Inside...2 Amplify3-4 Upcoming Events and Programs5 General TAMU Resources

The spring semester is off to a great start! Already the campus is buzzing with activity, and we want you to be up to date. Many exciting opportunities and events are available to students (and family members!) this spring.

If you are a newly subscribed family member, welcome! As your student begins this semester, don’t forget to visit the Aggie Parent web site for other updates and helpful resources. You can visit us at: http://parents.tamu.edu. Please feel free to contact the Office of New Student and Family Programs at (979) 845-5826, or email us at nsp@tamu.edu if you have any questions.

Thanks and Gig ’em!

Welcome Family Members, Message from the Office of New Student and Family Programs

April 15-17, 2011 marks the 92nd anniversary of Parents’ Weekend! Please remember to book your hotel reservations as soon as possible as Bryan/College Station hotels seem to get booked far in advance.

Important Times and Dates:- Aggie Ring Day, April 15, All Day, Association of Former Students - Midnight Yell: April 15, Midnight, Kyle Field - MSC Variety Show: April 15, 7:30 pm, Rudder Auditorium - Maroon and White Game, April 16, 1pm, Kyle Field - Singing Cadets Concert: April 16, 7:30 pm, Rudder Auditorium - Aggie Moms’ Boutique: April 15, 10:30 am- 5:30 pm, Duncan Dining Hall & April 16, 9 am- 5 pm, Duncan Dining Hall - All University Awards Ceremony: April 17, 9:30 am, Rudder Auditorium

There are many other events that take place during Parents’ Weekend, for additional information visit the Parents’ Weekend website: ParentsWeekend.tamu.edu.

* HOTEL RESERVATIONS Whether coming in for a visit, to attend a football game or for Parents’ Weekend, hotel rooms often need to be reserved well in advance. An on-line listing of local hotels can be found at the Convention and Visitors Bureau website. Look under ‘accommodations’ at http://visitaggieland.com/.

SAVE THE DATE: APRIL 15 - 17 PARENTS’ WEEKEND

Aggie Quick Connection

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by the Office of New Student and Family Programs

February 2011 Aggie Quick Connection 1

New Student Programs

Stay Connected with the latestCampus News

The Battalion- “The independent student voice of

Texas A&M since 1893.”

www.thebatt.com

Texas A&M News and Information-

Aggie HotlineThe Division

of Marketing & Communications produces Aggie

Hotline, an email news brief

service that is distributed to

subscribers each weekday. News

briefs may also be found online at:

tamunews.tamu.edu.

Subscribe to Aggie Hotline: Send an email message to listserv@tamu.edu. Leave the

subject line blank and type the

message: SUB Aggie-Hotline

your-real-name.

Encourage your student to attend Amplify, a year-long series of programs and workshops designed to assist freshmen, transfer and sophomore Aggies develop skills and make them aware of resources that will enhance their Texas A&M experience. Some example sessions offered this semester include: Cooking on a Budget, Time Management and Procrastination, and Career Assessment Workshop: Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to Help Identify Personality Characteristics. Every program offered through Amplify is completely FREE so we hope your student will take advantage!

REGISTERING FOR AMPLIFY WORKSHOPSA reservation is required so that presenters can prepare the appropriate amount of materials and also to help track the programs students are most interested in so that we can refine our offerings in the future. Remind your student to go to http://amplify.tamu.edu, click on a workshop, and select “View Details to Register”. At any time students can view, manage or change the list of programs they are registered for by clicking on “My Profile.”

HOT TOPICS THIS MONTH (To view a complete and detailed listing of this semester’s workshops, please visit: http://amplify.tamu.edu/workshop.)

