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Dear Longhorn Parent,
"The Countdown" has begun.
This past week and into the next, your high school senior has likely been preparing for and taking a variety of AP tests while fighting off "senioritis" as high school draws to a close. Your plates are full planning prom, scheduling senior photos, mailing announcements, attending and hosting graduation parties, coordinating out-of-town graduation day guests and possibly trying to squeeze in a family vacation. Whew, that makes me anxious just typing it! And then, your mind jumps to all that needs to happen before your student makes the move to the Forty Acres in August.
We understand that while you are enjoying the end of one journey, another is waiting to begin and that you want to plan. In this issue of Next Steps, you'll find information to prepare for both Freshman and Family Orientation, including important to-do's students need to complete before arriving. As a reminder, attendance is mandatory for students and encouraged for you.
The
New Parent Guide
will be mailed mid-May to the permanent address your student provided when applying. This publication will build upon the information you have received in this and the previous Next Steps issues. You will receive three more issues of Next Steps that will expand upon information you have received thus far plus that shared at Family Orientation. Expect those issues July 13, 27 and August 10.
For now, we encourage you to enjoy all that May and the end of this milestone holds for your family and friends. Congratulations to your
Class of 2018 Senior
! We are looking forward to welcoming you and your
Class of 2022 Longhorn
to our family!
Hook 'em,
Susie Smith
Director, Texas Parents
The University of Texas at Austin
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Gmail Users: Please Read!
Gmail clips long emails, including the monthly Texas Parents Association eNewsletter, which means that you may only be seeing a portion of the email's content. If you scroll to the bottom of the email, you should see a link:
[Message Clipped] View Entire Message
. If you click on "View Entire Message," the remainder of the newsletter will load.
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Quick Introductions:
- Susie Smith serves the UT Family as the Director of Texas Parents. Learn more about Susie here.
- Texas Parents is a department in the Division of Student Affairs that serves all students’ families who need assistance navigating university resources. The Texas Parents Association, the university’s official association for parents and families, provides benefits to members to support and promote student success. Learn more here.
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Preparing Your Student for Orientation
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New Student Services, a department in the Division of Student Affairs,
leads students through their transition to the university community with comprehensive Freshman Orientation programming.
If your student has not yet registered for Freshman Orientation, share this
link
and encourage him or her to do so as soon as possible.
To follow is information to get you and your student ready.
Pre-Orientation Videos
On May 1, an email containing links to pre-orientation videos that students are required to watch prior to checking in for Freshman Orientation was sent to your student. The videos will take about 45 minutes for your student to complete and will contain information essential to his or her transition to UT Austin.
Encourage your student to really take the time to understand the message of each video and not to complete them for the sake of getting it done. The videos were created to prepare the Class of '22 for success on the Forty Acres and are very important first steps on the road to graduation
.
Immunization Requirements
Students under age 22 are required to provide documentation showing that they have had a meningococcal (bacterial meningitis) vaccine before they can register for classes. Students should submit documentation to University Health Services (UHS)
no later than two weeks prior to their orientation session
and should also bring a copy to orientation. Learn more
here
.
Students who are not U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents (even if they went to a Texas high school)
are classified as international students and must satisfy additional immunization and tuberculosis testing requirements before registering for classes. Learn more
here
.
Freshman Orientation Schedule
To better understand your student's three-day programming, click
here
for a schedule overview that also includes a more detailed
Schedule-At-a-Glance.
Pre-Orientation Checklist
Encourage your student to thoroughly review the Pre-Freshman Orientation Checklist
here
. Review what to pack with your student and note that students will not need to bring pillows or sheets, but should bring towels and a blanket.
Encourage Your Student to Download the Free UT Orientation Mobile App
UT Orientation mobile app
will be live on June 1. It will provide your student with helpful information to prepare for orientation and will have the most up-to-date information for your student during his or her Freshman Orientation session. The app is available for iPhone and Android.
During Orientation
Your student will stay in an on-campus residence hall and eat in the dining halls. While some meals are coordinated within the orientation program, such as the BBQ dinner on Day 1 and Wing Dinner on Day 2, your student will also be provided with a meal card loaded with $39.45 that can be in used in the Jester dining facilities (Wendy's in not included).
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What You Need to Know About Family Orientation
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Family Orientation is a one-day program developed for you by Texas Parents, a department in the Division of Student Affairs, in place to be a resource to you from your student's enrollment through graduation.
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Hear more from our Family Orientation Student Coordinators, Rachel and Chris in this video.
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Need to register?
Already Registered?
We look forward to seeing you on the Forty Acres and will send an email reminder the week before your session with important day-of details like parking, what to wear, etc.
Pre-Family Orientation Checklist
Need Orientation Parking?
Staying in town while your student completes Freshman Student Orientation?
Go
here
for ideas of things to do.
