staff are ready to meet students’ needs. This is not a drop-in clinic, so appointments must be scheduled in advance. Students must bring their insurance card and student ID. If your student finds that he/she cannot make a scheduled appointment, please avoid a “no show”. It takes a possible appointment time away from someone else and leads to increased student costs. Athens Family Practice is reserving appointment times on Thursday afternoons specifically for students, but if these appointments are not filled, they will fill with community members. For more details regarding physicians and the clinic, click on the following links. http://hub.concord.edu/news/2015/07/10/concord-university-graduate-jessica- aliff-appointed-physician-athens-family-practice and http://www.pchonline.org/about/affiliates/Athens.aspx 5 Come to Learn, Go to Serve Service Projects by Hannah Finkey, University 100 Service Project Coordinator One of the many goals of Concord is to instill a commitment to community and service in each and every student and as such, every year the incoming freshmen take part in a two-hour service project. This year three options were available to our students: letters to the military via the Million Thanks project, care bags for elderly shut-ins in our community, and a Pipestem State Park cleanup. Thanks to all of our wonderful freshmen, hundreds of cards will be sent around the world to American military personnel and veterans. Additionally, over 100 care bags were thoughtfully created by our freshmen to send to the Princeton, WV Commission on Aging. Many more opportunities for service will be available for freshman and all Concordians as the year progresses. UNIV 100 Volunteers! A Million Thanks Project 6 Bonner Scholars Program The Bonner Scholars Program was created with the belief that college students engaged in service have unique gifts and talents which bring energy, creativity, and hope to individuals and communities. It is based also on the belief colleges and universities can and must be a "telling presence" in their local communities. In launching and supporting the Bonner Scholars Program, the Bonner Foundation has entered into a partnership with participating institutions that have made a commitment to envision new possibilities for campus-community partnerships. Once a student enters the Bonner Program, he or she commits to a series of expectations, including the following: Arriving on campus before the regular freshman orientation to participate in an orientation program designed specifically for new Bonner Scholars; Serving an average of ten hours a week at a community service site during the school year; Completing at least two full-time summer service internships; Engaging in a comprehensive placement process for required service work, including establishing service and learning goals and defining methods for achieving these goals; Attending regular group reflection, enrichment and training activities through which the student will be challenged and supported in developing his or her skills, knowledge, commitments and responsibilities; and Considering ways to integrate his or her academic studies with community service activities.