Parent Newsletter November 2017

November 2017 Volume 1, Issue 2

Eye of the Tiger Parent & Family Newsletter

Student Highlight — Susannah!

Here at Georgetown, all our students come to campus at different places in their journey of life. Most are eager and excited to be on their own, while also being worried about the unknown and being out of their comfort zone. Providing and supporting a community where students can live, learn, and grow is our top priority in Residence Life. But you don’t have to take my word for it; here is an example of how our students feel about their Residence Life experience: Susannah is a senior who came all the way across the country to attend school at Georgetown. Here is her story. “When I decided to come to Georgetown College, I was scared, nervous, and excited. Coming from Northern California, I did not know a single person in the state of Kentucky. When I moved in my freshman year over three years ago, that reality hit me and I was terrified. The community that I found here, however, both in the residence halls and on campus was, and is, irreplaceable. I went from being shy, scared, and lonely, to realizing that I always had an open door I could go to and a friend I could talk to just steps away from me.

Living just across the hall from your best friends is an experience I wish everybody could have. Here, I have made the closest relationships I have ever had and now I consider this campus my second home, which I am not ready to say goodbye to in six short months. Once a tiger, always a tiger.”

This is one of many stories! Being able to provide that experience for all of our students is our passion in Residence Life. Through intentional relationship building and creating a fun, accepting community, we will continue making Georgetown College your student’s home away from home.

LeRon Collier Director of Campus Life

Inside this issue Life on Campus ................... 2 Academic Success............... 2 Faith & Service ................... 3 Upcoming Events ............... 3 Student Health ................... 4

Fun GC Facts 

We currently offer 20 different intercollegiate sports and 4 club sports.

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Our average incoming freshman GPA is 3.39, with a mean ACT score of 23.6!

Life on Campus Fraternity & Sorority recruitment will begin when students return to campus in January!

raise money to support throughout the year.

Fraternity & Sorority Life is a great way for your student to get involved in campus. Our members participate in a range of activities on campus including athletics, band, Student Government Association, Georgetown Activities Council, honor societies, and writing for the school newspaper, the Georgetonian.

Students are encouraged to sign up for recruitment before the end of the Fall Semester and can do so via the GC Portal.

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Chapters are very involved in the community as well and they also maintain a GPA higher than the general campus population. Each chapter also has its own nationally-designated philanthropy that they

The cost is $10 for men and $25 for women, if your student signs up before January 1, 2018. As a reminder, going through recruitment does not require your student to join an organization, but does allow him/ her the opportunity to join a lifelong brotherhood/sisterhood.

Ross Buskey Director of Student Activities/Fraternity & Sorority Life

“Show you believe in your student, and that you will love and support them through whatever stress and challenge they might face.”

Important Dates 2017 Nov. 10

Final Date to Drop a Course with a W

Nov. 22-24 Thanksgiving Holiday (No Classes) Dec. 5

Last Day of Classes

Dec. 6

Reading Day

Dec. 7-12 Final Examinations (No Saturday Exams) 2018 Jan. 16

First Day of Class

Jan. 16-19 Add/Drop Period

Jan. 23

Founders Day Convocation

Feb. 12

Academic Progress Check Round One

Mar. 9

Spring Break Begins

Mar. 19

Classes Resume

Mar. 19

Academic Progress Check Round Two

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Academic Success & Your Student It’s really tempting, as parents, to try to do anything possible to help your student, especially with the stresses that come from all of the exams and projects that pile up at the end of the semester.

So, what would we suggest as the best way to help?

First, help your student to find the right balance between not being worried at all, and being too worried about end-of-semester requirements. If your student is stressed over what seems like a daunting list of deadlines, help with thinking through how to plan tasks, but don’t do the planning. One thing students need to learn in college is how to handle the stress of seemingly overwhelming tasks. Employers will tell you that they want to hire people who can show resilience in the face of stressful deadlines. Also, realize that sometimes students don’t really want or need specific help. When they feel stress, what they may need is simply sympathy, affirmation, and reassurance. On the other hand, if your student seems to be TOO relaxed about the end of the semester, you might want to dig into matters a bit further!

Though some students struggle because they’re paralyzed by anxiety, others struggle because they’re deep in denial and are not looking carefully at what will be expected of them as the semester concludes. In those cases, you can help your student if you show interest in what’s coming up as the semester closes out. Ask about final due dates for papers, what a good study schedule might look like, and which assignments look to be most difficult. Help sort through all of the requirements and plan effectively.

What can every parent do? Show that you believe in your student, and that you will love and support him or her through whatever stresses and challenges arise.

An end-of-semester care package might be a great idea, too! Send things such as snacks with complex carbohydrates and protein, highlighters and sticky notes for textbook review, or index cards for creating flash cards (and yes, some fun snack food would likely be appreciated, too!).

On the most basic level, encourage your student to get plenty of rest, eat healthy foods, and exercise to reduce stress. Encourage him or her to seek on-campus support if needed. Our faculty teach at Georgetown College because they care about their students, so encourage your son or daughter to talk to the teacher in a difficult class (and the sooner the better – don’t wait until the last minute to ask for help). Students can also get help from their advisors, from academic support services such as the Writing Center and Tutoring Services, and from fellow students in study groups. It is important not to wait until the last minute to ask for help, but there is a lot of help available if students seek it out. Help your student to plan, believe, ask for help, and work hard, and he or she will have a wonderful and successful end of the semester!

