Aggie Quick Connection
August 2012 - Family Edition
Message from the Office of New Student and Family Programs Howdy! As the Fall 2012 semester quickly approaches we are looking forward to what is sure to be another great year. At the conclusion of New Student Conferences we will have welcomed over 10,000 new Aggies and their families to Texas A&M! We are anxious for campus to be filled with excitement as 49,000 students gear up for the new school year. Throughout the year, we will be updating you on important information and campus events and look forward to keeping you connected with the Spirit of Aggieland. We encourage you to visit the Aggie Parent and Family web site for additional updates and helpful resources. You can visit us at http://parents.tamu.edu/. Please feel free to contact the Office of New Student and Family Programs at (979) 845-5826, or email us at AggieFamilies@tamu.edu if you have any questions. Thanks and Gig ’Em!
What’s Inside: Page 2-3: Upcoming Events and Programs Page 4: Announcements Page 5: Move-In Page 6: Important Dates
Gig ‘Em Week Dates Sunday, August 19 Residence Hall Move-In Assistance Day Student Family Fun Days at the REC (Aug. 19-26) Tuesday, August 21 Target Late Night Busing and After-Hours Shopping Gig ‘Em Week GatheRing & Yell Practice Wednesday, August 22 Ice Cream Carnival Gig ’Em Week Movie Night Thursday, August 23 Cards for Seniors Pizza Taste-Off Department of Student Activities Open House Multicultural Services Welcome Social International Student Conference Party on the Plaza Friday, August 24 Aggieland Market Saturday, August 25 ExCEL Expo Sunday, August 26 Free 1-Time Climbs Freshman Convocation Class Schedule Tours
See more information on page 2 and on our website: http://gigemweek.tamu.edu
August 2012 Aggie Quick Connection
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Upcoming Events and Programs
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What’s Happening at Texas A&M Gig ‘Em Week
Gig ‘Em Week is Aggieland’s official Week of Welcome. This week is full of events and opportunities for new and returning students to become familiar or reacquainted with the TAMU campus, fellow Aggies, and the Bryan/College Station community. Gig ‘Em Week is coordinated by the Office of New Student and Family Programs and occurs before the start of the Fall Semester. Gig ‘Em Week provides students the opportunity to learn more about campus, each other, and college life through a series of educational and social events sponsored by university departments, colleges, student organizations, residence halls, and community members. Currently enrolled students who participate become eligible for prizes, free food, and gain valuable knowledge, insight, and connections. Some of the events your student can find at Gig ‘Em Week are listed on page 1. Visit: http://gigemweek.tamu.edu for the complete schedule of events and locations for the week!
Commencement Ceremonies for Summer 2012 Graduates The Offices of the Dean of Student Life would like to congratulate all our August graduates and their families. Make sure to have your student visit the career center website (http://careercenter.tamu.edu/) for helpful information about making the transition to a professional career, searching for a job, or looking at graduate programs. Commencement Convocation, Thursday, August 9, 5:30 p.m. Speaker: Mr. Gary Blair, Texas A&M Head Women’s Basketball Coach Friday, August 10, 9:00 a.m. Location: Reed Arena Graduates in George Bush School of Government and Public Service Graduates and Undergraduates in Agriculture and Life Sciences Graduates and Undergraduates in Mays Business School Graduates and Undergraduates in Dwight Look College of Engineering Graduates and Undergraduates in Geosciences More information at: http://graduation.tamu.edu
Friday, August 10, 2:00 p.m. Location: Reed Arena Graduates and Undergraduates in Architecture Graduates and Undergraduates in Education and Human Development Graduates and Undergraduates in Liberal Arts Graduates and Undergraduates in Science Graduates and Undergraduates in Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
First Yell 2012 Texas Music—Aggie Style This year’s First Yell 2012 will feature live music from Robert Earl Keen ‘78, Rick Trevino ‘93, and Granger Smith ‘02. The 14th annual event will be held on Friday, September 7, 2012 at 8:00 PM in Kyle Field. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the 12th Man Ticket Center at Kyle Field, by calling 888-99AGGIE (992-4443), or at: http://tickets.12thmanfoundation.com/. For more information regarding First Yell visit: http://yell.tamu.edu or call 979-845-3534. Don’t miss out on participating in this Aggie Tradition!
