IlliniFamily A publication of the Illini Union Parent and Family Programs Office • union.illinois.edu/pfpo
FAL 2018
Get Connected The Illini Union Parent and Family Programs Office works with the Moms and Dads Associations to keep you informed. Check out our website to sign up for newsletters, e-updates, and crime alerts. You can also learn about upcoming events and volunteer opportunities. Get online today: union.illinois.edu/ PFPO.
Inside This Issue
Welcome Back ..................... 1 Welcome Back from UIPD.......................... 2-3 Carle College of Medicine.... 4 The Sophomore Slump ........ 5 Dads Weekend 2018 ........... 6 Get Involved on Campus...... 7 Welcome Week Activities .... 8 Scholarship Raffle Ticket Sales..................................... 8 Deciding A Major ................. 9
Welcome Back!
Zuri White – Parent & Family Programs Manager We are about to embark on another exciting year here at the University of Illinois, and I am looking forward to welcoming our returning students and their families back. We spent a majority of the summer welcoming our new parent and families to the Illini family, and look forward to see our new and returning Illini families throughout this year. Our current Illini Family Resource Guide can be found online at union.illinois. edu/PFPO. We publish an updated version of the guide every summer with parents and families in mind, and we encourage you to read it and keep it handy. You also have the awesome opportunity to be part of the Moms or Dads Association where you can volunteer at many of the events during Moms and Dads Weekends, or even apply to serve on the board of directors. These are all great opportunities for you to be an active member of the Illinois community. For more information about the Moms Association visit IlliniMoms. com and for more information about
union.illinois.edu/PFPO
the Dads Association visit IlliniDads. com. View this year’s welcome from the current Moms Association and Dads Association presidents. Have you joined the University of Illinois Parent and Family Facebook group? We created a group for parents and family members of Illinois students to connect and communicate with each other about whatever they would like (sharing tips, questions, carpools, etc.) No matter their year in school, we know that this is an exciting time in your student’s life, and we also want it to be an exciting time for families. The more you know about the university and your student’s place in it, the better you are prepared to be of help and support to your student. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us via phone (217) 333-7063 or via email at iuparentfamilyprograms@ illinois.edu. Go Illini!
UIPD Police Beat
Web Addresses
Patrick Wade – Communications Director, University of Illinois Police Department
Illini Union
union.illinois.edu • Illini Union Parent and Family Programs Office union.illinois.edu/PFPO • Illini Union Board union.illinois.edu/iub • Illini Union Office of Volunteer Programs union.illinois.edu/ovp
• Illinois Union Tech Zone union.illinois.edu/techzone • Illini Union Hotel union.illinois.edu/hotel • Illini Union Bookstore bookstore.illinois.edu
Student Affairs Campus Recreation campusrec.illinois.edu The Career Center careercenter.illinois.edu Counseling Center counselingcenter.illinois.edu Dean of Students odos.illinois.edu Disability Resources & Educational Services disability.illinois.edu UI Police police.illinois.edu Financial Aid osfa.illinois.edu Housing housing.illinois.edu Inclusion and Intercultural Relations oiir.illinois.edu • 0Asian American Cultural Center • 0African American Cultural Center • 0Diversity and Social Justice Education • 0La Casa Cultural Latina • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Resource Center • Native American House • Women’s Resources Center McKinley Health Center mckinley.illinois.edu Study Abroad Office studyabroad.illinois.edu Student Affairs studentaffairs.illinois.edu Tenant Union tenantunion.illinois.edu
With The University of Illinois Police Department (UIPD) is constantly evolving to meet the needs of its campus community, and public safety officials are providing a number of tools to make sure students and others have all the information and resources they need to take control of their personal safety. The University of Illinois is a very safe campus. But it is also a very large campus, with tens of thousands of students, faculty, staff, and visitors every day. Like any community of its size, the campus community will never be entirely crime-free — making it essential that students and others take advantage of the available resources to look out for themselves and each other. UIPD is a full-service department which provides all the traditional police services and some additional resources uniquely-tailored to a college environment. The department maintains a campus security network which includes about 1,700 cameras, and its staff of 65 sworn police officers is supplemented by additional patrols from the Champaign Police Department, Urbana Police Department, Champaign County Sheriff ’s Office, and Illinois State Police. Between the various agencies, the Urbana campus is the mostdensely patrolled area in the region. Still, students’ active participation in taking steps to ensure their own and
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others’ safety will always be the most effective tool in curtailing crime. It has to be a community effort. That is why police go to great lengths to inform the campus community of public safety issues in their area and have honest conversations with students and others about crime and what everyone can do to minimize their risk of being targeted by a criminal. The following are just a few of the available resources. Police encourage campus community members to visit police.illinois.edu/safety for more information about campus safety tips and programs.
