July 2009 Articles at a Glance

In this month's newsletter:

Coming Soon
2009 Freshman Convocation and Parents Reception
Student Send-Offs
Join Your Freshman in Reading Outcasts United
   
Featured Articles
Welcome To Georgia Tech!
Making the First Year Transition: A Parent’s Guide
Safety Initiatives at Georgia Tech
Enriching Your Student’s Education – Outside of the Classroom
Why Your Freshman Should Take GT1000 this Fall Semester
Is “Going Greek” Right for My Student?
Making the Transition: Tips for Parents of Students with Disabilities

From the Parents Program

Greetings New Tech Parents:

On behalf of the Division of Student Affairs and the Parents Program, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Georgia Tech. The Parents Program looks forward to partnering with you in supporting your student’s success during this transition. Our mission is to connect Georgia Tech parents to the Institute and to each other through communication, parental involvement and programming. We recognize the importance of your continued support of your student and the positive impact it can make in enhancing your student’s educational experience.

In preparing for the fall, we would like to remind you of the following resources and upcoming events:

Parents Program Web site: www.parents.gatech.edu, your communications hub for all Georgia Tech Parents Program information and more. Through this portal you will find:

• Links to an array of helpful campus resources and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
• The Parents Forum where you can post questions to fellow Tech Parents.
• Archives of ParentNews and other helpful articles to help keep you informed throughout the year.

Just as Commencement is a ceremony that marks the completion of studies, Convocation celebrates a student's entry into higher education. It is also the first formal event where the Institute's president, Dr. G. P. “Bud” Peterson, will address new students and their families and welcome them to the academic community at Georgia Tech. The vice president of student affairs, dean of students, student government association president, and other student leaders will also give welcoming remarks. Finally, freshmen will receive their official Georgia Tech R.A.T.S. cap at this ceremony. The R.A.T.S. cap is a treasured Georgia Tech tradition and is only distributed at Convocation.

Prior to the Convocation ceremony, the Georgia Tech Parents Program is hosting a reception in the Grand Ballroom at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center from 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. At 3:30 p.m., President Peterson will be offering remarks at the reception. Parking is available at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center in the Technology Square Parking Deck for $3 as you enter. This is a ticketed event. Tickets may be purchased for $15 by visiting the Parents Reception Registration Web site.  The reception is open to all parents and family members of incoming freshman students.

Residence Life Peer Leaders will be helping freshmen walk or take the Stinger Shuttle to the Alexander Memorial Coliseum for Convocation. Parents and family members may either walk or drive from the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center. Limited parking is available at the Coliseum. Details about parking and directions to the Coliseum may be found by visiting the Convocation Web site. Seating for Convocation will start at 4:00 p.m. The ceremony begins promptly at 5:00 p.m. and will conclude at 6:30 p.m.  Afterwards, freshmen will return to campus for the 17th Annual Caribbean Party.  This dinner is free for Georgia Tech students and celebrates their first official night as a college student at Georgia Tech.

As you conclude your summer of orientation and moving your student into his or her residence hall, we hope that you will make plans to attend Freshman Convocation. We look forward to seeing you on August 16, 2009!


Student Send-Offs

Join alumni, students, parents, and friends to celebrate the achievements of the newest members of the Georgia Tech community at your local Summer Picnic and Student Send-off for the incoming freshman class and current students. This is a great opportunity for our new Yellow Jackets to meet other Georgia Tech students, their parents, and alumni from your area and to send our students off in style! Visit Student Send-Offs for more information.


Join Your Freshman in Reading Outcasts United

This fall, GT1000 Freshman Seminar classes will be reading Outcasts United. The book, set in Clarkston, Georgia (just 10 miles east of Atlanta), “is the story of a [soccer] team of refugee boys, the remarkable woman who coaches them, and the town where they live, a once-sleepy southern hamlet that has been upended by the process of refugee resettlement. It's a story about the challenges posed by our quickly changing world, and one that reminds us of what is possible in this country when we put our values in action.” The book’s author, New York Times reporter Warren St. John, will give a lecture for GT1000 students on September 24, 2009, as well as host a lecture for parents and family members who attend Family Weekend www.familyweekend.gatech.edu on September 25. The book is available at a discounted price at the Georgia Tech bookstore in the textbook section, so be sure and pick up an extra copy for yourself. You can also learn more about this book at www.outcastsunited.com.