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Upcoming Events and Programs
What’s Happening at Texas A&M cont. MSC Open House
MSC Open House will take place on Sunday, September 2nd from 1-5PM in the Memorial Student Center and is a great way for students to find involvement opportunities within student organizations. With over 400 student organizations represented, students will have an opportunity to search through both professional and leadership organizations that fit their interests. Have your students start researching organizations early by visiting the Student Activities’ online database at: http://studentactivities.tamu.edu/online/search/index.
Aggieland Market
Help your Texas A&M student get familiar with Bryan/College Station-tell them to attend Aggieland Market! Aggieland Market is a vendor fair where local businesses and organizations distribute information about the products and services they offer. Vendors come from several fields including health and medical, auto, retail, religious, financial, and many more. There will be giveaways, coupons, and plenty of free items, including drinks and food. Tell your student to join us at Aggieland Market on Friday, August 24th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Academic Plaza as we wrap up Gig ‘Em Week. This event is sponsored by Adult, Graduate and Off Campus Student Services. For more information about the event, visit: http://studentlife.tamu.edu/agoss/community/AggielandMarket.
Aggie Football
A&M Athletics has released the schedule for Fightin’ Texas Aggie Football for the Fall 2012 season. The Aggies have six games at Kyle Field this year, which are indicated by an ‘*’ below. Times subject to change. For up-to-date information about the schedule, game times, or ticket information, please visit: http://aggieathletics.com
2012 Aggie Football Schedule 8/30/12 vs. Louisiana Tech - Shreveport, La. 9/8/12 vs. Florida * 9/15/12 vs. SMU - Dallas, Texas 9/22/12 vs. South Carolina State * 9/29/12 Arkansas * 10/6/12 Ole Miss - Oxford, Miss. 10/20/12 LSU * 10/27/12 Auburn - Auburn, Ala. 11/3/12 Mississippi State - Starkville, Miss. 11/10/12 Alabama - Tuscaloosa, Ala. 11/17/12 Sam Houston State * 11/24/12 Missouri *
August 2012 Aggie Quick Connection
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Announcements Helpful Reminders
Stay Connected with Aggieland
New Student Conference Evaluation
If your student attended a New Student Conference this summer our evaluation is now online. We value your feedback in helping us improve our conference experience for family members. Thank you for a great summer! The evaluation is located at: http://newaggie.tamu.edu/nsc/evaluation.
The Battalion “The independent student voice of Texas A&M since 1893.”
Tuition and Fees
http://thebatt.com
Tuition and fees for the Fall 2012 semester are due in full by 5:00PM on August 22nd. If your student is using the installment plan option, the first payment is also due by the deadline above. The remaining installment deadline dates are 5:00PM on September 19th (second payment), 5:00PM on October 19th (third payment), and 5:00PM on November 19th (final payment.) For additional information about tuition payment and installment plans, please visit the Student Business Services website at: http://finance.tamu.edu/sbs/
Texas A&M News and InformationTAMUtimes: The Division of Marketing & Communications produces TAMUtimes, an email newsletter distributed to subscribers twice a week. Subscription information can be found online at:
Code Maroon
Code Maroon is Texas A&M University’s emergency notification system available to all Texas A&M University Students. Code Maroon uses multiple notification methods in a best effort to reach campus members in an emergency – by SMS text message, Texas A&M Email (Neo), KAMU-FM radio, campus cable television, Emergency Alert System radios, computer alerts, classroom alerts, Twitter and RSS. Please encourage your student to sign up to receive Code Maroon updates at: http://codemaroon.tamu.edu.
http://tamutimes.tamu.edu/ subscribe
Bryan/College Station News Outlets: KBTX http://kbtx.com The Eagle http://theeagle.com
2012 Family Calendar
We are pleased to let you know we have 2012-2013 Family Calendars available for purchase for only $10 (includes tax) plus applicable shipping.
