march 2015 parent newsletter

The Franklin Connection Student Affairs Parent Newsletter - March 2015

Is it spring, yet? Well, not officially until the 21st of March but the temperatures are up, with highs in the 50’s predicted all week. Flips flops and shorts will become the norm for students even with a chill still in the air. If it is sunny and 50 degrees students tend to dress like it is summer

Students are busy with classes but there is a lot talk about spring break plans. I encourage you to re-view Steve Leonard’s Spring Break Tips. Some of the ideas are good reminders for all of us when traveling but these are geared to issues that college students often face during spring break trips. Make sure you have an understanding of your student’s travel plans, where s/he is staying and pre-determined times for communication with you. Not that you should hear from your student every day of spring break, but an expectation to make contact upon arrival and at a few other times during the week is a good idea.

The days and weeks after spring break tend to fly! With warmer weather, student s are drawn outside to play and recreate in the sun. There are a lot of activities and end of the year celebrations to at-tend. Add these to the usual second half of the semester papers, projects, tests and exams students face, and It is easy to understand the stress your student might be dealing with. Look for signs of stress and, if you see some, be supportive and help your students to stay focused on that which is most important. Some the more significant events for the campus this spring are listed on page 11 of this newsletter.

Remember, if you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know. You can also call the Parent/Family Helpline – 317-738-8181 – for assistance.

Best wishes for a warm and peaceful spring.

Ellis F. Hall Vice President of Student Affairs & Dean of Students

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Residence Life 2-3

New Counselor Hired 3

Office of Diversity and Inclusion 4

Spring Break Tips for Students 5

Sodexo 6

Religious Life 7

New Mentors Hired 7

Student Activities 8

Greek Life 8

Career Corner 9

Health Services 9

Survival Kit Orders 10

Important Dates 11

Contact Student Affairs 11

Student Affairs Parent Newsletter - March 2015

www.franklincollege.edu

By Jacob Knight - Director of Residence Life

Residency Requirements Approval Every year, students who have not obtained senior status (91 or more credits earned) must verify com-pliance with the college’s residency policy. The majority of students do this by participating in the re-turning student room selection process. Commuter students and students with other exceptions will also need to get approval for 2015-2016. All students and parents should make sure they are familiar with Franklin College’s residency requirements by reading The Key. Any students or parents who have questions about the residency policies should contact Jacob Knight, the Director of Residence Life, at (317) 738-8080.

Returning Student Room Selection Process The returning student room selection process for the 2015-2016 academic year is set to begin in April for returning students. Students should go to https://housing.franklincollege.edu/ to submit a Fall 2015 Housing Application. All returning students will receive an email message with instructions and infor-mation about selecting a room after March 20th.

Commuter Student Process Students must be approved to commute from the primary residence of a parent who lives in Johnson County, Marion County, or within a 30 minute drive of campus. To be approved, students must submit a 2015-2016 Commuter Request Form online.

Residence Life Staff Members Residence Life is excited to announce the names of students selected to be 2015-2016 staff members. Cody Chapman has been selected to be the Assistant Residence Hall Coordinator for Hoover-Cline. Re-turning staff members are: Khadijetou Abdourahmane, Sophia Abner, Justin Armbruster, Alexandria Col-clazier, Kelsey Cross, Joel Foreman, Leilah-Olivia Hendricks, Mitchel Lewis, Allyssa Marlow, Ashley Myers, Jacob Smith, McKensie Vanosdol, Evan Vernon, and Jacob Yagodinski. Newly selected staff members are: Kelsey Baker, Brittny Balog, Megan Battles, Nathanael Beasley, Alexis Beed, Zachary Daily, Cole Fal-co, Gabrielle Finta, Alyssa Lund, Kiara Patton, Esthepanie Rendon, Anne Rodgers, Thomas Ryan, Kyle Sauley, George Tipker, and Matthew Western. Dietz Center Kitchenette Update Residence Life has continued to update community spaces and the newest renovation is the Dietz Cen-ter kitchenette. The kitchenette which was original to the building has been updated with new applianc-es, cabinets, and counters.

