Parent & Family Calendar 2017-2018
WELCOME to the
ZAG FAMILY!
GREETINGS FROM GONZAGA’S PARENT AND FAMILY RELATIONS OFFICE! We are excited that you are part of the Gonzaga Family, and we look forward to sharing in your student’s college experience at GU! We’re here to assist you and your student during this important transition in your lives. It will surely be a time of great discovery and growth. Parent and Family Relations is here, especially for you. Studies show that parent and family involvement improves and enhances the college experience for students, and our office is committed to providing the guidance and support you need to help your student be successful. We understand the integral role parents and families play in making this new phase of your student’s educational journey a positive one, and we have created several resources to keep you involved and informed. The Parent and Family eNewsletter, the Parent and Family Guide and our website at gonzaga.edu/parents are all full of helpful tips and information. In addition, our Parent and Family Advisory Council serves a crucial role by keeping us in touch with what you need to know, and how best to keep you informed. Our intent is to make the Gonzaga campus a “home away from home” by offering you a full range of services and resources. We are available to answer your questions, big or small. If we don’t have an answer, we will certainly find one for you! Please feel free to call or email our office any time, or stop by if you’re in Spokane. We sincerely hope that this journey, for you and your student, will be fulfilling and successful. Welcome to our Gonzaga Family!
GO ZAGS! Amy Swank, Director Parent and Family Relations swank@gonzaga.edu (509) 313-4154
September 2017
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
Residence Halls open – first year students (Aug. 25) Residence Halls open – first year students – Kennedy 2nd and 4th floors (Aug. 26) New Student Orientation (Aug. 25-28) Residence Halls open – returning students – Kennedy 3rd and 5th floors and all other returning students (Aug. 27) President’s Reception and Welcome Mass (Aug. 27) Monday-only Classes begin (Aug. 28) Classes begin (Aug. 29)
Labor Day - no classes
SATURDAY Eid al-Adha
1 2
Last day to add a class Résuménia Fall Service Fair
Welcome Back to our Global Campus
Last day to drop a class
† St. Peter Claver
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Fall CCASL Volunteer Application Due (GUSR, Youth Initiatives & ZVC Semesters of Service)
Ice Cream Social Welcome Back to Campus Event
† Mass of the Holy Spirit - no classes
Pilgrimage
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 † St. Robert Bellarmine
International Day of Peace Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 21-22)
Native American Day CLC Leader Retreat (Sept. 22-24)
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Mission: Possible Registration Opens How to Zag
† St. Vincent de Paul
Search Retreat (Sept. 29 - Oct. 1)
Yom Kippur
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Take comfort in the foundation you have provided for your student. This foundation will accompany your student across the miles and throughout the years.
AUGUST 2017
OCTOBER 2017
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
October 2017
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY How to Zag
WEDNESDAY Résuménia † St. Francis of Assisi
THURSDAY Sukkot (Oct. 5-11)
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Fall Family Weekend (Oct. 6-8)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Columbus Day Speed Mock Interviews
How to Zag Add Bulldog Bucks for mid-term study break All Majors Career & Internship Fair † St. Francis Borgia
Engineering and Computer Science Career & Internship Fair
Sh’mini Atzeret
Simchat Torah First Year Retreat (Oct. 13-15)
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 How to Zag
† St. Teresa of Avila
Diwali Spokane Excursions (Oct. 19-20)
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 2018-19 third and fourth year returning resident applications due New York Trek (Oct. 22-25)
Founder’s Day – no classes
GUide Core Application Opens
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Halloween † St. Alphonsus Rodriguez
29 30 31 Discuss academic goals and expectations ahead of time. Many first year students do not do as well academically in their first semester as they did in high school, and many reconsider their proposed course of study. Ask your student what they hope to accomplish during their first year and help them take ownership of their education. Remember, though, grades are not the only indication of learning.
