October 2015 Parent Newsletter

The Franklin Connection Student Affairs Parent Newsletter - October, 2015

It is 8:00 AM the last day of classes before fall break. The photo shows the view out my window. It is a quiet morning. It has been a busy and eventful semester, from orientation for new students at the end of August, to Parent Day and on through Homecoming this past weekend. Students have faced challenges in the classrooms, on the playing fields, in clubs and organizations, and in the living of everyday life at col-lege. Midterm grades were submitted Tuesday the 20th. These grades do not count and are not re-tained as a part of a student’s records. These grades are to give students a clear sense of how they stand academically at the mid-point of the semester. Be sure to ask your student about these grades. Your student needs a break from the routine of the semester and I know I need one as well. I am tak-ing tomorrow and Friday (the 22nd and the 23rd) off to get away for a long weekend. I hope your stu-dent, whether at home or still on campus, has a chance to relax for a few days. That’s my goal. I want to thank all who braved the cool, some would say cold, wet weather on Parent Day. It was a great day, despite the weather. I appreciate the work of the Parent Council members who helped make the day a success. What happens after this break? A lot! Take time to look over the articles and information in this newsletter. It takes you through the end of the semester. If you have any questions, please contact me.

Best wishes to you and your family for the fall. Ellis F. Hall, III Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Residence Life 2-3

Parent/Family Hotline 3

Office of Diversity and Inclusion 4

Dining Services 5

Religious Life 6

Health Services 7

Counseling Services 7

IN Means Business Job Fair 8

Internships and Internship Fair 9

GRIZJOBS 10

Important Upcoming Dates 10

Contact Student Affairs 11

Student Affairs Parent Newsletter - October 2015

www.franklincollege.edu

Tips on Living with a Roommate For many students, living with a roommate is a new experience. While it would be ideal for everyone to get along and become best friends, this can be a challenge and conflicts sometimes arise. If your son or daughter is experiencing issues with a roommate, encourage him or her to follow these steps:

1. If the issue just occurred, take some time to cool off before talking about it. 2. Meet with everyone involved in the conflict and take turns talking about your concerns and lis-

tening to each other’s perspective. 3. Avoid making it personal by using “I” statements instead of “you” statements. “I feel like our

room is messy” is going to be better received than saying “you’re a messy person.” 4. Talk about actions which can fix the situation (remember, we cannot change personalities over-

night but we can adjust our behaviors). 5. Come to an agreement or compromise and make a plan of action to fix the situation. 6. Follow up with each other to make sure the new agreement is still working.

If your son or daughter cannot resolve their roommate issues on their own, have your student get help! Encourage your student to talk to his or her Resident Assistant or Residence Hall Coordinator for addi-tional resources and support.

Students Can Self-Report Facilities Issues Residence Life and Physical Facilities work together to keep the residence hall rooms maintained. If something is broken in your son’s or daughter’s room, the college wants to fix it! It is even fixed free of charge if it is due to wear and tear. To report an issue, have your student sign in to MyFC, click on “Online Resources,” then choose “Physical Plant Work Order,” and fill out the form. The password is “password” in the submission section. Room issues can also be reported to Resident Assistants and Residence Hall Coordinators.

So, What is a Community Damage Charge? At times, residents cause damage to the residence hall facilities beyond normal wear and tear or clean-ing. These are dealt with in accordance with the Common Areas and Damages policies in The Key: A Guide to Campus Life. In most instances, a cleaning notice is posted to give residents a chance to report the student responsible or correct the concern (students will not be able to correct the violation if it in-volves bodily fluids or poses a safety risk to the community). If the violation is not corrected or the per-son responsible is not reported, the cost is split between all residents in the community. Community damage charges are emailed to all students at the middle and end of each semester and at the end of Winter Term. The business office deducts these charges from the $100 housing deposit each student paid. If charges exceed $100 in damages over the course of an academic year, charges will be added to student’s bill. If not, the difference will be credited to students at the end of the academic year.

