December 4
Deadline to apply for
December 2019 degree via myState -
$50 fee plus $100 late fee
Classes end
December 5
Reading Day
(No mandatory class assignments, requirements, and meetings)
December 6
Final Exams Begin
December 7
Make-up day (if needed)
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December 9 - 12
Final exams
December 13
Last day for December 2019
degree applicants to pay
account balance 3:00 p.m.
Starkville Campus Commencement
9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
(See below for more information.)
December 16
Final Grades Due by 10 a.m.
December 23 - January 1
Winter Holidays - All offices closed.
(Staff returns January 2.)
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January 1
Deadline for payment in full or enrollment in payment plan. Class schedules will be subject to cancellation if full payment is not made or the student is not enrolled in a payment plan.
January 6
Classes Begin
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Bully’s Closet and Pantry provides nutritious food, basic personal necessities, and professional clothing for Mississippi State students in need. National data around food and basic need insecurity indicates approximately 30% of college students are in need. Many Mississippi State students have significant financial needs and the Food Security Network on campus is working to further investigate this issue.
Click the image below to learn how you and your student can help bring Bully's Closet and Pantry to life!
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Students with unused block meals can help impact another student's life who may be suffering from food insecurity. If your student would like donate up to three block meals, please click on the image above to learn more.
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Please make plans to join us as the Office of Parent & Family Services partners with the MSU Foundation and Alumni Association to host a True Maroon Family experience at Mississippi State University. Come find out why your student loves being a part of the Bulldog family!
You don't have to wait until Bulldog Family Weekend for a trip to Starkville. Every weekend is a good weekend to visit your student. Plan a trip down in the fall and be sure to schedule time for a visit with the Office of Parent & Family Services.
Registration will open June 1.
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Well, we are coming into the final stretches and hoping y'all are hanging in there. Your students should be buckled down to finish strong. Honestly, as you can imagine, the end of the semester can be a particularly stressful period for many students. Supporting them during this time with positive encouragement and compassionate empathy is important. (Or maybe even some homemade yummies.)
Your student can expect their final grades to be posted by 10:00 a.m. on December 16. Remember, if your student has granted you access to the Parent Portal then you will be able to view the final grades.
If your student is a first-year student and their semester grades are lower than expected, please keep in mind that grades will often improve moving forward as students adjust to their new life away from home. (Sometimes the transition can be a little tough!) The
Center for Student Success
is a great resource for assistance. Also, it's a good time to sit down with your student and discuss what went right, what went wrong, and what adjustments need to be made for the spring semester. Establishing new expectations is super important to your student's success.
We hope that these weeks of rest and renewal prepare your student to tackle all the work ahead in 2020. Enjoy having your student home with you over the upcoming break and be sure to make some special memories.
As always, remember you can give us a ring if you need anything, even over the break. We leave a little later (December 20) and come back a little earlier (January 2). Plus, you can always call my cell if it just can't wait. (Cat 662.418.2441)
Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, and Hail State!
Cat Walker & Becky Faulk
Office of Parent & Family Services
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CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES
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Fall 2019 Commencement Schedule
Friday, December 13 - Morning Ceremony
College of Architecture, Art and Design
College of Arts and Sciences
College of Education
University Studies (C2C)
Students arrive to the Humphrey Coliseum no later than 8:30 a.m.
March in at 9:00 a.m.; Ceremony begins at 9:30 a.m.
Friday, December 13 - Afternoon Ceremony
College of Agriculture & Life Sciences & School of Human Sciences
College of Business & Adkerson School of Accountancy
Bagley College of Engineering & Swalm School of Chemical Engineering
College of Forest Resources
College of Veterinary Medicine
(Masters & PhDs)
Students arrive to the Humphrey Coliseum no later than 3:00 p.m.
March in at 3:30 p.m.; Ceremony begins at 4:00 p.m.
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Greetings from the MSU Career Center,
With the temperature in Mississippi finally beginning to feel like fall and the leaves collecting beneath the trees, it is hard to believe that another semester has drawn to a close. As your students prepare to return home, we hope that you will find time to discuss their collegiate experiences and their future plans. Remember, it is never too early (or too late) to discuss their choice of major, academic goals, upcoming graduation, or career aspirations.
The goal of the MSU Career Center is to aid in your student’s preparation for a lifetime of career fulfillment. We are prepared to meet your student wherever they are. You may already be familiar with a few of the activities we provide, including resume reviews and mock interviews. However, here at the Career Center, we want you to know that we offer so much more! Whether this is your student’s first semester or last, we hope you will encourage them to visit the Career Center and see the many ways we can help them succeed.
