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November 2024

Residential Life: Info for Upcoming Breaks


Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks are fast approaching, and Residential Life wants to make sure students and families are prepared. For Thanksgiving in particular, we recognize that students don't always go home, so our halls remain open and students are welcome to stay. Please note that dining options are limited and transportation schedules are reduced given the minimal number of students who will be on campus.

 

For Winter Break (Dec. 13 Jan. 5), all residence halls close at 12 noon on Friday, Dec. 13. They reopen at 10 am on Sunday, Jan. 5.

 

If students wish to stay on campus over Winter Break, they must be in good standing with the Office of Community Standards and Conduct, submit an official Winter Break Housing Request, and receive prior approval from Residential Life. All students approved to stay on campus over Winter Break will have a $400 housing charge added to their student invoice.

 

The Winter Break Housing Request form is available on the Wildcat Housing System and must be submitted before Dec. 4.

 

Prior to vacating their rooms for Winter Break, students must do the following:

  • Close and lock all windows and doors
  • Unplug all electrical appliances
  • Ensure small refrigerators are unplugged and defrosted
  • Clean the room and remove ALL trash, ensuring no items have been left on the floor or windowsills
  • Take any and all medications home over Break

 

Although it is not necessary for residents returning for the spring semester to remove all belongings, we recommend residents secure all valuables or take them home over Break. The University is not responsible for damage to or loss of any resident or guest belongings.

 

Spring Intent REMINDER

If your student is transferring, graduating, or moving out due to an internship, they should complete the Spring Intent form. The form is available on our Wildcat Housing System and students have received information on it.

 

Students moving out at the end of the fall semester must vacate the residence halls no later than 12 noon on Friday, Dec. 13. Residents are responsible for ensuring their room/apartment complies with all procedures outlined by Residential Life for academic year-end and breaks. More Information can be found here: Guide to On-Campus Living

Thanksgiving Grab & Go Meals


Is your student staying on campus over Thanksgiving break? Campus Dining announces grab & go Thanksgiving meals will be available at Liberty Market and Clocktower Deli & Market on Tuesday, Nov. 26. They will feature traditional Thanksgiving favorites including turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, roasted squash, sautéed green beans, cranberry sauce, dinner roll with butter, and dessert. Meals are available for 1 meal swipe, or $14 cash or credit, while supplies last.

JWU Serves


On Nov. 8, nearly 200 members of the JWU community – students, faculty and staff alike – dedicated time and effort to JWU Serves. This bi-annual day of service gives Wildcats an opportunity to choose from a variety of service-related activities impacting individuals and the environment throughout Providence and beyond. Some options in this most recent JWU Serves included goat walking at Roger Williams Park Zoo, a Save the Bay beach and land cleanup, making personalized cards for Meals for Wheels and the Veterans Administration, creating care packages for Sojourner House and AIDS Care Ocean State, and packaging supplies for Gotta Have Sole, an organization that provides sneakers to youth who have a need.


We couldn't be more appreciative of every volunteer's contributions to JWU Serves. See some of the action in this short JWU Serves video.

Call for Entries


JWU Provost Richard Wiscott, Ph.D., invites students to attend and participate in the 2025 Student Research, Design & Innovation Symposium. This is a marquee campus event where the research, scholarship, and creative works of JWU students are celebrated with the entire university community and the public.


Whether students are finishing their first, second, or third year or are graduating, the symposium is a great way to come together to recognize outstanding work and get energized for the next stages in their academic journeys.


Check out highlights from last year's symposium and encourage your Wildcat to participate. The symposium happens on Tuesday, Apr. 22, 2025, from 12 - 2 pm, in the John J. Bowen Center for Science & Innovation. Students who wish to be featured and included in the symposium must submit project descriptions of research, scholarship, or other creative works by Feb. 1. They can find more info on jwuLink.

