In This Issue:
Orientation Sessions Continue | Pacer Family Calendar | New USC Aiken Housing Director | What is FERPA? |
No Tuition Increase | Part-time Job and Internship Expo | Graduation Application Deadline | Parent and Family Relations Office Hours | Save the Date and Quick Links
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Orientation Sessions Continue
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Welcome to families of new and transfer students!
Approximately 350 new students and their families have attended orientations this summer. If your student will be new to USC Aiken, please make sure they
register and attend one of the final sessions. This is students' opportunity to develop friendships, meet with advisors, get comfortable navigating campus, and have some fun!
You are encouraged to attend
Parent and Family Orientation which runs concurrently but separately during orientation. Students are able to include guests when they register. Orientation is not recommended for children.
Remaining orientation dates are:
- Freshmen: July 16 and August 19
- Transfer: July 18 and August 19 (same day as freshmen)
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New Electronic Pacer Family Calendar
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We are super excited to share our first electronic parent and family
calendar! Stay current with pre-populated dates and activities each month, and get acclimated to what your Pacer may experience.
Readers can download and save the calendar onto their computers and print the calendars as well. In addition, a "share" button is included so you can send this resource to family and friends.
We hope you find this helpful as you support your Pacer this coming academic year!
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New USC Aiken Housing Director
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The Office of
Housing and Residence Life
is excited to welcome Mr. Kevin Kerr as its new director. Kevin has more than 20 years experience in crisis management, leading behavioral intervention teams, and building partnerships between academics and student affairs.
His experience includes work at Clemson University, Presbyterian College, Penn State University, and Greenville Technical College. His educational background includes bachelor degrees in economics and political science from Stetson University and master degrees in higher education administration and history from Clemson University.
We look forward to welcoming your student and you!
A wealth of housing information - including what to bring - can be found on our
website
.
Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns by calling our main housing office at 803-641-3790 or emailing us at
housing@usca.edu
.
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Residential and Commuter Student Welcome
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Move-In Day is Sunday, August 18,
9 a.m.-4 p.m.
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Student Life hosts "Week of Welcome" activities throughout the first week of class for residential and commuter students.
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FERPA
is an acronym for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. This act protects the privacy of students' records, including grades.
Students receive grade reports through their Self-Service Carolina (SSC) portal; reports are not mailed home. USC Aiken's
academic calendar
indicates the last day in the term when professors can submit grades, and subsequently when students can access those reports.
Most families want to know this information and rightly so, especially if they are paying for tuition and expenses. The fact is FERPA is federal law, and USC Aiken is required to comply with this mandate.
Parents and guardians might consider having a comprehensive conversation with students to establish when and how they will see grades. At the same time discuss students' plan for
being prepared for class, and
tutoring options
. Let them know you care as much about learning and growth as you do about letter grades. That realization may prompt students to keep you informed throughout the semester, as well as at the end of the term.
To read more about USC Aiken's compliance to FERPA, please click
here.
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No Tuition Increase for USC Aiken
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USC Aiken is pleased to announce there will be
no increase
in tuition for students in 2019-2020!
Thank you to South Carolina legislators for realizing the importance of a providing a stellar education, to the USC Board of Trustees for approving the budget, and to our students and families for choosing and trusting USC Aiken! Go Pacers!
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Part-time Job and Internship Expo
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Is your student looking for a part-time job or internship on or off-campus? If so, encourage him/her to attend
Career Service's
Part-time Job & Internship Expo on the first day of class, Thursday, August 22. Employers will talk to interested students in the Student Activities Center (SAC) lobby from 11:30 a.m. -1 p.m.
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Graduation Application Deadline
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If your Pacer is expecting to graduate in December, please read the italicized notice below and encourage your senior to follow through with this requirement.
Students who will be completing degree requirements during the Fall 2019 Semester must apply for December Graduation. The period to apply for December graduation is July 18 – August 31, 2019. Students who plan on graduating in December must complete their online degree application in Self Service Carolina during this time period.
Now is also a good time for students to review
Degree Works
and
ICE
credit requirements to confirm they are on track to graduate.
The convocation ceremony is scheduled for December 12. Congratulations!
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Parent and Family Relations Office Hours
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Dear USC Aiken parents and families,
A special welcome to families of new students! While it is our goal to develop independent, self-sufficient Pacers, we know that sometimes parents or guardians need guidance on specific issues. During those times, please feel free to contact me. I am happy to be your USC Aiken point person.
As always, you can email us at
parents@usca.edu or call 803-641-2825. We are happy to reply to your messages during regular office hours, Monday - Thursday, 8:30 a.m. -
4:30 p.m.
I hope to see you at Family Day on September 21. Stay tuned for details.
Sincerely,
Sandy Talbott
Parent and Family Relations Coordinator
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Save The Date
Fall term
August 18 - Residential students move in
August 21 - Freshmen Convocation
August 22 - Classes begin
September 21 - Family Day
October 10-11 - Fall break
November 26-27 - Thanksgiving holiday
December 6 - Classes end
December 12 - December graduation
Spring term
January 13 - Classes begin
February 22 - Homecoming
March 9 - 13 - Spring break
April 9-10 - Scholar Showcase
May 6 - Commencement
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Parent and Family Relations| University of South Carolina Aiken | 803-641-2825 | parents@usca.edu | https://www.usca.edu/parents
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