In this issue:

UA Student Walkway

Important Dates for March 2007

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From the
Parents and Family Association Director

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From the
Parents and Family Association Co-Chairs

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A Safe & Fun Spring Break    

A Safe & Fun Spring Break

By Officer Frank Romero, Crime Prevention Specialist, UAPD

On March 10, 2007 through March 18, 2007, students from The University of Arizona will be on Spring Break and enjoying their time away at various off campus locations. Most students are very responsible and are able to enjoy their break safely and cautiously. UAPD is concerned about our students' safety off campus and have several important tips for students no matter where they travel.

As a reminder to all students, the drinking age in the United States is 21, and if you decide to drink, drink responsibly and always have a designated driver. Obey all laws, and allow this break to occur without incident and crime victim free. If you decide to go out of the country for your spring break, do some research on the country you will visit. Become familiar with their laws, culture, and customs. Prepare accordingly and early (obtain a passport, purchase airline tickets early, reserve hotel & transportation, have Embassy contact information readily available etc…). As a general rule, when visiting another country, we often give the advice for students to “Stay on the Yellow Brick Road”. The idea is to stay on the main highway, stay on the main roads, and remain in identified tourist locations. Most countries depend upon, and appreciate, the tourism from neighboring countries, and go through great effort to provide extra security and assistance to tourists in the designated tourist spots. Once you venture out of the tourist areas (off the yellow brick road), just remember, you are in a different country, and now in an unknown area not accustomed to tourism as much as other well traveled areas.

It is our hope to remind and educate our students about “staying safe”, “staying smart”, and most of all “staying alive” this spring break. Student safety is the number one priority, and as a means to further remind students about staying safe this spring break, several members from the Tucson Community and the University of Arizona have agreed to partner with UAPD and the Dean of Students Office to host our Third Annual “Happy Hour” Spring Break Event. This event on March 5th, 2007 (on the UA Mall between 10am to 2pm) will have a variety of law enforcement personnel, US/Mexico Embassy representatives, Mexican Law Enforcement Personnel, Health Educators, and travel experts joined together in a fun event to educate all students in staying safe this Spring Break. Please encourage your students to join us on the UA Mall for this great event, and send off our students for a fun and safe spring break!

Officer Frank Romero can be contacted via email at romero@uapd.arizona.edu.

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Online Safety    

“Facebook? What’s a Facebook?”

By Magan Alfred, Program Coordinator, Education and Outreach, Dean of Students Office

Friendster. MySpace. Xanga.
And now, Facebook.

For many parents, keeping up with the world of online communities used by their children can be exhausting – and filled with anxiety because of concerns about safety. Parents of college freshmen may be familiar with one of the most visited web sites on the internet, MySpace.com, because of the enormous popularity of the site among high school and middle school students. Long considered its college counterpart, Facebook is by far the online community of choice among college students, and last year opened its “cyber doors” to everyone. Facebook has the largest number of registered users among college-focused networking sites, and is the seventh most visited site in the U.S. according to comScore’s Media Metrix.

Participation in online communities such as Facebook brings both opportunities and challenges to college administrators as they begin educating students about how to use them safely. Last year the Dean of Students Office conducted focus groups among students and staff to determine usage habits, prevalent attitudes around their use of the site, and how it might alter their behavior – specifically as it related to joining other campus organizations.

Many positives are found from membership in online communities: they can be an important tool for identifying students of similar ethnic backgrounds, gender and sexual orientations, and cultural affinities. Students report that Facebook provides an ability to stay in touch with high school friends, make new friends more easily, and they use it as primarily a social tool. Indeed, though they know on an intellectual level that postings are ultimately accessible because of the public nature of the internet, it’s not unusual for them to express a sort of outrage when they discover that those outside of their community (read: adults!) use the information they post.