ACADEMIC SUCCESS & ENGAGEMENT:• Stress Management & Test Anxiety ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------- Feb. 7, 12:45 - 1:45pm / Feb. 18, 1:50 - 2:50pm • Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) --------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- Feb. 9, 4:30 - 5pm / Feb. 22, 4 - 4:30pm• Study Success Strategies --------------------------------- Feb. 10, 4 - 5pm / Feb. 22, 3 - 4pm• Time Management & Procrastination --------------------------- Feb. 15, 11:30am - 12:30pm

LIFE SKILLS & PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT:• Quality Customer Service -------------------------------------------------- Feb. 2, 11am - 12pm• Telephone Courtesy -------------------------------------------------------------- Feb. 2, 3 - 4pm• Business Communication Skills -------------------------------------- Feb. 9, 10:30 - 11:30am• Letters from the Heart: Writing Love Letters to Remember -------------- Feb. 10, 12 - 1pm• Controlling Anger and Angry People in the Workplace --------------------- Feb. 15, 1 - 2pm• Finding a Balance --------------------------------------------------------------- Feb. 16, 3 - 4pm• Presentation Skills ------------------------------------------------ Feb. 18, 11:30am - 12:30pm• Workplace Etiquette ------------------------------------------------------ Feb. 28, 11am - 12pm

GLOBAL AWARENESS & DIVERSITY:• Aggie ALLIES ------------------------------------------ Feb. 6, 11am - 2pm / Feb. 24, 2-5pm• Social Justice Week -------------------------------------------------------- Feb. 7, 10am - 7pm• Gaining Cross-Cultural Communication Skills ------------------------- Feb. 28, 3 - 4:30pm

2 Aggie Quick Connection February 2011

AMPLIFY: THE SUCCESS SERIES FOR STUDENTS

February 2011 Aggie Quick Connection 3

SILVER TAPSSilver Taps is the final tribute paid to an Aggie who, at the time of his/her death, was enrolled in graduate or undergraduate courses at Texas A&M. We encourage all students to participate in this time-honored Aggie Tradition; it is a powerful and moving tribute to fellow students. During the academic year, it is a monthly event when needed.

The next Silver Taps ceremony will be conducted Tuesday, February 1, 2011, in memory of Joe Don Cole, Steven Scott England, Taylor Adrian Gillespie, and Cory Douglas Monzingo. The memorial ceremony will be held at 10:30 p.m. in front of the Academic Building on the Texas A&M campus. For more information visit: http://studentaffairs.tamu.edu/sas/silvertaps.

ORIENTATION LEADER APPLICATIONS NOW AVAILABLEWould your Aggie make a great ambassador for Texas A&M? If so, we are currently seeking dedicatedTAMU students to serve as Orientation Leaders and work with new students and their families duringNew Student Conferences. Along with making a positive impact on the lives of thousands of new Aggies,Orientation Leaders have the opportunity to develop transferable skills that will benefit them as studentleaders and beyond. We are seeking a group of Orientation Leaders representative of the student body toentering freshmen, transfer students, and their family members.

Please encourage your student to check out this fantastic opportunity! Applications and more information regarding the Aggie Orientation Leader Program are online at http://aolp.tamu.edu. Applications are due February 2nd!

HOUSING FAIR 2011Is your student looking for a place to live next school year? Have them stop by the Housing Fair on Wednesday, February 16 from 4-8pm at the Rec Center. There will be 50+ leasing properties on site to provide students with detailed information about reserving their off campus housing for the summer or fall semester. For more information visit the Adult, Graduate, and Off Campus Student Services website at http://studentlife.tamu.edu/agoss.

STUDENT REGISTRATION FOR THE BIG EVENTThe Big Event is an opportunity for Aggies to say “Thank You” to residents in the communities of Bryan and College Station for the support that they provide throughout so many collegiate careers. Last year over 13,500 students participated in The Big Event and completed over 1,400 jobs in the Bryan and College Station community. Student registration for this year’s Big Event on March 26th will become available on February 4th. Online Job Request Forms (JRF) for community members was already opened since January 12th.

For any questions about community job request forms or about our new online student sign-ups for Texas A&M students, faculty, or staff, please visit http://bigevent.tamu.edu/ or e-mail bigevent@bigevent.tamu.edu.

Upcoming Events & Programs

4 Aggie Quick Connection February 2011

FEBRUARY: BLACK HISTORY MONTHAmericans have recognized black history annually since 1926. The Black Student Alliance Council (BSAC) along with several other campus and community entities host events for the annual campus recognition and celebration of Black History Month at Texas A&M University. Campus and community attendees experience the importance and impact of Black history and leave with the contention that Black history is American history. 2011 Black History Month Kick Off featuring Fonzworth Bentley will be held on Tuesday, February 1, 2011 from 7pm - 9pm at Rudder Theatre Complex. For more information, please visit Department of Multicultural Services at http://dms.tamu.edu/.

