USF Family Connection Newsletter

FAMILY CONNECTION NEWSLETTER

Spring/Summer 2016 E-Newsletter

A Note from the VP for Student &

Alumni Affairs & Dean of Students...

Dear USF Parent,

Greetings from the University of St. Francis, and thank you for reading our first parent newsletter, created and distributed by the Division of Student & Alumni Affairs. As the Dean of Students, I’d like to take this opportunity to share with you a few thoughts about the origin of this newsletter and ask for your feedback as we communicate with you throughout the upcoming school year.

As student affairs professionals, we are profoundly aware that student success is a partnership between parents and the faculty, staff, and administrators that support your student on a daily basis. Support at the institution manifests in myriad ways: a coach who pushes a student to do their best, a teacher who sees potential in a student and asks them to conduct research, a resident assistant who notices that a student might be feeling lonely, or a tutor who spends extra time with a student to help with a paper or to study for a big exam. Certainly, this is not an inclusive list.

But support doesn’t end at our campus borders. Students are more and more connected to parents, and given the fact that most of our students commute from home, you play an integral role in supporting your student as well. Let’s face it. Your students are busy. They don’t always read their e-mail or read the posters on the wall advertising the numerous opportunities for involvement and engagement. But they do listen to you.

Our goal, then, is to give you as much information as we give our students so that you can effectively support them. You can encourage them to attend Supplemental Instruction classes, you can nudge them to join a club, and you can let them know to apply for graduation on time. In addition, we hope that the information we provide will help you understand your student’s challenges and opportunities. Yes, there is oftentimes a perfectly good reason for your student to drive back to campus for a 9:00pm event.

As partners, open lines of communication are important, but there are also limits to the level of specificity we can provide regarding your individual student due to federal laws. We’ll navigate these issues together if you have concerns.

If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions for topics for future editions, please reach out to me personally at dsloan@stfrancis.edu, by my direct line at 815-740-5055, or through Twitter @DamonSloan. My team and I look forward to serving your student in the upcoming year.

Best regards,

Damon M. Sloan

Dean of Students

Academic Calendar

August 22 - Classes begin at 8 a.m.
September 2 - Add/Drop Deadline*
September 5 - Labor Day – No Classes
September 15 - Application Deadline for May (Spring) 2017 Graduation
October 14 - Module 1 ends
October 17-21 - Fall Break – No classes at Main Campus
October 24 - Module 2 begins

October 31 - Registration for the Spring 2017 begins
November 11 - Withdrawal from course deadline**
November 24-25 - Thanksgiving Break – No classes at Main Campus

December 9 - Last day of classes (Traditional Undergraduate)
December 12-15 - Final Exam week (M-F) begins at 8 a.m.
December 16 - Module 2 ends
December 17 - Winter Commencement
December 23 - Christmas Eve observed– Main Campus Closed

December 26-30 - Winter Holiday Break – Main Campus Services Reduced

Find the full academic calendar here.

ACADEMIC ADVISING CENTER
Phone: 815-740-3657

E-mail:advising@stfrancis.edu

*If a student wishes to add a course to their schedule, they will need approval from their advisor. Adding a class is only permitted with approval from the student’s advisor and if space is available in the class. Add/Drop forms can be found in the Registrar’s office. All class requests must be submitted to the Registrar by 4 p.m. on the second Friday of the course.
If a student wishes to drop a class from their schedule without financial penalty, they must do
so submitting the drop form to the Registrar no later than 4 p.m. on the second Friday of the course. After that point the student will have to withdraw from the course and pay full tuition and fees. Traditional on-campus students requesting to drop a course may do so through their advisor, off-campus students will need to provide a written request to the Registrar’s office by using the Add/Drop form. Upon receipt of a written request, within the deadline, students will be dropped from the class roster and will not receive a grade for the course.

**Withdrawal
Students who need to withdraw from a course
after the add/drop period is over may do so by filing a form with the Registrar until the withdrawal deadline. Add deadline for current term students withdrawing from a course will receive a “W” on their transcript and remain liable for full tuition and fees. The “W’ will not affect the student’s grade point average on their permanent record.

Click Here for Transfer Student Orientation Information

A Note from Financial Aid:

For the 2017-2018 academic year the U.S. Department of Education will be introducing a new concept in federal need analysis called Early FAFSA. Through 2016-2017 students were encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) after January 1, 2016 for the academic year starting in Fall 2016. The family income used for the 2016-2017 FAFSA was 2015 IRS data, which immediately preceded the academic year.

The 2017-2018 FAFSA will become available to students on October 1, 2016 for attendance beginning in Fall 2017. The 2017-2018 FAFSA will be collecting 2015 IRS data, thus the term Early FAFSA (using IRS data which is essentially two years old). The Department of Education feels that this will let students and parents apply much earlier and give them a better idea of the assistance available to them much sooner.

Unlike in the past when students completed the FAFSA prior to having filed taxes, the IRS data from 2015 will be ready available by October 1, 2016. When completing the 2017-2018 FAFSA students and parents can allow the IRS to transfer their actual 2015 income directly to the FAFSA, both expediting the process and eliminating errors at the same time.

Another huge consideration for filing the 2017-2018 FAFSA by November 1, 2016 will be the deadline for the ISAC Monetary Award Program (MAP). When FAFSA filing for 2017-2018 begins on October 1, 2016 we can expect that the MAP deadline will also move back accordingly. The words of wisdom--if you are applying for financial assistance for Fall 2017 file your FAFSA no later than November 1, 2016.

More information about Early FAFSA for 2017-2018 and beyond will become available later this summer.

Visit the Financial Aid website!

FALL INTERVIEW DAY

For Business, Accounting, Finance,
& Computer Science Majors

October - Willowbrook, Illinois
Details to be released in September
Only candidates selected by the employers can attend.

Birthday Cakes

At the cost of $5.00, we will provide your student with an individual-sized cake made with love by Joliet’s own Milano’s Bakery. The cake will be delivered to the student’s residence hall or held in the Alumni & Family Relations Office for pick-up (for commuters) on the Monday prior to the student’s birthday. Your student will be notified by telephone that they have a special delivery. All cakes will say "Happy Birthday (Name)" but you may include a special message to be printed on a card and delivered with the cake. *Orders and payment are due one full week prior to the Monday delivery date.

ORDER HERE

Joliet is a family friendly atmosphere and a thriving business community that has many great opportunities for our USF parents and students. Downtown Joliet is home to many fantastic dining and entertainment venues for our students such as:

In addition to these venues, Joliet’s Union Station is located downtown and has both Metra and Amtrack rail lines. USF offers its students a free membership and shuttle to Inwood Athletic Club which is located at: 3000 West Jefferson Street (only a few miles from USF’s campus). Students are encouraged to use this club to take on their individual wellness goals. There is access to gym equipment, aerobics classes, a lap pool, and much more!

Find out more about the Joliet community here.

University of St. Francis

ALUMNI & FAMILY RELATIONS

stfrancis.edu/alumni - alumni@stfrancis.edu

(877) 811-ALUM