BRUSH UP ON YOUR SKILLS. TIME TO HUNT FOR A SUMMER INTERNSHIP............ 5
IS SU E 4
NEED A PLACE TO LIVE? ATTEND OUR OFF-CAMPUS HOUS ING FAIR ................. 5
LEARN HOW TO BUY
A FULL BOX OF GROCERIES FOR ONLY $30 ......................... 6
THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS ADULT & COMMUTER STUDENT SERVICES
V OL UM E 7
J ANU ARY 2010
Adult & Commuter Connection
Classes, jobs, family issues, money problems, relationships, ugh! Students have so much to deal with but we know that suicide is not the option. Memphis STEPS is a campus-based program that can help .
Suicide prevention - Let’s talk about it “Suicide is a problem year round. It can happen at any time,” said U of M Coordinator of Outreach Dr. Okwumabua. There are a number of reasons that might lead students to entertain the thought of suicide, she said. “They tend to feel hopeless. They start to think that nothing can be done about their problems.” Okwumabua points out at a recent study by the big ten Ivy League schools that shows a higher number of suicide rates among students 25 and older due to more stress and more issues they face compared to younger students. “Our challenge is to find al-
ternatives to reach those students,” she said. The Memphis STEPS is a service that provides suicide training, education and prevention. It aims to increase awareness regarding suicide prevention and intervention resources. It also develops and implements training in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of suicidal individuals. Although the number of reported suicides among U of M students has been very low, Dr. Okwumabua highlights suicide warning signs that should not be ignored: depression, withdraw from friends and family, con-
stant talk about being stressed and having a difficult time in life, anxiety, impulsive aggressive behavior and recent severe stressors among other factors. Dr. Okwumabua advises people to talk to their friends or relatives if they are displaying those signs.“People are often afraid to, but they should ask if friends are considering to harm themselves and if there is anything you can do as a friend to help.” On campus, both the Psychology and the Counseling Centers are open to students needing support and resources to move forward. The Crisis Center in Memphis can also help.
NEW YEAR, NEW LOCATION We are counting down the days to our move to the new University Center! We will have a bigger lounge and more available resources for you. The new UC will feature pockets of quiet
study areas that we hope you will take advantage of and enjoy. Please remember that both lounges (500 Wilder and 208 Brister) will be closed once we move to the new area.
Academic Calendar:
H OME G AMES
January 13 Men's Basketball
vs. East Carolina 6:00 PM - FedExForum January 20 Men's Basketball vs. UTEP 7:00 PM - FedExForum January 23 Women's Basketball vs. Rice 2:00 PM - FedExForum
Men's Basketball
Student Activities Calendar:
vs. Houston 7:00 PM - FedExForum
January 28 Rifle Thursday, January 14th : Winter Fest — Hot Chocolate 7:30 — 9:30 am, Central Cross Walk & FedEx Cross Walk Tuesday, January 19th : Winter Fest — Game Night 7 pm, Panhellenic Building Wednesday, January 20th : Winter Fest — Caricatures 10 — 2 pm, Rose Theatre Lobby Thursday, January 21st : Winter Fest — Karaoke 7 — 10 pm, Panhellenic Ballroom
Tiger Spring Open TBA -Memphis, Tenn.
January 29 Men's Tennis vs. Kennesaw State 10:00 AM - Memphis, Tenn. Women's Tennis vs. Kennesaw State 10:00 AM - Memphis, Tenn. Women's Tennis
Tuesday, January 26th : Tom Ryan: Fight the Freshman 15 7 pm, Rose Theatre
vs. Murray State TBA - Memphis, Tenn.
Wednesday, January 27th : Wednesday Night Live — feat. Comedy of Pete Lee 8 pm, Tiger Den
January 30
Saturday, January 30th : SAC Cinema: “Inkheart” 2 pm, Johnson Auditorium
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Men's Tennis
vs. Murray State 12:00 PM - Memphis, Tenn.
Scoring a Summer Internship “The sooner you take advantage of the resources that Career Services is able to provide, the more marketable you become after graduation” — Courtney Pierce
E-recruiting Post your resume Search job/internship listings Sign up for on-campus interviews Learn about career events.
memphis.edu/careerservices
Career Services Get resume/ interview tips Post-graduation report What can I do with a major in… CareerBeam - career assessment Optimal Letter and Optimal Resume - tools for writing great letters and resumes.
