September 16, 2008
Dear Central College Parents,
Welcome to a new year at Central College! Parent Connections is a program designed to be a liaison between parents, students and the campus community, keeping you up-to-date and in-touch with current and pertinent news, information and events. Monthly newsletters, a parent Web site (www.central.edu/parents) and e-mail address (parentconnections@central.edu) are three ways for you to help your student be successful at Central.
Go Dutch!
The Office of Student Life
Freshmen in introduction to college success take part in leadership challenge activities during
their retreat to Y-Camp in Boone over Labor Day weekend.
Academics
Mid-September marks the first round of papers and exams for students, with midterm just a few weeks away. This can be a difficult time for students as they realize their grades may not be as high as expected. Not to worry, though, as there are several resources to help students:
- All professors have office hours during which the professor is available for students to drop in with questions. These office hours are listed on the students’ syllabus for that class.
- The Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) offers tutoring for any subject. Some subjects are on a set schedule which is located at https://my.central.edu/ under the "For Students" section. On-call tutors and writing tutors are also available.
- Early Alert program: Early Alert is a team of faculty, staff and coaches who meet weekly to identify students who may be struggling academically and/or in their personal lives. The team then contacts individual students to identify ways to increase grades or deal with personal issues in a healthy way. The Early Alert team receives names of students from faculty or staff members who come into contact with students they believe to be struggling.
Freshmen students completed a low ropes challenge course
as part of the college success retreat to Y-Camp.
Central College Abroad
At Central, we encourage all of our students to spend some time off-campus in one of our study abroad programs along with our semester in Chicago or Washington, D.C., programs. Students who have studied abroad say it is the best experience they have during their time in college. Sophomore and Junior students should be thinking about going abroad this Spring! The application deadline for Spring ’09 is Oct. 15. For more information on Central College Abroad programs:
- Attend the Central College Abroad Information Session during Homecoming/Family Weekend on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 9:30 a.m. in Graham Conference Center Room 1;
- Go to http://www.central.edu/abroad/
Getting Involved- Homecoming/Family Weekend 2008
This weekend is Homecoming/Family Weekend. Please join us on campus for the many events occurring over the next several days! For a full schedule of events, visit: http://www.central.edu/alumni/homecoming.html
Parents have the opportunity on Saturday, Sept. 20 to be a student! Central offers Lifelong Learning Classes for parents and alumni at various locations throughout the morning. For a schedule of classes, visit: http://www.central.edu/alumni/homecoming/lifelongLearning.html
SOS Orientation Leaders welcome new students at Turning Over the Class.
Career Center
The Career Center workshops have begun with a focus this month on giving seniors an overview of the job search process. In addition, the first resumé and cover letter writing workshop of the semester is at the end of September. For a full schedule of workshops, internship and job listings, and more information from the Career Center, visit: http://www.central.edu/career/.
Tip of the month: Roommate and housing issues
Is your son or daughter having roommate conflicts? Encourage your student to work though this conflict by contacting his/her R.A. or Hall Director who can help the roommates discuss and solve the problem together. Taking ownership and responsibility of the problem and seeing that they have the ability to solve problems on their own gives students a great sense of independence and autonomy. This is also a skill that will help them maintain healthy relationships with partners in the future. |
Health & Wellness
Many students, freshmen through senior, are dealing with adjustment issues at this time of year. Common issues students face include:
- Freshmen - the honeymoon has ended; Questions like “Do I belong here? Do I fit in?” weigh heavily on many freshmen’s minds. It is very common for new students to feel homesick at this time because they long for the security and familiarity they had over the last 18 years.
- Sophomores - may be feeling lost as pressure mounts to choose a major and study abroad.
- Juniors - often experience a heavy class load in their major which can be overwhelming, along with pressure to complete an internship for work experience.
- Seniors - -realize they have little time left in college and feel pressure when asked what they’ll do next year.
A few tips for you to help your student through these common issues:
- Listen to them, let them vent. Avoid trying to solve the problem for them. Instead, offer suggestions for how they might help themselves feel better and be sure to call in the next day or two to check-in. Often, the student’s frustrations are gone within a few days. Give your student time to work through the issues on his/her own. It is a very important life skill the student will need. If you are seeing or hearing those frustrations linger for over a week, then it may be time for you to step in to help.
- Encourage your student to share their feelings with others. Most students are not alone in the frustrations they have, even if they think they are. Talking to others often helps them see that others are dealing with the same issue. It’s also a great way to make a deeper connection with friends on campus!
- Know the resources on campus so you can point your student in the right direction for help. All of the resources on campus have information posted on https://my.central.edu/.
- Encourage your student to have a set time for relaxation/healthy leisure or exercise activities everyday. This type of activity clears the mind and helps them be more productive when studying.
- Encourage your student to find ways to help others so the student is not always focused on him/herself. There are great opportunities for community service through the Central Volunteer Center. The student can email sac@central.edu to find out more about service opportunities in the area.
Flu Shots On Campus
Flu shots will be given on Thursday, Oct. 30. Students will have the opportunity in early to mid-October to sign up to receive a flu shot. Sign up will occur in Central Market during regular lunch and dinner hours. Students should watch the announcements and calendar at https://my.central.edu/ for specific dates. The shot will cost $24 via cash or check payable to IHDM (Iowa Health Des Moines). Questions regarding flu shots or other health-related issues should be directed to Marge Zondervan, Director of Health Services, zondervanm@central.edu.
Student Health 101: The Parent Perspective
Student Health 101 is a monthly newsletter available to all Central students that covers pertinent issues related to wellness. The articles give great tips for dealing with real-life situations. Recently, Student Health 101 began a Parent Perspective newsletter knowing that parents are often the first to hear about their student’s trials. The newsletter is meant to help parents be better informed about many of the issues their students face so that parents can help guide their students to healthy ways of dealing with various situations. This month’s newsletter, located at http://issue.sh101digital.com/showmag.php?mid=hsdds covers the following topics:
- Tips for healthy adjustment along with balancing freedom and responsibility
- Tips for understanding and working through roommate issues
- Tips for staying fit - physical wellness really does affect emotional wellness
- Tips for college men to help stop sexual assault
Airport shuttle schedule - Fall Break and Thanksgiving Break:
The Dutch Bus airport shuttle to the Des Moines International Airport is a service of Student Activities. Students may reserve a spot on a shuttle by emailing sac@central.edu at least three days prior to the date they wish to ride. The cost is $5 one-way payable upon boarding via cash or check to Central College. The shuttle will also drop students off at the Des Moines Keo Way Greyhound Terminal if requested at the time of reservation. Shuttle departures are cancelled if no one has reserved a spot three days in advance of the departure.Shuttle schedules for Fall and Thanksgiving Breaks are as follows:
| Fall break: |
|
| Wednesday, Oct. 15 |
Depart Pella at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. |
| Sunday, Oct. 19 |
Depart DSM Airport at 6 p.m. |
| Thanksgiving Break: |
|
| Tuesday, Nov. 25 |
Depart Pella at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. |
| Wednesday, Nov. 26 |
Depart Pella at 8 a.m. |
| Sunday, Nov. 30 |
Depart DSM Airport at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. |
Greek fraternity and sorority leaders enjoy some time off during their leadership retreat
to Wesley Woods Camp in Indianola.
Popular campus Web sites