http://www.franklincollege.edu/current-students/student-handbook/

https://housing.franklincollege.edu/

http://www.franklincollege.edu/current-students/admitted-students/commuter-application-form/



Residence Halls/Campus Homes Closing Information The residence halls and campus homes will close for Spring Break at 5:00 pm on Friday, March 27, 2015. The residence halls will re-open at 2:00 pm on Sunday, April 5. Break closing requests to re-main on campus during Spring break are due by Tuesday, March 24. During this time, students need to plan to stay elsewhere. Student IDs will be deactivated to prevent unauthorized access to the resi-dence halls so students need to be sure to pack all essentials when they leave campus! If there are special circumstances in which a student needs to be on campus after closing but before opening, they need permission from the Director of Residence Life. It is each student's responsibility to make arrangements to leave campus or request permission to stay during break periods. Student athletes with official athletic obligations (i.e. a game during the break) and students with academic ob-ligations can stay for free if they are approved. All other students will be charged to stay over break. Students who request permission to stay before the deadline pay $10 per day if they receive permis-sion to stay. Students who miss the deadline are charged $30 per day if they receive permission to stay. Any questions about break housing should be directed to the Director of Residence Life. Spring Semester Closing and Graduation The residence halls and campus homes will close at 5:00 pm on Thursday, May 21, 2015. Students will need to check out of their room after they complete their final exams. Students can either do a tradi-tional checkout with a member of the Residence Life staff or an express checkout where they simply return their key. Students completing express checkouts waive their right to appeal any room damag-es when their room is inspected. Students needing to stay after Thursday need to submit a break housing request by Tuesday, May 18. Graduating seniors and students assisting with graduation will be allowed to stay until 5:00 pm on Sat-urday, May 23 at no additional cost.

Hello Franklin College Parents! I am Sara Kinder and would like to introduce myself as the new Counselor in The Counseling Center. I am an Indiana University graduate—from Bloomington for my un-dergraduate degree and Indianapolis for my graduate. I studied Human Development and Family Studies with minors in Psycholo-gy, Sociology, and Human Sexuality and then received my Masters in Social Work. I come to Franklin College from Ben Davis High School on the west side of Indianapolis, where I was working with underserved high school juniors and seniors facing a number of barriers who were at risk of not graduating. My husband and I are Franklin residents and he is a volunteer assistant for the Franklin College men’s basketball team. I am an animal lover and we have a two-year-old goldendoodle, Moye (pictured), that we have done therapy training with in pursuit of certifying him as a therapy dog. I enjoy cooking/baking, traveling, sports, and spending time out-doors. I am happy to be here at Franklin College in The Counseling Center and look forward to serving your student(s). The Counsel-ing Center provides services to support the students’ emotional and psychological health free of charge. If you have a concern about your student(s), please email one of us: [email protected] (John Shafer) or [email protected] (Sara Kinder).

mailto:[email protected]





The Office of Diversity & Inclusion has had a successful year thus far with a wide vari-ety of programs and services. One area of highlight was our 2015 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration. Students, faculty and staff took part in various community service activities, a commemorative march, a Chapel Service and a Convoca-tion Lecture by Dr. Terri Hurdle. Our Franklin College students played a big part in making these programs success-ful. Kiara Patton and Diamond Landers led the commemorative March and Moda Nyema served as the student host and introducer to our visiting guest speaker. Franklin College is proud to recognize the contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

February was Black History Month and Franklin College celebrated the many accomplishments that Af-rican-Americans have made and continue to make. There were several events that took place through-out the month. One event to highlight was our Black History Month Convocation Lecture by Dr. Jamie Washington of the Washington Consulting Group, a Multicultural Organizational Firm out of Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Washington spent time in the classroom, at dinner with a select group of students and spoke to over 300 people at the evening lecture. Please remember that our Convocation Lecture Series is open to the public so you are welcome to attend with your student! There are plenty of leadership opportunities on the horizon including S.A.S.O.M. executive board posi-tions, Diversity Advocates, Brother to Brother leaders and more. Questions? Contact Terri Roberts-Leonard, Director of Diversity & Inclusion, at [email protected] or at (317) 738-8119 .

