Parent & Family Magazine
Volume 2/ Issue 4
May 2015 Contents: Kay’s Column A Message from the Director of Parent & Family Programs TCU Parent Association Message TCU Baseball Senior Game Essential to Academic Success
The TCU Parent & Family Magazine is a publication from Student Development Services in the Division of Student Affairs at Texas Christian University. 2901 Stadium Drive Brown-Lupton University Union Suite 2003 Fort Worth, TX 76129 www.parents.tcu.edu parents@tcu.edu 817-257-7855
Legalize or Not? How to Answer America’s Marijuana Hullabaloo Your Student, Transitioning Through College
TCU Mission: To educate individuals to think and act as ethical leaders and responsible citizens in the global community.
Important Update The TCU Pharmacy is now able to fill out-of-state prescriptions for ADD/ ADHD medications. Only signed, dated original prescriptions are accepted and must fulfill the Texas DPS regulations for a valid prescription. The prescription must be submitted within 21 days from the date the prescription is written. TCU Pharmacy must have a copy of the out-of-state prescribing practitioner’s DEA license and authorized signature. For more information call the TCU Pharmacy at 817-257-7021.
TCU Vision: To be a world-class, values-centered university.
Connect with TCU news, social media, photos, and more at www.newsevents.tcu.edu
Parent & Family Magazine Greetings! Finally, Spring has sprung! At least it has in most parts of the country, including Texas! Winds, gray clouds, and some chilly rain is interspersed among 80, blue-skies, and sun-filled days. The flowers on campus have been beyond glorious! What a beautiful place to live and learn, grow and love! This issue of the TCU Parent and Family Magazine is filled with some exciting news as well as some very important information. I am excited to direct you to correspondence from Mike Watt, the 2015-2016 Chair of the TCU Parents Association. Mike and the leadership committee are making great plans. Continue to stay tuned. The future is about you being connected and involved at TCU! In Mike’s letter there is a link so that you can tell us what you want to do. We need to hear from you! Your son or daughter may have told you about a debate about the issues surrounding
the legalization of marijuana. Tiara Nugent has penned an interesting article following that evening’s discussion. You will want to read and learn! If your student is returning to TCU in the fall, you will want to read the information provided by the TCU Health Center regarding the university’s health insurance requirement. In addition, you will learn about the specifics of the insurance available to students who need the coverage while they are enrolled at TCU. Saturday, May 9 is graduation day for at least 1500 TCU students. If you have a graduate in your family, everything you want to know can be found at www. commencement.tcu.edu. It will be a joyful time for students and their families. It is bittersweet for university faculty and staff. While we are thrilled to see the recognition and celebration of so many fabulous women and men, we will miss them, everyone. Many think that we forget them. Can’t. Never will. Always care. Graduate or not, TCU wants your support in the baseball tournament with Kansas on May 8 (6:30 pm), 9 (4:00 pm), and 10 (1:00 pm). There is an enticing invitation to come out to the ballpark for one, two, or all three games that weekend! I look forward to seeing you there!
May the remainder of the spring be lovely and the summer include some special time with your TCU student. You will both appreciate the opportunity to be together. As always, if there is anything that we can do to help you be a better parent to an emerging adult, please feel free to contact me. Go Frogs!
