Volume 4 - Issue 2, September 2021 Fall Semester
In This Issue:
Parent to Parent Facebook Page | Family Day | Parent Town Hall | Center for Student Achievement | Weather and Emergency Alerts | Masks to Become Required Indoors | Upcoming Vaccine Incentives | UofSC Aiken and DHEC Provide Free COVID-19 Testing Site | Parent and Family Relations Assistance | Save the Date and Quick Links
Parent to Parent Facebook Page
Do you want the ability to ask questions to other families?
Are you a new parent joining the Pacer family and
want to speak to upperclassmen parents?
Would you like to help incoming parents with questions they might have?
Join our private Facebook page just for parents to communicate with each other.
Join here.
2021 Family Day

Due to the rise in COVID cases and an abundance of caution, we have postponed Family Day to the spring semester. We tentatively hope to host the event on April 2nd, so please mark your calendars now!

UofSC Aiken wants to welcome you to Family Day 2021! This year we are bringing Family Day back in person! On September 25th, we invite you to our campus for a day filled with fun, laughter, and family. We have many activities to fill your day, like a jazz band, a free Planetarium show in the Ruth Patrick Center, and even a trolley tour! UofSC Aiken also partners with small businesses in downtown Aiken to make sure you get a true Pacer experience.

Check-in will begin at 9:30 a.m. with the Chancellor’s brunch from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. We look forward to seeing you on campus!

For more information and to sign up for Family Day, click here.
Parent Town Hall
Log in and join virtually at our Parent Town Hall. You will be able to hear from the Chancellor and the Student Government Executive Team. They will be discussing important announcements and answering any questions you might have.

September 28th, 6 pm-7 pm

Join Zoom Meeting


Meeting ID: 879 5386 697
Passcode: 329904

For any questions, contact Kevin Nolan at KevinN@usca.edu
Center for Student Achievement
Reach out today, academic success tomorrow is a tagline I would like for you to remember. Let’s work together to normalize reaching out and asking questions. The Center for Student Achievement is a student-centered academic success center located on the first floor of the Gregg Graniteville Library behind the Learning Commons in suite 106.

We take a student-centered approach in our work with students. Essentially, we foster Academic Relationships with students and encourage students to have the same academic relations with their professors. We Coordinate Academic Resources, technologies, training and then implement Action-Oriented instructional strategies and motivation.

Our center has four functions with one overall goal of student academic success. This means each student experiences course, semester, year, and degree success/graduation. We combined professional academic advisors, academic coaches, and course tutors in one location for an all-student access point of care. Veteran and Military connected students have a distinct location for the same resources and added points of bureaucracy related to VA/DoD/Stated education benefits.

Academic Success Events to Consider:

Memory Consolidation Workshop: September 29th at 1 pm in Penland 106
Enhance students' ability to demonstrate an understanding of the principles and processes of how information is committed to memory and how to create methods to enhance their academic success.

Empowering Healthy Veterans (EHV) Campaign! November 1-13th 
This inclusive event focuses on Veterans’ physical and mental health awareness and the positive impact these important aspects have on our community. The proceeds will establish an EHV, UofSC Aiken Veteran & Military Student Academic Scholarship!

We welcome you to participate in our Virtual Run from November 1st –November 13th, 2021! We also welcome you to join us at Roberto Hernandez Stadium for our In-Person 10K Endurance Run, 5K Scenic Campus Run, Family Fun Run, and Post Fun Health Fair Festival on November 13th, 2021, at 8:30 am! Find more information on our @VMSSC Facebook Page!”

Parent and Family Member Life Hacks: Please allow me to provide you with a few life hacks to best position your student to academic success.

1.    Normalize asking questions. We would all like or think students will raise their hand in class to ask a question. This is not always the case. However, a key learning strategy is to ask questions early and often. If the student does not ask in the classroom, encourage your student to ask one of the CSA staff. We can coach them through the question and provide answers. Let’s make it normal to ask questions.
2.    What and When to Txt: Key dates to send your student a text message:
- October 11th, “I can’t wait to see what courses you register for the spring semester. When is your advisement date?”
- October 18th, “Let me know if you need to talk through any spring 22-course selections. You good? Or You got this!”
- October 25th, “Call me after you register for classes, let me know how it went.” Holiday break is in 7 weeks, Yikes!” See you soon.
3.    Free Peer Tutoring: Check out the extensive list of tutoring services at: https://www.usca.edu/center-for-student-achievement/programs/tutoring
The tutoring resources include Tutor Matching Services (TMS) for parents who have other children who are still in K-12 schools and who need tutors.