TAMU Mobile Apps
These calendars are a great resource for you as a family member! They include important deadlines such as tuition due dates, helpful campus phone numbers, university holidays, final exam dates, and information about several campus resources available to your student. A preview of the calendar in PDF format can be found on our homepage (http://parents.tamu.edu/)
Texas A&M offers a variety of mobile applications that provide information and access to campus maps, directories, dining, calendars, sports information, and much more. Free downloads and updates can be found at:
For those with students attending a New Student Conference this summer, one calendar per family is provided free of charge. You will receive your complimentary calendar during conference check-in. To purchase the 2012-2013 Aggie Family Calendar contact our office at 979.845.5826, Monday through Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm. Please have a credit card or check ready to expedite the purchasing process.
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http://www.tamu.edu/mobile/ apps/.
August 2012
Move-In
What Your Student Needs to Know Living in Aggieland can be a very exciting and memorable experience. Whether your student is moving into a residence hall on campus, or living in an off campus apartment or house there are a number of ways you can ensure a successful movein and a safe living environment. Be sure to look over these tips before departing! Safety is a major concern for both on and off campus students. Here are some safety tips to share with your students: • Never leave doors unlocked or propped open. • For buildings with keycard access, do not open the door unless you know that person lives in your building. • Consider engraving valuable items with your name/contact information. Space in residence halls and apartments is often limited, which makes it important to pack thoughtfully. Consider the following while your student is packing: • Pack all necessary items first. • Is your student planning on returning home for a visit? If yes, are there belongings that could be left home and brought to campus at a later time? • Know residence hall policies as to what items are prohibited. Move-in day can be exciting yet stressful. Here are some tips to help it go smoothly: • Bring a dolly/cart to transport belongings. • Bring tools (screwdriver, hammer, etc.) for assembling furniture. • Stay hydrated! Drink plenty of water. Finally, as your student settles into their home, you will want to make sure they know the importance of filling out move-in condition/inventory reports. These forms are provided by leasing agents and Residence Life and require the student to do a thorough inspection of their living space. The more details your student can provide on this form, the better. A report will also be filled out upon move-out and compared to the initial form in order to assess charges and determine security deposit returns. For more resources visit: Residence Life (http://reslife.tamu.edu/) or Adult, Graduate, and Off Campus Student Services (http://studentlife.tamu.edu/agoss).
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Save the Date! Upcoming Events Important Dates
August 9th Commencement Convocation at 5:30PM with Mr. Gary Blair, Texas A&M Head Women’s Basketball Coach as keynote speaker. August 10th Graduation ceremonies on the College Station campus for the summer semester 2012. Last day for August undergraduate degree candidates to apply for Tuition Rebate (http://admissions.tamu.edu/forms/ registrarForms/tuition_rebate.pdf) August 19th Residence halls open for move-in. August 19th-26th Gig ‘Em Week: http://gigemweek.tamu.edu. August 22nd Fall 2012 tuition and fees due by 5:00 p.m. August 24th (5:00PM) Last day to register for fall semester classes and pay fees without penalty. August 26th Freshman Convocation: Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin will lead the ceremony in welcoming the Class of 2016 and their families to campus. 2:30 p.m. at Reed Arena. August 27th First day of Fall Semester classes. August 31st Last day for adding/dropping courses for the fall semester. September 2nd MSC Open House September 21st-22nd New Family Welcome.
Texas A&M University vs. South Carolina State Football Weekend Texas A&M University’s New Family Welcome is an opportunity for the family members of new Aggies to meet and interact with A&M staff and administrators, learn more about A&M history and services, and provide a chance for families to visit their student in a unique college atmosphere. You can find more information about the event on the New Family Welcome website: http://studentlife.tamu.edu/nfw Do you know other members of the Aggie Family who might want to receive this newsletter? Please feel free to forward it to them, or tell them how to sign up for the listserv. Visit http://parents.tamu.edu/listserv for instructions of subscription/unsubscription.
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August 2012