August 2009 Articles at a Glance
In this month's newsletter:
Coming Soon
Parents Reception at Freshman Convocation
Family Weekend 2009
Volunteers Needed to Talk to Prospective Tech Parents
Featured Articles
Welcome Back: From the Dean of Students
Safety Initiatives at Georgia Tech
Changing a Major and Maneuvering Add/Drop Registration
Opportunities to Join the Greek Community
Undergraduate Research: Pushing the Boundaries
10 Tips for Parents of Students with Disabilities
Participation in Campus Recreation Improves Academic Performance
Student Perspective
Involvement Helps the Transition to Tech
From the Parents Program
Greetings Georgia Tech Parents:
On behalf of the Division of Student Affairs and the Parents Program, it is my pleasure to welcome the parents of new and returning students to fall semester at Georgia Tech. We greatly enjoyed meeting many new parents over the summer at FASET, and we look forward to seeing our returning parents soon!
The Parents Program has been busy this summer planning an array of parent volunteer opportunities as well as upcoming events for Georgia Tech families — namely, the Parents Reception at Convocation and Family Weekend 2009. Look for details on these opportunities and other useful resources in each edition of ParentNews.
We look forward to working with you in the upcoming year and hope that this fall semester begins as smoothly as possible for your family. Please feel free to contact me with any comments or questions you may have. My e-mail address is ksterritt@gatech.edu and my phone number is 404.385.3919.
Go Jackets!
Warmly,
Kimberly Sterritt
Director, Parents Program
Coming Soon
Parents Reception at Freshman Convocation
Join the Parents Program for a special Parents Reception on Sunday August 16, 2009, at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m., preceding the Freshman Convocation at the Alexander Memorial Coliseum. This is a ticketed event, so be sure to click here to make your reservation.
Family Weekend 2009
Held September 25-26, this is an excellent opportunity to come to campus and participate in all the fun and excitement at Georgia Tech. Event details and online registration are available at www.familyweekend.gatech.edu. If you have any questions, e-mail familyweekend@vpss.gatech.edu or call 404.385.1396.
Volunteers Needed to Talk to Prospective Tech Parents
The Parents Program and the Office of Admissions have several upcoming volunteer opportunities for current Tech parents to connect with prospective families. Your involvement is vital for the Institute to successfully engage families, answer questions and make their visit a positive experience. We are seeking volunteers for the following events.
Parents Reception at Freshman Convocation
Sunday, August 16
Time: 2:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Activity: (for returning Tech parents) Assist with freshman parent check-in and pass along your valuable insight as a returning Tech parent to new Tech parents.
Connect With Tech Sessions
Sunday, August 30
AND
Sunday, September 13
Time: 5:15 – 6:15 p.m.
Location: Bill Moore Success Center, adjacent to Bobby Dodd Stadium
Activity: Meet prospective parents and answer questions.
Our goal is to make these potential parents feel welcome and informed as they visit campus. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Kim Sterritt at ksterritt@gatech.edu with the session(s) and date(s) for which you are available. Additional details will be provided to volunteers in the upcoming weeks.
Featured Articles
Welcome Back: From the Dean of Students
Like many parents, I’m asking the question, “Where did the summer go?” It’s hard to believe that we are days away from beginning yet another academic year. The start of an academic year is a new beginning, always exciting and full of hope. 
For some students and families, it is their first experience with college. I hope our newly enrolled first-year and transfer students and parents enjoyed their FASET Orientation experience this summer. I also hope that you left FASET better informed about our programs, services, and opportunities for involvement both on and off campus.
For our returning students, it is a time to come back to campus and focus intently on coursework; choose a major; obtain an internship, co-op, or work experience; prepare for a study or work abroad program; or follow a passion by getting involved in a club or organization on campus. Read entire article...
Safety Initiatives at Georgia Tech
Last spring, several Tech students were victims of a string of very unfortunate and serious off-campus incidents. As students return to campus for the fall semester, we would like to remind the entire Tech community of our ongoing safety initiatives. While our primary focus is keeping the Georgia Tech campus secure, we are paying particular attention to the crimes occurring in residential communities adjacent to campus. In addition to the extra efforts we are making to inform and educate our students, the Georgia Tech Police Department is working closely in support of the Atlanta Police Department to help secure the areas and neighborhoods where many students live. To help keep our parents up to date on our evolving efforts to promote a safe campus environment during these challenging times, please visit the Parents Program Health and Safety Web site. The following resources are available on this page to help you understand how to stay informed of the many initiatives underway to protect our students, both on and off campus, and promote a safer environment.
- Download the “Take the Time, Prevent the Crime” fact sheet which gives students and parents alike helpful advice on crime prevention both on and off campus.
- Receive timely Crime Alerts from the Georgia Tech Police Department.
- View the June 23, 2009, news conference hosted by the Atlanta Police Department regarding safety around Tech's campus.
- Read the recent letter from the Institute’s president, Dr. G.P. “Bud” Peterson, to the Tech campus community regarding safety on and around Georgia Tech’s campus.
Changing a Major and Maneuvering Add/Drop Registration
Dana Hartley, Ph.D.
Director of Undergraduate Studies
One of the most stressful events for incoming and returning students is deciding whether to change their major. Naturally, parents want their students to find the "right path" and move forward in a productive manner. For students, this process is often filled with anxiety and doubt. Our main piece of advice for students and parents is "Don't Panic!" There is a process in place that students should follow for a successful outcome. However, it is important to note that due to timing, there are differences for freshman and continuing students. Read entire article...