SEPTEMBER 2017
NOVEMBER 2017
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
November 2017
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
Resident Assistant (RA) applications available 2018-19 third and fourth year returning resident housing sign-ups
WEDNESDAY Résuménia † All Saints Day
THURSDAY † All Souls Day
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Career Discernment Retreat (Nov. 3-4)
1 2 3 4 Daylight Saving Time ends † All Saints of the Society of Jesus
Election Day
GUide Core Application Closes
Last day to withdraw from a class Search Retreat (Nov. 10-12)
Veterans Day Ignatian Family Teach In (Nov. 11-14)
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 How to Zag: Academic Registration
International Day of Tolerance
Montserrat Retreat (Nov. 17-19)
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Thanksgiving Holiday (Nov. 22-24)
Thanksgiving Day
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 † St. John Berchmans
26 27 28 29 30 Send care packages! Early in the year, sharing popcorn or chocolate chip cookies is a wonderful way for a student to meet their floor mates. Photographs are personal reminders of home. Holiday decorations, baskets of treats at exam time, and even everyday necessities like shampoo and school supplies are reminders that say, “I’m thinking of you.”
OCTOBER 2017
DECEMBER 2017
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
December 2017
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Tell family and friends about the perfect Christmas gift: Bulldog Bucks
1 2
† First Sunday of Advent † St. Francis Xavier
† Immaculate Conception
Add Bulldog Bucks for a finals study break Résuménia † St. Nicholas
Reading/Study Days (Dec. 9-11) † St. Juan Diego
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 † Second Sunday of Advent
Finals Week (Dec. 12-15) † Our Lady of Guadalupe
Fall 2018 Study Abroad applications open
Hanukkah begins
Residence Halls close for Christmas break
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 † Third Sunday of Advent
Christmas break begins
† St. Peter Canisius
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
† Fourth Sunday of Advent Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
Kwanzaa begins
New Year’s Eve
31 25 26 27 28 29 30 Don’t overschedule. Tell your student ahead of time about family plans, especially over the holidays, so that he or she can make plans accordingly.
NOVEMBER 2017
JANUARY 2018
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
January 2018
SUNDAY Resident Assistant (RA) applications due
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
† St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
New Year’s Day † Mary, Mother of the Society of Jesus
SATURDAY † Epiphany
1 2 3 4 5 6 Justice in January (Jan.7-14)
Portland Trek
Seattle Trek
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Residence Halls open for Spring semester
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - no classes
New Student Orientation
Classes begin
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Spark
Last day to add a class
Last day to drop a class Montserrat Contemplative Retreat (Jan. 26-28)
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 † St. Thomas Aquinas
Spark
Spring Service Fair
28 29 30 31 Encourage your student to visit his or her professors. Every professor sets aside three or four hours per week for office hours. This time is meant for one-on-one conferences to help students with papers, test prep, and answer other questions. Encourage your student to take advantage of this opportunity, as often as possible.
DECEMBER 2017
FEBRUARY 2018
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
February 2018
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Interfaith Retreat (Feb. 2-4)
1 2 3 † All Jesuit Martyrs of Mission
Spring CCASL Volunteer Application Due (Youth Initiatives & ZVC Semesters of Service)
Spark † St. Paul Miki and Companions
Résuménia
Search Retreat (Feb. 9-11)
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Spark
† St. Valentine’s Day † Ash Wednesday
Chinese New Year
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 President’s Day - no classes
Spark
First Year Retreat (Feb. 23-25)
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 2018-2019 returning resident housing applications due
Spark
25 26 27 28 Coach your student to solve problems, rather than solving them yourself. Your student may call for help or reassurance when things aren’t going well. Encourage your student to utilize campus resources—visit Health & Counseling Services; talk to an advisor or dean; seek help from a counselor or tutor. Parent and Family Relations offers resource information so you can be an informed coach for your Zag.
JANUARY 2018
MARCH 2018
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
March 2018
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
First and second year student housing sign-ups
THURSDAY Add Bulldog Bucks for mid-term study break 2018-2019 second year student living-learning community (LLC) applications due
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Women’s Retreat (Mar. 2-4) Men’s Retreat (Mar. 2-4)
1 2 3 Purim (Feb. 28-Mar.1)
Résuménia
International Women’s Day
Mission: Possible (Mar. 10-17)
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Daylight Saving Time begins
Spring Vacation (Mar. 12-16) Spain Pilgrimage (Mar. 12-16)
Silicon Valley Trek
San Francisco Trek
† St. Patrick’s Day
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 † St. Joseph
Search Retreat (Mar. 23-25)
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 † Palm Sunday
Last day to withdraw from a class † Holy Thursday
† Good Friday – no classes
† Passover begins
25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Acknowledge that college today is different. Although century-old buildings look untouched by time, college life today is very different from the campus scene 25 or 30 years ago. Think twice before beginning a sentence with, “When I was your age...”