http://franklincollege.edu/current-students/student-handbook/




Heating and Cooling in the Residence Halls In fall and spring, we tend to receive the most complaints about room temperatures. The residence halls use commercial grade heating and cooling which is very different than what most people have at home. For example, if the temperature is below 50 degrees outside, the building’s chillers will not acti-vate so students may need to open a window to cool the room. Students are encouraged to adjust the heating and cooling controls but every room may vary depending on the weather, setup of the building’s system, control options in the room, room location in the building, and amount of external wall surface space. If students are having trouble adjusting the unit, have them speak with a Resident Assistant, As-sistant Residence Hall Coordinator, or Residence Hall Coordinator. If the unit may be broken (i.e. the temperature and fan settings are at the highest but the room is only 55 degrees), a work order through MyFC will need to be submitted. Please remember, space heaters, open flames, and personal air condi-tioner units are not allowed!

Residence Hall/Campus Homes Closing Information The residence halls and campus homes close for Thanksgiving Break (5:00 pm on Tuesday, November 24) and the Holiday Break (5:00 pm on Thursday, December 17) to give college employees an opportuni-ty to celebrate the holidays. During this time, students need to plan to stay elsewhere. Student ID cards will be deactivated to prevent unauthorized access to the residence halls, so students need to pack all essentials when they leave campus!

If there are special circumstances in which a student needs to be on campus during a break, he or she needs permission from the Director of Residence Life. It is each student's responsibility to make ar-rangements to leave campus or request permission to stay during break periods. Student athletes with official athletic obligations (i.e. a game during the break) and students with academic obligations can stay for free if they are approved. All other students will be charged to stay for the break. Any ques-tions about break housing should be directed to the Director of Residence Life.

Winter Term & Spring Semester Plans

Current residents are required to communicate their plans for Winter Term and Spring Semester with Residence Life. Beginning in November, residents will need to go online and submit a form through the housing webpage. This helps the residence life staff know who plans to live on campus for Winter Term and if they plan to return for Spring Semester. Students must be taking a Winter Term course or work-ing at an internship to remain on-campus during Winter Term. If there are special circumstances, stu-dents can request permission to stay from the Director of Residence Life. During this process, students are also given an opportunity to request a room change. Students without a roommate or those who have a roommate not returning to campus next semester should review the College’s policies on consoli-dation located in The Key: A Guide to Campus Life. If you have questions about this process, please contact the Director of Residence Life.

The Parent/Family Helpline is available to parents and family members of Franklin College Students. If you have a question or concern about your student’s experience at Franklin College, the Parent/Family Helpline is your avenue for assistance. To connect with the helpline, please call:

(317) 738-8181

A Franklin College staff member is available to speak to parents and fami-ly members every Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday (Eastern Time Zone).

The college understands how important it is to keep parents and family members informed. As you have questions or need to be put in contact with the correct college department, we are here to assist you.

mailto:[email protected]





Raphaela Mueller

How has being involved in diversity initiatives at FC enhanced your education and learning? The diversity-related involvement opportunities at Franklin have challenged me to look beyond my own little bubble and has opened my eyes to is-sues like privilege, racism, sexism, and the problems of the U.S.'s individualism and competition. Becoming aware of these challenges has in turn let me become more sensitive and inclusive in my own leadership while realizing that I still have a lot to learn.

What can parents do to help educate their FC student about diversity and social justice issues? Being attentive to current events and open and accommodating to discussions about prejudice and hatred, but also acceptance and love is the first step to understanding the problems of today's world and realizing our own power to change it.

What are all of your diversity related involvements on campus? I am a Diversity Advocate, partici-pant in the B.O.S.S. Mentoring Program, and treasurer of S.A.S.O.M., although I try to be attentive to and bring dimensions of diversity and inclusion into all my extracurricular activities (in particular in my posi-tion as a New Student Mentor).

Why do you feel it is important for students to incorporate diversity education into their colle-giate experience? Because we are an ever-changing and increasingly inter-dependent community, country, and globe, we cannot remain isolated from the currents and events around us. Many of us will be made to move for their job, and we have to be prepared to think independently, lead responsibly, and serve with integrity, all of which require flexibility, understanding, and acceptance of values and ideas different from our own.