With this in mind, please remind your sons and daughters to:

• Be aware of – and use – privacy settings these sites provide to control who can access their profiles

• Refrain from posting personal information (cell phone number, birth date with year, dorm room number, social security number, etc.)

• Think twice about posting photos of themselves in compromising positions (Employers are increasingly using the site when screening job applicants: 77% of employers admitted to using a search engine when screening job applications, and 35% of those eliminated an applicant as a result of what they found)

It’s also worth noting that if a student is a member of certain organizations (such as student government, the Greek community, or an ambassador to the University), or if s/he is an athlete, they may be subject to additional rules because of their high visibility and representation of these groups.

The popularity of these social networking sites ensures their existence for a long time to come. Guiding students to use them wisely should be a goal for all of us.

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Academic Success Strategies    

Academic Success Strategies - News from Retention

by Beth Harrison, University Learning Center

Your students are now heading into the fray of midterm exams before Spring Break. As if that isn’t enough to think about,

Registration for Fall 2007 classes is just around the corner!
Registration for classes happens in two waves, Priority Registration and General Registration.

• Priority Registration is your student’s first opportunity to register. The schedule is set up according to your student’s class standing (seniors register during the first week, freshmen during the fourth) and ID number. You can see the schedule for Fall 2007 Priority Registration at http://www.registrar.arizona.edu/schedule074/rsvp/rsvp.htm.

• General Registration begins when the four weeks of Priority Registration are over and continues throughout the summer (except during New Student and Transfer Registration periods). Any student can register at any time during General Registration.

There are several things that you and your student should know about registering for classes:

1. Your student can ONLY register during her or his assigned week during Priority Registration. Students who do not register during their assigned week have to wait until the General Registration period to complete their registration for fall classes. (Honors students can register with Juniors as well as with their own class.)

2. Your student SHOULD WANT to register during Priority Registration because it is the best chance to get the classes or schedule that she or he wants. Waiting to register at the end of the semester or sometime during the summer means that every other student at the university has had an opportunity to register already, and that means that many, if not most, classes will already be filled.

3. The best way to prepare for Priority Registration, especially for freshmen, is to talk with an Academic Advisor. Every student at UA has an Academic Advisor, either in their major department or their college, and that advisor is trained to help students identify and think through their options. In some colleges freshmen and students on probation are required to talk with their advisor before they will be allowed to register.

4. It is to a student’s advantage to register for a full set of courses during Priority Registration even if their goals for the fall are not yet clear—it is much safer to make a few changes to one’s schedule during the summer than to risk not getting into any class that one needs by waiting too long to register.

What can you do to help your student?
Ask about her or his plans for next year. Encourage your student to sign up now for an appointment with her or his advisor in order to be ready for Priority Advising. Help your student understand the advantages of registering early. And remind your student to put the appropriate Priority Registration dates into a weekly planner or calendar so they won’t be forgotten.

Help your student finish this semester STRONG!
Recommend a visit to MASTR, the Math & Science Tutoring Resource Program, for tutoring in basic math and sciences. Call 520-626-9398 for more information. Point her or him toward the Eight-Day Study Plan at www.ulc.arizona.edu. Suggest attending a free study skills workshop given by the University Learning Center. See the schedule at www.ulc.arizona.edu.

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Commencement is Just Around the Corner    

Commencement is Just Around the Corner

The UA Parents & Family Association wishes an early congratulations to all parents and family members of May 2007 graduates! Commencement is almost here and it is time for parents, families, and students to start making preparations. GradFest, sponsored by the UA BookStore will be held March 27, 28, & 29 in the Student Union BookStore location. At GradFest students can purchase caps, gowns, tassels, graduation announcements and diploma frames – basically all the items they need to celebrate their achievement.

The University's main commencement ceremonies will be held on May 12, 2007 at 9:00 am and 1:30 pm in the McKale Memorial Center. Each individual college also hosts a celebration for its graduates. Information about these college ceremonies will available on the Commencement website in a few weeks. Should you need information before that time, please contact your college dean's office.