CARPOOL CARPOOL is Texas A&M’s safe ride program, providing free, non-judgmental rides home every weekend to everyone in the B/CS community. Every spring CARPOOL hosts a Gala to raise funds to cover our operational costs. Anyone who is interested in supporting our cause to keep the roads of Bryan and College Station safe is welcome to attend!

CARPOOL Gala “Puttin’ on the Ritz!” Dinner and Auction Saturday, March 5, 2011 6:00 PM The Zone Club at Kyle Field $60 tickets RSVP at carpool.tamu.edu by February 25th

If you have any questions regarding the event or how to donate, please, contact our Director of Gala, Caitlin Blocker, at cait.blocker@gmail.com.

GARDENS PHASE 2 OPENS IN AUGUST, 2011The Department of Residence Life wants to make sure that you are aware of an exciting new option for on-campus living for upper-class undergraduate students – apartment living at residence hall prices! The Gardens Phase 2 (at University Apartments) is now offering apartment living on campus to upper-class undergraduate students.

The newly constructed Gardens Phase 2 opens August 2011 to house exclusively upper-class undergraduate students. Parents, this is the perfect compromise for the student who wants the convenience of living on-campus, but prefers to live in an apartment with the amenities of private bathrooms, a common living area and a kitchen.

The Gardens Phase 2 is located on-campus just across University Drive from the College of Engineering. Everything is included in the rent (including parking), and just like living in the residence halls, housing charges appear on the students’ University bill. Write one check each semester and everything is taken care of!

This year, during Housing Decision, upper-class students living on campus will have the opportunity to express a preference for apartment living at The Gardens Phase 2. They are priced at the same rate as the modular and commons style residence halls with all of the amenities of apartment living.

Only 168 one and two bedroom apartments are available, so students are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible. Students may sign up beginning January 31.

For more details, please go to http://reslife.tamu.edu/Gardens2. If you have questions, you may call 979-845-4744 or email housing@tamu.edu.

Upcoming Events & Programs

February 2011 Aggie Quick Connection 5

General TAMU ResourcesEMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATIONStudents can use the Howdy portal as a way to provide Texas A&M University up to information for their preferred emergency contacts. Having this information is not only important, but can be very beneficial to the student, as well as their parent(s)/guardian(s). Please encourage your student to follow the steps below and update this valuable piece of information. If you or your student has any questions about how to update this information, do not hesitate to contact the Student Assistance Services office at (979) 845-3113 for more information.

Directions:- Go to howdy.tamu.edu- Enter student Net ID and Password- Click on the “MyRecord” tab at the top of the screen- In the “Student Records” box select the bullet that says “View/Update Emergency Contacts”- At the bottom of the screen, select “Update Emergency Contacts”- Select “New Contact” and enter the emergency contact’s information and select “Submit Changes” when you are finished- You can add as many new contacts as you would like to have on record.

COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SERVICES Computers have become necessary to the successful completion of your student’s college career. While amazing and useful, they can also be the source of frustration and headache. Computing and Information Services is here to help http://cis.tamu.edu/.

Help Desk Central is open 24/7 to answer any of your student’s general computing questions. https://hdc.tamu.edu/.

Help Desk Repair Services can troubleshoot when your student’s PC is having hardware problems and can also install new hardware or software. They can be reached by phone at (979) 845-8300.

Short courses that cover a wide variety of computing topics are available to your student at no charge. http://cis.tamu.edu/shortcourses/.

Software is also available for students to purchase at heavily discounted prices.

STUDENT COUNSELING SERVICE - P.A.S.S. Programs for Academic Success Skills (P.A.S.S.) provides students with an opportunity to develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will enhance study and exam-taking ability, while decreasing anxiety related to academic performance. Services include individual and group counseling, assessment of study behaviors, screening for learning disabilities, an extensive collection of self-help resources, and weekly workshops on a variety of study skills topics.

Students can register for P.A.S.S. and other academic help programs by going to the Student Counseling Service homepage at scs.tamu.edu or by calling (979) 845-4427.