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Mathematics Readiness
Click
here
to see a listing of majors and/or colleges that require Calculus I. Students who fall into one of these listed areas and are planning to take the class in the fall are required to:
- Purchase the Math Readiness Package for $50 and complete the online warm-up assessment and practice modules prior to arriving for their orientation session.
- Complete the UT Math Assessment during their Freshman Orientation session (no advanced sign up is required, instructions will be given during their College Meeting on Day 1). Results ensure students are placed into the math class that best fits their needs and requirements for the fall.
Refer back to the link above for more details about this two-step requirement and
here
for a list of Frequently Asked Questions.
Students
not
required to take Calculus but have a degree plan that allows credit for M305G (a pre-calculus course), have the option to take the UT Math for Credit Exam and try to earn credit for that course. The test fee is $60 and students do not need to register in advance for the exam. Graphing or scientific calculators are provided for the test, but students may choose to bring their own.
Chemistry Readiness
To help students prepare for college-level chemistry courses at UT Austin, the College of Natural Sciences requires those taking CH301 in the fall to purchase and complete the online ALEKS Chemistry assessment and score a minimum of 85. Learn more about
guidelines, time commitments and next steps
here
. Encourage your student to mark June 1 on the calendar to circle back to the link for details on how to purchase and access ALEKS Chemistry.
Where to Find More Testing Information
The Freshman Orientation
pre-orientation checklist
is an excellent information source for foreign language placement tests, Texas Success Initiative (TSI), Engineering Spatial Visualization Assessments and test accommodations for those needing special assistance during orientation testing. Encourage you student to check it out!
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Support for All Parents and Families
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The university understands the importance of keeping you informed and connected. Here is how we do it:
The Texas Parents department
An on-campus office consisting of five full-time dedicated staff and fantastic part-time student staff standing ready to help you from enrollment through graduation. Call 512-471-2353 M-F, 8 a.m-5 p.m. (CT) or email
TexasParents@austin.utexas.edu
.
See information above.
A website showcasing campus-wide information specific to the needs of prospective, incoming, transfer and all undergraduate families and designed to be an ongoing resource throughout your journey. If you don't find what you need, call the Texas Parents office!
Next Steps eNewsletters
Communications that break the journey into "what you need to know now" and "what you'll need to know later." Issues sent March-May introduce topics leading up to Orientation, and three post-orientation issues take you up to August's Mooov-in.
If you missed previous issues, go to the "to get you started" box
here
or contact the Texas Parents office with your email address and we'll send you an electronic version for your files.
The New Parent Guide
An introduction to campus leadership, departments, resources and timelines in a print magazine format. This guide is mailed to U.S. residents in mid-May and will be set up as an interactive document on the
parents.utexas.edu
website.
See information below.
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The Texas Parents Association
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Everyone belongs.
Established in 1948 and still going strong! All parents and families of undergraduate students belong, but you need to sign up for the membership that best fits your family's needs.
Memberships are set up per household, allowing one or two parents in the same household to enjoy benefits no matter how many students you have at UT Austin.
You will need your student’s UT EID to sign up.
There are two types of membership: complimentary and supporting. Choose the level that is best for your family and sign up today!
U-Touch
A complimentary level of membership that keeps you "in touch" with the university. We accomplish this through:
- Next Steps eNewsletters
- Texas Parents Association eNewsletters - 12 issues of monthly communication to help you help your student, mailed to all members beginning in August at the conclusion of Next Steps
- Emails from university administration on timely issues
One-Year supporting and Four-Year supporting
By making a tax deductible gift to the university, your One-Year or Four-Year membership "supports" the operation of the Texas Parents office and is reinvested through multiple outlets within the UT Austin community your student will call home.
Supporting members also receive U-Touch communications as well as additional benefits including access to the Texas Parents closed Facebook group, a pre-sale window to UT Athletics ticket sales, discounts with local and national vendors and many other perks.
Click
here
to learn more and to sign up.
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Orientation Registration
Check in with your student that he or she has registered for Freshman Orientation and see how preparation is coming along. Remind your student to direct questions to
New Student Services
. Remember that registration for students and parents/families are two separate processes.
Click
here
to sign up for Family Orientation; we hope to see you there!
In the July/August Issues of Next Steps
You won't receive Next Steps in the month of June but in July and August we will drill down even deeper into the many resources offered to UT Austin students. We'll also equip you with the information you need for a smooth transition in August, including details about Mooov-In and the Longhorn Welcome.
In the Mail
In mid-May, the
New Parent Guide
will be delivered to the permanent address provided by your student. This print magazine builds upon the Next Steps messages and puts you closer to a better understanding of the resources available to you and your student. Beginning
May 5
, you can also access a digital copy of the
New Parent Guid
e
in
the "to get you started" box
here.
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Unsubscribing from the Next Steps eNewsletter
Please note that if you unsubscribe by clicking the unsubscribe link below, you will no longer receive any messages from Texas Parents.
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Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (Central)
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