Family Connections April 2017

ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY

SPRING 2017

FAMILY Connections RMU ANNOUNCES PARENT COUNCIL INITIATIVE Robert Morris University is excited to announce its newest initiative, the Parent Council. This small group consists of nominated parent ambassadors who reside from all over Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland and have children currently enrolled in their freshman, sophomore, and junior years (even some graduates too!). Members have signed on for a two-year term and annually support the university through financial contributions.

Conversations and advice from other parents and families going through the same processes and experiences is invaluable. John Lichius recommends other parents to, “Encourage your students to get involved in on-campus activities and academic organizations. Trust them and watch them flourish.” Both of his children, Ellen and Anne, got involved and took advantage of university opportunities for social and professional growth.

The mission of the Parent Council is to help bridge the gap between RMU faculty, staff, parents, and families. Through the ongoing exchange of providing feedback on communications and programming, participating in fundraising efforts, and working with the university, the Parent Council members help to create a more dynamic and robust partnership. “This is a very exciting time at RMU with the expansion of facilities and student opportunities. I am most looking forward to serving as a connection to the university and parents and families of RMU students,” says John Lichius. Parent Council member, Stacey Passerini says, “I want to focus not only on my own children, but everyone’s children. Once a Colonial family, always a Colonial family!”

Parent Council members encourage you to share your experiences. RMU parents are able to ask members questions by filling out the “Ask a Parent” form online at rmu.edu/AskaParent.

Members will also have a presence at upcoming events on campus and you will have the opportunity to swap stories.

Thank you for your partnership, Parent Council members: Lisa Bray Dave Cox Charlotte and Stephen Englert Kathy and Ron Graziani Mary Grill John Lichius

Dana and Bob McCutcheon Janet and Tim Menzie Stacey and Michael Passerini Hyacinth Perrault Ginina and Claymon Stevenson Richard Wanat

Family Connections is a publication designed for the parents and families of Robert Morris University students. It is compiled by the Office of Student Life and printed in cooperation with the Office of Public Relations and Marketing. Editions are printed in the fall, winter, and spring of each academic year. We are interested in your feedback about this publication. E-mail your comments and suggestions to studentlife@rmu.edu.

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VOLUNTEERING IN APPALACHIA “Life is for service.“ Fred Rogers How did your student spend spring break?

While some students basked in the sun on a Florida beach and others enjoyed being at home sleeping in their own beds, 12 diverse Robert Morris University students and two Student Life professional staff members traveled to the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina to serve those living in rural poverty.

RMU once again partnered with the Hinton Rural Life Center of the United Methodist Church in Hayesville, North Carolina, which will host work teams that perform home repairs for low-income, elderly and disabled residents of this breathtaking, but very isolated and poverty-stricken region.

While this was the third year that RMU returned to our good friends at Hinton, this trip was very special, with students and staff raving about it upon their return. In addition to performing hands-on volunteer service, including painting a local church in the community, the group participated in and helped to lead Hinton’s Community Action Week activities. This was a new experience for RMU. In an effort to engage members of the local community around the issue of rural poverty, students led a Poverty Simulation game and Cut Throat Food Pantry a unique twist on Cut Throat Kitchen. These fun and engaging learning activities not only taught students about the challenges of living in poverty

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day-to-day, but also enabled them to use and further strengthen their leadership skills – all while interacting with community members.

Amidst all of this activity, students were also able to unplug and decompress, enjoying true southern hospitality, delicious home cooked meals and amazing mountain beauty, peace and quiet.

Of course a big part of the fun was traveling the nine hours by minivan, which allowed for wonderful friendships to form - all while seeing different parts of the country along the way. The students look forward to sharing about their experiences through a formal presentation to RMU’s president and other administrators.

Perhaps next year your student would like to participate in one of RMU’s Alternative Spring Break trips, which will be advertised in the fall of 2017. A minimal fee is charged and students help fundraise to underwrite trip costs. Going on one ASB trip fulfills the Service category of the Student Engagement Transcript. Alternative Spring Break is a great low-cost way to serve others, see our wonderful country and have fun.

Any interested student should contact Donna Anderson, Director, Student Civic Engagement at andersond@rmu.edu.

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MAKING CONNECTIONS The Office of Residence Life and our Community Advisor (CA) Staff have had a very productive year. During this academic year, the CA staff has made connections with their residents - your students - on an individual basis. This has happened through many different avenues, such as our Colonial Conversations, Roommate Agreements, and Floor Meetings.

