Denison Everywhere: You’re Invited!

As members of the Denison Family, you are invited to attend the 14th annual edition of what has become one of Denison's most popular traditions: Denison Everywhere. On Wednesday, Jan. 30, from 6-8 p.m., alumni, family, and friends will gather in more than 70 cities across the nation and around the world to celebrate our college and our Denison family. We hope you will join us. Learn more and register here.

A message from Dean of First-Year Students Dr. Mark Moller

We hope that you had a wonderful holiday season and that the New Year is off to a good start! We’re looking forward to welcoming your students back to campus after what we hope was a refreshing break with family and friends.

The first year of college is often incredibly rewarding, but it can also be challenging. If your student is apprehensive about returning after a difficult first semester, the most important thing you can do is to assure them that they are not alone, and encourage them to reach out to us in the First-Year Office. If we cannot help them ourselves, we will do our best to connect them with those who can. Please keep reinforcing that they are not alone in their Denison journey.

Fall semester grades have been available to students for a few weeks now; it is not uncommon for students to be disappointed with their GPA following their first semester of college. Please remind them that it can take time to get acclimated to Denison’s rigorous academic standards, and that the best thing they can do is utilize the resources we have to support them. Most students who do this find that their academic work has improved significantly by the end of their first year. Your student’s faculty advisor or the Academic Resource Center staff can help identify resources that are likely to be most helpful.

If your student is still having difficulty acclimating socially to Denison, we can help with that, too. Have your student stop by the First-Year Office. We will either talk to them right away or schedule a meeting with them. We can also still match your student with a Peer Mentor, if that added connection would be helpful. The large majority of students who participate in our Peer Mentoring Program report that it was instrumental in easing their transition to Denison. It can continue to be helpful even during the spring semester for students whose transition has been less than successful so far.

Another great way for students to connect with peers is to sign up for some of the great programs and activities offered both on and off campus. Throughout the spring semester, our office will continue to offer trips into Columbus via the ‘22Connect Program. If your student didn’t take advantage of these trips in the fall, encourage them to do so in the spring. Trips are usually free to students and provide a chance to explore Columbus and connect with their peers in an off-campus setting. We’ve got some exciting trips in the works for this semester—like to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, the Columbus Museum of Art, and a Columbus Crew game. Your student should keep an eye out for e-mails from our office regarding these opportunities.

We will continue to serve as a resource for you and your student this semester. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at 740-587-6224 or firstyear@denison.edu with any questions or concerns. Best wishes for the remainder of winter break, and we’ll see your students back in Granville soon.

Another chance for students to get connected: The Winter Involvement Fair

If your student is looking for new ways to get involved on campus, encourage them to attend the Winter Involvement Fair from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 31, in Slayter Union. With more than 170 registered student organizations, Denison creates a space for student leaders of all passions and interests to connect with like-minded students. The annual Winter Involvement Fair, hosted by the Alford Community Leadership and Involvement Center, features student organizations ranging in interests from arts and club sports to service and social justice. Students will have an opportunity to meet fellow leaders shaping the Denison community by creating fun experiences to expand classroom knowledge into their student organizations.

A message from Hank Malin P'15, Executive Director, Knowlton Center for Career Exploration

I hope your first-year student had a good first semester at Denison and trust that you have enjoyed spending some time together over the past few weeks. We look forward to welcoming students back on campus after four weeks without them. And before you (and they) know it, the spring semester will fly by, and your student will (hopefully) be doing something productive for the summer. A few first-year students may have a plan for the summer, but the reality is that most first-years are still “in process” and many are just starting to think about a plan! Fear not! The Knowlton Center is here to help your student, regardless of where they are in that process.

For many Denison students, the summer after their first year means getting a “job,” typically something like what they did in high school such as serving as a lifeguard or camp counselor or working at a store or restaurant. Some may seek an experience that will help them decide whether a particular field is of interest. For others, summer might involve combining a couple of options: a paid job for 40 hours a week and then some volunteer work or job shadowing to gain exposure to a potential future career field. There are no “wrong” summer experiences for first-year students, but the key is to do something. Our early interactions with first-years are typically about two things: writing (or updating) their first college résumé and/or discussing some potential career fields. Here are two tools that we encourage you to encourage your student to help in those areas:

We also hope you will strongly encourage your first-year student to schedule a 1:1 appointment with a Knowlton career coach during the second semester. A student does not have to have a career plan all figured out before scheduling a coaching appointment — in fact, that’s the point of an initial career coaching appointment — it’s a place to start the discussion about possible career fields, potential majors, and what types of experience might be of interest this summer.

Finally, we’d appreciate it if you’d remind your student to read the Knowlton Note (published every Monday.) If you’d like to be “in the know” about all things related to the Knowlton Center, just email Alex Davidson at davidsona@denison.edu.

Here’s to a great second semester for both you and your student!

A message from Jennifer Grube Vestal, associate dean of students and director of the Academic Resource Center

The “ME” in Mentoring

Recently, Denison was nationally recognized in the Chronicle of Higher Education for its commitment to mentorship, which is a key indicator of student success. Indeed, the powerful connection students form with faculty and staff is never more evident than at commencement or even sweeter reconnections during Reunion Weekend. And while both alumni and the college, in general, can celebrate the life-changing connections formed during these four years, they do not always form organically.

As your student prepares for another semester on the hill, ask who their mentors are or who they have a connection with on campus – “who gets them?” Hopefully, they will reference a few names and cite the different ways they seek support from or have a unique connection to those named. IF there is a lapse in a response, perhaps now is the time to suggest a “new year’s resolution/new semester’s goal” of being more intentional about forming connections with faculty and staff this term – hence the “ME” in mentoring. At a place like Denison, many are eager to connect, but students must take an active role in creating the opportunity to foster these connections.

Here are some suggestions you can pass along to your student:

Letters of recommendation for internships, graduate school, or employment references are enhanced by drawing from a rapport built over time and incorporating elements of both academic and co-curricular experiences into a broader reflection of the person. Whether your student is returning for their second semester or preparing for the final term before graduation, I hope the “ME” in their own investment in the mentoring relationships at Denison will be a priority for the new year.

We’re here for you!

And we’re wishing you and your student a relaxing end to winter break and a healthy start to the spring semester.

Go Big Red!

Kristy Barngrover Clear ’10
Associate Director of Alumni & Family Engagement