Opportunities to Join the Greek Community
Buck C. Cooke 
Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Greek Affairs
There are 55 fraternities and sororities on campus, and naturally, it can seem a little overwhelming to students when they consider the options as they decide which chapter is right for them. The fraternities and sororities at Georgia Tech are broken up into four governing boards, each with their own unique recruitment and membership intake process. The following should help provide a brief overview of each governing board and related upcoming events. Read entire article...
Undergraduate Research: Pushing the Boundaries
Karen Harwell, Ph.D.
Director, Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program
If your student is ready for a challenge, working beyond the traditional boundaries of coursework, and wants to participate in something “hands-on,” then undergraduate research may be a great experience. Georgia Tech is a leading research university and provides an ideal setting in which students can experience the exciting world of discovery by working directly with a faculty mentor. College of Computing Associate Professor Amy Bruckman describes research as “a chance to work on a totally new problem — one that no one has ever tackled before.” It’s also an intellectual challenge. Recent psychology graduate Dianne Palladino commented, “Being involved in research helps students to think critically about the information that is conveyed to us in our daily lives, even if a career in research is not the ultimate goal.” Plus, it looks great on a resume! Read entire article...
10 Tips for Parents of Students with Disabilities
Denise Johnson Marshall
Assistant Dean/Director, Disability Services
You are your student's biggest supporter, cheerleader and advocate, and that makes you the best person to help your student make a successful transition into adulthood. Your encouragement to become educated about his/her disability and to embrace the responsibility for getting the help needed is a valuable skill that will stay with your student throughout his/her time at Georgia Tech and beyond. The development of successful self-advocacy skills are rarely developed overnight. However, there are a few ways you can help your student grow in this area. Read entire article...
Participation in Campus Recreation Improves Academic Performance
Paige Brannon
Campus Recreation Marketing Assistant
Research completed by the Office of Institutional Research and Planning re cently found that Georgia Tech students who frequently visit the Campus Recreation Center (CRC) have higher grade point averages (GPAs) and are more likely to be retained the following year. The study also concluded that those who never visited the CRC represented a significant portion of those who had the lowest GPAs and, more importantly, did not continue school at Georgia Tech. While there are a number of factors that influence the academic performance of our students, data analysis indicates that the difference in retention rates are not due to chance alone – frequency of CRC visits do play a role. Read entire article...
Student Perspective
Involvement Helps the Transition to Tech
Katy Hammersmith
Second-Year, Biomedical Engineering
Like a lot of students new to Georgia Tech, I knew I wanted to get involved on campus, but at the same time I didn’t want to be overwhelmed. There is a ton to do on campus, and I knew I had to make my selections carefully. A great resource for Tech students interested in campus involvement is CyberBuzz cyberbuzz.gat ech.edu, which houses all the information on student organizations. During my first semester at Tech, I chose the Student Activities Board for Undergraduate Research (SABUR), and Engineering World Health. My involvement in SABUR, enabled me to talk to other students who were involved in undergraduate research and learn about the available opportunities. I got involved in Undergraduate Research during my second semester at Georgia Tech and am now working in the McDevitt, Engineering Stem Cell Technologies Research Lab. This has been an incredible opportunity to learn the practical applications of my major. Read entire article...
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Important Dates
Aug 12 - 21 Late Registration Fall 2009
Aug 13-14 New Freshman Housing Move-In
Aug 14-19 Fraternity Rush & Sorority Recruitment
Aug 16 Freshman Convocation
Aug 17 Fall Term 2009 Begins
Sept 7 Official School Holiday
Sept 25 & 26 Family Weekend
At the Ferst Center
Sept 25 Keiko Matsui - discount tickets available to Family Weekend participants
Oct 10 Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood
For more show information, visit the Ferst Center Web site.
Success @ Tech
The Success @ Tech Web site, www.success.gatech.edu, contains numerous resources to help your freshman navigate a path to success. In addition to videos of helpful advice from students, faculty and administrators, the site discusses issues that many freshmen face as they transition to Tech and provides links to all of the campus resources to support their academic success.
Division of Professional Practice
The Division of Professional Practice offers a variety of exciting opportunities designed to help students earn income and gain valuable work experience while at Tech. Students are encouraged to apply to the program of their choice as early as possible in the semester.
Undergraduate Co-op www.coop.gatech.edu
Internship Program www.gtip.gatech.edu
Work Abroad www.workabroad.gatech.edu
Graduate Co-op www.gradcoop.gatech.edu
Tech In The News
Robotics Team Receives National Accolades
A robotics team from Georgia Tech-Savannah received a design award during the recent Marine Advanced Technology Education Center’s (MATE) 2009 International Student Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Competition. The Georgia Tech team was among more than 20 collegiate finalists competing in the challenge to design and build ROVs that function as submarine rescue systems. More info...
Dr. G.P. “Bud” Peterson Reflects on Time at Tech
Dr. G.P. “Bud” Peterson was named the eleventh president of the Georgia Institute of Technology on February 25, 2009. He assumed his new post on April 1, 2009. As Peterson marks his 100th day at Georgia Tech, he reflects on his time at the Institute. “The first three months have been enormously exciting and productive,” he noted. “I would like to share with you some of the things I have had the privilege to be a part of and give you a glance at what lies ahead. More info...
Strategic Energy Institute Announces Funding Awards
Through its annual seed funding for innovation in energy research, Tech’s Strategic Energy Institute (SEI) has chosen four proposals in the Creating Energy Options (CEO) program. The Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Research and Innovation provides the funding. Open only to Georgia Tech faculty and researchers, the program focuses on technologies and ideas with the potential to be commercialized or to streamline the processes involved in the implementation of energy options in the “near-term” three to five years. Begun in 2005, the CEO program grants one year of research funding. More info...
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