Moda Nyema

How has being involved in diversity initiatives at FC enhanced your education and learning? Being involved in diversity initiatives have improved my under-standing of white privilege, as well as social issues. I have learned more about every aspect of Diversity and not just the race part. What can parents do to help educate their FC student about diversity and social justice issues? I think can start by having small discussions with their kids about diversity issues going on in America on the news. Also, they can teach their chil-dren about misconceptions America has on other races. But I think the parents need to he educated first before they can be able to educate their kids. What are all of your diversity related involvements on campus? Diversity Advocates, President of SASOM, BSU member.

Why do you feel it is important for students to incorporate diversity education into their colle-giate experience? I think it is important to incorporate diversity education in collegiate experi-ence because it prepares students for the real world. America is a very diverse country, and if students aren't taught about diversity or how to get along or work with people different from them, they will not make it in the real world.



What a great start to the Fall Semester, with two big events: The Welcome Back Picnic and the All Campus Picnic. These events highlighted the introduction of the new Chef Rosie Neel. Both events received rave reviews from students, fac-ulty and staff. The students got a taste of all services that Sodexo has to offer from the everyday dining, to a small version of the Off Campus Dining. Like us on Facebook to see all the events this year: https://www.facebook.com/FranklinCollegeDiningService Each on campus dining location will offer a great meal and a relaxing environ-ment. The Market Place is the main dining facility where flavor combination is taken to a new level. This semester is focused on the guest and the experience he or she will have at each station. Corporate chefs have developed FALL AL FRESCO which provides the perfect opportunity to add a new twist to traditional seasonal selections and fresh, lo-cally grown ingredients. This is year Sodexo is offering E-Commerce. You can buy your students a care package, pies for the holidays, and chocolate covered strawberries at https://franklincollege.sodexomyway.com/shop Upcoming Events: 10/29/15 Zombie Meal—Celebrating Halloween a little

early this year at Dinner. 11/1/15—11/16/15 Begin ordering Holiday Pies through our website.

Pick up between 11/20/15—11/24/15 11/19/15 Tradition Thanksgiving Dinner 11/24/15 Closed for Dinner 11/29/15 Reopen for Dinner 12/10/15 Holiday Dinner 12/17/15 Closed for Dinner 1/3/15 Open for Dinner



Religious Life invites students to an exciting spring break experience! On this trip, students will live and serve with the Agape Community in Ware, Massachusetts, and spend two days in Boston. Agape is a lay Catholic community committed to radical nonviolence, eco-theology and organic homesteading, daily prayer, music and celebration, service to community, and voluntary simplicity. Agape intentionally welcomes people of all faith backgrounds and no faith background and there will be learning and service opportunities for all students, regardless of religious background. The cost for the trip is $150, which includes all van transportation, all accommodations, and most meals. Students are responsible for their own meals while in transit and during free time in Boston. Scholarships are available to cover the $150 fee, and cost should not be a barrier to participation. February 19 is the deadline to sign up. The trip is limited to ten students, and all available spaces may be filled in advance of this deadline. Registration pack-ets are available in the Religious Life office. Please encourage your student to pick one up today! Questions can be directed to Campus Minister Leah Rumsey, who can be reached by phone at (317) 738-8140 and by email at [email protected].





Students Can Receive the Flu Vaccine: Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Every flu sea-son is different, and influenza infection can affect people differently. Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others. The “seasonal flu season” in the United States can begin as early as October and last as late as May. During this time, flu viruses are circulating in the population. An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to reduce the chances of getting the flu and lessen the chance that you will spread it to others. When more people get vaccinated against the flu, less flu can spread through that community. Flu vaccine is available in Student Health Services during regular hours, Monday through Friday. The cost is $18.00, payable by cash, check, credit card, Ben Bucks or by billing a student account. Students are welcome to call or email for an appointment or can stop by Health Services at their convenience for vaccination. STI Clinic Coming in October and December Our final Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) clinics for this semester will be held Tuesday, October 27, and Tuesday, December 8 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm in Health Services. The clinic is conducted by the Marion County Health Department. Testing is free and confidential. No appointment required. Dates for spring semester clinics have yet to be set.