Kay Higgins, Ph.D. Associate Dean of Student Development Director of Parent & Family Programs
Or so goes the text response from my son. Greetings Parents of TCU Students! If the text conversation sounds familiar to you (and even if it doesn’t), you should consider joining the TCU Parents Association. While we cannot wear a Go-Pro and tell you what your son/ daughter is doing or what he/she made on the important mid-term, the Parents Association is comprised of parents “just like you.” We are you! (My daughter and son will graduate 2016 and 2018, respectively.) We know what’s on your mind! You may remember hearing at Orientation that parents are partners in our student’s education. It’s true! “The TCU Parents Association endeavors to be a resource to inform, connect, engage, and empower parents so that they may be active in the successful development of all TCU students and to support the mission of TCU, which is to educate individuals to think and act as ethical leaders and responsible citizens in the global community.” If you would like to be a part of the TCU community and your student’s university experience register at the following site: https://orgsync.com/36800/forms/144454 . If there is anything with which you think I could be helpful, please feel free to send me an email or call me and I will put you in contact with the appropriate individual at TCU. We have a great group of parents leading the association that are eager to assist your needs. Chair – Mike Watt, Castle Rock, Colorado Vice Chair – Matt and Nancy Gallagher Frisco, Texas Secretary – Sandy Baxter McKinney, Texas Finance Committee Chair - Dan Grable Newport Beach, California Marketing Committee Chair – Robin Edmond Irvine, California Involvement Committee Chair – Sue Hull Phoenix, Arizona Please consider getting involved with your son or daughter’s university experience! GO FROGS! Mike Watt TCU Parents Association, Chair TCUpassoc@gmail.com (719)338-4447. (Cell Phone)
Essential to Academic Success Marilyn Hallam, TCU Health Center
Good Health is essential to academic success and having access to healthcare can be assured by having a health insurance plan that provides comprehensive coverage for your son and/or daughter. TCU was ahead of the curve by establishing in 1989 the policy requiring undergraduates registered for 9+ hours to have health insurance. The requirement could and continues to be met by the student having coverage under a family/individual policy or the TCU-offered Aetna Student Health Insurance Plan. The 2015/2016 Aetna Student Health Insurance Plan is a major medical, comprehensive policy that provides world-wide benefits. It has no benefit maximums on prescriptions or medical services. There is a $350 per Plan Year deductible when seeing an In-Network, Aetna provider with an 80/20 benefit, thereafter. Seeing an Out-of-Network provider incurs a $600 per Plan Year deductible and a 70/30 benefit. When on campus, the student’s greatest benefit is to seek care at the TCU AAAHC accredited Health Center. All TCU students are eligible for care at the Health Center. However, students who carry the Aetna Student Health Insurance will have charges for services; e.g. lab tests, x-rays/MRIs, dressings, orthopedic boots and/or splints, immunizations, etc. paid at 100% as those charges are billed directly to Aetna Student Health by the Health Center. (The Health Center does not file claims with any private health insurance carrier and charges for services will appear on the student’s university account as a line item.) Prescriptions obtained from the TCU Pharmacy or any other pharmacy are subject to the $350 deductible and are eligible for reimbursement when the student submits a claim form and receipt to Aetna Student Health. Prescriptions filled at the TCU Health Center Pharmacy are eligible for an 80% reimbursement. It is a 70% reimbursement when filled off campus. Generic prescriptions for female contraception are not subject to the deductible and are covered at 100% when submitted for reimbursement. Other benefits under the Aetna Student Health Insurance include: maximum out-of-pocket In-Network expenses - $4,000 per Plan Year; Out-of-Network maximum out-of-pocket expenses - $8,000 per Plan Year; inpatient as well as outpatient benefits; physical therapy; mental health and substance abuse benefits; women’s health benefits; medical evacuation & repatriation; Informed Health Line; Traveler’s Assistance; and discount programs – vision, hearing, dental, and others. The 2015/2016 Plan Details can be viewed under “Insurance” on the Health Center’s website – www.healthcenter.tcu.edu. Coverage for the fall begins August 15, 2015, and ends January 10, 2016. Spring term coverage begins January 11, 2016, and ends August 14, 2016. For 2015/2016 the Aetna Student Health Insurance per semester cost is $979.00. Here are some questions to ponder when deciding on health insurance for your student: 1. Does your current plan provide for medically-necessary care at the TCU Health Center and in the Fort Worth/Dallas area and in the state of Texas and outside of Texas? 2. Does your current plan cover medical treatment while your student is traveling away from home or studying abroad?
3. What is your current In-Network deductible? 4. What is your current In-Network out-of-pocket expense? 5. Will coverage be in place for the entire 2015/2016 academic year? Students will begin registering for fall classes in April. And, an undergraduate will receive the first of several e-mail messages once they have registered for 9+ hours. The e-mail will state the requirement, give some highlights of the Aetna Student Health Insurance Plan, have an embedded link that will take the student to the Elect/Waive website, and give the deadlines for entering information online. An informed decision can be made by comparing any existing, private health insurance plan to the Aetna Student Health Insurance Plan. If the decision is to waive the student plan, the student will be directed to login to his/her my.TCU.edu using their Username and personal password to access the waiver screen where they will enter information about their private health insurance. If the decision is to retain the Aetna Student Health Insurance Plan, the student does not need to do anything. Without private health insurance information being entered, the student will be automatically enrolled in the Aetna Student Health Insurance Plan. Their coverage under the student plan will begin August 15, 2015. Whatever the decision might be, remember Good Health is Essential to Academic Success.
