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Family Members of the Class of 2021,
July is passing quickly in Oxford, and we are excitedly preparing to welcome the Class of 2021 to campus. You and your student are likely busy accomplishing tasks on multiple checklists and counting the days until fall semester begins (41 to go!).
During the coming weeks, we ask you to consider and discuss important aspects of the transition to college, including anxiety and homesickness, how Miami addresses alcohol use and sexual violence, and other expectations of all members of the Miami community. We care about the wellbeing and success of your student, and know that students trust the advice and suggestions of their families, especially when it comes to these topics (even if they may not admit it). Together we can make the transition to Miami as seamless as possible.
Love and Honor,
Mark W. Pontious
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| Preparing your Student to Leave Home Being a parent or family member during the transition to college can be an adventure, but there are many resources at Miami to assist both you and your student during this experience. Together we can support students in safe and smart decision making. What you can do:
We encourage you to take advantage of your time at home before school starts to talk to your students about topics around safety, health, and wellness, including alcohol and sexual assault. We want students and families to be prepared before entering the college social environment. Talking to your student about your expectations in regards to their behavior makes a big difference. Research suggests that discussions just prior to starting college lead to lower alcohol consumption during the first year and lowers the risk of experiencing alcohol-related consequences. Some tips for talking to your student include:- Answer questions and set clear expectations about alcohol use.
- Discuss consequences for alcohol use; including social, legal, and the consequences you will impose.
- Stress the importance of sticking together with friends - those that go to the party together come home from the party together, especially if alcohol consumption is involved.
- Ask them to think about and identify who they will call if they or their friend needs help (and put those numbers in their phone!).
- Avoid any tales of drinking exploits that may exist from your own younger years or time in college.
What we will do:
We offer comprehensive programming on making safe and smart decisions during college, related to alcohol and personal relationships. High risk alcohol use and sexual assault occur on college campuses across the nation, and Miami is no exception. We take these issues seriously and want to educate students who are transitioning into a college social environment where exploration, testing boundaries, and risk-taking commonly occur. This month, your student will receive information via US Mail (hard copy) and through their Miami email account regarding the requirement to complete the online programs AlcoholEdu for College and HAVEN: Understanding Sexual Assault. Please note that your student will access both of these programs via the Student Checklist in myMiami. It is imperative that your student completes both AlcoholEdu for College (Part 1) and HAVEN: Understanding Sexual Assault by Monday, August 21, 2017. AlcoholEdu for College provides education about the use of alcohol and encourages students to think about their own intentions and alcohol use during college. HAVEN: Understanding Sexual Assault educates students about critical issues related to sexual assault and relationship violence, as well as prevention strategies for women and men. Students will complete Part 2 of AlcoholEdu for College during the fall semester. We will also offer other trainings, workshops, and resources regarding wellness topics, such as the importance of taking care of each other, known as bystander intervention. Campus Resources for you and your student:
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| College TransitionsThe transition from high school to college, although filled with excitement, may also bring strong mixed feelings. Students and family members may experience intense moments of uncertainty, confusion, loneliness, and anxiety, mixed with eagerness for the new experiences to come. Many of these emotions will fall into a range that students and their families can manage. Some families will discover a warmer, more comfortable way of relating to their student; a little distance may improve connections. However, a significant number of students will find the transition more challenging, experiencing intense feelings of anxiety or depression, self-doubt, or social isolation. Many will find the first extended time away from familiar surroundings to be overwhelming, and some will work hard to keep this a secret, with concerns about worrying those close to them, or fearing they have failed at this transition.
As a family member, how can you help? First, encourage your student to acknowledge their doubts. Let them know that adjustment challenges are completely normal and not everyone will quickly find close social connections. Also remind them of your understanding and acceptance of their brief periods of feeling anxious, sad, and/or homesick. If these feelings persist beyond a few weeks or seem too intense; if you are having daily and repeated contact with a very needy student; or if you lose contact with a student who typically checks in regularly, these may be reasons to reach out to them directly and encourage them to connect with their Resident Assistant (RA), and to consider scheduling a first session at the Student Counseling Service.
