TrinitE for Parents & Families


Making Connections Students visit with Alumni during the annual Making Connections program in the Great Hall on September 25. Over 100 Alumni members and 100 students attended this event that is co-sponsored by Career Services and the Alumni Office. Fall Family Weekend Begins Today Check out the schedule for Fall Family Weekend 2008. A list of open classes has been posted, and a few new events have been added to the schedule since last year. First of all, on what I hope will become a FFW tradition, the Class Marshal for this year’s incoming students will speak on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. Following Dr. Angela Breidenstein’s lecture, there will be a FFW Nacho Hour, which is a Wednesday tradition for students, but why should they get all the nachos? Of course, Dean Tuttle will host his annual ParentTalk Coffee Hour on Saturday at 9 a.m. at which we will caffeinate and then embark up the hill to hear the University Update from Dr. Michael Fischer, Vice President for Academic Affairs, in Stieren Theater. If history is an indicator, at 11:30 a.m., your students will finally make the scene, many of whom will appear to be suffering from a bad case of “bed head”, at the Faculty Brunch in the library. As always, you and your student will set the agenda for the weekend as Fall Family Weekend is designed to allow significant time for you to simply reconnect with your son or daughter. We are looking forward to seeing many of you there! Ben J. Newhouse Assistant Director Campus & Community Involvement Events Your Student Should Consider *October 7* - Alternative Spring Break Information Session This information session will be held at 6:00 p.m. in the Witt Center electronic classroom. Alternative Spring Break programs offer students options for experiential learning, a chance to help others, and opportunities to connect with others from the University community. National and international trips will be discussed. Spring break is March 7-15, 2009. Announcements Memories are Fleeting! Remember to pre-order a 2009 yearbook for your student! Books sold out last year, and students who wanted to buy books on campus in the spring were turned away. You may purchase the book online or by e-mailing cpbusiness@trinity.edu. Not sure if you've ordered a book already? From the Trinity home page, go to Campus Life> (Student Services) Campus & Community Involvement> Campus Publications> (Mirage) Have I already ordered? Where's the calendar? The calendar that has been sent to families annually has been discontinued for a variety of reasons. This newsletter is meant to take its place with more regular and current information. Most of what had previously been in the calendar is available on-line. Micro Mail This section features e-mails that were sent to all students since the last TrinitE newsletter. Parents are invited to micro-manage their students into reading this important information. For past due items, they are offered simply for information. By policy, students are responsible for information sent to them as e-mail is an official Trinity University communication tool - all students are assigned accounts. (Click on each heading to read the full e-mail.) Reading TUgether Why it matters: The student government president sent this out to solicit suggestions for the reading program next year. Over 30 students made suggestions. This year's author and speaker was Greg Mortenson. Days of Caring Why it matters: Trinity students have shown tremendous enthusiasm for helping others in the community. This venture allowed them to do so with faculty and staff volunteers. Announcements for Juniors and Seniors on campus Why it matters: Josh Brack is the Residential Life Coordinator for the upper-class residence halls. His e-mail went out to funnel information specifically to the students who need it. Crime Alert Why it matters: Students are routinely sent crime alerts in order to be on the lookout for crime on campus. This was sent to report that an alleged perpetrator was caught by two of our officers. From the Class Marshal and Alumni Sponsor to the Class of 2012 Staying in touch Why it matters: The Marshal and Sponsor decided to have a meal on the first day of each month with members of the Class of 2012. They want to do this monthly for four years. Their idea: Meet on the second day of the month when students are in their second year, third day of the month during the third year and so on. Career Services Corner with Brian Hirsch Companies are Still Hiring In spite of the economic turbulence, the latest data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers shows that a slightly higher percentage of recruiters are planning on hiring new college graduates this fall than last. In a few months this could change but right now things still look pretty good for upcoming graduates. Students planning to defer a job search because of