Finding an internship can be a challenging quest. Some people think it is all about having connections while others may say it’s all about confidence and knowing how to promote your skills. For many U of M students, it’s all about Career Services. Located on the fourth floor of Wilder Tower, the Career Services Office offers resume critique, mock interviews, on-line recruiting and job search and on-campus interviews. During the 2008-2009 school year, 78 students secured jobs and internships through on-campus interviews alone. “We had around 24 employers who came to our campus to interview our students,” said Assistant Director of Employer Relations & Internships Courtney Pierce. “Some people say we are the best-kept secret at the U of M. Our services and resources play a vital part in the student’s success. They will be better equipped to succeed in securing an internship or job by using our office,” she said. According to Pierce, for the mock interview, students show up professionally dressed and career counselors
ask questions that a future employer would presumably ask. Students are videotaped during the sessions and they receive critique and tips for improvement afterwards while watching the tape. “One of the biggest things the Career Services Center offered was guidance about where to look for an internship. Their resources allowed me to find opportunities that were available to me specifically, not the general public,” said Mahmood Usmani, a sophomore business major who completed an internship with the Shelby County Office of Economic Development during his freshman year. To get started, students should schedule an appointment with the office and access the E-recruiting site using their U of M login. “We provide each student with a free E-recruiting account and they can call us if they have any problems logging in,” said Pierce. “I want students to know that going through an internship is a great addition to their resumes. They should utilize our office as early as possible.”
THE 2010-11 ADULT SCHOLARSHIP IS AVAILABLE! The Adult Scholarship Program is designed to help adult students reach their educational goals. This highly competitive, renewable scholarship is $5,500 per year for full-time students/$3,000 per year for part-time students and is awarded
annually to a limited number of students. Applications are available at memphis.edu/scholarships, at our website memphis.edu/acss and at our ACSS office. Contact the Scholarship office at 678-3213 or scholarships@memphis.edu.
Eligibility Criteria:
Renewal Requirements:
1. In-state and out-of-state undergraduate students are eligible. 2. Must be pursuing first undergraduate degree to be eligible. 3. Students must reach their 25th birthday by August 1st of application year. 4. Current students must have a 3.0 cumulative G.P.A. and new students must meet Adult Admission requirements to be considered for selection. 5. Part-time students must complete a minimum of 6 hours and full-time students must complete a minimum of 12 hours per semester. 6. Preference given to students who do not already have a scholarship.
1. Renewable for up to eight full time or equivalent parttime semesters. 2. Minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. 3. Completion of Service hours: 150 hours per academic year for full-time students and 75 hours per academic year for part-time students. 4. Become an active member of the Adult Student Association (ASA). 5. Actively participate in the Adult Scholarship Mentoring Program during your first year on the scholarship.
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DEADLINE: March 1, 2010
What is Pinnacle Honor Society? How and when you can join Pinnacle is a Non-traditional Honor Society for adults. Qualifying for Pinnacle membership is an honor for undergraduate and graduate students who are 25 years and older and meet eligibility requirements. Eligible undergraduate students must have earned 90 or more undergraduate credit hours and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above. Eligible graduate students must have earned 12 or more graduate credit hours and have a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or above. If you meet the criteria, you will be receiving an invitation letter or e-mail in the next month inviting you to join. You will need to fill out a form and return it by the deadline in order to participate in the induction ceremony. Stay tuned for more updates.