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people aged 25 to 34 and the third-leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 24. This is a scary realization that shows more open conversations need to take place about this epidemic. One of our Franklin College Counselors and three others in the Student Affairs division recently attended training and became certified to train the evidence-based sui-cide prevention gatekeeper training, Question Persuade Refer (QPR). QPR is like CPR in that it can help save lives. QPR training teaches people how to recognize warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer people to help. According to the Surgeon General’s National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, a gatekeeper is someone in a position to recognize a crisis and the warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide – and anyone can be a gatekeeper, including parents! We are offering a FREE two hour QPR Gatekeeper training to families of Franklin College stu-dents. Please send an email message to Counselor, Sara Kinder, at [email protected] if you are interested in attending a training and becoming certified as a QPR Gatekeeper. Depending on the interest level, multiple dates may be offered. Key components covered in QPR training:

How to Question, Persuade and Refer someone who may be suicidal

How to get help for yourself or learn more about preventing suicide

The common causes of suicidal behavior

The warning signs of suicide

How to get help for someone in crisis




On October 28, the College Career Center Consortium, of which Franklin College is a member, will be hosting its annual Indiana Means Business Career Fair. This career fair is designed for any student with an interest in working for or doing an internship in a business setting. This event is NOT just for business majors. Most of the colleges and universities in the Consortium are liberal arts institutions. Given that, students from a variety of majors from English to Sociology to Health Sciences might have an interest in going into sales, marketing or human resources. Likewise, most businesses have a need for students with a public relations or communications background to market their products and services, and they have a need for students with a background in computer sciences to run the information technology side of their or-ganization. Please encourage your student to attend this event. Currently, there are more than 90 organizations registered who will be recruiting students for both full-time and internship positions. If your student is a senior, it is imperative that he or she start their job search this semester or at least start networking with potential employment so that they can start applying in the spring. Typically, it takes students four to six months to land a full-time once they actually start their job search. If students hope to start a full-time job immediately after graduation, they need to start that search now! This event and the Internship Fair held on campus on November 5 are excellent venues for your stu-dent to meet with potential internship sites for winter term, spring semester or even summer. Many larger organizations hope to have their summer internship slots filled before the holiday season begins. For a list of participating companies and organizations, please go to http://cccc-in.org/event-2002713



Career Corner: Internships -

The Gateway to Employment Opportunities

A recent survey conducted by the Chronicle of Higher Education shows that work experience through internships and part-time employment tops what employers are seeking when evaluat-ing a college graduate as they fill a position. Given this, the internship program at Franklin College becomes that much more important. On November 5, Franklin College will host its 15th annual internship fair. Thirty-eight compa-nies and organizations are currently registered. Prior to the fair, students in professional devel-opment courses and workshops provided through Career Services will be given training in networking, delivering elevator speeches, inter-viewing, and writing résumés. This training and preparation enabled students to maximize the time they were able to spend with employers. For many years, Franklin College has realized the importance of internships in the academic process. Internships enhance the process, as students are able to put into practice what they learn in the classroom. The practical experience gained through internships allows students to build industry-specific and transfer-rable skills that employers seek most. At Franklin, internships serve several purposes.

1. Internships serve as exploratory tools. They will allow the students to “test drive” a career option. Students are able to get a real life feel for what a career is like. In some cases, this confirms that the student is on the right track and reinforces their career choice. In others, they realize that the career is not what they thought it would be, and they are able to shift focus or even change their major towards something they feel is a better fit.

2. Internships provide the experience that employers are seeking. After an internship, a student will

have experience working on projects and will have a tableau of other experiences to discuss with inter-viewers when seeking a post graduation job. In addition, they will have developed valuable skills to take to an employment opportunity.