Wrapping up the Semester Strong


As December quickly approaches, your students may be feeling stressed or uncertain about final exams, group projects, or papers. The Academic Success Center (ASC) is here to offer some pointers to avoid doom spiraling. Students do not have to suffer preparing to end the semester strong.


In addition to group review sessions (referred to as Peer Assisted Study Sessions or PASS), and one-on-one tutoring availability, the ASC continues to offer academic success coaching and writing tutoring support. Coaches can help students to plan their study time around their scheduled final exams and to identify proven learning strategies, all while considering getting the right amount of rest and self-care. Meanwhile, writing tutors can be a second pair of eyes on final papers and reports. Encourage the student in your life to reach out early and book through our Tutor.com scheduling portal.


If your student is feeling confident, but lacks a quiet place to do their studying, the ASC is also home to several quiet nooks and crannies that students can work in any time that the Yena Center is open. They can even stop by JWU Local to grab a coffee or snack to fuel them as they go!

Student Academic Services Cares

 

With the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, we are aware more than ever that food insecurity is a real thing. Here at JWU, we offer several resources to assist students who need access to meals and personal items. Whether their need is constant or limited to a day when they forgot their lunch or their wallet to pay for lunch, students can achieve more academically when their basic needs are met.


Wildcat Food Rescue Club Grab & Go Meals: Comprised of faculty members and CFIT students, the Wildcat Food Rescue Club collects unused food from culinary labs and creates grab & go meals that are available to students at no charge. There is a refrigerator with prepped meals in the Cuisinart Center for Culinary Excellence. Meals are available on a first come, first served basis.


ELISHA Project Food & Goods: Co-founded by JWU alumnus George Ortiz, the ELISHA project has shared millions of pounds of food and goods since 2011 in various communities. Currently, JWU has eight on-campus locations, both Downcity and Harborside, where students can access these items. One of them is right in our Student Services Center! JWU also houses free snacks for students in three locations on campus. Students can find more info on jwuLink > Financial Aid & Assistance > Food & Housing Help.


How can you support your student? Students have been working hard and are almost through the fall semester. Having been away for the last 14 weeks, they will utilize the Thanksgiving and Winter breaks differently. Some may want to reconnect with friends and family, while others may just need some quiet time to recharge. The best way to support your student (especially those first-year students!) is to meet them where they are at and provide words of encouragement and support.

Accessibility Services Getting Ready for Finals


Accessibility Services is actively preparing for final exams. Last year, we proctored 345 exams in our office during finals week, and we anticipate having even more students request this service this year. Testing in Accessibility Services' office provides eligible students with a distraction-reduced environment, which can reduce feelings of test anxiety.


All students registered with Accessibility Services received information on the importance of submitting their testing requests as early as possible and no later than November 22. Exam requests received after November 22 cannot be accommodated and students will complete their exams in the classroom with the rest of the class. We look forward to receiving your student’s test request forms and doing our part in supporting their academic success.


Another important reminder: Housing accommodations require updated medical documentation annually. Winter break is a great time for your student to meet with their medical provider and obtain updated documentation. Please remind your student to schedule an appointment with their Accessibility Advisor early in the spring semester. Meeting with students allows us to check on their progress and ensure approved accommodations are meeting their needs.


The Accessibility Services team wishes you and your family enjoyable and relaxing holidays, filled with good food and wonderful memories.

EE&CS Offers Photos


Experiential Education & Career Services (EE&CS) is known as a one-stop-shop on campus for all things career advising, but there are also exciting things students can take advantage of when they visit us in the Yena Center. Our LinkedIn Headshot Station allows students to get a professional headshot taken any time Monday - Friday, 9 am - 4 pm. Students immediately receive their photo via email and they can use it for their LinkedIn profile, portfolio, or for any other professional needs they have. We hope to see your Wildcat soon!