SafeWalks Criminals look for the right opportunity to act. By walking in groups and using well-lit, hightraffic areas, we can eliminate that opportunity and reduce our risk of being targeted by a criminal. SafeWalks is a free service offered by trained Student Patrol Officers to ensure their fellow students always have someone to walk with. Anyone who needs to travel on campus between 9 p.m. and 2:30 a.m., seven days a week, is encouraged to call 217-333-1216 to request a walking escort.
Illini-Alert Illini-Alert messages are notifications sent via email, text message and social media to our community members during a campus emergency like fire, severe weather, or if someone is trying to hurt others. The messages include crucial
Get Involved! instructions on which areas to avoid or how to protect yourself. Everyone with an illinois.edu email address automatically will receive Illini-Alert emails, but everyone should go to emergency.illinois.edu to sign up for text message notifications. Students can enter multiple email addresses and phone numbers, and they can also sign up family members by visiting go.illinois.edu/illinialertmyfamily.
‘At Illinois, We Care’ Sexual violence and misconduct is a concern for law enforcement agencies across the nation – particularly on college campuses. All students are required to attend educational sessions during their first year on campus, but sexual assault remains pervasive with 1 in 7 women reporting that they have experienced an incident during their time on our campus. Nationally, studies have shown as many as 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men will experience sexual assault. There are a number of resources and reporting options available for students who have experienced sexual assault. At Illinois, we care and we support survivors.
Anyone wanting to learn more about reporting methods, confidential resources or other options should visit wecare.illinois.edu.
Social Media UIPD continues to make use of social media to ensure students and others are informed of public safety issues in a timely and effective manner. Social media is one of the most important communication tools used by college-age people, and UIPD takes a proactive approach in talking to students about their safety. The department is encouraging everyone to follow @UIPD on Twitter or Facebook at facebook.com/UIpolice. The police department believes it is important to engage students in an honest, realistic conversation about crime and public safety issues because students themselves truly are the most effective crime-fighting tool. It is important that we all make it a priority to report crime and suspicious activity and take steps to reduce our own likelihood of being targeted by a criminal.
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The Moms and Dads Associations are two separate, non-profit entities that strive to serve all students at the University of Illinois. There are many ways to get involved in the Associations. The Associations rely on volunteers for the success of their programs. Some volunteer opportunities include Summer Registration, Moms Weekend, Dads Weekend, and Admitted Student Days. If you’re looking to get even more involved, each Association has a volunteer Board of Directors. You can find nomination forms for each board at their respective website: illinimoms.com or illinidads.com To volunteer, email the Illini Union Parent and Family Programs Office at iuparentfamilyprograms@ illinois.edu, call (217) 333- 7063, or visit our website.
Campus Phone Numbers (area code 217) Asian American Cultural Center................................ 333-9300 Bruce D Nesbitt African American Cultural Center.................. 333-2092 Billing................................... 333-2184 Career Center..................... 333-0820 CITES Help Desk................. 244-7000 CITES Help Desk........ (800) 531-2531 Counseling Center.............. 333-3704 Dial-A-Nurse........................ 333-2700 Disability Resources and Education Service ............ 333-1970 Emergency Dean................. 333-0050 Financial Aid........................ 333-0100 Health Insurance, Student.. 333-0165 Housing Residence Halls................. 333-7111 Private Certified Housing. 333-1420 University Apartments...... 333-5656 Illini Union............................ 333-4666 Illini Union Hotel............... 333-1241 La Casa Cultural Latina....... 333-4950
New To Illinois
Carle Illinois College of Medicine welcomes first class of students The Carle Illinois College of Medicine, the world’s first engineering-based medical school, welcomed its first class of 32 students on July 2. A partnership between the University of Illinois and the Carle Health System, the college aims to create a cohort of physicianinnovators who exemplify the qualities of compassion, competence, curiosity, and creativity. The students will receive full four-year tuition scholarships, privately funded, valued at more than $200,000 each. The first class represents 27 undergraduate institutions from across the United States. The unique, engineering-focused nature of the curriculum led to stringent admission requirements beyond the usual premedical track, such as high-level
LGBT Resource Center....... 244-8863 Library................................. 333-2290 McKinley Health Center...... 333-2700 MTD Safe Rides................... 265-7433 Parent and Family Programs.......................... 333-7063 Police, University................. 333-1216 Records Service Center...... 333-0210 Registration Assistance ...... 333-6565 Student Employment ......... 333-0600 Student Patrol/SafeWalks... 333-1216 Student Programs and Activities............................ 333-3660 Study Abroad...................... 333-6322 Tenant Union....................... 333-0112 Women’s Resources Center.333-3137 University Directory............ 333-1000
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mathematics, computer science, or other quantitative courses. Twentytwo out of the 32 students have undergraduate engineering degrees, five have mathematics or computer science degrees, and five have biology or biochemistry degrees. In addition, 13 of the incoming students have graduate degrees – 10 hold a master’s degree, and three a Ph.D. The students are eager to be the first to experience the college’s case-driven, problem-based, active learning curriculum, which also includes mentorship, simulation, access to the university’s medical maker lab, medical humanities, and more. The first class of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine will graduate in 2022.
