May 2013
Dear Central College Families,
We finished another successful year at Central, graduating 348 seniors on Saturday, May 11. It is bittersweet saying goodbye to students who have made an incredible impact on our campus, watching them go forward to do the same in their chosen endeavors. New student orientation is one month away, marking the beginning of the next school year. We anticipate welcoming a great first-year class again this year. In the meantime, faculty and staff prepare for summer classes and summer camps, finish end-of-year grades and reports and look forward to the slower pace of summer. The Parent Connections newsletter will take a hiatus in June but will be back in July to welcome new families to Central and providing move-in information.
Do you need to update your email address or change your subscription for this newsletter? If so, you may do so anytime at http://www.central.edu/newsletters/. As always, the parent website (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!
The Office of Student Development
Students enjoying a favorite Final Fling tradition: boat races on the pond.
From the President
President's Blog
You are invited to read and contribute to President Mark Putnam’s blog as our campus continues to explore issues important to our academic community. To subscribe to Mark: my words, scroll down the sidebar on the right-hand side to locate the feature.
Financial Aid Update
It is time to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for 2013-14. Iowa families who want to be considered for the Iowa Tuition Grant should have their FAFSA filed by Monday, July 1, 2013. Need help with the FAFSA? Contact Central’s financial aid office at finaid@central.edu or 641-628-5911 or see http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/, where free FAFSA filing is also available.
Academics
Graduation
Three hundred forty-eight Central College seniors participated in commencement exercises Saturday, May 11. View the 2013 commencement photo gallery online. Additional photos courtesy of Vander Beek Photography can be found at danvanderbeek.zenfolio.com/2013centralcommencement. Save the date for baccalaureate and commencement 2014! Both events occur Saturday, May 17, 2014.
Summer Classes
Central College offers a limited number of summer classes on campus and online. Students who want to register for summer classes should see their faculty advisor. Available course offerings are listed at http://www.central.edu/academics/courseLookup/. Your student can find registration and fee information for summer courses on my.central.edu on the Registrar’s website under the Academics tab.
Final Grades
All students should be able to see their spring semester final grades on WebAdvisor. It is the student’s responsibility to track his/her progress toward graduation. WebAdvisor provides a program evaluation tool to do this. Students log into WebAdvisor, choose program evaluation and then may see their progress with an already declared major or use the “what if” function of the program to determine what requirements they may need to fulfill if they change or add majors.
Registration Closure Reminder
Online registration via WebAdvisor will be closed from Monday, June 3 to Monday, July 15 to accommodate registration for new students during orientation. Students who wish to drop a Central College summer course between June 3-7 will need to contact the Registrar’s Office via email no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 7. The last day to drop a summer class is June 7. For questions, please contact the Registrar’s Office, registrar@central.edu or 641-628-5442.
The Central Fringe Festival was held the last week in April, promoting arts
appreciation in a variety of nontraditional, unique ways. Above, students enjoyed a
bonfire with s’mores while playing steel pans, bongos, and other drums.
Career Center
Graduate School Preparation
Now is the time for rising junior and senior students interested in pursuing graduate or professional school after Central College to learn more about the programs, application processes, admission tests, financing and deadlines associated with their intended field of study. Any student who wants to consider graduate school or professional school options may find the following website helpful: http://www.central.edu/career/graduate-school
Summer Internships
The summer months provide an ideal time for students to participate in job and internship experiences that build their skills and résumé. First-year through junior students can benefit from job, volunteer and internship experiences that help students focus their career path. It is never too early to start this process! More information, including registration forms, reduced internship tuition cost guidelines and summer internship housing options in Des Moines, is listed at: http://www.central.edu/career/internships/.
Job Postings
Follow the Career Center on Twitter @CentralCareers to learn about internship and job opportunities for your student.
Services for Students and Alumni
Family members play a very important role in the success of their students. What you know can help your student a great deal! The Career Center offers the following services for students and alumni:
- Teaching The Exploring Experience course for first-year students and sophomores to begin the process of self-exploration, decisions about majors and career discovery
- Administering interest and personality inventories
- Counseling regarding choice of major and career direction
- Connecting students to alumni and professionals in careers of interest
- Overseeing the internship process, including finding and applying for internships and registering for academic credit
- Serving as the campus liaison for internship programs in Chicago and Washington, D.C.
