November 2009
Dear Central College Families,
November and December are months of giving on campus. Currently, there are groups collecting used jewelry for a sale benefiting Work of Our Hands, a local non-profit store supporting fair-trade in third world nations; collecting used tennis shoes to recycle; collecting gently used clothing for donation to those who need it; collecting food for the Pella Food Shelf; soon to be collecting Toys for Tots and donations to Angel Tree supporting families over the holidays. If you would like to be involved in donating to any of these causes, the Student Activities Center in Maytag Student Center is able to distribute donations to the appropriate sponsoring organizations. Send items back with your student after Thanksgiving break or, if you are near campus, drop them off in Maytag.
Do you need to update your e-mail address or change your subscription for this newsletter? If so, you may do so anytime at http://www.central.edu/newsletters/. This site allows you to unsubscribe an old e-mail address and subscribe with a new address anytime. As always, the parent Web site (http://www.central.edu/parents/) can be a great resource for you in addition to parentconnections@central.edu for questions you may have regarding your student’s life at Central.
Go Dutch!
Student Life Office
Over 150 students, faculty and staff took the U.S. citizenship test as part of a teach-in on
immigration in late October. The teach-in provided a week of activities and events
surrounding the common reading Enrique’s Journey.
Academics
Registration Complete
All students should be registered for spring semester courses by the end of this week. If your student has not registered for classes, s/he should see his or her adviser as soon as possible to do so. Students will find course listings at https://my.central.edu/ under the Resources tab in the Academics module. They are able to sort for classes by academic area, core requirement, and meeting day(s)/time(s). Students who are not planning to return to campus for spring semester need to stop by Academic Support Services, 2nd floor Maytag Student Center to complete withdrawal paperwork.
Final Exams Schedule
Students will find their final exam schedule at https://my.central.edu/ under the Resources tab in the Academics module. Monday, Dec. 14, is a study day. No classes are held this day. The first final exams begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 15. The last exams end at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 17. Students are expected to vacate their rooms within 24 hours of their last final or by 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18, whichever is earlier. Final grades are posted shortly before the Christmas holiday.
Financial Aid Update
Families from Iowa have likely heard about the state of Iowa “10% across the board” budget cuts to state programs. Central College is currently waiting for information from the Iowa College Student Aid Commission regarding how the Iowa Tuition Grant and other smaller state aid programs will be affected by state budget cuts. It is our understanding that the amount of the reduction may not be announced until each college has submitted their spring term roster showing how many recipients of each state program have enrolled for the spring term. Then, the Iowa College Student Aid Commission can more accurately gauge the amount of the reduction needed. Early indications are that the smaller programs may not be affected—that the Iowa Tuition Grant will bear the full impact of the cut. More students qualified for the Iowa Tuition Grant this year than have historically due to family job losses and income reductions because of the economy. With more students qualifying, the budget for the grant was likely already creating a shortfall prior to the budget cut and the Governor’s de-obligation of funds reserved specifically for such a shortfall, therefore the reduction could be slightly more than 10%.
If you need to borrow loan funds for spring term and have not yet applied, the Financial Aid Office at Central encourages you to borrow at least $400 of extra funds if your student is receiving the Iowa Tuition Grant. Please be aware that we know the spring term billing statements will not be accurate because of the expected cut to the Iowa Tuition Grant program, but until we know the extent of the cut from the state of Iowa, we will not be able to provide accurate adjustments.
The presidents of Iowa’s private colleges and universities, including Dr. David Roe here at Central, are currently appealing to Governor Chet Culver to preserve funding for the 40 year old Iowa Tuition Grant. If you are an Iowa resident whose student receives Iowa Tuition Grant, you should consider contacting your state representative(s) and Governor Culver encouraging them to support continued funding to the grant program.
The Iowa private college presidents sent a letter to Governor Culver that includes sample points to include in your letter to legislators.
The Central College Community Choir and Orchestra rehearsed for
Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 14-15, performances of Haydn’s Creation.
Career Center
2010 Iowa Career Expo
Iowa Career Expo is the premier career fair for students from all Iowa colleges and universities to attend during winter break. The event is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 7, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Hy-Vee Hall in downtown Des Moines. Over 75 employers recruited at last year’s event. In addition to speaking with employers about internships and jobs, there will be:
- Free résumé critiquing by human resource professionals
- Free hot topic presentation to assist job seekers in the hiring process
- Free access to computers to complete online applications
The event is hosted by the Central Iowa Human Resource Professionals. More information and registration is found at
http://ci.shrm.org/webmodules/webarticlesnet/templates/?a=113&z=2.
Spring Semester Internships
It is time for junior and senior students to plan spring semester internships. Several internship opportunities are listed on the Career Center’s CareerLink database. Students are also encouraged to seek opportunities beyond those already listed. More information regarding internships is found at http://www.central.edu/career/internships/. Any student seeking an internship should see Karen Eilers, assistant director, in the Career Center before the holiday break.