Colleges attending the May 12 morning ceremony:

Architecture
Business
Education
Engineering
Graduate College
Humanities
Law
Optical Science
Science

Colleges attending the May 12 afternoon ceremony will be:

Agriculture
Arizona International College
Fine Arts
Graduate College
Medicine
Nursing
Pharmacy
Public Health
Social and Behavioral Science
University College

For the most up to date information about Commencement, including parking, travel, and lodging arrangements please visit the Commencement web site online at
http://dos.web.arizona.edu/commencement/index.html

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Decision Days    

HELP THE UA ENROLL NEW WILDCATS IN CALIFORNIA!

The University of Arizona annual Decision Days programs are coming up. These events are geared towards turning admitted students in several California cities into UA Wildcats next fall. Each event will have over 100 students with their families on hand to help with the decision. Current UA parents are welcome to attend to share their experiences and help out. If you are interested in attending, please contact Judy Chewning at judychewning@arizona.edu.

Sunday, March 11, 2007
Walnut Creek Marriott
9-11:00 am

Sunday, March 11, 2007
San Mateo Marriott
4-6pm

Saturday, March 17, 2207
Hilton, Pasadena
9-11:30am

Saturday, March 17, 2007
Hyatt, Irvine
5-7pm

Sunday, March 18, 2007
Hyatt, La Jolla
1-3pm

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From the Parents and Family Association Director  

Hello Wildcat Parents & Families!

Keith B. Humphrey, Ph. D.

Spring is in full bloom in Tucson – the desert wildflowers have begun to reappear, leaves are budding, and all student thoughts are on Spring Break. Spring Break marks the unofficial half-way point of the semester and is always a good time to take stock of how things are going for your student.

I want to encourage you to use some part of Spring Break to connect with your student to see how they are feeling about their classes, thoughts they have on any tests or papers they have turned in, and ideas they have about summer jobs or internships. When they return to campus, our team of academic advisors and student affairs professionals will be waiting to assist them. We are also open during Spring Break, so please don’t hesitate to call or stop by!

Spring will also be a big season for your UA Parents & Family Association. We are putting the finishing touches on our new website…and it looks spectacular! We can’t wait to share it with you – we know you will want to add it to your bookmarked favorite web pages. Keep your eyes on your email for an official launch announcement.

I do hope that Spring is starting to appear in your hometown. We look forward to helping you and your student in any way.

Sincerely,

Keith B. Humphrey, Ph. D.
Interim Assistant Dean of Students
& Director, Parents & Family Association
(520) 621-0884
uafamily@email.arizona.edu

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From the Parents and Family Association Co-Chairs  

Hello fellow parents and family members,

Lionel and Ellen Kier

We hope that you are weathering this cold winter well, no matter where you are. Your Parents & Family Association is making great advances this winter. The Advisory Board recently completed a day of meetings in Tucson on February 16. We are pleased to share the following news from that meeting with you:

• Alma & Ruben Vejar of Tucson, AZ have been appointed to serve a two-year at-large term on the Advisory Board

• Our planned membership program is moving aggressively forward – keep your eyes out for your opportunity to join in April!

• Members of the Association’s Public Affairs Committee participated in the UA Pride Night event, showcasing our institution’s best and brightest to Arizona State Legislators.

• The Student Recruitment & Retention Committee is planning a Minority Student Retention Summit with key UA administrators and community members in May.

As always, we continue to fundraise to support the programs and services which enhance your student’s UA experience. Thank you to all who have pledged so far – remember to fulfill those pledges when your reminders come in the mail.

Remember that Dr. Keith Humphrey in the Dean of Students Office is your identified parent advocate. Please feel free to call him at 520-621-0884 or email uafamily@email.arizona.edu. He is here to help you and your students!

With Wildcat Pride!

Ellen & Lionel Kier
Co-Chairs, UA Parent & Family Association

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