You’re Invited We love welcoming our parents and families to join us on campus, and there are a variety of different events that would be great for everyone!

We hope to see you at one of these upcoming events:

Mon, Nov. 20: Fall Anniversary Concert @ 8pm

John L Hill Chapel Tue, Nov. 21: Men’s Basketball @ 5:30pm Davis Reid Alumni Gym Wed, Nov. 22-Fri, Nov. 24: Thanksgiving Holiday Tues, Nov. 28: With Final Exams quickly approaching, the Ensor Learning Resource Center is becoming an increasingly popular place to study!

A Note from Faith & Service Hello friends far and wide!

I am happy to let you know about two upcoming Chapel opportunities in the month of November that may be of interest to your Georgetown College student. On Tuesday, November 28th at 11 a.m. in the John L. Hill Chapel we will have our Last Chapel of the Fall semester. We started a new tradition last Fall where our Last Chapel now serves as the Baccalaureate service for our seniors who are graduating in December. The Rev. Dr. Steve Hadden will be the featured speaker as we honor and celebrate the accomplishments of our December graduates. All of our Chapel services do count as Tiger Nexus credits (credits that students need to graduate). Also, if you are in the area, you are more than welcome to join us for these or for any other Chapel service that we host throughout each semester.

Last Chapel of the Fall @ 11am John L Hill Chapel Wed, Nov. 29: Fall Chorale Concert @ 7pm John L Hill Chapel Thurs, Nov. 30: Hanging of the Green @ 7pm John L Hill Chapel Fri, Dec. 1-Sun, Dec. 3: The Princess & the Ogre @ 7:30pm Wilson Lab Theatre Mon, Dec. 4:

Similarly, on Thursday evening, Nov. 30th the Georgetown Activities Council (GAC) will host one of Georgetown College’s most dearly beloved traditions, the Hanging of the Green Worship Service. This service will take place in the John L. Hill Chapel. It will include readings from Scripture that are related to the season of Advent, the singing of Advent songs and Christmas carols, and the lighting of the Advent candles (which are usually done

by Georgetown College faculty and staff with their family).

Men’s Basketball @ 6pm

GAC does a tremendous job each year decorating the Chapel for this service and recruiting students, staff and faculty to help lead it. This service concludes with everyone walking out to Giddings Circle, lighting candles that we hold, and then singing together “Silent Night” as the decorative lights around Giddings Circle are illuminated for the first time of the year.

Then, we all enjoy some hot chocolate together. This service is one of the best-attended services of the year, and it is open to the public. I hope you will encourage your student to attend and make plans to join us if you are able!

Fri, Dec. 15:

Davis Reid Alumni Gym

Mon, Dec. 4: Women’s Basketball @ 8pm Davis Reid Alumni Gym

Winter Commencement @ 7pm John L Hill Chapel *Due to space restrictions, we have only listed a small sampling of the many wonderful sports at GC. Be sure to visit www.georgetowncollegeathletics.com/ to see the full schedule for all home games for all sports!

Grace and Peace, Bryan Langlands Campus Minister

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The mission of Student Wellness is to

Student Health & Wellness

care for our students’ physical and mental health. Webster’s Dictionary defines wellness as “the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal.” We agree, and it is our goal to provide the students of Georgetown College with the tools and services necessary to achieve wellness.

Student Health Services:

Georgetown College recognizes that living on campus and being in school can be stressful for students. The college maintains a “no pets” policy in the residence halls. However, in accordance with Federal law (Fair Housing Amendments Act), the college will consider requests for accommodations to the housing policy to allow students experiencing significant mental health problems to keep an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) with them inresidence. Our residence halls are generally not an animal-friendly environment. Therefore, we offer some important guidance for those who are considering making a request for an ESA. (NOTE: ESAs are not permitted on campus until the accommodation request has been made and approved by our staff).

1) Documentation of the significant mental health problem and the associated need for an ESA should come from a mental health provider who knows and understands the difficulties and can explain how the presence of the animal may help to alleviate symptomology.

502-863-8201 Counseling Services: 502-863-7074 Hours of Operation:

Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm Location: 407 Hollyhock Lane Mailing Address: Student Wellness Center 400 East College Street Georgetown, KY 40324

Lauren Pierce Disability Services Coordinator

2) It is important to note that the college may approve the request to have an ESA, but not approve the specific animal a student was hoping to bring. For example, most reptiles and rodents may be rejected because of safety and health concerns, as they can carry zoonotic diseases which pose a threat to the general welfare of residents in the communal living environment.

3) ESAs are restricted to the student’s immediate living space. They are not allowed in common areas throughout the residence hall. Moreover, the ESA must be contained (caged or crated) any time the student in not in the room.

4) The ESA may not be left in the care of other residents. If the student leaves campus overnight, the ESA must be taken along or boarding arrangements made.

5) Students bringing ESAs to campus are fully responsible for the animal’s behavior, and for any damage done. If the ESA is disruptive to the living environment for others or if there is damage done to college facilities, the ESA will need to be removed from the premises within 48 hours of notice being given. The student will be responsible for paying for property damage.

If your student would like to request permission to bring an ESA to campus, please contact Lauren Pierce, the Disability Services Coordinator at 502-863-6105.

PLEASE PLACE STAMP HERE

400 East College Street Georgetown, Kentucky 40324