John Stein
Dean of Students

Congratulations, you are now part of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket family! Here at Tech, we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of your sons and daughters. I hope they are as excited as we are about the upcoming fall semester here at Tech. I know next year will be exciting for them and for you. Coming to college is filled with a full range of emotions for students. My wife and I sent our son off to college last year, so I know that sending your child off to college is filled with emotion for you, too. It takes some time for all to adjust to the changes that come with a child leaving home.

Although I do not claim to have all the answers, I would like to offer some practical advice to you based upon my own experiences both as a parent and college administrator who has been working with college students for more than 25 years.

Tips For Success This Summer:

1. Be patient. Yes, they will eventually pack their belongings and be ready to leave.
2. Be flexible. Not every student wants to attend the very first FASET Orientation -some like to wait a bit!
3. Be supportive. Remind yourself that just because they are not talking openly about the future does not mean that they are not thinking and concerned about the road ahead.
4. Be understanding. For some students, leaving the security of home is a major step.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me at 404.894.6367 if you have any questions or concerns. I also encourage you to visit the Office of the Dean of Students Web site for helpful information and resources. I look forward to meeting you this summer at FASET.


Making the First Year Transition: A Parent’s Guide

Ruperto M. Perez, Ph.D.
Director, Counseling Center

The transition that new students make to Georgia Tech is a unique yet also a common experience for all incoming freshman. What parents sometime forget is the transition that they experience when their first (or second, or third, or last!) son or daughter leaves for college. The transition for parents can be both a time of anxiety and excitement. During this transition, parents may experience feelings of loss and sadness, which then give way to feelings of questioning how to manage the transition as well as feelings of excitement over new beginnings. Be assured that these experiences and feelings are common among many parents and families. It is helpful to network with other parents who are also experiencing the same transitions with their sons or daughters leaving for school – it helps to know that you’re not the only one experiencing these feelings! Read entire article...


Safety Initiatives at Georgia Tech

a rich and strong history of providing the student support services and co-curricular learning opportunities that help our diverse student community acquire and apply life-learning skills. The college years are pivotal and formative: much of what students learn is garnered outside of the classroom and is equally important in preparing them for success after graduation. As your freshman student begins an academic career at Tech, we encourage you and your student to engage in the variety of support services available, not only to help make this a successful transition to Tech, but also to gain a well-rounded, fulfilling learning experience. Read entire article...


Why Your Freshman Should Take GT1000 this Fall Semester

Steven P. Girardot, Ph.D.
Director, Office of Success Programs

At Georgia Tech, we have an informal expression that says we don’t admit students, we admit graduates.  One of the first steps a new freshman can take towards his or her goal of graduating with a degree from Georgia Tech is enrolling in GT1000, our Freshman Seminar course. Coordinated by the Office of Success Programs, GT1000 is a one-hour (one-credit), letter graded course that helps first-year students adjust to a new environment and make the most of their experience at Georgia Tech. Read entire article...


Is “Going Greek” Right for My Student?

Buck C. Cooke
Assistant Dean/Director, Greek Affairs

What if there were an organization your student could join that would make him or her more likely to return for his or her second year, more likely to graduate, and happier during his or her time at Tech? There are many benefits for students who join a fraternity or sorority at Georgia Tech. These organizations, among the oldest establishments on campus, provide a vital social outlet that teaches leadership skills and civic engagement, and produces a happier, more well-rounded student. Read entire article...


Making the Transition: Tips for Parents of Students with Disabilities

Denise Johnson Marshall
Assistant Dean/Director, Disability Services

Georgia Tech assists students with disabilities by providing programs designed to coordinate academic accommodations and promote access to all phases of campus life. Such programming is coordinated through the ADAPTS (Access Disabled Assistance Program for Tech Students) -Disability Services Program, www.adapts.gatech.edu.

As part of the Office of the Dean of Students, the ADAPTS-Disability Services program personnel oversee and coordinate programs to ensure accessibility to students with disabilities on an individual basis. Georgia Tech strives to provide equal access to a college education as well as to support students with disabilities in their experience in the campus community. Read entire article...