Aggie Quick ConnectionJanuary 2012 - Family Edition

January 2012 Aggie Quick Connection 1

Message from the Office of New Student and Family Programs

Howdy!

Happy New Year from the Office of New Student and Family Programs! We are gearing up for students toreturn to campus to begin a new semester here in Aggieland. The spring semester is a great time for students to get involved with organizations here at Texas A&M and we encourage you to talk with your student about their involvement. With Aggie Basketball entering Big XII play, the opening of Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park, Big Event, and Parents’ Weekend, the Spring 2012 semester will be full of excitement!

Don’t forget to visit the Aggie Family web site for additional updates and helpful resources. You can visit us at http://parents.tamu.edu/. Please feel free to contact the Office of New Student and Family Programs at (979) 845-5826, or email us at aggiefamilies@tamu.edu if you have any questions.

Thanks and Gig ’em!

Meet the Office of New Student and Family Programs

The Aggie Family Newsletter is brought to your inbox each month by the Office of New Student and Family Programs which is comprised of seven staff members focused on serving you and your student. Through various programs and communication outlets, our job is to create a welcoming and supportive environment for both students and Aggie families. Some of the programs we provide include New Student Conferences, Amplify (on pg. 2), ATMentors, Aggie Orientation Leader Program (AOLP), First Year Photo Project, and New Family Welcome. A detailed listing of all of our programs can be found on our website: http://studentlife.tamu.edu/nsp

The Program Coordinator for the office is Meredith Malnar ’05 & ‘07 who supervises professional staff that includes Carrie Bierck ‘09, Emily Ivey ‘04, and Erin Parks. In addition, the office has three graduate assistants who work with the various programs, Erica Wiborg ‘12, Lindsay Cochrum ‘13, and Tony Ghinelli ’08 & ‘13. Additionally, Nathan Douthit ‘13 serves as the student worker for the main office.

What’s Inside:Page 2: New Student ProgramsPage 3: Housing DecisionsPage 4-5: Upcoming Events and Programs

The Office of New Student and Family Programs

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New Student Programs: AOLP, AgVentures, Amplify

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Aggie Orientation Leader Program (AOLP)The office also houses the Aggie Orientation Leader Program, which welcomes new Aggies to the Texas A&M campus during New Student Conferences. AOLP is currently seeking dedicated TAMU students to serve as Orientation Leaders and work with new students and their families during New Student Conferences. Along with making a positive impact on the lives of thousands of new Aggies, Orientation Leaders have the opportunity to develop transferable skills that will benefit them as student leaders and beyond. AOLP is seeking a group of Orientation Leaders representative of the student body to welcome entering freshmen, transfer students, and their family members.

Would your Aggie make a great ambassador for Texas A&M? Then encourage them to check out this fantastic opportunity! Applications and more information regarding the Aggie Orientation Leader Program can be found online at http://aolp.tamu.edu. Applications are due February 1st!

Amplify offers students a chance to learn valuable skills and win awesome prizes! Amplify is a collaborative, campus-wide effort to help first-year freshman, transfer, and sophomore Aggies gain the skills and become aware of resources to help them overcome challenges they may face throughout their time in Aggieland and to make the most of their Texas A&M experience. Programs offered through Amplify include academic success strategies, health and wellness, life skills, and personal development. Students receive points for attending Amplify programs throughout the semester and can use these points to bid on prize packages such as: an iPad, $50 dining dollars, lunch with a special guest at the University Club, gift certificates to off campus eateries, Aggie gear, and even a MaroonBike!

To register for Amplify Workshops, have your student visit http://amplify.tamu.edu/workshops and click on any of the programs and then click “sign up”. The programs are FREE to attend so have your student look into these fantastic opportunities. Spring Semester workshops include: Money Talks, Study Abroad Informational, Social Justice Week, etc.

Amplify

AgVenturesSponsored by ATMentors, an organization of faculty and staff dedicated to providing a listening ear for students, AgVentures gives undergraduate students the opportunity to expand their interests while meeting other new, transfer, and current students.