The Sophomore Slump
Parent and Family Events
Tara Sohns – PFPO student employee
Dads Weekend
Make plans now for Dads Weekend, November 2-4, 2018. Be sure to check the Parent and Family Programs Office website for complete information about Dads Association events and purchasing tickets.
Moms Weekend
The “sophomore slump”—what is it exactly? The excitement of college wears off and a series of things strike— students question their major, their organizations, and sometimes even their friends. College, perhaps, feels less like home and a slump settles in. But that doesn’t have to be the case. As I start my sophomore year, I don’t feel any sense of a slow ensuing slump—I feel excitement. For me, I think I faced my initial college slump freshman year, making me enthusiastic about what’s to come my second year. When I started my freshman year, I was in a major slump. I was involved in a multitude of high school organizations and came into college wondering if I even liked what I was doing in high school. The answer is no, I don’t think I did. It was difficult to get involved because I had no idea what I wanted to do. Now, after having a year to focus on school and experience campus, I know exactly what I want to get involved in this year.
A significant part of the sophomore slump is the pressure to finally decide a major, but your student doesn’t need to know the very first day. You can still take general education classes the first semester. These electives help broaden their options. Everyone has a subject that fits them and general education classes are a great way to determine which one works best. It’s essential for them not to lock themselves into a major they’re not interested in. It’s never too late to discover different classes and find the best path. They can even do this through joining new RSOs. There’s nothing wrong with leaving some groups and joining new ones in order to find their passion. It’s okay for your student to question the path they’re on—what is important is to guide them in making effective change. Help them find their passions and encourage every route they may take. It’ll alleviate the pressure they’re facing to make a decision for the course of their future.
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Scheduled for April 5-7, 2019. Bring the whole family to campus for this fun-filled weekend celebrating mom! Check the Parent and Family Programs website for more info. And don’t forget to book your hotel room today!
Admitted Students Days
A wonderful opportunity to meet with potential future Illini parents. Share what your experience has been like, as they help their students make that final decision to attend the University of Illinois. Admitted Students Days are scheduled during the spring. Check the Parent and Family Programs website for complete details.
Important Dates
Dad’s Weekend: November 2-4, 2018
Fall 2018 August
Freshman Move-In Day Illini Union Late Nighter Returning Student Move-In Day Illini Union Quad Day Instruction Begins
23 24 24 26 27
September Labor Day (No Classes) Tuition Payment Due
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October Homecoming
November Dads Weekend Thanksgiving Vacation Begins Undergraduate Residence Halls Close Undergraduate Residence Halls Reopen Instruction Resumes December Instruction Ends Reading Day Final Exams Undergraduate Residence Halls Close for Winter Break
7-13 2-4 17 17 24 26 12 13 14-20 22
Spring 2019
January Undergraduate Residence Halls Reopen 13 Instruction Begins 14 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (No Classes) 21 February Tuition Payment Due
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March Spring Break Begins 16 Undergraduate Residence Halls Reopen 24 Instruction Resumes 25 April Moms Weekend
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May Instruction Ends Reading Day Final Exams Commencement Undergrad Res Halls Close
1 2 3-10 11 12
Tickets On Sale Now Each fall, the PFPO and the Dads Association co-sponsor the Dads Weekend events with a variety of programming for families. Major events for Dads Weekend 2018 include: • Friday night Club Hockey game vs TBA • Friday night basketball game vs TBA • Saturday pre-game BBQ at the ARC (limited tickets available)
Dads Association event tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, and all events usually sell out. Please note that all attendees at events, regardless of age, must have a ticket to enter, including Illinois students and all children. Students with their own season or individual football tickets will need to purchase a new ticket if they wish to be seated in the Dads Association section.
