Family Fusion Newsletter

Dear Parents and Families,

Now that we have reached the end of the 2016-2017 academic year, I hope you will find this edition’s information useful as you transition into the summer months. Please help your student keep in contact with Alvernia throughout the summer. We encourage students to read Alvernia email at least twice weekly. As an incentive, we will be randomly selecting, from among those who do, several students to receive up to $400 off their fall textbooks.

Please don’t hesitate to call or write if additional information or assistance would be helpful.

Home for the summer - Helpful Tips

Congratulations on making it through another school year!  As students prepare to go home, we want you to think about how to make the transition for both you and your student as smooth as possible.  When students are at college, they learn to live on their own, by their own rules, and often develop habits that are different from what you may expect from them.  It is important to remember that your student still needs guidance and an expectation to respect your opinions, but he/she also needs to develop the skills and habits necessary to live an independent life in the future. 

When your son or daughter returns home, be sure to set aside some time to discuss what the house rules will be for the summer.  Encourage your son or daughter to actively participate in this conversation so the rules are realistic for him/her.  Topics of discussion should include: curfew, cleanliness, kitchen duties, employment, sleeping habits, and alcohol use.  If your son or daughter was not a drinker before college, he/she has likely had some type of experience with alcohol while at school whether he/she consumed alcohol or went to parties where alcohol was served or had a roommate or floor-mate who drank too much, too often.  We ask that you reinforce the importance of responsible, law-abiding alcohol use and have a wonderful, safe summer with your son or daughter!

For additional reading on making the transition from school to home for the summer, check out these two articles:  “Home for the Summer” and “How to Deal with a Returning College Student.”

Finally, as a reminder, every returning student will need to upload a new copy of his/her medical health insurance card and complete the Student Health Insurance Decision form on the Student Health Portal before returning to campus in August.  This form will become available June 1.  While your student is on the Student Health Portal completing this form, have him/her:

• Complete any other forms listed.
• Review any messages we may have sent.
• Check to make sure his/her tetanus vaccine is up to date in our records by viewing his/her immunization history under “My Profile.”  If his/her most recent tetanus shot was given more than 9 years ago, please have him/her update this vaccine to prevent any lapse in compliance.  

What to Do if your Student...

…missed Housing Selection but still wants (or needs) to live on campus for the 2017-2018 academic year. 

- Contact the Office of Residence Life to inquire about space availability. Students may do so in person or by phone at 610.796.8320.
- Complete the online housing application.
- Pay the $250 housing deposit to the Office of Students Accounts in person at FH200 or by phone 610.796.8319 or online at myAlvernia/Finances/Student Accounts.

If you have any questions about our housing selection process, housing options, or the advantages of living on campus, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of Residence Life at 610.796.8320.

…wants to dispute a grade.

The Student Grievance Committee attends to grievances of an academic nature. The Committee is composed of faculty members and two students. The Committee is involved in a student grievance only if the proper steps have been followed as outlined herein:

- Student discusses situation/grade with instructor within 20 calendar days of occurrence/disagreement.
- If no accord is reached, the student has seven calendar days to meet with the department chair.
- Again, if no accord is reached at this level, the student has seven calendar days to consult with the college dean.
- At this point, if there has been no resolution, the college dean apprises the student of the right to appeal to the Student Grievance Committee.
- Student has seven calendar days to contact the Chair of the Grievance Committee. The Committee hears a case only after there has been an attempt to rectify the situation through discussion with the student, Instructor, department chair and/or the  college dean. If no solution is reached at this point, the student files a grievance.

For more detailed information regarding the Student Grievance Committee please see the Alvernia Student Handbook p. 77 http://www.alvernia.edu/current-students/PDF/StudentHandbookRev010812.pdf.

…has not applied for financial aid.

The deadline for PA residents to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) was May 1, 2017.  Contact Student Financial Planning at 610.796.8356 right away and also complete the form on this web site: https://fafsa.ed.gov/

…is on Academic Probation or is not making sufficient progression.

Students placed on academic probation may not take more than 14 credits the following semester.  For more detailed information please refer to the Alvernia Academic Catalog, p. 68 http://www.alvernia.edu/academics/catalogs/Catalog_2016-17/index.html.

In addition, to remain eligible for financial aid full-time undergraduate students must pass 24 credits per year, in addition to maintaining a minimum grade point average.  If a student does not make the required GPA or does not earn the 24 credits, the student can appeal to Student Financial Planning (SFP).  The student will receive a letter from SFP advising the student of the appeal process.  It is important to remember that the appeal must be received no later than June 30, 2017.

…has been Academically Dismissed.

Academically dismissed students may petition the Academic Standards Committee in writing for reinstatement to degree candidacy. For more information, the student should refer to the dismissal letter and the Alvernia Academic Catalog p. 68 http://www.alvernia.edu/academics/catalogs/Catalog_2016-17/index.html.

...has one or more holds and cannot register for fall 2017.

Contact the Registrar’s Office (610-568-1548) to verify the type of hold.

- For financial holds – please contact the Office of Student Accounts at 610.796.8214.
- For health center holds – please contact the Health & Wellness Center at 610.568.1467.
- For student life holds – please contact the Office of Community Standards at 610.796.5508.

Making family plans for summer vacation in August?

Please remember that Fall 2017 classes begin August 28. The residence halls open on Sunday, August 27  at noon.