Events, including a DUI simulator, were hosted by several departments on campus as part of alcohol
awareness and safety programming in late-October.
Residence Life Update
Winter Bicycle Storage
The safety and security office offers free indoor bicycle storage for students during the winter months. Students may call any security officer on duty at 641-780-2847 when they are ready to put their bicycles away for the winter.
Get Involved
Christmas Candlelight Concerts
Tickets are available now for the annual Christmas Candlelight Concerts to be held Friday and Saturday, Dec. 11-12, at 8 p.m. in Douwstra Auditorium. The concerts feature performances by the A Cappella Choir, Chamber Singers, College-Community Orchestra and Hand Bells. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens over 65 and students to age 22; Free with Central College ID. There are three ways to obtain tickets: Go to http://www.central.edu/fineArts/ and click on the Christmas Candlelight Concerts link; call the music department office at 641-628-5236, or stop by the Cox-Snow Music Center reception desk 8 a.m.-12 p.m. or 1-4 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Send Them Mail
“I never get any mail! I haven’t had mail in three weeks! No one loves me!” These comments by both male and female students have been overheard near the Campus Post Office in the past week. Families, please send your student some mail—a greeting card, a letter, a newspaper clipping from your hometown paper, a package of their favorite homemade snacks, a subscription to their favorite magazine—anything you think will brighten his/her day. In today’s age of electronic communication, the importance of old fashioned mail is often overlooked. If you want to give your student’s day a boost, send mail!
Shoe Recycling
Wondering what to do with your old tennis shoes? Recycle them! If you have old tennis shoes, send them back to campus with your student after Thanksgiving Break. Students may bring them to the donation boxes located in Maytag Student Center and Kuyper Athletic Complex. Used tennis shoes will be taken to Fitness Sports in Des Moines to be recycled into track surfaces, sports equipment and more. The project ends on Dec.1. POD 219, a “Green” Pod theme community, is sponsoring this project.
Campuswide Food Drive
The 6th Annual Campuswide Food Drive benefiting the Pella Food Shelf is currently underway. Non-perishable food and personal hygiene items are accepted in collection boxes in Maytag Student Center from now until Monday, Dec. 11. Students are encouraged to help stock the Pella Food Shelf for the busy holiday season.This collection is sponsored by the Central Volunteer Center and Central Strength & Conditioning.
December Toys for Tots Collection
Central College will participate in the annual Toys for Tots collection to bring holiday gifts to kids in Marion County. Collection boxes will be in Maytag Student Center Atrium in early December through the end of final exams. You can help by encouraging your student to take advantage of post-Thanksgiving sales to provide a new, unwrapped toy and/or gift item for a boy or girl, infant to 17 years old. The unwrapped items should be placed in the donation boxes in Maytag during the collection period and will be distributed to local children just before the Christmas holiday. This collection is sponsored by the Central Volunteer Center.
Health and Wellness
Student Health 101
Student Health 101 is a monthly newsletter sent to all students covering common college topics and transitions. Parent Perspective, a newsletter by the creators of Student Health 101, is meant to help family members be better informed about many of the issues students face to help guide your student to healthy ways of dealing with various situations. This month’s issue is found at: http://readsh101.com/central-pp.html?id=210609 and covers topics including:
- Making smart choices in social networking
- Mastering time management
- Money management
- Education about sexually transmitted infections
- Negative effects of smoking
Students in the residence halls hosted trick-or-treating for faculty and staff children as part of the annual Halloweeny Bash sponsored by residence life.
Airport and Greyhound shuttle schedule
Student Activities offers a $5 shuttle to the Des Moines airport and Greyhound station for college breaks. The shuttle does NOT run to Amtrak as the train station is two hours in the opposite direction. If you make travel plans for your student that work with the shuttle schedule listed below, please ask your student to reserve a shuttle spot for him/herself at least three days prior to the date he/she wishes to ride. Students should make this reservation themselves because they know best when they are done with class, exams, or if they have already arranged with friends to drive them. Shuttle schedules for fall semester are as follows:
Thanksgiving Break
No classes Nov. 26-27; residence areas remain open for students to stay on campus.
| Wednesday, Nov. 25 |
Depart Pella at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. |
| Sunday, Nov. 29 |
Depart DSM Airport/Greyhound at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. |
Holiday/Semester Break
Last day of finals is Dec. 17; residence areas close at 5 p.m. on Dec. 18 and re-open at noon on Jan. 17.
| Thursday, Dec. 17 |
Depart Pella at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. |
| Friday, Dec. 18 |
Depart Pella at 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. |
| Sunday, Jan. 17 |
Depart DSM Airport/Greyhound at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. |
Spring Break
No classes March 13-21; residence areas remain open for students to stay on campus.
| Friday, March 12 |
Depart Pella at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. |
| Sunday, March 21 |
Depart DSM Airport/Greyhound at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. |
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