In this issue of Cowbell Connections, you will be able to learn more about resources and opportunities available to your student at no cost through the Career Center. We hope you will take time to read the information and share it with your student. I especially hope you will take time to look at the 4-D Roadmap which introduces several successful strategies designed to prepare your student for the jobs they want after graduation. There is no better time than right now for your student to begin researching potential careers and employers, building his or her resume through quality educational and experiential learning experiences, and strengthening his or her interview skills to land that perfect job.
As you look over this information, please let us know if you have further questions or need additional information about the Career Center or any of our services. You and your student have made a significant investment in preparing for a career after college. The MSU Career Center is here to help you with a return on that investment.
Hail State!
Brent J. Fountain, PhD
Interim Director, MSU Career Center
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Located on the 3
rd
floor of Montgomery Hall, the Career Center is excited to serve your students on their academic and career journey. With over 1300 student appointments this semester, individual appointments are one of our most utilized services. We would love to have each one of your students meet with their coordinator for a variety of services including major exploration, resume reviews, mock interviews, internship or full-time job search or graduate school prep.
If your student is looking at changing their major or selecting one for the first time, we'd like to encourage your student to consider taking one of the two (or both) assessments the Career Center offers or enroll in the Career and Academic Planning class to assist with major exploration. The Career and Academic Planning class is provided to students each semester and is designed to provide freshmen and sophomores with information, tools, and skills that help with exploring majors and making career decisions.
The graphic below provides more details on the assessments that you can share with your student.
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At the Career Center, students are encouraged to take advantage of experiential learning opportunities during their academic journey
.
There are currently over 900 students actively participating in a Co-op or internship.
If your student is planning to take advantage of an internship and would like to have that experience noted as nonacademic credit on their transcript, they should set up an appointment with their coordinator prior to leaving for that internship. Below are reasons why experiential learning is important and the minimum requirements for participating in a Co-op opportunity.
Why is it important?
- Sets students apart from other candidates (even those with better GPAs)
- Helps students earn money during college
- Boosts full-time salary upon graduation
- Contributes to the choice of proper major based on student’s interests and skills
- Provides a great opportunity to network with others in their field of choice
Co-op Requirements
- 2.5/4.0 GPA
- Entering freshmen must complete one academic year before going to work (Student can interview DURING their freshman year!)
- Transfer students must complete one academic semester (Student can interview DURING their first semester on the MSU campus)
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The Career Center is excited to finish up a busy semester and is looking forward to an equally busy Spring. Some of the events your student can look forward to this Spring are our Spring Career Expo, Co-op and Internship Interview Days, Education Career Fair, and Dinner Etiquette.
Spring 2020 Dates to Remember
Co-op and Internship Interview Days:
February 25 and 26│Student Union, Foster Ballroom
Education Career Fair:
March 31│Humphrey Coliseum
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Information sessions, on-campus interviews, and career focused events are all opportunities for your student, regardless of their major, to engage with employers on campus. The information sessions and on-campus interviews occur throughout each semester. Remind your student to log into
Connections
and watch for details about these opportunities.
Throughout the Fall semester students had opportunities to engage with 467 employers at our 13 events including the Career Expo, Co-op and Internship Interview Days, Graduate and Professional School Information Day, and Education Career Fair as well as other major specific and departmental events. Nearly 4600 students took advantage of these opportunities by attending the Career Center events.
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College, graduation, and job searching can all seem overwhelming and far away when your student is just starting college. Student’s Career Readiness and Success can move along in a linear path but often times takes many twists and turns. The 4–D Road map to Career Readiness is designed to help keep students on the road to success throughout the twists and turns. The Career Center team is ready and excited to meet your student where they are and help them along their path.
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Students planning to spend the holiday break at MSU will need to submit an application for Winter Break Housing through the Housing Portal.
Applications for winter break housing will close on
Friday, Dec. 6
.
NOTE: Winter Break Housing costs $450 for the entire stay with no partial stays permitted. The last day to cancel a Winter Break Housing Contract is
Saturday, Dec. 14
.
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As a reminder,
the Parent Portal is expected to update within 24 hours of the posting date. Students will receive a more real-time update in their student Banner page. Students can select "view class schedule and grades" on the myBanner for Students page.
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Make sure you mention
#MSStateFamily
when you make a post.
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Office of Parent and Family Services | 662.325.3611 | family@msstate.edu
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