LEGALIZE OR NOT? HOW TO ANSWER AMERICA’S MARIJUANA HULLABALOO Tiara Nugent, Program Director of TCU’s The Bottom Line
Watching an unlawful substance become legal and available for sale is an unusual occurrence in American society. No generation since the age of prohibition can recall the sort of transition from illegal to legal we’re seeing today with marijuana. It’s quite understandable then that across the country people are wrestling with what they believe about pot – and not just about the drug, but about its legalization, decriminalization, regulation and commercialization. They’re hypothesizing the impact such actions could have on our society – on social justice, on the economy, on our brains. They’re digging for background, for hard facts, for knowledge. Or so we hope, for, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” This March, TCU took a bold step to promote informed opinions on marijuana use and legalization by hosting the university’s first formal marijuana debate, “The Blunt Truth.” Experts from across the nation flew in to publicly wrestle every facet of the marijuana discussion and thereby allow students the opportunity to gather the necessary facts to develop informed personal views, make wise decisions, and become empowered activists in their own right. Read below for a snapshot of topics covered during the debate that still have students conferring in TCU classrooms, organizational meetings and residence halls. LAW AND POLITICS The home roots of TCU students, faculty and staff are embedded all across this country and the world. As must be expected given this vast scope of geographic origin, the laws, norms and beliefs each are accustomed to vary greatly and the case of marijuana is no exception. Quite naturally then, a first order of business must be to frame the current political climate. In Texas, where marijuana is still completely illegal, the legislature is in session and Austin lawmakers have introduced eight different bills regarding marijuana. The bills’ scope of impact ranges from legalizing medical THC oils to decriminalization to a measure that would legalize weed and regulate it like garden produce. The fate of all eight bills is still to be decided. Meanwhile, fifty-seven percent of Americans live in states where reformed marijuana laws currently allow medical marijuana, impose a fine — versus possible jail time — on marijuana possession, and/or make marijuana legally available and regulate it for adult use. Federal law, however, still classifies marijuana as a dangerous illegal drug with no acceptable medicinal value and a high risk of abuse. To be specific, marijuana is a Schedule I drug, ranked alongside substances such as heroin, LSD and ecstasy. Regardless of whether you’re tweeting your Congressional representative to advocate reform or praying federal law remains resolute, today’s reality is that marijuana is banned by the federal government even as states continue to be laboratories of democracy testing new societal compounds by adding legal weed to their mix. Even amid these perplexities, for colleges and universities including TCU, the course of action is crystal clear: the federal ban on marijuana is strictly enforced. One reason why is not unlike the reason why every state enforces a minimum drinking age of 21 – federal funding. The Drug Free Schools and Communities Act of 1989 laid forth requirements by which all institutions of higher education receiving any form of federal funding must comply. Every two years each institution must compile a review documenting its drug and alcohol prevention efforts as well as a report detailing the school’s compliance with regulations to demonstrate continued eligibility for financial support. PHYSICAL AND MEDICINAL EFFECTS The U.S. Center for Disease Control and numerous other esteemed organizations have published scientific reports about the negative impacts of marijuana use – including memory impairment, decreased lung function and mental health problems. Today, however, we also commonly hear positive reports about marijuana used for medical purposes to bring relief to those suffering from specific, often chronic, illnesses. What is truth? The fact is that the FDA has not sanctioned marijuana as a remedy for any medical condition. Numerous prestigious research foundations and national health organizations – such as the American Cancer Society, the American Glaucoma Society and the American Medical Association – have released statements on the subject and seem to be in close agreement on their positions. In CliffsNotes style, their positions decline endorsement of medicinal marijuana, particularly if smoked, and
call for more research inclusive of long-term clinical trials to determine side effects and effectiveness as compared to traditional treatments. It is also noteworthy to point out – as these organizations have – that like alcohol or any other drug, the effects marijuana can have on an individual depends on a number of factors, including the person’s previous experience with marijuana (or other drugs), gender and other physiological factors, how the marijuana is ingested (smoked versus orally), and the marijuana’s potency. Potency—determined by the amount of THC contained in the marijuana—has drawn much attention in recent years because across the country it is increasing steadily. Based on analyses of marijuana samples confiscated by law enforcement agents, 2012 THC concentrations in marijuana averaged 14.5 percent. By comparison, in the 1980s THC concentrations floated