End-of-Semester Activities


With final exams fast approaching, Wildcats can look forward to some welcomed study breaks thanks to Student Engagement and UIB (University Involvement Board). On Dec. 5, Paws to Destress returns to campus. There will be fluffy friends to pet, and vouchers for free hot dogs or dumplings to the first 200 attendees. Later on the 5th, UIB is sponsoring a gingerbread competition. No experience is required, and winners will be selected by their peers.


Our clubs & organizations also have lots of activities planned for the rest of the semester. As always, students should check the Involvement Network for details on upcoming events.

Senior Portraits


On Thursday, Nov. 21, a professional photographer comes to campus for senior portraits. Upcoming graduates who wish to sit for a photo can make an appointment. There is a $10 sitting fee, and no obligation to purchase. The photographer will be back on campus in April, so no need for May graduates to rush!



Find complete details and sign your student up for a portrait seating on the photographer's website. Note, JWU offers this optional service to graduating seniors. Students are not obligated to sit for a portrait.

JWU ECO Update


JWU ECO has been hard at work expanding composting efforts at Harborside Village and at various dining locations such as Willie's in Bowen Center, Willie's at Friedman Center, and HAC Build Your Own Burrito.

 

Over the past few weeks, many students living in Harborside Village signed up for a compost volunteer program. They got their very own compost tabletop bucket, which is dishwasher safe and can be disposed of at designated compost bins near the Village. This composting program teaches students who live in apartment-style residences alternative methods for disposal of food waste, and the importance of lowering the amount of waste going into landfills.

 

The ECO Team also did an unveiling of large bins that were installed at various dining halls, enabling students to separate their waste into three different streams: landfill, recycling, and compost.

Resiliency: Navigating a Changing World


At the Nov. 2 Parent & Family Advisory Board meeting, JWU Providence leaders shared their work to foster a resilient campus amid today's uncertain world. This discussion underscored that resilience—a vital ability to adapt and thrive through adversity—is crucial as we face societal shifts, political upheavals, and ongoing global challenges.


Resilience is more than “bouncing back”; it involves growth and adaptation. Through coping strategies and emotional regulation, resilient individuals turn adversity into opportunities for growth. This skill, which can be nurtured, has proven essential during crises like COVID-19. The pandemic pushed families to adapt quickly, manage stress, and support one another through isolation and uncertainty.


For parents and families, raising resilient children in a complex world means teaching them stress management, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence. Political and social turbulence often impacts children’s emotional well-being, and parents/guardians play a critical role in modeling healthy coping mechanisms and encouraging resilience.


College students today face unique pressures, from navigating academic demands to managing financial burdens in a competitive job market. Building resilience in young adults requires more than academic preparation; it calls for personal adaptability and mental health awareness. Resilient students can handle setbacks, approach challenges with flexibility, and stay open to change.


JWU’s “Culture of Care” initiative reflects this need by implementing strategies for building campus resilience. Through crisis planning, student support systems, and opportunities for dialogue, JWU aims to foster an environment where students can adapt and thrive.


As we prepare future generations for an unpredictable world, resilience becomes indispensable. By supporting one another, fostering resilience, and modeling perseverance, we can help students navigate life’s complexities with strength.


— Authored by Rich Brown, from Santa Fe, N.M. Rich is a member of JWU's Parent & Family Advisory Board. He is pictured (right) with his husband, Chris Nordstrum, and their son, Myles, a first-year Wildcat enrolled in the College of Food Innovation & Technology. Rich shares expanded thoughts on the topic of resilience and JWU details he learned at the PFAB meeting in this document.

Save the Date!


We've got two important updates for your calendar:


FAFSA filing for the 2025-26 academic year is scheduled to open on Dec. 1. Your student can contact their JWU financial planner if they have questions.


The date is set for next year's Homecoming & Family Weekend. It is scheduled for Oct. 3 - 5, 2025, on JWU's Providence Campus. Mark your calendar now and stay tuned for more info!

Wishing all JWU families the happiest of holidays.

Enjoy the season with your loved ones.