At the beginning of each semester ATMentors and students go on an AgVenture; ultimately introducing students to the benefits of mentoring as well as ways to connect with a mentor at Texas A&M.

Students can join ATMentors and fellow Aggies for a day trip to Austin January 21st to visit the Texas State Capitol, LBJ Library, Texas State History Museum, and eat at local Austin favorites! Details and registration available at mentors.tamu.edu/AgVentures

2012 AOLP Executive Team

Aggie Family Programs: We want your input!As we seek to expand our services and meet the ever-changing needs of Aggie Parents & Families we are looking for your feedback!! Please help us continually improve by selecting the link below to access the survey. The survey should take approximately 5-8minutes and will be a tremendous help to our office. We appreciate your feedback in advance!

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22E9AK6MG22

January 2012 Aggie Quick Connection 3

Housing Decision 2012On and Off Campus Housing Options

Housing Decision 2012 is your student’s chance as a returning student to designate where they want to live on campus for Fall 2012 - Spring 2013. This is also where they can tell the Office of Residence Life if they do not plan on living on-campus next year.

Housing Decision 2012 is for all returning students who lived on-campus for the Fall 2011- Spring 2012 academic year and runs from Jan 31st to February 24th. This is an on-line process only. Students going through Housing Decision 2012 will be notified by their TAMU e-mail account BEFORE April 1st of their fall assignment and roommate (if applicable). Here is the link to apply: http://reslife.tamu.edu/how/ click on Housing Decision 2012 (about middle of the page on the right hand side)—once it opens on January 31, 2012.

Students Interested in Living in Gardens II:Since housing for the Gardens II is limited, housing will be done based on the student’s housing priority date which is the date of the original application for on-campus housing. If a student request to live in the Gardens II and wants a roommate, then on the housing application they need to list that person and UIN. If a student wants to try and live with two other roommates in the same apartment (4 people total and all of the same gender), then there is an area on the application to list the student’s name and UIN as well. For this to be successful, ALL students MUST list the other students and UINs when they go through Housing Decision. As a reminder, only upperclassmen with at least 24 hours and in good academic standing with the university can live in the Gardens II.

All students will be required to list three hall choices of which the Gardens II could be one of them (if this is what they choose). Otherwise, the student needs to list three other halls on campus. Students can double check their selection by going to http://reslife.tamu.edu/how/ then look under “Notices and Messages” on the Options page of Online Services.

Office of Residence Life: Housing Decision 2012

Housing Fair is an event each spring in which off campus properties present information about their amenities to Texas A&M students, faculty and staff. Students can walk around and visit various properties’ tables and gather informational materials, as well as pick up the latest copy of the Off Campus Survival Manual. Local community resources, such as the Bryan and College Station police departments, also sponsor booths to provide additional information pertinent to students living off campus. Housing Fair 2012 will take place on February 15th from 4:00-8:00 p.m. at the Campus Rec Center. For more information, visit: http://studentlife.tamu.edu/agoss/housingfair

Housing Fair 2012

Transportation Services - Holiday ScheduleWith students traveling home for the winter break, Transportation Services’ transit system runs different hours during the winter break. A summary of these changes can be found below and more information is listed in detail at http://transport.tamu.edu/transit/service.aspx#break

No Service: December 10th-11th, December 23rd-January 1st

There is no service during holidays, on nights and weekends during break service. All dates and times are subject to change. Please check the link above frequently for updates.

Break Service: December 7th-8th, December 15th-22nd, January 2nd-13th

Break/Summer Service operates Monday through Friday only, from 7 a.m .to 6 p.m. Weekend & Night Service is not offered during this time. All dates and times are subject to change. Please check the link above frequently for updates.