The primary avenue for connecting with students has been through the various programs and events the staff host each month. In fall 2016, our Community Advisors planned and executed over 200 different programs. Individual building program highlights include: Pumpkin Patch Excursion Adams Hall Monthly Recreational Sports Events Gallatin Hall Escape Room Hamilton Hall Honors Living and Learning Community (LLC) RISE Center Tour Hancock Hall Health Professions LLC Drunk Goggle Dodge ball Marshall Hall Minute To Win It Game Night Marshall Hall Walking Taco Dinner Night Ross Hall Holiday Parties Various halls

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Our apartments (Concord, Lexington, and Salem Halls), Washington Hall, and Yorktown Hall staff members introduced a new weekend programming model this year. Some successful weekend programs held in those communities included: Coffee Mug Decorating Painting and Pinot (21+) Fall Festival French Fry Social Football Tailgate In January 2017, the CA staff attended the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education (PCHE) Residential Student Staff Conference where they learned valuable tools to improve in their jobs, as well as met and interacted with other CA staffs from the Pittsburgh area. This opportunity allowed them to gain new ideas and establish valuable connections.

The CA staff and the professional staff in the Office of Residence Life are working diligently to help students through the housing selection process for 2017-18. Community Advisors conducted floor meetings, building meetings, and one-on-one meetings in order to prepare continuing resident students for this process.

We also recently completed the hiring process for our new CA staff for the 2017-18 academic year.

These students will participate in valuable spring training prior to their departure for the summer.

Our year-round CA training program helps ensure that these student leaders are well equipped to help students capitalize on their residential experience.

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SPOTLIGHT ON THE RMU RESIDENCE HALL ASSOCIATION The Residence Hall Association (RHA) is a student-run organization that provides communication, education, leadership, and community development opportunities for students in the residence hall community.

RHA strives to promote the university mission and values as well as serves to meeting the needs to the campus community.

This semester, RHA hosted our annual Siblings Weekend. This is a weekend that we invite the siblings of students on campus for a jam-packed weekend of events. Our theme this year was Luau. A few of our events includes a movie night, featuring Disney's Moana, free admittance into the home basketball games, free admittance to ice skating at the RMU Island Sports Center, as well as a Hawaiian themed paint night. Our biggest event of the weekend was our Luau. It

was completed with traditional Polynesian Dancers, sand art, tropical birds posing for pictures, henna tattoos, and much more! We had a record-breaking weekend with 250 siblings in attendance.

RHA provides all resident students with the opportunity to become more involved and serve the campus and local community.

In addition to campus programs, we also provide opportunities for service projects at local nonprofit organizations. RHA is a building block for student success as it helps them to remain engaged and find their purpose.

Learn more about us at rmu.edu/rha.

RMU PARENTS AND FAMILIES FACEBOOK We invite to you to join our RMU Parents and Families online community. We hope to provide a new way to connect with you on social media.

Search RMU Parents and Families on Facebook and you will find us!

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RECEIVING ACCOMMODATIONS AT RMU Transitioning to college is difficult for any student.

If your daughter or son had an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a 504 Plan in high school, a restrictive diet, limited mobility, or received any other accommodation in the classroom or at home, the change to the campus environment could seem exceptionally daunting.

One of the main goals of the Center for Student Success is to make that transition as smooth as possible by connecting students with necessary resources on campus.

The coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities meets with students and parents to explain the process of receiving accommodations at RMU, as well as the differences between high school and higher education. In high school, school districts are responsible for identifying, evaluating, and closely monitoring progress towards IEP goals. In postsecondary education, there is a clear shift in responsibility to the student.

Students are responsible for self-disclosure, communicating needs to the office, and distributing their letters to their faculty each semester. It is important to note that no IEP or 504 plans continue past high school, due to the different legal mandates for high school and higher education. In college, reasonable accommodations may be provided based on documentation to offer equal access.

Documentation needs differ based on the type of disability, but commonly include an official letter written by the medical professional evaluator describing the diagnoses and validating the need for services. For Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorder, further assessments

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will need to be completed in order to establish the current level of functioning in an educational setting. Reports should have a clinical summary based on the evaluation process, which includes specific academic accommodation recommendations. In order to ensure that services and accommodations are matched to the student's changing needs, students must provide documentation that is no more than three years old. It may be likely that a new evaluation will need to be completed in order to meet documentation standards. If your student is eligible for services through your state vocational rehabilitation agency, he or she may qualify for an evaluation at no cost to you. Visit rsa.ed.gov/people.cfm and click “VR State Agency Contacts.�

We encourage your student to start preparing as early as possible, as some accommodations may require significant planning in advance of a new semester. One of the most essential pieces of a successful journey through higher education is the concept of student independence. Although we work with a variety of students on developing self-advocacy skills and increasing autonomy, it is important to encourage these practices at home in order for your student to have a successful collegiate experience.