- Leading professional development seminars on career-related topics, including Job Search Overview, Résumé/Cover Letter Writing, Interviewing Strategies, Dress for Success and Dining Etiquette and Money Management after College
- Critiquing résumés, cover letters and personal statements
- Assisting with every aspect of preparing for and applying to graduate school
- Hosting “Meet the Pros” events to bring employers and students together by career field
- Arranging mock interviews with local professionals in career fields of interest
- Managing a database of internships and job listings, posting both local and nationwide opportunities
- Participating in a statewide consortium of private colleges to host interview events and career fairs
- Completing first destination, six-months-out and one-year-post-graduation reports on graduates
- Maintaining up-to-date career resources and economic trends information online and in a career library
Urge your student to visit the Career Center early and often! Thanks for your support!
Residence Life Update
Room Damages and Billing
All student rooms are inspected at the end of the school year for cleanliness and damage beyond regular wear and tear. All students sign a housing contract to live on campus. The contract contains a damages and costs section. Paraphrased, the contract states that students whose rooms require deep cleaning beyond normal and/or damage repair will be assessed charges for the costs necessary to return the room back to its original move-in condition. If there is damage to a common area of the residence that is not attributable to a particular student or students, the cost of that damage is then split amongst all students living in that residence. The billing for any charges incurred due to room damage in individual rooms and/or common areas occurs in the end of May. All bills will be sent to students via email. Questions regarding billing for cleaning or damages should be directed to Melissa Sharkey, director of residence life, at 641-628-5180 or sharkeym@central.edu.
Fall 2013 Move-In
College move-in days for returning students are Monday, Aug. 26 and Tuesday, Aug. 27. Please note that this is not a weekend. Students and families should prepare accordingly. Fall sport athletes will be notified by their coaches over the summer regarding their team move-in date. Classes begin Wednesday, Aug. 28.
Room Condition Inventory/Report
Upon moving into his/her assigned room, each resident will complete, sign and return to his/her Resident Adviser a room condition inventory within 24 hours of occupancy. This room inventory will be an accurate and complete record of the contents and condition of the assigned room/suite/pod and will be the basis for damage charges if assessed. It is extremely important that students are very detailed on this report because any damages found upon check-out that are not listed will be assessed. Failure to complete, sign and return the form(s) results in the resident’s assumption of responsibility for any damage evident in the room, suite or pod.
When packing belongings, below are some items we ask students NOT to bring to campus:
- Pets (Only fish that live under water and do not need to come up for air are allowed in 10 gallon or less tanks. Pets are not allowed inside the facility for visits or any period of time.)
- Loft kits (homemade or purchased)
- Microwaves that draw more than 5.8 amps or exceed 700 watts
- Air conditioners (Individuals with a medical need should have signed up in a building with air conditioning.)
- Refrigerators over 4.8 cubic feet in size or drawing more than 1.5 amps
- Weight equipment (Only vinyl coated dumbbells less than 20 pounds are allowed. No other weight sets or exercise benches are allowed.)
- Alcoholic beverages
- Extension cords without a surge-protector function
- Candles with or without a wick
- Incense
- Open-element appliances such as toasters, space heaters or electric skillets
- Halogen lamps
- Thumbtacks, nails or duct tape intended for hanging items on the wall/ceiling (3M removable strips work well, as does poster putty.)
- Grills, lighter fluid, charcoal, kerosene, propane tanks
Seniors pose for a photo after graduation.
Get Involved
Student Leadership Awards
Student leaders from across campus were recognized at the Student Leadership Awards reception on April 28. Campus-wide leadership award winners were: Mel McDermott ‘13, Marjorie Giles Award; Steph Hasken ‘13, Prins Sportsmanship Award; Jack Flaherty ‘13, Ron Schipper Leadership Award; United Nations Club, Organizational Excellence Award; Stauffer Community Service Theme House, Outstanding Event Award; Campus Activities Board, Bridge Builder Award; Michelle Stewart ‘13, Student Sustainability Award. Departmental award winners were also recognized from IT services, campus ministries, dining services, service-learning, music, theatre, Upward Bound and exercise science. Students serving in leadership positions including SOS Orientation Leaders, Student Senate, Resident Advisers, Campus Activities Board, Career Leadership Board, Central Volunteer Center, Counseling Peer Educators, Intercultural Educators and Hall Council Executives were recognized for their contributions to the Central community.
Central Athletics
Central’s spring athletics have taken off! Support Central’s athletes by attending or following our spring teams. For a complete schedule of Central’s spring sporting events, visit http://www.central.edu/athletics/. Go Dutch!
2013-2014 Common Reading Book
Central’s 2013-14 common reading is The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore. New first-year students will read the book as part of their Intersections seminar curriculum this fall. Faculty, staff, alumni, family and community members are also invited to read the book, sharing in a common experience with students.
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 become better informed about many of the issues students face so they can help guide students to healthy ways of dealing with various situations. This month’s issue covers topics including:
- Nutrition and fitness information
- Tips for improving memory
- Building a professional online image
Popular campus websites
