off campus, and how to best interact with vehicles and other riders on the roadway. need a new item? ..... Setting up a
FALL 2017
UREC Cycle Center Financial Aid & Scholarships University Health Center Student Alumni Association Homesickness Madison Trust Student Finances Student Accountability
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Libraries UREC Athletic Training Services International Week Honors College Student Involvement University Program Board Welcome Military Families Livesafe App at JMU
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join us for FAMILY weekend! On behalf of the JMU Parents Council, we invite all JMU parents and family members to join in the fun and excitement of the annual Family Weekend on September 22-24. We certainly look forward to spending this special weekend with our son Matthew (‘18). Thousands of families travel to Harrisonburg and take advantage of this opportunity to get a taste of JMU campus life, visit with their students and further enhance their JMU family experience. Be sure to register early as many Family Weekend ticketed events are limited and sell out quickly! Use this brochure for your registration needs, or for more information visit the JMU Parents website at jmu.edu/parents. As spokespersons and advocates representing JMU in our communities, Parents Council members serve as a liaison between parents and the university. Parents Council members are willing and eager to answer your questions about JMU. JMU Parents Council members encourage your involvement with your student in the Madison Experience — especially during Family Weekend. We look forward to meeting many of you. Check out all the great events listed below and have a safe trip to Harrisonburg. Hope you can join us in celebrating Family Weekend!
Dan and Lisa Engelhardt 2017-18 Parents Council Chairs Ashburn, Va.
IMPORTANT DATES FOR PARENTS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JMU PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES
FRESHMAN MOVE-IN --AUG. 22/23
CLASSES BEGIN --AUG. 28
FAMILY WEEKEND --SEPT. 22-24
HOMECOMING weekend --OCT. 27-29
THANKSGIVING BREAK --NOV. 20-24
FINAL EXAMS --DEC. 9-15 FALL 2017, VOL. 11, ISSUE 2 [ PAGE 2 ]
UREC’s Cycle Central Gearing Up this Fall! By: Kristin Gibson, UREC
Biking is an excellent way to travel around campus: it’s great for your health and the environment! UREC is excited to partner with Shenandoah Bicycle Company, a downtown Harrisonburg business, to offer JMU students repair, maintenance services, and cycling educational programs right on campus! Cycle Central is located in the UREC Adventure Center and will open at the start of the Fall semester. Have a broken bike? Cycle Central will offer full-service bike repair, from basic flat tire repair to complete
tune-ups and overhauls. 24-hour turnaround is available with some repairs able to be done while you wait. General estimates for time and cost of repair can be offered at drop off. Need pointers or a fitting? Stop by Cycle Central and we will help get your fitted and comfortable on your bike, from minor seat and handlebar adjustments to a complete fitting on your ride. Ask us about riding on and off campus, and how to best interact with vehicles and other riders on the roadway.
Need a new item? Cycle Central will offer a comprehensive selection of products for your bicycle needs. From locks, lights, to helmets we will have you covered. Questions? Questions about services, products, pricing, and payment can be directed to Tim or Thomas at info@shenandoahbicycle. com. General questions, concerns, or comments can be directed to the Associate Director for UREC Services, Kristin Gibson, at
[email protected].
MADISON Family NEWSLETTER [ PAGE 3 ]
Satisfactory acaemic process and 2018-19 FAFSA Filing Date change! Federal regulations require that each school have a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy that measures three areas of compliance: GPA, Pace and Maximum Time. SAP is reviewed each year a student files a FAFSA. If an issue is identified, an email will be sent from our office with the notification that financial aid is denied for the upcoming school year. This denial of financial aid includes all types of grant funding, Federal Work Study, Direct Student Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and certain private student loans. In addition to the email, students also receive a notice in their ‘To Do’ list on MyMadison. Both messages detail the area(s) of noncompliance. Because of federal privacy regulations (FERPA), we cannot communicate SAP issues with anyone other than the student. Here is a little bit more about the three areas reviewed: • The GPA requirement is based on the number of credit hours attempted and the standard set mirrors the university’s academic suspension policy. You can find the table showing the minimum GPA requirement for each range of attempted hours on our website, as well as the Registrar’s Office website.