FEBRUARY 2018
APRIL 2018
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
April 2018
SUNDAY † Easter Sunday
MONDAY
TUESDAY
† Easter Holiday – no classes
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
Résuménia
SATURDAY † St. John Baptist de la Salle † Passover ends at nightfall
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 † Divine Mercy Sunday
† Annunciation of the Lord
Yom Hashoah
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Emancipation Day
Tax Day
Yom Haatzmaut
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Add Bulldog Bucks for a finals study break
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 † St. Catherine of Siena
29 30 Talk to your student about how, and how often, you’ll keep in touch. Do you want a planned time to talk, or are you more spontaneous? A cell phone can be a wonderful way to connect, or it can be, as one student described, an “electronic leash.” Encourage your student to use it with discretion. Email and social media are also great ways to stay connected. Just don’t count on a reply to every message!
MARCH 2018
MAY 2018
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
May 2018
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY 2018-2019 first year student living-learning community (LLC) applications due
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
Lag B’Omer (May 2-3)
FRIDAY † St. Jose Maria Rubio † St. Monica
SATURDAY Reading/Study Days (May 5-7)
1 2 3 4 5 Finals Week (May 8-11)
† Ascension
Social Justice Missioning Ceremony Spring 2018 Study Abroad applications open
Commencement Mass Graduate School Commencement Residence Halls close for those not graduating
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Undergraduate Commencement Mother’s Day
Residence Halls close for those graduating
Ramadan begins
Armed Forces Day
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Pentecost Shavuot (May 20-21)
Summer Session I begins Full Summer Session begins
Denver Trek
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 † Trinity Sunday
Memorial Day
27 28 29 30 31 Renegotiate expectations. When your Zag visits home, remember they’ve been making decisions on how to spend their time. You, however, may have strong feelings when they come in late at night, sleep in, or arrive late for dinner. Most students respond well if you treat them with respect. Start the conversation by being flexible and seeking common ground and solutions that will work for both of you.
APRIL 2018
JUNE 2018
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
June 2018
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
1 2 † The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
† Sacred Heart of Jesus
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Ramadan ends
Eid Al-Fitr † Corpus Christi
† St. John Francis Regis
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Father’s Day
Juneteenth
† St. Aloysius Gonzaga
† St. Thomas More
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Summer Session I ends † Sts. Peter and Paul
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Understand that the college years are a time for exploration. Your student may come home with a new identity—someone else’s clothes; new politics, philosophies, or eating habits; or even a new major and career goals. Most of these changes are temporary. Take a step back, have a sense of humor, and pick your battles. They need you to stick with them, have patience and support them as they chart the course of their own lives.
MAY 2018
JULY 2018
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
July 2018
SUNDAY Canada Day Bl. Junipero Serra
MONDAY
TUESDAY
Summer Session II begins
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Independence Day
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 † St. Benedict
† St. Kateri Tekakwitha
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 † St. Bonaventure
Tisha B’Av (July 21-22)
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Parents’ Day
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 † St. Ignatius of Loyola
29 30 31 Ask questions—but not too many. First year students can resent interference with their new-found lifestyles. Still, most desire the security of knowing that someone is interested. Parental curiosity might seem obnoxious, or it could offer relief and support depending on the attitudes of the people involved. Avoid questions tinged with ulterior motives in favor of honest inquiries and discussion.
JUNE 2018
AUGUST 2018
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
August 2018
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
† St. Peter Faber
SATURDAY † St. John Vianney
1 2 3 4 Summer Session II ends Full Summer Session ends
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 † Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 New Student Orientation (Aug. 24-27) Residence Halls open – first year students (Aug. 24-25)
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Residence Halls open – returning students President’s Reception and Welcome Mass
Monday-only classes begin
Classes begin
26 27 28 29 30 31 Be an anchor. Students often want their families to accept all the changes they are making, yet want everything at home to stay the same. It’s important to keep them updated about changes at home, whether it’s moving younger siblings into their room, an illness in the family or death of a pet. This will help your student feel secure and maintain a sense of trust.
JULY 2018
SEPTEMBER 2018
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Parent and Family Relations 502 E. Boone Avenue - MSC 2464 Spokane, WA 99258-2464 (509) 313-4154 gonzaga.edu/parents
Photos by Rajah Bose, Edward Bell (’17), Austin Ilg (’16), Ryan Sullivan (’16) and Gravity Zone.