Parent and Family News-September 23, 2020

Volume 3 - Issue 3, September 23, 2020

In This Issue:

The Impact of a UofSC Aiken Degree

UofSC Aiken provost and executive vice chancellor, Dr. Daren Timmons, affectionately known as “Dr. T.” recently sent students a sincere message about the importance of pursuing dreams and the impact of “being sharp” and finishing a college degree.

He shares his hopes and dreams for them in this message.

U.S. News and World Report

We're #1 (Again!)

U.S. News and World Report's Best Colleges Guide once again ranked the University of South Carolina Aiken as the top Regional College in the South for 2021.

This marks the 23rd time USC Aiken has been ranked in the top three and the 15th time in the number one slot.

"U.S. News and World Report's annual guide is the go-to resource for many prospective students and their families," said Dr. Sandra Jordan, chancellor.

Read the press release and view the university's profile on U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges Guide site.

Family Day—Your Way

Celebrate a visit with your student during Family Day Your Way, a self-guided opportunity to avoid large crowds but still enjoy an October weekend with your Pacer. You might have lunch at the Pacer Cafe, stroll through the Etherredge Center Art gallery, or take in a Ruth Patrick Science Education Center planetarium show. Save time to visit one of the South’s most charming small towns—Aiken, S.C.

Here is what Joanna Caldwell, mother of sophomores Harry and Charlie, says about Family Day:

"Our family LOVES the outdoors! When we come to celebrate Family Day, you will find us at New Bridge Polo Club watching as much polo as possible! New Bridge is a beautiful equestrian development with polo right in the middle! We watch practices during the week and high goal games on Sunday. It’s open to the public, so anyone can come to enjoy, bring a picnic and a cooler, and sit on the sidelines--totally COVID safe.

"We enjoy trail riding or hiking in the historic Hitchcock Woods. And we ALWAYS stop by the Wilcox for a cocktail or dinner.

"When the Grandparents come to visit, we love to drive around downtown admiring the quaint homes and beautiful gardens and trees. Gramps likes to eat breakfast at the Track Kitchen, and Nana can hardly wait to shop down on Laurens Street.

"Our Pacer’s favorite restaurant is Tako Sushi--the whole family loves to people watch in the Alley there."

We hope you will consider an October visit to celebrate Family Day Your Way. Monitor the Family Day web page for updates.

Staying Ahead of COVID-19

UofSC Aiken recently released the fourth in a four-part video series intended to help educate students, faculty, and staff about COVID-19-related procedures and protocols

The most recent video features Dr. Betty Abraham-Settles. All four videos can be viewed here.

COVID-19 Dashboard

By keeping the UofSC Aiken family safe, we can continue offering face-to-face instruction and support, an essential component of the full university experience.

Please continue to revisit Ready, Set, Return, our comprehensive, campus-wide mitigation plan. The revision date appears on the front cover when new information is added.

We continue to conduct COVID-19 testing for members of our campus community. The number of positive tests remains extremely low thanks to everyone’s compliance with safety guidelines.

Updates on the campus’s condition will be reflected on the dashboard each Friday and will cover weekly updates as of Thursday evening each week.

Pacer Care Packages

Order One for Your Pacer Today!

Support your student by sending a Pacer Care Package! These are student-approved and made with Pacer pride by Parent and Family Relations and members of the Pacer Family Advisory Board.

Included are snacks, fun fall/Halloween decorations, school supplies, health items, and more! We will add your name to a “Dream Big, Study Hard” card and deliver to the Housing office for student pick up Oct. 26 - 29. Commuter students can arrange for pick up at the Parent and Family Relations office in the SAC.

The last day to order is October 14.

Magellan Scholar Program

The Magellan Scholar Program provides funds up to $3,000 to support undergraduate research under a faculty mentor’s direction. Students compete for this award by submitting a proposal for a research, scholarship, or creative project developed in collaboration with their faculty mentor. Selection is based on the project’s educational and intellectual merit, the project’s potential impact, and the student’s previous academic success.

The program supports research in all disciplines. A student must have a minimum institutional GPA of 3.3 to apply. Click here for a complete program description with application instructions.

The deadline for submission to USCeRA is 5:00 pm, Wednesday, October 21, 2020.

Study Abroad Scholarship

Pell Grant Recipients

U.S. citizen undergraduate students receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college who want to study or intern abroad may apply for The Gilman Scholarship Program.

Students should go to GILMANSCHOLARSHIP.ORG to apply by October 6, 2020.

Students can contact international@usca.edu or visit the Student Life office in the Student Activities Center to research this or other study-abroad programs.

Scramble for Scholarships

Join us to support UofSC Aiken Scholarship funds!

100% of golf tournament proceeds support UofSC students. Sign up today!

Degree Works

Students Can Chart Degree Progress

While the semester is just getting started and many students don’t have even one college credit before you know it, your Pacer will have accumulated lots of course credits.

But, are they enough, and are they the right credits needed to graduate on time?

Degree Works, a software application advisors use when working with students, helps track graduation progress. This easy-to-use, web-based tool is available to students through their Self Service Carolina account.

If students need assistance with a Degree Works audit, encourage them to contact Maureen Quinn in the Registrar’s office, temporarily located in B&E building room 200, or email maureenq@usca.edu.

Part-Time Job and Internship Fair

Was a Success!

On the first day of class, UofSC Aiken’s Career Services office hosted a successful Part-Time Job and Internship Fair in the Student Activities Center. Over 70 students took advantage of career advice, resume assistance, and potential job opportunities.

Was your Pacer not able to attend? No worries! Students can still get assistance at the Career Services office, temporarily located on the second floor of the Business and Education Building, or writing to careerservices@usca.edu.

Check out this career services parent checklist.

Etherredge Center Events

The Show Must (and will) Go On!

Treat yourself and your student to an Etherredge Center event! The first performance of the 2020-2021 Cultural Series is the fabulous Equinox Orchestra.

For more information and details for other upcoming performances, click here. Patrons may call the Box Office at 803.641.3305 or go online at usca.edu/Etherredge-center for more details and tickets.

Library Offers Online Instruction

For Fall 2020, the library offers online library instruction sessions, synchronous or asynchronous, tailored to meet students’ learning needs and class assignments. Instruction librarians will introduce students to the resources and search strategies most appropriate for the assignment, topic, and student expertise level. For more information about what we can provide, click here.

Students Recognize 19th Amendment

UofSC Aiken Student-Athlete Advisory Council teamed up with a generous donor to provide student-athletes t-shirts commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, women’s right to vote.

Students recognized this important event during “Get On Board Days,” an opportunity for students to get involved with various campus student organizations.