June 2009 Articles at a Glance

In this month's newsletter:

Coming Soon
Volunteers Needed for Girls Night Out
Preparing for FASET Orientation
2009-2010 Online Parking Registration Now Available   

Featured Articles
Safety Initiatives at Georgia Tech
Immunization Information for New Students
Plan Now for Nationally Competitive Scholarships
Finding an Undergraduate Research Experience
Barnes & Noble @ Georgia Tech: The Official Campus Bookstore
Freshman Wilderness Orientation Program Heads to Alaska

Student Perspectives
Take a Stake in the Issues at Tech to Lead Later in Life

From the Parents Program

Greetings from the Georgia Tech Parents Program! We hope that everyone is enjoying their summer and looking forward to the start of another great academic year. ParentNews will be taking a “vacation” this summer and will return in August for the start of the fall term. There will however be a special Freshman Edition of ParentNews published in July with useful information and advice for parents of incoming freshman students.  

Just a few reminders regarding how you can stay connected to the Tech community in the upcoming months.

The online Parents Program Forum provides a great networking tool for parents of Tech students — no matter where you live — to discuss resources and share advice on how to help your student succeed at Georgia Tech. We encourage parents to visit the forum, provide comments, and suggest additional topics.

For parents who use electronic calendars, we offer a way to download important campus dates seamlessly into your existing electronic calendar. This electronic calendar will help keep you up to date on important dates such as registration deadlines, breaks, and key parent-oriented events. Visit the Parents Calendar Web site, to download this feature and view user instructions.

For parents of incoming freshmen, we look forward to seeing you at the Parents Reception held at each FASET Orientation session. This is a great opportunity for parents who are new to the Tech community to meet other parents and key Georgia Tech representatives.

Additionally, mark your calendars NOW for our Parents Reception at Freshman Convocation! The Parents Program will be hosting a reception for parents and family members of the freshman class on August 16, 2009 from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., prior to Freshman Convocation. Visit the Parents Reception Web site for more information including how to purchase tickets for this event.

Last but not least, online registration for Family Weekend 2009 will begin in early July. This promises to be an exceptional event for parents and family members to experience all the wonderful opportunities Georgia Tech has to offer! We look forward to seeing you there!

Go Jackets!

Warmly,

Kim Sterritt
Director, Parents Program

ou or your student has not registered for FASET, it is not too late. The registration deadline for Fall Freshman FASET is Tuesday, June 30.

As you prepare for FASET, please note the following items:

1. Verify you and your student have the correct dates for his or her FASET session.

• Summer Freshman FASET (students starting in the summer) Wed. June 17 - Thurs. June 18

• Fall Freshman FASET (students starting in the fall)

          FASET 1: Tues. July 7 – Wed. July 8
          FASET 2: Sun. July 12 – Mon. July 13
          FASET 3: Sun. July 19 – Mon. July 20
          FASET 4: Sun. August 2 – Mon. August 3
          FASET 5: Wed. August 12 – Thurs. August 13

2. Make sure everyone planning to attend FASET is registered. If you need to add an additional parent, family member, or guest, this can be done using the same process your student initially used to register for FASET. Registration instructions can be found online at www.faset.gatech.edu.

3. Turn in your student’s medical forms to Stamps Health Services and verify that your student does not have an immunization hold. Information on this process can be found online at Stamps Health Services Web site.

4. Make a reservation for your overnight stay in Atlanta (students are provided housing as part of their registration fee). FASET has partnered with several hotels in downtown Atlanta to provide special rates to FASET participants. Click here for a list of partnering hotels.

5. Prior to your arrival on campus, visit the FASET Web site for updated parking information and directions to campus. Because of road construction in downtown Atlanta, this information can change on a session-to-session basis.

Students can log in up to 10 business days prior to their FASET session to update or verify their session. Directions on how to register for FASET can be found online at www.faset.gatech.edu.

The FASET Orientation Office is available to answer your questions regarding the program. Please feel free to call 404.894.6897 or e-mail faset@vpss.gatech.edu. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST), Monday through Friday. If you get our voice mail, leave your name and telephone number, and someone will return your call as soon as possible.


2009-2010 Online Parking Registration Now Available   

As the fall 2009 term approaches, don’t forget that your student needs to register for his/her 2009-2010 parking permit. To register, students should visit www.parking.gatech.edu and follow the registration prompt. The registration site will remain open until 11:59 p.m., June 30, 2009.

Recently, there have been a string of very unfortunate and serious off-campus incidents affecting Tech students. While our primary focus is keeping the Georgia Tech campus secure, the Institute is paying particularly diligent attention to the crimes occurring adjacent to campus. In addition to the extra efforts we are making to inform and educate our students about these activities and how to keep themselves safe, the campus police department is working closely in support of the Atlanta Police Department to help secure the areas and neighborhoods adjacent to campus where many students live. To help keep our parents up to date on the evolving efforts to promote a safe campus environment during these challenging times, please visit the Parents Program Health and Safety Web site. In addition, click here to download a complete listing of the many initiatives underway to protect our students and promote a safer environment.


Immunization Information for New Students

Barbara Villa
Associate Director, Business Services, Stamps Health Services

To be eligible to register for classes, all students must meet immunization requirements as outlined by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents. Upon acceptance to Georgia Tech, an “immunization hold” is automatically placed on your student’s record and will remain in place until your student submits sufficient documentation that all requirements have been satisfied. Having an active immunization hold will prevent your student from registering for classes.

Submitting the required immunization information is easy and helps your student avoid registration delays.
1. Download a copy of the required immunization forms.
2. Complete and submit the immunization forms as soon as possible, being sure to include all required signatures from your student's doctor(s).
3. Once the immunization forms have been submitted, students can check their status online to see if there are any active immunization holds. If so, information will be provided to indicate the specific immunization requirements which have not yet been met and what steps to follow in order to resolve open issues.

Please allow 5 to 7 days for submitted immunization forms to be processed. Students should submit these forms at least one week before they are scheduled to attend FASET and/or register for classes.

Click here to find all the instructions your student will need to download, complete and submit the required forms.


Plan Now for Nationally Competitive Scholarships

Karen C. Adams, Ph.D.
Interim Director, Fellowship Communication Program

The Georgia Tech campus deadline for several nationally competitive scholarships is coming in September 2009. We encourage students interested in applying for these awards to use their time over the summer break to complete the required essay portion of the application. Details for each of the awards are listed below. Please contact Dr. Karen Adams, Karen.Adams@provost.gatech.edu, for additional information on these exciting opportunities. Read entire article...


Finding an Undergraduate Research Experience

Karen E. Harwell, Ph.D.
Director, Undergraduate Research

It’s not too early for your student to begin working to secure an undergraduate research experience for fall 2009. Summer is a great time for students to begin thinking of focus areas for their research experiences since they may have additional time to explore research topics online or speak with faculty members. This planning period can also help students decide when to start research, how research coursework fits within their degree requirements and schedule, and when to apply for funding for research. Read entire article...


Barnes & Noble @ Georgia Tech: The Official Campus Bookstore