Franklin College students gather with convocation speaker Jamie Washington. Students pictured left to right include: Kiara Patton, Stephanie Agba, Mia Williams, Fazaun Stephens, Ann Gilly, Natavia Howell, Jamie Washington, Darrell Crenshaw, Megan Curran, Michelle Rojas, John Montgomery, Jasmine Otam, Lukas Bullock, Diamond Landers, Nick Sanders

By Terri Roberts-Leonard, Director of Diversity and Inclusion




By Steve Leonard, Director of Campus Security

Spring Break is quickly approaching and there are several things to remind your student about concerning their safety and security while they’re away. If your student is driving, here are some tips to pass along:

Have your car tuned up and check the tires, make sure you have a spare and a jack and that someone with you knows how to use it.

Get a GPS for the trip, plan your routes and your stops as much as possible, and tell a parent or friend where these will be. Set up occasional check in times with someone staying behind and keep them!

Don't overdo it when it comes to driving. Pull over if you find yourself getting sleepy. When stopping at rest areas or for the night, choose a well-lit area to park, lock the car and keep all of your valuables out of sight in the trunk.

Avoid sleeping at rest areas. It leaves you vulnerable when you can't see someone approaching your car. It may also be illegal in some states.

Do not leave purses, wallets etc. in the trunk, keep them with you. If you have a GPS, radar detector or any equipment attached to the dash with Velcro, remove it, place in trunk and cover the Velcro with something, such as a newspaper. (Don't advertise valuables).

If your student if flying, here are some suggestions to give them:

Give yourself plenty of time at the airport. With increased security measures, you should be at the security checkpoint approximately two hours before flight time.

You will be searched. Don't carry any sharp, offensive, or defensive items such as knives, scissors, razors or pepper spray.

Try to put your carry-on luggage in the overhead bin that is directly above you or in front of you.

At your destination, if you need to claim luggage, make sure you go to the correct carousel, know your air-line and flight number.

Look for a shuttle bus going to your hotel. Many hotels have a phone that rings directly to their front desk and they will send a shuttle.

If you are taking a taxi, use only taxis that are marked with a company name. Be aware of "gypsy" cabs, anyone can masquerade as a cab driver.

Once your student safely arrives, there are still precautions to take. Please remind them of the following:

Remember there is safety in numbers. Try to stay with your friends. Three people watching out for each other are better than one.

In all the craziness, it can be hard to know where the drinks are coming from. It's best to get your own drink. If someone else is getting you a drink, make sure it’s someone you trust.

Keep your drink in sight at all times. Never leave it unattended. This gives anyone the opportunity to "slip" something in your drink.

If someone in your group starts acting out of character get them medical attention immediately. They may have inadvertently taken a drug or drank more than their limit. Don't worry about the person or you get-ting in trouble, alcohol poisoning or the ingestion of some illegal substances could prove to fatal.

Most important, DON'T DRINK ALCOHOL AND DRIVE! Take turns being a designated driver.

Do not bring strangers back to your room, and do not give out any personal about yourself and who you are with.

Don't let a stranger isolate you. Go to parties with a friend and stick together! Never give the appearance that you are lost.

Stay off of hotel balcony railings. We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable spring break!



Welcome to Franklin College Dining. Sodexo is pleased to be a part of your Franklin College experience. Each of our locations will offer a great meal and a relax-ing environment. The Market Place is our main dining facility, where we take flavor combination to a new level. We have focused this semester on the guest and the ex-perience you will have at each station. Our corporate chefs have developed new recipe to take our students on a Fitness Educational journey. While our Mindful station has healthy option every day. The fitness promotion will help educate them on the fitness aspect of healthy living. Each operation will celebrate events over the semester. We will continue to promote St. Patty’s Day, Spring Break Bash, and Earth days. Our guest also have a opportunity to us enhance our din-ing facilities by completing a survey., “Tell us, We are Lis-tening.” Jazzman’s will also be promoting a new coffee from Costa Rico called “Tarrazzu”. This noteworthy coffee is with subtle notes of honey, black cherry and coco with a medi-um and velvety body. Great for those Indiana Cold Nights. Off Campus Solutions has continued to grow this semes-ter. Students can use their Dining Dollars at off campus locations. Currently Student can use Dining Dollars at Domino’s, Quizno’s, Benjamin’s Coffee Shop, 66 Water Street Café, and McDonalds off of Highway 65. Remember you can add more Dining Dollars and Ben Bucks at the Business office. You Can always see what is up and coming on our Face-book page, our Webiste, and try Qbot (application for An-droid and Apple products) for rewards and discounts.