The Student Counseling Service (SCS) offers a range of services to assist in making the Miami experience a positive and successful one for all students. SCS services address a wide range of conditions, such as anxiety, homesickness, romantic relationship concerns, body image concerns, learning difficulties, relationship issues with roommates and peers, and alcohol and substance abuse concerns. Services include: initial brief consultations of 20-30 minutes which match students with services (at SCS and elsewhere in the community) that will best meet their needs; workshops on a number of topics; brief individual and group counseling; and psychiatric services focused on medication prescription and management. SCS also offers urgent care triage, with available hours for assessing critical concerns on a daily basis during the week. Therapists are available to consult by phone or in person with faculty, staff, students, and families about their concerns regarding a student. All services provided to students are completely confidential and can only be shared by a student's explicit written consent, and counseling records are in no way ever a part of a student's educational record. Finally, SCS provides a library of self-help resources, online mental health screenings, and referral information to help students seek assistance in the surrounding community.
SCS recognizes there are many new students who are currently in treatment for various mental health concerns best treated over the long term. SCS encourages students who may need or prefer extended care -- beyond that typically provided by SCS -- to connect with a professional mental health provider in the private sector with whom your student can develop a consistent and trusting relationship over the coming months and years. Please view the list of providers in the Oxford area or consult with an SCS counselor for a recommendation or referral.
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| Community Expectations: The City of Oxford & Miami July and August are typically a whirlwind for families and students. As you and your student have sorted through handouts from orientation and started to accomplish tasks on your "to do" lists, we hope you have also found time to have a conversation about their new community in Oxford.
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As you might recall, their community will not only include their residence hall and Miami's campus, but also the City of Oxford. Your student should expect to be welcomed by many and will quickly learn their way around town. Residents and businesses embrace our students and in return, expect good citizenship.
As students settle into a routine at Miami, we continue to remind them of the information shared at orientation, in particular, how to be safe and successful while making friends and getting to know their way around campus and the city. Many students experience independence for the first time and find themselves in situations where they choose to step outside their comfort zone. We encourage them to try new activities, get involved in organizations, and investigate opportunities off campus, such as volunteering and studying abroad. Maybe, if they still have time on their hands, they will find a job on campus and earn some spending money! These are all things we hope will help them adjust to campus life. The decisions they make early in their time at Miami will hopefully place them on the path to success.
The time has likely come when you are feeling as if you have done all you can to prepare your son or daughter for the next four years. However, we know your advice and wisdom are still important and will influence your student's decisions. We encourage you to remind your student of the following:
- Exercise good judgment, especially with choices about alcohol, drugs, relationships, and safety.
- Sign up for e2Campus to receive emergency text messages from Miami. This is for students only and the signup form can be accessed on the Miami University Police Department website.
- Show respect for yourself and the rights and properties of others. Open communication with roommates and neighbors about such topics as guests in the room, quiet time, and sharing of personal items, can go a long way in preventing future issues.
- Know and respect the law and be accountable for your actions. Use common sense, do not obtain or use a fake ID (or alter a Miami ID), and continue open communication with your family.
- Remember the importance of obtaining consent (sober, uncoerced, and enthusiastic!); it's (almost) as simple as tea.
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| Summer Reading ProgramMiami welcomes your student to academic life through the Summer Reading Program, now in its 36th year at Miami. Participating in the Summer Reading Program is a student's fist academic assignment and underscores those activities we value most as a community: critical engagement with ideas; close interaction among students, faculty, and staff; and active, responsible citizenship.
Miami's 2017 Summer Reading Book is Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis. The book focuses on issues of culture, class, and the role of education, with emphasis on our region. Each incoming first-year student received a copy of Hillbilly Elegy at orientation. Students should read the book before returning to campus in August, and bring the book with them to University Convocation on Friday, August 25 at 9am. At Convocation, a speaker will address the book and its ideas, after which students will attend summer reading workshops with other first-year students, upperclass student leaders, faculty, and staff to discuss the book. Our Convocation speaker this year is Stephen T. Williams, Mayor of Huntington, West Virginia. Huntington has been named America's Best Community as part of a revitalization initiative that addresses many of the issues highlighted in the book.
The Summer Reading book is most often an interesting and engaging text, and is always an important experience for the new student class and the Miami community. If students need additional motivation for reading, note that the Summer Reading book is also commonly used in first-year classes, and may be included in graded assignments early in the semester.
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