For more information, contact Grace Novacek, Counselor, Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities. Ms. Novacek can be reached at novacek@rmu.edu.

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SPRING HAPPENINGS IN THE CENTER FOR STUDENT SUCCESS Does your student know his or her Academic Counselor? On Tuesday, March 14, the Center for Student Success hosted a "Meet and Greet" in the PNC Colonial Cafe’ to encourage students to seek assistance from our department. Your student can find the name of his or her Counselor on the student CheckSheet in Sentry.

With the end of the spring semester approaching, we are encouraging students to take advantage of our FREE tutoring services before Final Exams. For more information and the tutoring schedule, visit rmu.edu/tutoring.

Earlier this semester we hired 34 First Year Experience Mentors and 10 Early Success Program Leaders for the upcoming 2017-18 year.

If your student is looking for employment opportunities within our department, we will be hiring student office employees and peer tutors through ColonialTrak at the start of the 2017-18 academic year.

Is your family new to RMU? If you have questions or concerns about the Early Success Program, the First-Year Seminar Program, Services for Students with Disabilities, Act 101, or the Pittsburgh Promise program, please feel free to reach out to us at 412-397-6862, center4success@rmu.edu. Additional information can be found at rmu.edu/css.

COMMENCEMENT 2017 FESTIVITIES SET FOR MAY 5 – 6 Congratulations to the Class of 2017! We look forward to welcoming family and friends to campus in a few short weeks as our students celebrate this special milestone.

Graduates and families should visit rmu.edu/commencement for important information regarding this year’s Graduate and Undergraduate ceremonies set for the weekend

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of May 5-6. The ceremony for master's and doctoral degree students will be Friday, May 5 at 4 p.m. The undergraduate ceremony for bachelor's degree students will be Saturday, May 6 at 9:30 a.m. Both ceremonies will take place in the Sewall Center Arena.

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RMU NIGHT AT PNC PARK AND YOUR CHANCE TO THROW OUT THE FIRST PITCH Take me out to the…RMU Night at PNC Park!

Each year the university teams up with the Pittsburgh Pirates to host RMU Night at PNC Park. This event is a chance for Colonials to gather in one of the most beautiful parks in baseball and cheer on the Buccos.

Students, alumni, and friends of the university are invited to splash a little blue and red on that black and yellow on Wednesday, June 14 for a rooftop party. Your student can purchase an all-inclusive ticket for $50, which includes seats

in sections 335-339 on the Miller Lite Rooftop (under the scoreboard), an official RMU-branded Pirates hat, and unlimited food and drinks from 6:30-8 p.m. Part of the fee will include a $5 donation to the Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship fund.

Additionally, we’re letting one lucky Colonial throw out the first pitch! If your son or daughter wants to step onto the mound, have him or her visit rmu.edu/RMUnight.

SAVE THE DATE: HOMECOMING 2017 Homecoming Weekend is the biggest event of the year for RMU. Thousands of students, alumni, family, and friends return to campus and show their Colonial Pride. The weekend kicks off Friday night with the Alumni Happy Hour at Buford’s Kitchen in Moon Twp. Then on Saturday, campus comes alive as tailgate alley opens up and we begin to gear up for the football game.

are celebrating their 10, 15, 25, 40, or 50 year reunion. This is a great opportunity for Colonials of all ages to share their stories about what Robert Morris was like when they attended.

As a parent of a current student, we invite you and your family to campus on September 15-16 for Homecoming Weekend. Stay tuned for more information.

Alumni are invited to the Reunion Years Reception, where we honor graduates who

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Robert Morris University 6001 University Boulevard Moon Township, PA 15108 RMU.EDU

FAMILY Connections UPCOMING EVENTS Visit rmu.edu for the university’s full calendar of events.

APRIL 14 20 24 25 25-30 26 30

Good Friday Holiday. No classes. Administrative Offices closed.

RMU Idol, 9 p.m., PNC Colonial Cafe Last Day of 15-week classes Almost Midnight Breakfast, 10 p.m., Midnight - PNC Colonial Cafe Final Exams / Quiet Study Spring Study Break, 8 - 10 p.m., PNC Colonial Cafe Senior Week (various events planned)

MAY 1-4 5 6

Senior Week (various events planned) Graduate Commencement Ceremony, 4 p.m.,Sewall Center Arena Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony, 9:30 a.m.,Sewall Center Arena