By Leah Rumsey, Campus Minister

The Religious Life program recently featured Religious Emphasis Week, a series of events drawing attention to opportunities for spiritual growth at Franklin College. These opportunities included student-led morning prayers, student preacher Taylor Heideman, a labyrinth workshop, a Taizé-style wor-ship service, Dinner and Faith, and Ro-man Catholic mass. Following Reli-gious Emphasis Week, the Religious Life program will offer a trip to the In-dianapolis Winter Jam, a large Chris-tian music festival, on the evening of March 20. Students should contact Campus Minister Leah Rumsey to reserve a spot in the van if they wish to attend. Looking forward into the summer, students are invited to participate in a service trip to New Orleans, Louisiana. Students will be serving with the American Baptist Home Mission Society’s “’Til the Work is Done” program, which has continued to assist with clean up and rebuilding efforts in the decade since Hurricane Katrina. Students will have the opportunity to worship with others from American Baptist in-stitutions, participate in clean up and rebuilding efforts, and enjoy cultural activities and outings. The cost is $150 to cover food and transportation and a $75 deposit is due by Friday, May 29 in order to re-serve a spot. Scholarships are available. Students will depart from Franklin College by van on Saturday, August 1 and return on Saturday, August 8. This trip is sponsored by the American Baptist Home Mis-sion Society and will feature worship services in the Christian tradition, but students of all religious and non-religious backgrounds are most welcome to attend. Students may contact Campus Minister Leah Rumsey for a registration form and for additional details. She can be reached by e-mailing [email protected] or by visiting the Religious Life offices on the second floor of the Richardson Chapel.

By Jennifer Miller, Coordinator of New Student Programs

As Franklin College gears up for the New Student Registration & Parent and Family Orientation days, we are excited to present our recently-selected New Student Mentors for the 2015-2016 school year. These mentors provide new students with a personal connection to Franklin College by modeling academic excellence and civic responsibility, facilitating group dynamics in the LA 100 classroom, and making a personal connection with each student in their LA 100 section.

Erin Moll

Brandon Morefield

Michael Powell

Krystal Sanders

Haedyn Scgalski

Kiera Shackelford

Payton Thomas

Benjamin Tierney

Nick Uhl

Riley Achenbach

Hannah Alte

Ashley Bazier

Erica Christy

Jamie Daley

Julia Dembrowski

Lauren Harmon

Megan Lalioff

Baily Lindamood





By Keri Ellington, Director of Student Activities and Organizations

Each spring, the Office of Student Activities and Organizations spends an evening recognizing some of the outstanding contributions students, faculty staff and organizations have made at Franklin College. The annual Activities and Organizations Awards Ceremony will take place Wednesday, May 6 at 7:30 pm in the Branigin Room of the Napolitan Student Center. Recognition that night includes announcing the Top Ten Seniors, the Senior Commencement Speaker, the Leadership Citation, Faculty Staff Service Award, Student Organization Officer of the Year, Student Organization of the Year, and the transition of Student Congress Officers. If you would like to attend this event, please contact Keri Ellington, the Di-rector of Student Activities and Organizations at 317-738-8086 or email [email protected] .

We all know students love their smart phones and social media! In an effort to publicize events, activ-ities and meetings sponsored by the Student Activities Center, this year we created both Facebook and Twitter Accounts. If you’d like to join in on the social media fun, feel free to like and follow us, too. On Twitter, you can find us at www.twitter.com/FC_SAC and on Facebook you can find us at www.facebook.com/FranklinCollegeSAC.

