OHIO Parent and Family Newsletter
January 24, 2013   
Newsletter Content
Residential Housing Information
Sibs Weekend
Campus Involvement Center App
Bursar Information
Campus Care Billing Information
Sophos Anti Virus Protection
LGBT Parent Survey
2013-14 Financial Aid and Scholarship Informaiton
The Ohio University Inn
Student Academic Resources
Quick Links  
 
Dear OHIO Parents and Families, Hall-Jones Headshot  

 

I hope you and your family had a wonderful and restful holiday season and that your New Year is off to a great start. It was nice to have a little down time during the holidays, but it was even better to see all the students back on campus!  As we continue our way through our first year of semesters, the time from the start of spring classes until graduation will be shorter by almost 6 weeks. Final exams will begin the week of April 29 and undergraduate commencement will be held on Saturday, May 4. Our seniors will certainly have a hard time thinking that this will be their last spring in Athens. The deadline of February 18th to apply for graduation may sneak up on them! Please share with them this information as you plan for attending commencement.  

 

With the conclusion of spring semester in early May, graduating seniors and all students interested in summer seasonal employment opportunities should take advantage of the Career and Leadership Development Center (CLDC) located on the 5th Floor of Baker University Center. The CLDC is a great resource for job search assistance, career exploration, mock interviews, and graduate school planning. The CLDC also hosts the Career and Internship Fair on Tuesday, February 19 and the Teacher Recruitment Consortium on Monday, April 8. Students should be aware of the CLDC and these two events in the coming weeks, but a little nudge from you could be helpful, too.

 

I also want you to know that Counseling and Psychological Services is currently under renovation and has temporarily relocated to Cady Hall for spring semester. Cady Hall is located on the South Green. Your son or daughter can always reach the counseling center 24/7 at 740-593-1616. We are looking forward to the newly renovated third floor of Hudson Hall (also home to Campus Care) this summer!

 

Speaking of Campus Care, please remind students to take care of themselves physically during the upcoming flu season. Due to college students sharing such close quarters, they need to be extra vigilant. Anyone feeling symptoms of the flu should go to Campus Care and see a provider as soon as they are able. More information on the season flu can be found through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

As always, if there is anything my staff or I can do to assist, please do not hesitate to email or call us at 740-593-1800.

 

Sincerely, 
Ohio

 

Jenny Hall-Jones, Ph.D. 
Interim Dean of Students

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Residential Housing Informaiton
Adams HallOn January 2, 2013 students who live on campus received an email to their Ohio University email account concerning their 2013-2014 Residential Housing and Dining Services contract.  If your student plans to return to Ohio University next fall and is required to reside on campus, the deadline to complete an online contract and submit the $200 housing deposit is Friday, January 25, 2013. Both the online contract and deposit must be submitted by the deadline date for your student to be eligible to select during the earliest available option.

If you are mailing the deposit, please make sure to allow enough time for the deposit to be received and processed by the January 25 deadline. However, you can also go online to your student's housing application after it has been completed and pay the deposit with a credit card (MasterCard, Discover, and American Express are accepted with a 2.9% fee) or by e-check with no service fee. Please note deposits are refundable until May 1, 2013.

Please encourage your student to read all e-mails from [email protected] and messages via their "MyHousing" page for critical information related to the Returning Student Room Selection Process. More information about the process can be found at http://www.ohio.edu/housing/busops/rsrs.cfm

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the office at 740.593.4090 or email [email protected].
Sibs Weekend - February 8 - 10, 2013
We look forward to welcoming sibs for our annual OHIO Sibs Weekend in February.  The list of events for Sibs Weekend is currently being updated.  Please check back soon to find the most up-to-date programs for Sibs Weekend!

Sibs Weekend Bus Travel through the Alumni Association!

Round trip bus tickets for Sibs Weekend is one of the many events our chapters host to raise scholarship funds. Tickets are $75 per person and all proceeds benefit the chapter's scholarship which sends a local area student to OHIO. Currently, charter buses are available from Akron and Cleveland and each bus has chapter volunteers that act as bus chaperones. These two women's chapters have existed for more than 60 years and have been working with Sibs Weekend for more than 15 years. Click on http://www.ohioalumni.org/sibs for registration details.