3. Internships are wonderful networking opportunities. While at the internship site, students should

develop relationships with employees who might serve as a reference or who might be in a position to hire in the future. Students should also connect with others in the industry who may not be at their internship site. Networking is so important because the old adage is true, “Sometimes it’s not what you know, but who you know that will get you the job.”

If you are in a position to hire a student intern or know someone who is, please contact Kirk Bixler, As-sistant Dean of Students and Director of Career Services, at 317-738-8801 or [email protected].



As the school year is underway, please remind your students to set up an account or log on to GRIZJOBS. With this system, students are able to fill out their professional and academic profile, search for jobs and internships, and post their résumé and other job search documents. Students are also able to apply for jobs posted online and link to other sites, such as www.internships.com and www.indeed.com, to look for jobs that have been posted outside the GRIZJOBS system. Students can also view announcements about upcoming Career Services events and find a variety of job search tools within the system. Employers may still email job postings to the Career Services office to be posted on the system, or they may go onto their GRIZJOB account and post jobs directly to the system. They can also view student résumés and contact students directly about job openings. If you are in the position to hire graduates or students as interns, please consider setting up an account as an employer to post your openings and search for student candidates. You may do this by going to https://www.myinterfase.com/franklin/employer/. This link may be shared with the human resources department where you work, or with others who coordinate the hiring of new talent, so they may set up an account.

Oct. 20 Midterm Grades Posted Oct. 22-23 Fall Break Oct. 28 Indiana Means Business Career Fair Oct. 29 New Students Register for Winter Term Oct. 31 Parent Advisory Council Meeting Nov. 2 Registration for Winter Term and Spring Begins Nov. 3 State of the College Address Nov. 5 Internship Fair Nov. 14 Bell Game - Football at Hanover Nov. 24– 29 Thanksgiving Break Nov. 30 Classes Resume Dec. 11 Last Day of Fall Semester Classes Dec. 14-17 Final Exam Period Dec. 17 Holiday Break Begins - Halls Close at 5 p.m. Dec. 21 Final Grades Posted on Internet by Noon Dec. 24 - Jan. 1 College Offices Closed Jan. 3 Residence Halls open at 2:00 p.m. Jan. 4 Winter Term Classes Begin

https://www.myinterfase.com/franklin/employer/



Student Affairs Directory

Vice President of Student Affairs and Ellis Hall [email protected] 317-738-8080 Dean of Students Assistant Dean of Students and Dir. Career Services Kirk Bixler [email protected] 317-738-8801 Assistant Dean of Students Keri Ellington [email protected] 317-738-8096 For Student Involvement and Director of Student Activities Executive Secretary Marti Schrock [email protected] 317-738-8080 Campus Minister Leah Parsell Rumsey [email protected] 317-738-8140 Asst. to Campus Minister Terri Roddie [email protected] 317-738-8140 Director of Counseling Services John R. Shafer [email protected] 317-738-8080 Counselor Sara Kinder [email protected] 317-738-8080 Health Center Cathe Decleene [email protected] 317-738-8090 Diversity and Inclusion Terri Roberts [email protected] 317-738-8119 Director of Residence Life Jacob Knight [email protected] 317-738-8080 Johnson/Dietz - Hoover/Cline Hall Coordinator Michael Rivera [email protected] 317-738-8079 New Student Program Coordinator Jen Miller [email protected] 317-738-8137 Dietz Hall Coordinator Jenna Day [email protected] 317-738-8804 Elsey Hall Coordinator Katie Burns [email protected] 317-738-8474 Director of Security Steve Leonard [email protected] 317-738-8317 Greek Life Natalie Brewster [email protected] 317-738-8091 Director of Dining Services Les Petroff [email protected] 317-738-8108 Asst. to Career Services and Student Activities 317-738-8801 317-738-8096 Assistant for Retention Programs Kandra Sejas [email protected] 317-738-8080


October 2015 Parent Newsletter

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Transcript of October 2015 Parent Newsletter