Like us on Facebook: Franklin College SAC Follow us on Twitter: @FC_SAC

By Natalie Brewster, Coordinator of Greek Life and Activities Assistant.

The annual Greek Life Excellence Awards will be held on Friday, April 24. This is a time for our commu-nity to recognize the outstanding achievements of our Greek men and women, as well as the accom-plishments of our individual chapters. Award categories are based around our community values and include recognition for scholarship, service, leadership, and character. This year’s awards encourage chapter’s to compete against themselves for continued growth and success while celebrating the gains and wins of each our chapters.

This year’s annual Greek Week will take on a philanthropic focus. Students have elected to support the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Indiana (RMHC) in our week’s efforts and are building RMHC into the theme wherever possible. Chapters will collect pop tabs and items on the wish list for RMHC, and all money raised during the week will be donated to the house in Indian-apolis. Event highlights include:\ Monday, April 20th—Keynote Speaker: Tim Mousseau, “Fewer Leaders, More Innovators” Tuesday, April 21st—Chapter Trivia Competition Wednesday, April 22nd—Field Day Challenge Thursday, April 23rd—Philanthropy Carnival on Dame Mall (Open to the Public) Friday, April 24th—Philanthropy Reception and Greek Awards



- by Kirk Bixler, Asst. Dean and Director of Career Services

Spring is in the air. That means that seniors should have started their post-college job search and that other students should be hunting for summer internships or meaningful summer employment.

The offices of Career Services and Professional Development have provided a number of opportunities for students to network with potential employers and alumni this spring. On February 19, the Collegiate Career Expo was held at the Indianapolis Downtown Marriott. More than 100 employers participated, offering opportunities to students from almost every major. On March 17, Alumni Services will host an alumni networking event and has invited all members of the senior class. This will be a great opportuni-ty for those seniors to network and meet alumni who are in influential positions within their organiza-tions.

As the economy is improving in Indiana, employers are hiring now! SENIORS NEED TO BE LOOKING FOR JOBS NOW! On average, it is taking four to six months for seniors to land post college jobs. Those members of the senior class who already have jobs started looking months ago. If your senior has not started the job search, a successful strategy does not involve waiting until after spring break or after graduation.

For the parents of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, one of the most important ways you can help your student to have a successful job search is to encourage him or her to be intentional about the sum-mer jobs and other work experiences they have now. The more experience your student can get in the field, the easier the job search will be in the future. Again, they must BE INTENTIONAL!! That means, instead of working in an area unrelated to his or her major, your student should be seeking out experi-ences that will teach him or her skills which will be useful in the future. If your student is an education major, encourage looking for jobs which require working with children. Examples are serving as a camp counselor, working in a daycare, or coaching a youth-league sport. If your student is a business major, it is a good idea to look for jobs in banks or in the business office of just about any corporation.

If summer jobs are not available in the student’s area in a chosen field, suggest to him or her to volun-teer to get some experience. Journalists may volunteer to write for the local newspaper, or make bro-chures or bulletins for not-for-profit organizations. There are always opportunities for psychology and sociology majors to volunteer with not-for-profits, nursing homes, and youth organizations.

Just as important as getting experience is your student’s ability to start building a network of potential employers and contacts. In the end, getting that great job will depend both on WHAT they know and WHO they know.

If you are in the position to hire, or you know of others who can hire new graduates or interns for the summer, please contact Kirk Bixler at (317) 738-8801 or by email at [email protected].

- by Cathe DeCleene, Coordinator of the Health Center Student Health 101 Has your student told you about the online student health and wellness magazine, Student Health 101? It is being published to them monthly August through June via their FC e-mail account. Feel free to check out the parent version by visiting http://www.franklincollege.edu/student-services/health-center Encourage your student to take advantage of this publication. It has a wealth of information that is timely and well researched by experts in their respective fields. STI Testing In collaboration with the Marion County Health Department, the Health Center will be offering free STI testing to students March 3rd and May 5th from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. This is provided at no charge and is confidential.