Ticket Purchase
All tickets are now available online for purchase. Complete information about Dads Weekend and ticket purchasing is • Saturday football game vs. Minnesota and crowning of King Dad available online at union.illinois.edu/PFPO. • Saturday evening concert The Illini Dad’s Association and No Comment A Cappella Present: A Tribute to Dad Football Ticket Pick-Up • Sunday morning Dads and Students Tickets may be picked up during designated pick-up times that are yet Brunch at the Illini Union to be announced. Be sure to check • And a large variety of universitythe PFPO website for ticket pick-up approved events, such as men’s and information. Tickets WILL NOT be women’s sports, campus events, mailed in advance! theatrical productions, music concerts, Deadline for purchasing tickets: and many others.
Ticket Prices
September 30, 2018.
Nov 2: Hockey Game..................................................... $10 per person Nov 2: Basketball Game................................................ $15 per person Nov 3: Pre-game BBQ & Football Ticket...................... $65 per person Nov 3: Single Football Ticket Only............................... $45 per person Nov 3: Pre-game BBQ Ticket Only............................... $23 per person Nov 3: Dads Weekend Concert..................................... $10 per person Nov 4: Dads Association Brunch................................... $20 per person
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Why You Should Encourage Your College Student to Get Involved on Campus Illini Union Parent and Family Programs Office Many people might believe the only reason to go to college is academia and anything outside of the classroom is a waste of time. However, the college years are also about other kinds of learning. College offers students opportunities to pursue old interests and to discover new interests in the form of Registered Student Organizations (RSOs). Unfortunately, many worry that getting involved in activities or organizations on campus will distract them from their academic pursuits rather than enhance their academics. As a college parent, you can encourage your student to take advantage of the many opportunities available on campus. Help them think about the benefits of getting involved in groups and activities that the college offers. Here are a few reasons why they should consider extracurricular activities. Continue a past interest or find something new. Oftentimes a student has an interest they enjoyed in high school, but didn’t consider making it into a career or field of study. Instead of tossing it to the side, your student can continue as casually as they would like with the help of an RSO. Whether it’s basketball, dancing, or volunteering, your student has the choice of joining these clubs and taking part in their old hobbies with much less pressure. Alternatively, it could be a chance to pursue an activity they’ve always wanted to try, but never had a chance to explore. Love nature, but grew up in the city? Try hiking club! Many opportunities provided in college are much cheaper and are sometimes once-in-a-lifetime. Increase leadership and teamwork skills. Joining an organization means meeting
a lot of new people from many different walks of life. Your student will meet and spend time with students outside of their major, making connections along the way. With group functions, there is almost always leaders and delegators, which opens up yet another opportunity for your student. Additionally, groups almost always work with professors, university staff, and even members of the community. Gain career preparation experience. Activities like student government, student-directed media, professional clubs, volunteer work and internships can provide job-related skills and experience. Your student may also discover a new career path by participating in clubs or organizations that will lead them in new directions. Become more successful. Besides making amazing connections with both students and staff, joining an RSO is scientifically more successful! Several studies have shown that students who are active in campus activities, who do more than focus solely on their studies, are more engaged in the campus community and succeed more academically. Other studies suggest that more engaged students stay at their institution and won’t feel the need to leave or transfer. Although some students fear that being involved will hurt their academics, it may actually help their studies. Being active in an organization is a great resume builder. Although this certainly shouldn’t be the primary reason for joining a group or participating in an activity, it is a huge plus to their college and career experience. Being involved in the things happening
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at the college can bring tremendous benefits to your college student. However, as with so many things during these college years, it is important that your student finds balance. Participating in some groups at school and attending activities on campus are important for your student’s well-being. But we also caution being involved in everything, allowing activities to distract from studies or interfere with a focus on what he/she wants from life, can be harmful. Your student will need to ask “How much is enough?” and “How much is too much?” and find the appropriate and comfortable level of involvement for him/her. For more information visit the Office of Registered Organizations. (Click here for larger image.)
With more than 1,600 organizations at Illinois, your student is sure to find one that excites them and matches their interests and hobbies.