director’s corner >>>
Be a part of the Commuter Students Association (CSA) Visit us at: memphis.edu/commuterstudents
Join the Adult Student Association (ASA) Visit us at: memphis.edu/adultstudents
Making the Most of the New Year Appreciate our diverse community. Find ways to learn about others, such as attending Black and Women’s HisA new year is a new beginning. tory Month activities and the Multicultural fair; it will enEmbrace it. Change what didn’t rich your life. Avoid distractions such as drugs and alcohol. work last semester. This is your chance to do and be better If you or someone you know suffers from any addiction, this semester. Having a positive attitude will result into a consider attending our seminar on the subject and talk to a productive year, full of great results that you may had counselor. Many students have their life impacted physinever anticipated before. Don’t procrastinate. If you do a cally, emotionally, financially and academically by addiclittle each day, you won’t be overwhelmed at the end. tions, so if that is you, make a resolution to free yourself Learn how to manage you money in this economy. Live from that or to help someone get out of that situation. And within your means and don’t overspend, ask yourself: “Do lastly, use all the available resources to you on campus. I really need this?” Also, if you are thinking about having a Make the most of your U of M experience. There are many new start at a new place, educate yourself first. Come to offices like ours that are here to support you while you are our housing seminar and fair to learn about your rights and here and beyond, so make sure to utilize them. As always, responsibilities as a tenant. Be smart with your time. Focus my door is always open to you. Sincerely, Joy Stout on each activity and take time to be with those you love. Dear students,
Consider these resolutions: I won’t procrastinate this year — acquire a proactive and positive mindset I will manage my time and money better — attend our housing seminar and fair I will embrace others — Black History moth activities and the Multicultural Fair I will avoid distractions — attend our seminar on alcohol and drug addiction I will utilize resources available to me — such as our ACSS office and labs
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Contact Information Joy Rogers Stout Director, Adult and Commuter Student Services The University of Memphis 505 Wilder Tower Voice: (901) 678-2644 E-mail: jstout@memphis.edu
The Adult and Commuter Student Services will be hosting its annual Off-Campus Housing Information Fair on March 24, 2010 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Rose Theatre. This FREE event is open to all students, faculty, and staff who want to obtain information about various housing options in the community. Attendees will have the opportunity to speak with representatives from local apartment leasing properties and other related service industries. If you’re looking for a place to live, this is a great way to save yourself some time and effort. Everything is gathered into one place!
Art Museum Exhibitions
Around Campus:
January 30 - February 27
27th Annual Juried Student Exhibition
Health Center
Lunch & Learn Workshop:
Wednesday-Mondays: 8am - 4:30pm
Jan. 27 - “Tips For Working a Career Fair”
Tuesdays from 9am - 4:30pm
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What would you like to see featured in the next Adult & Commuter Connection? Got feedback? E-mail us at: acss@memphis.edu
Random Acts of Kindness Portal Channel
Yes, there is a place where you can get food for the entire month for only $30 at angelfoodministries.com! Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing food relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States. The program serves hundreds of thousands of families every month across 35 states.
Blessings by the box Angel Food is available in a quantity that can fit into a medium-sized box at $30 per unit. Each month's menu is different than the previous month and consists of both fresh and frozen items with an average retail value of approximately $60. Comparison shopping has been done across the country in various communities using a wide range of retail grocery stores and has resulted in the same food items costing from between $42 and $78.
“
Generally, one unit of food assists in feeding a family of four for about one week or a single person for almost a month. The food is all the same high quality one could purchase at a grocery store.
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There are no second-hand items, no damaged or out-dated goods, no dented cans without labels, no day-old breads and no produce that is almost too ripe. Also offered are specialty boxes such as steaks, chicken and pork. Many participants in this bonus program appreciate the expanded choices. Additionally, there is no limit to the number of units or bonus foods an individual can receive, and there are no applications to complete or qualifications to which participants must adhere. Angel Food Ministries also participates in the U.S. Food Stamp program, using the Off-Line Food Stamp Voucher system.
The purpose of this channel is to recognize people for their random acts of kindness on campus. It may have happened to you directly, it may be something that you witness, or something you simply hear about. To add the “Random Acts of Kindness” channel to your MyMemphis portal page, visit the link below for detailed instructions: memphis.edu/student affairs/kindness/instructions. Submissions of 100 words or less should be sent to the following address: kindness@memphis.edu.
Visit us on Facebook: University of Memphis Adult & Commuter Student Services
From angelfoodministries.org
MISSION
CONTACT AND GENERAL INFORMATION
The mission of the Adult & Commuter Student Services office is to provide a supportive environment for nontraditional and commuter students that promotes intellectual, social and academic growth and development through services and programs that foster lifelong learning.
The Adult and Commuter Student Services office is located on The University of Memphis campus on the 5th floor of Wilder Tower. Our regular hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday. If you need after hours help, please call us to make arrangements.
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We welcome comments, questions, or suggestions. We can be reached by phone at 901-678-2644 during our regular business hours or after hours leave us a message on voice mail. You may also reach us through e-mail at acss@memphis.edu.