TB Skin Testing Mantoux (Tuberculosis) skin testing is available in the Health Center. For students participating in medi-cal internships this summer TB skin testing is often a requirement. If interested contact Cathe De-Cleene, in the Health Center for specifics. The cost is $5.00.



Please place your orders by Tuesday, May 5, 2015 Students may pick up survival kits May 12, 13,14 or 15

Please make your check payable to Franklin College Mail this completed form and payment to:

Student’s Name: _________________________________________________________________ Student’s Telephone Number: __________________________________________________ Message: ________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________

This project is sponsored by Franklin College Student Foundation.

Please call 317.738.8283 or email [email protected] with questions.

Number of Kits Type of Kit Cost per Kit Total

Midnight Munchies

$10.00

Health Kick Kit $10.00

Pizza Coupon $10.00

Midnight Munchies Filled with high energy snacks and those little extras that eve-ry student will enjoy during those endless study sessions. $10.00

Health Kick Kit Nourish your hard-working stu-dent with healthy, wholesome treats that will satisfy even the

hungriest of late-night cravings. $10.00

Pizza Coupon Help your student tame that late-night hunger with a two topping large pizza from PAPA JOHN’S Pizza in Franklin. $10.00

Survival Kits Franklin College, Alumni Engagement

101 Branigin Boulevard Franklin, Indiana 46131

11



Mar. 13-14 Family Weekend Mar. 16 Registration for Summer and Fall Classes Begins Mar 18-22 Theatre Production - A Festival of Short Plays—Student Directed Mar. 24 Mid-term Grades Posted Mar. 19, 24-26 Career Services Mock Interviews Mar. 27 Residence Halls Close for Spring Break at 5 p.m. Mar. 30– April 3 Spring Break April 5 Residence Halls Open - 2 p.m. April 6 Classes Resume at 8 a.m. April 20-24 Greek Week April 24 Greek Awards Ceremony - 8 p.m. April 27 - May 1 Senior Week May 1-2 Grizzly Grand Prix Festival and Race May 6 Activities and Awards Ceremony - 7:30 p.m. May 15 Last Class Day May 16 Parent Advisory Council Meeting - 10 a.m. May 18-21 Final Exams May 21 Residence Halls Close for Underclassmen - 5 p.m. May 22 Baccalaureate - 5:30 p.m. May 23 Commencement - 10:00 a.m. Residence Halls Close for Seniors - 5 p.m.

Vice President for Student Ellis Hall [email protected] 317-738-8080 Affairs and Dean of Students Assistant Dean of Students and Dir. Career Services Kirk Bixler [email protected] 317-738-8801 Executive Secretary Marti Schrock [email protected] 317-738-8080 Dir. Campus Ministry Leah Paresell Rumsey [email protected] 317-738-8140 Asst. to Campus Minister Terri Roddie [email protected] 317-738-8140 Dir. Counseling Services John R. Shafer [email protected] 317-738-8080 Counselor Sara Kinder [email protected] 317-738-8080 Health Center Cathe Decleene [email protected] 317-738-8090 Diversity and Inclusion Terri Roberts [email protected] 317-738-8119 Dir. Residence Life Jacob Knight [email protected] 317-738-8080 Johnson/Dietz - Hoover/Cline Hall Coordinator Rachel Richards [email protected] 317-738-8079 New Student Program Coordinator Jennifer Miller [email protected] 317-738-8137 Dietz Hall Coordinator Chris Drew [email protected] 317-738-8804 Elsey Hall Coordinator Melissa Harvey [email protected] 317-738-8474 Director of Security Steve Leonard [email protected] 317-738-8317 Student Activities Keri Ellington [email protected] 317-738-8096 Greek Life Natalie Brewster [email protected] 317-738-8091 Dir. Dining Services Les Petroff [email protected] 317-738-8108 Asst. to Career Services & Student Activities Barbara Noble [email protected] 317-738-8801 Asst. for Retention Programs Sarah Shroyer [email protected] 317-738-8080


march 2015 parent newsletter

Documents