economic uncertainty might reconsider that in light of this information. The keys to working-through a volatile economy are still networking and work experience prior to graduation. Other things being equal, occupationally specific work experience can be the thing that tips the scale. Being in the work place itself should provide the individual with opportunities to network and combined with networking outside of their work, students should develop contacts that can get them where they need to be. Finally, being proactive in all of this is vital. Students who start early will ultimately have the best chance of having or being near employment at graduation. As evidence of the recruitment market, Career Services has 20 organizations coming to campus either to interview or to present information sessions about upcoming opportunities. Students can learn more about submitting resumes for on-campus interviews or RSVP for upcoming information sessions in TigerJobs. If they haven’t yet developed a plan for a job search (or applying to graduate or professional school for that matter) students should make an appointment with Career Services and we will be happy to help out. The top 10 personal qualities/skills employers look for in college graduates: Communication skills (verbal and written) Strong work ethic Teamwork skills (works well with others) Initiative Interpersonal skills (relates well to others) Problem-solving skills Analytical skills Flexibility/adaptability Computer skills Technical skills Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook 2008 survey Upcoming Career Services Events Interview Success Workshop October 7, 2008 at 5 p.m. in the Coates Center Waxahachie Room Professional Practice Interviews October 8-10, 2008 by appointment at Career Services Kaplan LSAT Challenge October 15, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. in 218 Northrup Hall Kaplan MCAT Challenge October 15, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. in 232 Northrup Hall Interested students can RSVP through TigerJobs and may contact our office at careerservices@trinity.edu. Dr. Brian Hirsch is the Director of Career Services Student Health 101 - Annual Health Guide NOTICE In the last issue of the TrinitE Parent Newsletter, the Student Health 101 parent companion piece was included. This is made available to encourage conversation around important topics between parents and students. The Health Services staff cautions that there is some information in this piece that may not offer the best advice. (One example is puncturing a nail to drain blood, which our staff worries could lead to infection.) The staff is addressing any concerns with Student Health 101. Health Services recommends the Healthy Life Student s' Self-Care Guide instead. This is always available on the Trinity Web page. The Difference The difference between… The Trinity Parent and Family newsletter is a hard copy newsletter that is distributed to all parents twice in the fall and once in the spring, with a special summer edition for parents of new families. The TrintE Parent and Family electronic newsletter is sent to subscribers about every other week during the academic year. ParentTalk is an interactive list serve available to parents and family members. Participants must subscribe to this list, which allows parents to respond to posts submitted by others. It is a valuable list to utilize to pose questions about local services, parental dilemmas, general concerns, and inquiries. TrinitE Parent and Family Newsletter Please note that all items in maroon are links or e-mails. This newsletter is sent on alternating weeks to subscribers. On the opposite weeks the electronic student newsletter, TigerBytes, is sent to the list. Please note that any items in maroon are links to more information. Family members are invited to subscribe to LeeRoy, a daily calendar, to learn about campus activities.		October 3, 2008
		Deadlines/Events October 3-5, 8-11 Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead October 3 and 5 Men's and Women's Soccer October 8 Volleyball October 6 Ken Auletta The Future of Media and Communications October 9 Yom Kippur October 10-12 Alumni Weekend October 10 and 12 Men's and Women's Soccer October 11 Trinity in Focus Tiger Football vs. Rhodes October 17 Fall break (no classes) October 18 Tiger Football vs. DePauw Ask the Dean Questions you would like addressed in a future issue? Send them to me and I will respond or get a response from a colleague for you. Please indicate if you wish to have your name included or not. Please type "E-question" in the subject line. dtuttle@trinity.edu Links Parents Page News & Events Calendars Emergencies Dean of Students Dean's Blog Dining Plan Budget Calendar Trinitonian LeeRoy Academics Athletics Campus Involvement Drama Music

© 2008. Trinity University Produced by the Dean of Students Questions or Comments? Email dtuttle@trinity.edu