  

The Campus Involvement Center App



Stay up to date with what events are happening on Ohio University's campus by  downloading the OU Involvement App on your smart phone! Go to the iTunes App Store or the Android App Store and simply search "OU Involvement" or "Ohio University Events". The green icon pictured will appear next to the OU Involvement App. Click download and start exploring all the events that happen every day at Ohio University.

 

A Message from the Bursar 
Reminders from the Office of the Bursar
  • Please check your student's financial account.  Charges posted through December 31 are due by January 21 to avoid the 1.5% late fee.  Delinquent balances will result in a financial hold which will restrict access to spring semester registration and all student records (e.g. grades, transcripts, diplomas).   
  • Spring semester monthly payment plan enrollment is open.  Enrolling in the monthly payment plan by January 21 will allow you to divide the spring semester balance into 4 installments (due January 21, February 21, March 21, and April 21).  You can enroll in the monthly payment plan through the Authorized User login, or your student can enroll through the My OHIO Student Center.  The spring semester monthly payment plan enrollment fee is $40.
  • Spring semester optional fee waivers - Student Health Insurance ($677), WellBeing Fee ($60), Center for Student Legal Services ($12), can be submitted through the My OHIO Student Center or through the Authorized User login provided your student is enrolled in spring semester classes.  The waiver deadline for spring semester optional fees is Friday, February 1.
  • Spring semester financial aid refunds were processed on January 11 for those students enrolled in direct deposit.

Campus Care Balances Account balances for health care services received at Campus Care can be viewed and paid online through the "Make a Payment" link found in the student's My OHIO Student Center or the Authorized User page.  Contact Campus Care at 740-593-1660 or [email protected] for more information about these balances.    
 
Contact the Office of the Bursar at 740-593-4130 or [email protected] with questions regarding your student's financial account activity.       

Campus Care Billing Information
Ohio University Campus Care
The services of Campus Care are provided by University Medical Associates, Inc.
 

Students with outstanding Campus Care balances greater than 60 days will have a financial hold placed on their student account on Monday, February 4th. A financial hold will prevent students from registering for classes, requesting transcripts, and applying for graduation. Students receive monthly e-mails informing them that they have a balance at Campus Care. Beginning in January Authorized Users will also receive these e-mails.  

 

Any copay, after insurance balances, and self pays for services provided at Campus Care are assessed on the students MyOHIO account. Under the finance section, you MUST click on the "Make a Payment" link to view the charges. Click on the claim ID to add it to your basket before checking out. Please note that Campus Care charges cannot be viewed on the main MyOHIO page. Campus Care Pharmacy charges go to the student's e-bill the same as tuition.   

 

If payment is made after the financial hold is placed, please contact Campus Care to have the hold released. You may e-mail Campus Care at [email protected] and the hold will be released within one business day.

 

The student should contact Campus Care if they have any questions or disputes about the charges. Due to the stringent HIPAA guidelines, if your student is 18 or older we are not permitted to discuss anything with you about the students visit or charges without an Authorization of Disclosure form being completed by the student granting us permission.


For more information about Campus Care visit our website at
www.oucom.ohiou.edu/campuscare or contact us at 740-593-1660. Follow us on Twitter @CampusCare1
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Sophos Anti Virus: Free Protection for Student Computers

Sophos Anti-VirusCatching a computer virus is never pleasant. At the very least, it can mean a few hours spent cleaning and restoring files. At worst, it can mean losing all of your data and rebuilding your computer's operating system from scratch.

 

To help students avoid such digital disasters, OHIO now is offering a home use version of Sophos Anti Virus at no charge. Students can download Sophos for free by visiting www.ohio.edu/oit/sophos.

 

Until this past semester, the university's preferred anti virus program was McAfee Virus Scan. Any student still using a university copy of McAfee should replace it with Sophos as soon as possible. 

 

According to OHIO IT staff, Sophos offers excellent virus and malware protection while remaining virtually invisible. It does this by detecting whether the computer is being used and then adjusting performance accordingly, so the computer's owner can keep working even during a full system scan.