Welcome Week 2018 The Illini Union family looks forward to hosting the 2018 Welcome Week with fun activities and events to welcome students to campus! Look through the schedule below for all of the fun and exciting things happening in the Illini Union. Below is a partial list of some of the events that are on the schedule this year for all students. For more information please see our schedule of events at union. illinois.edu/see-and-do/events/ welcomeweek.
Thursday, August 23 Move-in Night Illini Union Comedy 9 pm-11:30 pm Illini Union
Friday, August 24
Illini Union LateNighter 8 pm-1 am Illini Union
Saturday, August 25
Memorial Stadium Movie: TBA 9 pm Memorial Stadium
Sunday, August 26 Illini Union Quad Day Noon-4 pm Illini Union / Main Quad
Monday, August 27
First Day of School Pictures 11 am-2 pm Anniversary Plaza, Quad side of Illini Union
Scholarship Raffle Tickets on Sale The Moms and Dads Associations are currently selling tickets for their annual scholarship raffle. Once again, this year the raffle will be a 50/50 split. One winner will receive 50% of the net proceeds of the raffle, up to a maximum of $25,000. All proceeds benefits Moms and Dads Associations projects and scholarships and are strictly used to benefit students and families at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. Tickets are $10 each, or $50 for six tickets. All tickets must be received
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by NOON on Sunday, November 4. Winners will be announced no later than Friday, November 30. For a complete list of the official rules, visit the Moms Association website at illinimoms.com/tuition-raffle/. Raffle tickets are located in this newsletter and can be mailed, along with your payment, to the address on the ticket. You may also print out tickets from the Moms Association website. If you have any questions you can email iuparentfamilyprograms@illinois.edu or call (217) 333-7063.
Deciding on Changing a Major Tara Sohns – PFPO student employee Going into college, there’s one question everyone will immediately ask your student—what’s your major? The one flaw in this is that not every student knows what their major is or, quite frankly, likes their major.
two degrees within four years. The process of starting over is worrisome at first, but every program and advisor works with students and makes the transition easy.
When I started college, I was in a major I knew didn’t fit me. During the application process, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do for the next four years. I was in a club in high school which lead me to major in journalism, but I soon realized this is not what I wanted to do. My heart wasn’t in the subject. Instead, I found that I belonged elsewhere—political science and English.
While students in the Division of General Studies have advisors designed to transfer them into a new college at the university, students already in a college or a different major have a bit of a different transition to make. For me, I started in the College of Media and wanted to transfer into the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences on my first day—only to find out you have to wait for one year to transfer colleges.
Changing majors may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s never too late to start a new major. In my case, I’m starting two new majors my second year, but that doesn’t mean I’m behind. I’m still on track to finish
At first, I thought not being able to transfer right away was the worst thing. However, staying in journalism for the year came with so many benefits. I made lifelong friends in the major and worked with professors
who were looking out for my best interests—professors who helped me think out a multitude of paths for different majors. My adviser never tried to keep me in a major I didn’t feel fit me best. Instead, he immediately helped me sign up for classes in the political science curriculum. Intercollegiate transfers (ICT) can be more difficult than just switching your major—with the different requirements each college demands. The first step is going to an ICT meeting sometime during the school year. Following this, you wait until your time slot opens and fill out a minimal application where the student writes a few short essays and enters their GPA. What’s important in this application process is making sure you fulfill all of the requirements to transfer into the new major. For instance, maybe there is a foreign language requirement or core classes that have to be completed. Your student should never be afraid to tell their adviser they want to transfer to a new major or college—advisers are here for them. They will guide your student into the classes they’ll need for a successful transfer. My adviser helped me a significant amount in the process. While starting from scratch may feel like an impossible task, it’s more than manageable. There are so many resources to utilize in this process for a smooth transition. In the end, you want to make sure your student is happy with what they are studying. For more information, on your student’s college specific process to change a major, click here.
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Zuri White Manager Illini Union Parent and Family Programs zuri@illinois.edu
Jamie Singson Director Illini Union jsingson@illinois.edu
Becki Salzman Assistant to the Director Illini Union rsalzman@illinois.edu
Consider a Gift to the Parent Fund
Your unrestricted gift to the Parent Fund helps Student Affairs augment existing and new programs. You can help provide the services and resources that are vital to the overall learning experience of our students. To learn more on how you can give to the Parent Fund visit
uofiparentprograms.illinois.edu/Annual_Fund/Giving.html