Robert A Murphy MBA, USMC Veteran
Director, Center for Student Achievement and Veteran and Military Student Success
My staff and I are available for your questions. Please feel free to email me at RMurphy@usca.edu or call the CSA at 803-641-3297
Weather and Emergency Alerts


If you are interested in receiving emergency alerts sent out on the UofSC Aiken campus, please click here for more information.
COVID 19 Update: Masks Required Indoors
Dear Pacer Community, 

As promised, the University of South Carolina Aiken (UofSC Aiken) has maintained the closest vigilance on the increasing rate of COVID-19 infection and hospitalizations resulting from the virus, and we have vowed to take all reasonable steps necessary to ensure the safest possible learning and working environment. 

Accordingly, based upon local, state, and national conditions starting Wednesday, August 18, 2021, the University will require all persons to wear face coverings indoors at all campus facilities except when eating or in personal spaces where adequate social distancing can be maintained.
Mask wearing will be a key part of our Pacer strategy, and we will adjust our COVID-19 strategies as necessary throughout the semester. Please refer to the fall COVID-19 plan, https://usca.edu/pacer-ready, to keep our campus safe and to allow our students, faculty, and staff to remain on campus--in class and at work--in order to promote the most effective teaching, learning, and working experiences. 

We were a safe campus before the advent of effective vaccination, and we are a safer one today with the availability of a scientifically proven vaccine as well as your support for wearing facial coverings indoors on campus. Please know that our COVID-19 Team will continue to monitor the campus health situation, and its findings and recommendation will continue to inform our policies and protocols. 

We must continue to work together to mitigate the incident rate of COVID-19 during the upcoming 2021-22 academic year. This means not only wearing a mask but, above all, getting vaccinated. As previously communicated, vaccination clinics and incentives to vaccinate will be made available in the next few weeks. 
Thank you for your support in keeping our campus safe and operating “normally.” Above all, I remain overwhelmingly confident that we will have a fulfilling academic year! 
 
Dan Heimmermann 
Chancellor 
‌
Vaccine Incentives
Beginning in mid-September, anyone who is already vaccinated, or will have their second shot by the end of September, will have the opportunity to sign up for incentives voluntarily.

For more information, click here.
UofSC Aiken and DHEC Provide
Free COVID-19 Testing Site
Free drive-up COVID-19 testing continues for all UofSC Aiken students, faculty, staff, and the greater Aiken community.

Testing site and guidelines:
  • Testing is conducted six days a week - Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm.
  • The Convocation Center parking lot located at 2049 Champion Way, Graniteville, provides two drive-through testing lanes.
  • Access https://web.getgov2go.com/ to set up your pre-registration and appointment time.
  • No insurance card is needed, but you will need to present a driver’s license or UofSC Aiken ID.
  • SC DHEC (SC Department of Health and Environmental Control) will provide trained staff to administer the test. They will follow all HIPAA guidelines and regulations.
  • SC DHEC will analyze and provide results of testing within 24-48 hours of testing.
  • A pre-registration link is available for your convenience. It is rrtesting.com/uscaiken.
  • For more information, please contact Mr. Deri Wills at Deriw@usca.edu or 803-641-3787.

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.
 
Updates on the campus’s condition will be reflected on the dashboard each Friday and cover weekly updates on Thursday evening each week.
Parent and Family Relations Assistance
The Parent and Family Relations Office is open virtually, and as always, I am available and happy to support you as you support your students.

Please continue to reach out via email at parents@usca.edu or call 803-641-3611 during office hours, Monday–Thursday,
8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Pacer Proud. Pacer Strong.

Kevin Nolan
Parent and Family Relations Coordinator
Parent and Family Relations| University of South Carolina Aiken | 803-641-3611 | parents@usca.edu | www.usca.edu/parents