Upcoming Events and ProgramsWhat’s Happening at Texas A&M

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TUITION AND FEES

Tuition and fees for the Spring 2012 semester are due in full by 5:00 p.m. on January 11th, 2012. If your student is using the installment plan option, the first payment is also due by the deadline above. The remaining installment deadline dates are 5:00 p.m. on February 9th (second payment), 5:00 p.m. on March 9th (third payment), and 5:00 p.m. on April 9th (final payment.) For additional information about tuition payment and installment plans, please visit the Student Business Services website at http://finance.tamu.edu/sbs/

FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA)

If your student is seeking financial assistance for the Fall 2012, Spring 2013, or Summer 2013 semesters, the 2012-2013 FAFSA must be completed. The 2012-2013 FAFSA will be available to complete on January 1st, 2012. Make sure your student’s FAFSA lists Texas A&M University as a school to receive their information electronically. Texas A&M University’s federal school code is 003632. Remember your student must complete all applicable sections and carefully review their information for accuracy.

Your student may complete the FAFSA using the online FAFSA which is located at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. In most cases, the online FAFSA can be received by Texas A&M within one week.

We recommend completing the online FAFSA for quicker results. Remember, the FAFSA must be completed each spring in order for you to receive financial aid for the upcoming academic year. For more information regarding the application process, please visit https://financialaid.tamu.edu/apply/fafsa/application_process.aspx

For information regarding your dependency status, please access the Office of Financial Aid website at https://financialaid.tamu.edu/basics/dependency_status.aspx. For additional questions regarding financial aid, please contact the Financial Aid Office at (979) 845-3236, financialaid@tamu.edu, or https://financialaid.tamu.edu.

MSC SPRING OPEN HOUSE

MSC Open House will take place on January 22nd, 2012 from 1-4 p.m. at the Rec Sports Center and is a great way for students to find organizations in which to get involved. With over 400 student organizations represented, students will have an opportunity to search through both professional and leadership organizations that fit their interests. For more information about Open House, visit: http://mscopenhouse.tamu.edu/

Have your students start researching organizations early by visiting the Student Activities’ online database at http://studentactivities.tamu.edu/online/search/index

STUDENT RESEARCH WEEK

Student Research Week is a celebration of student research at Texas A&M University providing an opportunity for students to present research within a judged competition setting. All students are welcome to present research or original works as an individual or group. Student Research Week opens registration for the on campus research competition on January 10th. Student Research Week will be March 19th through 23rd and there are monetary awards distributed to top presenters. Any student interested in the event can visit the website at http://srw.tamu.edu.

AGGIE BASKETBALL

Aggie basketball is in full force and both teams have opened up the season with big games and are looking to return to Reed Arena to kick off conference play this January. The run for Big 12 championships has begun and both teams are primed to win the conference this year!

Women’s Basketball has had an exciting non-conference season and enters the month of January at 9-2 ranked #10 in the country. They look to build upon an already great resume of wins and you can see them in person at Reed Arena this month on:

January 8th – Sunday: vs. Oklahoma @ 2:00 PMJanuary 11th – Wednesday: vs. Texas @ 6:00 PMJanuary 18th – Wednesday: vs. Missouri @ 7:00 PMJanuary 29th – Sunday: vs. Iowa State @ 1:00 PM

The Aggie Men’s team (9-3) hosts four games this month and they are looking to get off to a hot start in conference play. You can find them at Reed Arena on:

January 7th – Saturday: vs. Iowa State @ 3:00 PMJanuary 14th – Saturday: vs. Texas Tech @ 12:45 PMJanuary 21st – Saturday: vs. Oklahoma @ 3:00 PMJanuary 28th – Saturday: vs. Oklahoma St. @ 3:00 PM

Both teams will be offering the Holiday Hoops package during the winter break which allows fans to purchase tickets for half price! Conference tickets are now on sale and tickets are going quickly to see the Aggie’s last season in the Big 12! For more information and ticket pricing, visit http://www.12thmanfoundation.com/ticket-center.aspx

IMPORTANT DATES

January 11: Wednesday. - Tuition and fees due in full by 5:00PM- If your student enrolled in the installment plan: 1st payment due by 5:00PM

January 13: Friday. 5:00PM. - Last day to register for spring semester classes and pay fees.

January 16: Monday. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. - Faculty and Staff holiday.

January 17: Tuesday. - First day of spring semester classes.

January 23: Monday. 5:00PM - Last day for adding/dropping courses for the spring semester.

Upcoming Events and ProgramsWhat’s Happening at Texas A&M

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