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SEPTEMBER 2017, ISSUE NO. 8
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Your student has made it through the first week of college at Miami! Hopefully they have begun to settle into a routine and maybe even call you once or twice.
This issue of Miami Family Focus contains information about Late Night Miami, communicating with your student, the importance of the first six weeks of the semester, how Miami works to respond and prevent sexual and interpersonal violence, and initial information about Thanksgiving Break and transportation. Review previous issues on our Stay in Touch page.
Love and Honor,
Mark W. Pontious
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| Late Night MiamiAs we kick off the semester, Late Night Miami is celebrating another successful year! Coordinated by the Office of Student Activities and the Cliff Alexander Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life, Late Night Miami hosts free evening events for all students every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night of Fall and Spring semesters. In partnership with the Division of Student Affairs, Miami student organizations, and University departments, the campus comes alive each weekend with concerts, coffee houses, box office hit movies, lifesized board games, block parties, DIY craft nights, live improv shows, and more.
Late Night Miami kicked off the semester by hosting several events to get students acquainted with campus and resources. You may have heard your student talk about the Oxford Community picnic, which got them acquainted with their community outside of the University, or Welcome HoMe with Late Night, with events across campus including a dodgeball tournament, a movie at Lewis Place (home of the Miami President), an Escape the Room Challenge, Yoga Under the Stars, and a fireworks display to end the evening.
Did your student miss out on some of these first events? Don't worry! There are many more to come. Your student has the opportunity to stop by events such as a Thursday Night Coffee House, spin-in and skate-in movies, comedians, art after dark craft nights, and video game tournaments. To view the full event listing, visit the Late Night Miami website, check out Late Night Miami on Twitter and Instagram (@MiamiSAL), or search #LateNightMiamiOH.
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| The First Six WeeksThe first six weeks of college is a time when both healthy and unhealthy habits take root. A 2014 survey completed by 60,000 students across the United States found that the most common health impediments to success include stress, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and getting a cold, sore throat, or the flu. Miami offers workshops, programs, and awareness campaigns to help students stay healthy.
The Rinella Learning Center offers workshops about time management and studying that will help students develop good habits. Student Counseling Service provides group counseling and workshops to help students manage stress and anxiety. HAWKS peer health advocates facilitate programs in residence halls, fraternity and sorority chapters, and student organizations about healthy habits. Other events on campus, such as Stress Less Week and activities at the Recreation Center invite students to learn more about habits to stay healthy.
This is a particularly high risk time for alcohol-related consequences, including unintentional injuries, poor academic performance, alcohol poisoning, and sexual assault. After arriving on campus and settling into their room, students are kept busy! We intentionally packed your student's schedule with residence hall meetings, block parties, and Late Night Miami events. Students engaged in structured activities are less likely to engage in high risk behaviors.
Now is a great time to remind your student of the expectations you have for them as they explore their new freedom. Ask them about the friends they have made, the activities they have been a part of, and encourage their involvement on campus and in the community. Revisit conversations you had about consequences related to alcohol. Discuss the difference between perceived alcohol use versus actual alcohol use at Miami. Students often think "everybody drinks", when over half of incoming Miami students self-identify as non-drinkers. Revisit the handout from orientation titled Talking About Alcohol to help get the conversation started. For other tips about talking to your student about alcohol, read this recent article from the Washington Post. You remain a key influence on their behavior; if students know or perceive parents' disapproval of behaviors, they are less likely to engage in them.
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| Many first-year students will participate in a program called Step Up! through their UNV 101 class or a student organization, which gives students skills to intervene safely and effectively when they see "red flags" associated with alcohol, sexual assault, and other serious issues students may encounter. The message to Step Up! and look out for one another will be reinforced throughout the year. Remind your student that Miami has a "Good Samaritan" policy that protects students from judicial sanctions when calling for police or medical assistance on behalf of themselves or another student for the overconsumption of alcohol or drugs. Together, we can support students to make safe and smart choices.
If your student finds that a substance abuse or health concern is interfering with their academic success, encourage them to act quickly so that we may find the best resource on campus to help. Students who access resources sooner have much better outcomes.
Last week we hosted a webinar session specific to the First 6 Weeks of College and covered many of these topics in more depth. You can watch/rewatch this session on our Webinars page, where you will also find recordings of other past webinars and a calendar of webinars for the remainder of the year.