around three and a half percent. Some current strains contain as much as 30 percent THC. What does this mean? For recreational and medicinal users alike, it allows greater chances of an adverse and unpredictable reaction. In Colorado, a handful of deaths legally attributed to “marijuana intoxication” serve as a solemn reminder of the difficulty in knowing exactly how much THC is being consumed and cautions users to pay extra attention to the serving size of edibles. While dosage attracts its fair share of attention, the subject of marijuana addiction – and whether or not marijuana addiction is indeed possible – hasn’t budged from the limelight. Science continues to research answers, employing think-tanks such as Dr. Jason Kilmer of the University of Washington. Dr. Kilmer concentrates his research on marijuana as it affects college students’ academic and physical performance and is one of the foremost scholars in the country on the drug. On the subject of addiction, Dr. Kilmer frequently asks whether the onset of symptoms being treated by marijuana came before or after the individual’s initial use. This timing is of interest to note because, as Dr. Kilmer points out, when use of marijuana stops, the symptoms habitual users typically experience are the very same as symptoms of withdrawal—irritability, insomnia, depression, anxiety, headaches and eating problems for example. While these symptoms may not pose an immediate threat to health, they can make it difficult for a person to keep from using weed again for comfort. CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION Commercialization? Regulation? Edibles? Much more could be written about each of these topics and others, but let this inadequacy be your challenge. Research. Learn. Share. During the 1980s and 1990s, the War on Drugs and “Just Say No” campaigns specified a national moral mandate and a singular template for parents: all drugs are bad always. Today, most of the general populous and experts alike believe the reductionist catchphrases of the aforementioned campaigns oversimplify the complex landscape of American drug use. Regardless of personal beliefs, however, the constant controversy and drama in the news can serve as a convenient springboard to discuss the realities of marijuana and other drug use in our culture with friends, colleagues, and, of course, your student. For starters, try casually asking your student what he or she has heard about marijuana legalization and the effects reformed legislation is having on states. Be prepared from your own research to ask thoughtful, objective questions that nudge your student to conduct research for answers. In the discussion, probe critical thinking from all viewpoints, ultimately leaving your student to make a personal decision about where to stand. At the end of the conversation, take a moment to remind your student that each time an individual smokes pot it affects decision-making skills and inhibitions are reduced. These effects can, in turn, lead to choices that may place him or her in a high-risk situation and a campus drug violation. Perhaps also remind your student that even if we were to assume one substance is safer than another, any mind-altering substance comes with some level of risk and responsibility. Finally, remember that whether waving from the school bus flashing a gaping smile or grown up living the collegiate life, you are the most important influence in your student’s life. Use your voice and come alongside your student as a catalyst in our nation’s societal evolution. ______________________________________________________________________________
For updates on marijuana use, legalization and other drugs as well as tips on responsible decision-making and alcohol, connect with TCU’s The Bottom Line campaign on social media (Facebook: BottomLineTCU, Twitter: bottom_line_tcu).
Your Student, Transitioning Through College
Student Development in the First, Middle, and Senior years at TCU Class of 2018
The First–Year Experience
As first year students prepare to return home for the summer, many find themselves rediscovering what home means. Familiar sights, John Mark Day, Ed.D., Director sounds and the of the First Year Expereince, comforts of the Student Development Services house they grew up in look a little different after a school year spent at TCU. Students return home glad to be back but also missing their friends, habits and memories from the past nine months on campus. While the summer means vacation for most students, there are some great things that your student can be focused on during his or her time off: Reflecting on the first year Downtime over summer vacation is a great opportunity for students to process through their first year at TCU. What are they most proud of from this year? What do they wish they had done differently? How can they build on these successes as sophomores? This is the time for students to take a break to think about the past year and make sure and make sure things are going the way they’d hoped. If they’re not, a summer away is a good chance to do some recalibration. Major and career choices Part of this reflection should focus on classes from this past year. The summer provides pre-major students with an opportunity to think about how those classes, activities, or organizations they particularly enjoyed might translate into major choices. For students with declared majors, this is a good time to check in and make sure those classes went as expected and are continuing to be
interesting and useful.