 

Sophos runs on both Windows and Mac. Contrary to popular belief, Mac systems are not immune to viruses. IT security staff recommend that all students consider installing Sophos, regardless of who made their computers.

 

  

LGBT Parents of College Students Needed for Survey Participation
LGBT flag As member institutions of the Association of Higher Education Parent/Family Program Professionals (AHEPPP), Ohio University is happy to assist the University of Maryland which is conducting a national study to explore the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents of college students and recent graduates. The information provided will help colleges and universities better understand the issues faced by LGBT parents, the interactions LGBT parents have with their student's college/university, and the campus climate for LGBT parents and their students.
 
If you're the parent of a college student or recent graduate (within the past 5 years) and you self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, please consider completing the survey.  The survey will take about 20 minutes to finish.  Responses are completely anonymous.  Survey participants who choose to provide an email address will be eligible for a drawing to include five $25 Amazon gift certificates.  Winners will be randomly selected, and the email address will not be connected with survey responses.

If you do not qualify for this survey but you know someone who does, please forward this request to him or her. We appreciate your help with spreading the word.

The following is the link to complete the survey: http://studentvoice.com/md/experiencesoflgbtcollegeparents

The deadline for responding is March 1, 2013.

  

Financial Aid and Scholarship Information
2013-14 Scholarships
All current students should apply for scholarships for the 2013-14 year using the online scholarship application. The application opened in early December and a link to the application is available at www.ohio.edu/financialaid. An e-mail reminder to enrolled students will be sent during the application period.   The deadline for priority scholarship consideration is March 1, 2013.
 
2013-14 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
All students should apply for financial aid for the 2013-14 year at www.fafsa.ed.gov NOW! We recommend that students (and their parents when applicable) complete the FAFSA by mid-February to ensure that Ohio University receives the results by our first-priority deadline of March 15, 2013.  If you do not have your 2013 taxes completed, you can use estimated tax information and update your FAFSA once your taxes are completed. Please remember that the FAFSA is free. You should never pay a company to complete your FAFSA. The Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships is happy to assist you with questions regarding completion of your FAFSA.

Visit the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships online at http://www.ohio.edu/financialaid/

  

Stay Up To Date With Events From Cutler's Restaurant

OU Inn Cutler's Restaurant Did you know that Cutler's Restaurant features special seasonal menus, monthly wine tastings, and daily specials? The Cutler's Newsletter is your source for up-to-date information, including this month's seasonal menu and pairings to our monthly wine tastings. If you are coming from out of town, Cutler's also maintains a complete calendar of events to help hotel guests see events that will be occurring during their stay.

 

Subscribe to the Cutler's Newsletter and stay up-to-date today!

 

Student Academic Resources 

We want to encourage you to remind your sons and daughters to take full advantage of the numerous academic support services Ohio University has to offer. In addition to consulting with their professors and academic advisors, we want OHIO students to be aware of the following opportunities offered by the Academic Advancement Center, 101 Alden Library:

 

The Math Center provides FREE assistance in math and math-related classes to all Ohio University undergraduate students. During fall and spring semesters, students may use the Math Center in the following ways: schedule an appointment for a 30-minute, one-on-one, daytime meeting with a Math Center tutor; or attend evening drop-in sessions Sun-Thurs, 7-9PM in 101K Alden Library.

 

The Student Writing Center provides FREE scheduled and walk-in face-to-face appointments as well as online appointments. Assistance is available at any stage of the writing process, from understanding the assignment to looking at the revised draft. Students can get help developing the thesis, organizing or developing ideas, formatting the bibliography, grammatical issues or any other writing concerns.

 

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a series of FREE, weekly review sessions for students taking historically difficult courses at Ohio University. Student SI Leaders, who have already taken and done well in the targeted courses, facilitate these sessions and guide students through class material in a collaborative environment. SI prompts students to work together, discuss important concepts, compare notes, develop strategies for studying the subject, and test each other.

 

Peer Tutoring is available for students who cannot make it to any of the previously mentioned services or who need additional assistance. Peer Tutoring is not free, but can be an excellent value and is cheaper than retaking a course.

 

You may learn more about all of these services and other Academic Advancement Center offerings at http://www.ohio.edu/aac/.