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| Communicating with Your StudentGoing to college is a big adjustment for both students and families. Knowing how often and how to communicate with your student may be difficult to figure out. There is no one prescribed way that works for everyone. Each family has their own routine prior to the student leaving for college, and that routine must adjust. Each family experiences the transition differently, including the amount of space each family member needs. Two questions to consider during this process are "What does my student need in terms of support?" and "When do I need to push my student out of their comfort zone toward more ownership of decisions and experiences?"
As most students enter college around the age of 18, this is also a time of psychological and social identity development. Students vary in the amount of support and space they need throughout this development. Periodically asking your student about needs as the year progresses can be beneficial and help the student know that you are interested in hearing their perspective. This may also help the student think intentionally about the transition and the changes that have taken place thus far.
An adjustment period at the beginning of the year is normal; everyone is figuring out their own needs and the needs of other family members. A new routine will soon be established, and checking in with students periodically and encouraging them to advocate for their own needs is a good way to stay attuned to their adjustment. This Psychology Today article provides tips from a student's perspective. Finally, sending a care package always tells students that someone at home is thinking of them!
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| Sexual and Interpersonal ViolenceIn the midst of moving students to college for the first time or returning for another year, most parents are not thinking about sexual and interpersonal violence (SIV). Recent events and legislation have created a new call to action to stop SIV and change the campus culture at universities across the country. Miami is no exception and is taking a lead role in demonstrating our commitment to addressing this national issue by dedicating time, financial, and human personnel resources, and a clear message on standards of behavior.
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| The national campaign launched by the White House and personalized by colleges campuses is called "It's On Us -- to stop sexual and interpersonal violence". It's On Us sounds a clarion call to all of us - students, staff, faculty, all of us who have a vested interest and responsibility in the success of our University and the success of our students. On August 27, your students attended "It IS My Place," a theater production that emphasized positive bystander behavior, a sense of community, and a responsibility to live out the ideals of Love, Honor, and Respect in all we do and to encourage that in others.
What will students see that looks different? Every student should have access to a magnet with confidential resources and reporting resources which were distributed through the residence halls and off campus. Students will see a variety of It's on Us messages that explain the program and encourage to take the pledge to stop sexual and interpersonal violence. The It's On Us logo appears on program advertising events and activities that are designed with the intention to explore an aspect of an SIV topic and promote dialogue.
Several student organizations have a primary mission to address sexual and interpersonal violence. Encourage your student to explore involvement opportunities. Any student or group of students can help promote It's On Us by contacting the Office of Student Wellness.
The first person a victim/survivor generally discloses to is a friend or roommate. If your student or their friend finds they need support services, contact the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, Becca Getson at 513-529-1870 or getsonra@MiamiOH.edu. They have the option of several confidential resources, in addition to reporting resources.
It is important to talk with your student about these difficult topics. They continue to listen. Let's keep the conversation going, at home and at Miami. For more information regarding Title IX and Miami University's efforts, please see:
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Thanksgiving TransportationEven though the semester is just starting, many of you are already thinking about Thanksgiving and the logistics of getting your student home, whether to somewhere in Ohio, or much farther from Oxford. Thanksgiving Break officially begins at 10pm on Tuesday, November 21, residence halls close at noon on Wednesday, November 22, and halls reopen at 9am on Sunday, November 26. Most students will still have class on Tuesday, November 21, though some students already know that one or more of their Tuesday classes will not meet, while still others won't find out that a Tuesday class is not meeting until closer to the holiday. All students should plan to be in classes on Tuesday. Regarding transportation during this break, there are many options to get your students home! If you students are flying home, the University offers BCRTA Airport Shuttles to the Cincinnati and Dayton airports for Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring breaks. Tickets for these airport shuttles are currently available for purchase. For students who live in the Chicagoland or Akron/Cleveland areas, there is bus service available for these breaks. Other students use one of the many taxi or shared ride services that operate in Oxford. Visit the Transportation page to see a list of these companies and for information about the bus services. Still other students find shared rides either to the airport, to a city midway between Oxford and home (then you only have to drive halfway), or all the way home. Many times, students sharing the ride will pay for the gas for the trip. There are multiple options to find a shared ride, including student's "Class of 2021" Facebook group, the unofficial Miami Univ (OH) Student Ride Share Facebook group, and the Ride Share board in myMiami, in addition to informally finding a ride through friends and classmates.
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