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The Maximum Time evaluation will flag a student with a SAP issue who has attempted 150 or more credit hours. There are certain majors at JMU requiring a large number of credits or a student may be attempting multiple majors/minors which would elevate their attempted credits. This is something we would consider if an appeal is submitted for review. For Pace, students must earn credit for at least 80% of the hours they have attempted. Issues in this area can stem from withdrawals, repeat forgive courses, incompletes and failing grades. These all represent credits a student has attempted, but not earned. Students in their first year are more susceptible to having issues with this standard because of the limited number of overall attempted hours. For example, if 24 credits are taken in the first year (12 per semester) but one course is withdrawn from and an ‘F’ is earned in another, then that student may only have a total of 18 credits earned versus the 24 attempted, which results in a pace percentage of 75%.
By: Jessica Hopkins Financial Aid & Scholarships
Students flagged with a SAP issue who experienced extenuating circumstances that may have played a role in their academic struggles have the opportunity to submit an appeal for review by our SAP Appeals Committee. Students with an approved appeal are placed on an academic plan with guidelines that are designed to help get them back into good standing with SAP. Financial aid may be available on a probationary basis for students with an approved appeal. More information about Satisfactory Academic Progress is located on our website at www.jmu.edu/ financialaid. We also want to let you know that the 2018-19 FAFSA will be available on October 1, 2017. Refer to the JMU Financial Aid website for information regarding the JMU FAFSA Priority Filing Date. In addition, using the Data Retrieval Process (DRT) when completing your FAFSA can expedite processing and potentially reduce the need for us to collect Verification materials from you and your student as part of our review.
FALL 2017, VOL. 11, ISSUE 2 [ PAGE 4 ]
For more information, visit jmu.edu/parents
the university health center
BE well, stay well, do well BY: Angela Ritchie, University health center
Welcome to a new school year! All of us at the University Health Center are looking forward to the energy and excitement that a new year brings. And while no one wants to think about being sick (especially away from home), here are some tips for students when they’re not feeling well: 1. Go to the Health Center website and check out the self-care guides. You may be able to get better without even needing a visit. 2. If you need more than the self-care guides, make an appointment online with one of our doctors, physician assistants or nurse practitioners through MyJMUHealth or call our Telephone Nurse Triage to speak with a registered nurse. There is no charge for most visits to the UHC. When there is a charge, it is minimal. 3. The UHC pharmacy fills prescriptions written on campus but also has a variety of over-thecounter items also like ibuprofen, cough syrup, vitamins and allergy medicine. 4. For more urgent needs like stitches, sprains, minor fractures or allergic reactions go to our Urgent Care Center – no appointment needed.
Being sick is no fun, but your University Health Center is here to help you feel better soon. And just a reminder of the other services offered by the University Health Center: •
Nurse Clinic - allergy and vaccine injections, wound care and more
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Women’s Health Clinic women’s health issues and contraception
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International Travel Clinic vaccinations, prescriptions and other resources for students traveling abroad
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Registered Dietitian - nutrition counseling
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The Well - alcohol and other drug prevention and early intervention, LGBTQ and Ally Education Program, sexual violence prevention and response, and other health education programs
Additional information on all of these and more are on the UHC website at jmu.edu/healthcenter.
FALL 2017, VOL. 11, ISSUE 2 [ PAGE 6 ]
Student Alumni Association BY: Maddie calder, student alumni association
James Madison University is more than just a school. It’s a community that extends well beyond the city limits of Harrisonburg to push Dukes to their full, purposeful potential. The Student Alumni Association is committed to aiding this fulfillment by providing opportunities for students and alumni to come together. Whether it be networking events that prepare current students for post-graduate life or providing philanthropic education to pay it forward to future dukes, the SAA has something to help every Duke. Start the year off with a bang with Welcome Week during the first week of classes! The events will include first day of school pictures, a t-shirt giveaway and a movie night in Bridgeforth Stadium. In the fall, help us celebrate the JMU spirit as we kick-off Homecoming week with spirit days and find us at Homecoming Headquarters on Godwin field before the game. In March, join us as we strive to break records and bolster philanthropy on Giving Day. And at the end of year, break out all your purple and gold for our 3rd annual I
