July 2014

 
In This Issue
Welcome Parents
Class of 2018
Important Academic Dates
Getting Around SLC
Safety and Security on Campus
Outdoor Program
FERPA Policies
Order a Cake for Your Student
Revamped Academic Calendar
Financial Aid on Facebook
Get Involved
Westminster News & Events
Quick Links
 
Welcome New and Returning Parents!
Westminster College's Office of Parent and Family Relations is your connection to campus services, from the admissions process through graduation. We promote meaningful engagement in campus life and encourage parents to participate in their student's education through programming and events, career enhancement, and fundraising initiatives.
 
The Parent Relations staff is committed to keeping you informed of Westminster news and happenings. Fill out our parent information form to ensure that you receive the bi-monthly e-newsletter, Westminster Review magazine, and messages from President Brian Levin-Stankevich.


Parents of New Students
Welcome to the Westminster family! We are excited that your son or daughter has decided to attend Westminster College, and we look forward to seeing you at Orientation in August. We want to do our best to prepare both you and your child for the transition to college life. Be sure to visit the new parents webpage and fill out the parent information form. Tell us something! Share information with us about your student, such as accomplishments, service experiences, learning styles, etc.

Current Parents
You can help parents who are new to the Westminster experience. Fill out this short survey with what you found most helpful in your adjustment to being a parent of a Westminster student!

Contact Dana Tumpowsky (P '15), Director of Parent Fund and Family Programs, at dtumpowsky@westminstercollege.edu or 801.832.2757 if you have any questions regarding your student's Westminster experience.  

Westminster's Class of 2018
Westminster College welcomes the Class of 2018 and their families this August. This year's group of incoming students already promises to be geographically diverse and capable of doing amazing things here. We had 2,492 applicants, of which 491 enrolled. The average GPA is 3.58 and the average ACT is a 25. The class is evenly split from Utah and out of state. Below are the top states for student enrollment: 

  1. Utah - 245 students
  2. Idaho - 40 students
  3. California - 31 students
  4. Colorado - 19 students
  5. New Hampshire - 15 students
  6. Montana - 13 students
  7. Oregon - 12 students
  8. Nevada - 11 students 

International students will be joining us from 14 countries:  Albania, Armenia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Ghana, India, Korea, Mauritius, Nepal, Russia, Singapore, and Vietnam.

New to Town? Getting Around Salt Lake City

  

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) runs the bus and light rail (TRAX) system and is the most convenient way to get around if your student does not have a car. Westminster students can use their Westminster ID as a FREE UTA premium pass, and the closest bus stops to campus are located to the east at 1300 East and to the west at 1100 East. 

 

Most Westminster students carpool to local ski resorts. Transportation to the ski resorts is not covered by the free UTA bus pass, though students can connect to buses that run to the resorts.  

 

Click here for more transportation options available to your student.  

Safety and Security on Campus
Westminster College takes a proactive approach to campus safety and security. The campus is well-lit and patrolled 24/7 by our on-site Campus Patrol. Their rounds include building walk-throughs, campus perimeter and interior checks, and a nightly locking/closing procedure. CCTV cameras are located in all of the parking structures and some buildings on campus.

Westminster also uses an Emergency Notification System (ENS) to inform the community of emergency situations on campus. The service transmits brief urgent messages--via email, voicemail, and text--as quickly as possible. The college strongly recommends that all students maintain current contact information in Webadvisor to ensure they receive any emergency notifications.

Westminster's Outdoor Program

As fall semester approaches, the Outdoor Orientation Program is busy preparing local travel experiences for new students. These trips provide incoming first-year students with the opportunity to explore the beautiful wilderness areas around Westminster, build lasting friendships before the start of school, and develop a support network within the Outdoor Program community.  

 

This year we are offering three trips for students to choose from: Alpine Backpacking in the Uinta Mountains, Packrafting in the Wind River Mountains, and a Multisport Adventure (hiking, climbing, and rafting) on the southern slope of the Uinta Mountains. We still have a few spots left on the Multisport and Backpacking trip. Click here for more information and to register.

FERPA: What We Can and Can't Tell You

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) gives parents access to their child's educational records in elementary and secondary school. However, when students enroll in college, their records become their own. Grades, financial information, and even class schedules are considered confidential.

At Westminster we will provide you with our general academic policies and procedures, and we can also suggest questions you might ask your son or daughter. Parents should encourage open communication about academic achievements and difficulties and agree to family policies before classes start. College staff and faculty can only release information to parents if the student grants permission through a signed information release form available in the Registrar's Office.


Celebrate Good Times! Order a Cake for Your Student  

Birthday? Final exams? Just because? You can order a custom cake for your student through Westminster College's Bon Appetit Food Service. A nine inch round cake serves 12 guests. You can choose chocolate, white, or vanilla cake with chocolate or vanilla frosting. Cakes are $25 each.

Submit this form online three days before you want the cake to be ready. The catering director will contact you for your credit card information, and your student will be notified to pick up his or her cake at the dining hall in the Shaw Student Center.
Academic Calendar Revamped 
Beginning this fall, Westminster will implement the new academic calendar, which includes longer breaks, a faculty prep week prior to the start of the Spring Semester, a spring break that aligns better with other area schools, and the demise of the often bewildering "Academic Monday."

Click here to read more about the calendar changes.
Financial Aid on Facebook 
 
"Like" Westminster's Financial Aid Office page on Facebook and receive updates on new scholarship offerings for students!

Getting Involved 

As a parent of a Westminster student, you can raise awareness of the college daily in your community: at your job, your place of worship, and with friends and family. You can be a real ambassador for Westminster just by sharing your student's experience with others!

 

The newly-created Westminster Parent Board provides leadership for the Parent Association and as an advisory board to the Office of Parent Relations. Parent Board Co-Chairs Katy and Joe Hargis (P'17, P'13-Minnesota) are excited to welcome new Parent Board members:

  • Johna and David Brems (P'16-Utah) 
  • Loretta and Scott Brown (P'17-California)
  • Stacey Caesar (P'14, P'17-Wyoming)
  • Tori and Lorri Shaver (P'15, P'16-Idaho)
  • Jeff Taylor (P'17-Tennessee)

And contributing to Westminster's Parent Fund is a tradition that supports our top priority: students. This past fiscal year, parents contributed more than a quarter of a million dollars to the college, sending a strong, collective vote of confidence in the college's mission and vision and helping to make sure a Westminster education is accessible to every Griffin. You can designate your Parent Fund gift to any area of Westminster.  Give now to the Parent Fund.