Class of 2017 & 2016
Jobs and internships Summer jobs are great opportunities for students to earn extra money, as well as get a glimpse of their career choices. While a summer lifeguarding at the pool may be the easiest option, clerking at a local law firm might be a more useful choice.
The Sophomore & Junior–Year Experience
Health and wellness Coming off of finals week, your student is going to need to spend some time relaxing, decompressing, and getting back into good, healthy habits. Sleep, healthy eating, working out and strengthening social, spiritual and emotional connections are all important things for students to think about during the summer. Friends and relationships Students are leaving TCU friends for three months and catching back up with old friends from high school. Expect them to re-evaluate relationships on all fronts. This is a good chance to compare college stories with old friends, but expect them to be thinking a lot about what those relationships look like now. Late spring is certainly an exciting time for students and families – expect your (former) first year student to have great stories of spring baseball games, road trips and indepth end-of-the-semester classroom conversations and assignments.
Summer is almost here and students in the sophomore and junior years have quite a bit going on and lots of decisions to consider. For Sophomores, there is an increased urgency about confirming majors and future vocations. Encourage your student to seek Keri Cyr, M.Ed., Director out internship of the Sophomore & Junior opportunities in Year Experience, Student Development Services job fields that interest him/ her. The summer after one’s sophomore year is not too early for an internship. In fact, an internship experience at this point in your student’s education can help him/her clarify interests and passions. The Center for Career & Professional Development (formerly Career Services) staff members can be an invaluable resource to explore internship opportunities. Visit www. careers.tcu.edu. It’s also a prime time to consider studying abroad. Visit www.studyabroad for more information. Rising Juniors have new programs to look forward to this coming fall. Many TCU Juniors choose the fall semester of the Junior year to leave the residence halls and often experience a sense of loss of community. Student Development Services is excited to launch new opportunities focused on helping Juniors with the transition to living off-campus. Students should watch for campus advertisements. For Juniors, interest in graduate school might come up in conversation over the summer. If it does, encourage him/her to speak with a faculty member he/she respects
about his/her desire to continue his/her education. Most graduate programs require completion of some kind of graduate program assessment test, like the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). If your student is interested in law school or medical school, he/ she should consider a prep course in the profession-specific entrance exam that applies to that field of study. The Center for Career & Professional Development is also a good resource for information about graduate school.
Class of 2015 The Senior Year Experience Wrapping Up & Moving On: Transitions in the Senior Year The senior year completes a significant leg of life’s journey while also taking first steps on the next leg. It is a time of letting go that can be both joyous and sad, and a time of new beginnings that can be both exhilarating Chuck Dunning, M.A., Director of the Senior and frightening. Experience, Student Development Services Research shows that seniors’ concerns go beyond employment and graduate school issues and include anxiety about change, loss, and support (Pistilli, Taub, & Bennett, 2003), and social skills and friendships (Maurer, J. F., 1982). Although the specifics vary from one senior to another, all face these developmental challenges: •Coping with personal adjustments in shifting from college to post-college life •Achieving meaningful closure to college experiences •Celebrating accomplishments & recognizing successes •Committing to roles as ethical leaders & responsible citizens
The typical college experience automatically guides students through some of these challenges, yet much remains for each student’s own discovery, attention, and effort. TCU also provides guidance, resources, and programming that help seniors recognize, understand, and successfully respond to their more personal and unique circumstances. The office of the Senior Year Experience partners with all these programs and services, but one of our most important partnerships is with you, the parents and family members of seniors. You can make a significant impact simply by welcoming discussion on the developmental challenges your student is facing as well as the resources. A useful checklist for this purpose is available here: http://sds. tcu.edu/students/senior/senior-mustdo-list/. Of course, the next step is for your student to actually use those resources, and your encouragement to do so is of inestimable value. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Chuck Dunning, Director of the Senior Year Experience, at c.dunning@tcu.edu, or 817-257-7855. We work with individuals and groups on programs and services to address the needs of our seniors.
Our Mission: To educate individuals to think and act as ethical leaders and responsible citizens in the global community. Texas Christian University 2800 South University Drive Fort Worth, TX 76129 www.tcu.edu