Message from Lloyd Howe,Dear Parents/Guardians,
Many of you are parents of graduating seniors, many others of you are parents of students who will be returning in the fall, or entering Binghamton University for the first time. Here is information of value to all of you, whether your son or daughter is moving on from Binghamton or just starting with us:
And remember, if you have any questions or feedback, contact us at dos@binghamton.edu.
Find all you need to know about spring Commencement here.
Many Binghamton students truly connect with their residential college, whether they lived on-campus for all of their college years, or just their first few. To honor this part of their Binghamton experience each residential college/community hosts a Recognition Ceremony during Commencement weekend. While each community has its own traditions, they all share the common goal of recognizing their graduating seniors' contributions to the life of the community.
All recognition ceremonies are held at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 19, within the individual residential communities. If your student will be graduating from the University this month and you'd like to register to attend their residential college/community recognition ceremony, complete the participation form.
If your student is graduating this month and they borrowed student loans to help with educational expenses, they will need to start thinking about repayment. Knowledge is power when it comes to repayment; knowing what to expect, choosing the right repayment plan, and staying on top of loan payments can help your student fulfill their financial goals. Click here for helpful repayment tips and resources.
On-campus students are encouraged to donate unwanted items as they leave for the semester. Unopened non-perishable food, kitchen supplies and in-good-condition footwear may be donated. Collection will begin Monday, May 14. Students living on campus should place donations in the blue barrels located at all residential hall entrances. Off-campus students can also donate food to CHOW. Barrels are located in all Weis Markets. For more information, contact recycle@binghamton.edu.
For parents new to Binghamton University, every newly admitted student who has paid his/her admission deposit should receive an invitation from the Orientation Office starting in mid-May. (Invitations are continuously mailed to students and families.) Simply visit the Orientation Registration website to complete the registration form to attend the appropriate session. If you do not receive an invitation via postal mail by May 31, contact the Office of New Student Programs at 607-777-4986 or orientation@binghamton.edu for assistance. If you do not have access to the Internet, call the phone number above and paper registration forms will be mailed to you.
Family members are welcome to attend the Family Orientation program that runs concurrently with the student Orientation. Visit our Family Orientation page for more information.
(Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science, College of Community and Public Affairs, Decker School of Nursing, School of Management)
All freshman sessions take place over two days and students are housed in one of Binghamton's residence halls for the night of Orientation. To register, visit the Freshman Orientation page.
*We strongly encourage students to attend a July session. Students who cannot attend one of the dates above may attend the fall session Aug. 29-30. For more information, go to the Fall-Spring Orientation page.
Find us in Academic B, room G18. Our office hours are from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, with walk-in hours from 10 a.m.-noon and 1-2:30 p.m. We also have phone-in hours from 9-10 a.m. and 2:30-3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call us at 607-777-6305 or e-mail us at harpweb@binghamton.edu.
The Decker Student Health Services Center on campus provides primary care of acute illness and injury, health education, women's health services, travel medicine, immunizations, HIV testing, psychiatric consultation and laboratory services to all registered students.
At the start of each semester all students are required to confirm enrollment via BU BRAIN. For summer 2012, confirmation must be completed by 8 a.m. Monday, May 21, to avoid course(s) being canceled. Reminder e-mails are sent out to those students who have not yet confirmed their enrollment.
Parent borrowers that have applied for a 2012-13 Federal Direct Parent (PLUS) Loan will begin to see approved loans as part of their student's financial aid award offer, viewable on BU Brain, in mid-June 2012. Click here for further program information.
All entering students are required by the state of New York and SUNY to accept the Academic Code of Conduct. This will happen the first time your son or daughter logs into BU Brain as a student. If he/she does not accept the Academic Code of Conduct, he/she will not be able to navigate BU Brain. Successful acceptance of the code allows student access to BU Brain.
At the start of each semester all undergraduate and graduate students are required to confirm enrollment via BU BRAIN. For summer 2012, confirmation must be completed by 8 a.m. Monday, May 21, to avoid their courses being canceled. If a student fails to confirm enrollment and his/her classes are dropped, he/she will have to re-enroll in the courses online via BU BRAIN. How do you confirm enrollment? After logging into BU BRAIN, click on the "Start of Term" tab. View a step-by-step guide on how to confirm enrollment. Problem accessing? Go to the University's Help Desk website.
Summer break is an opportune time for students to reflect on their short- and long-term career plans and take action to position themselves for success. Exploring and narrowing down of major and career options is a critical step in career development, and students need to investigate their many career options and what is required to break into those fields. Conducting informational interviews, job-shadowing and meeting/networking with professionals in the workplace are great strategies to help students gain an understanding of a desired profession and the world of work.
Keep in mind that every experience including summer jobs, volunteer opportunities and internships have the potential to be valuable! They are a great way to build a professional network and learn about the world of work. It's not too late for students to find any of these opportunities. Links to internship opportunities are posted on the CDC website, in eRecruiting and through other external internship-search links such as idealist.org, etc. Career development is voluntary and self-driven, so encourage your son or daughter to take charge and be responsible for the choices and opportunities available to them!
Diploma frames are available in the store year-round. They can be ordered ahead of time and picked up at the Bookstore during graduation weekend, purchased the day of graduation or shipped home after graduation.
Visit Binghamton.bncollege.com for more information or Like us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/BinghamtonBookstore.
As the spring semester comes to a close, Keith L. Horn '80, chairman of the Parents Fund Committee, encourages parents to show their pride in the University and appreciation for all that Binghamton has to offer by donating to the Binghamton Fund, the University's annual giving program.
Gifts to the fund enable the University to hire and retain excellent faculty, support undergraduate scholarships and research opportunities, fund critical needs in academic programming and transform promising students into accomplished alumni.
Join Horn in supporting the Binghamton Fund. Gifts can be made online. Every contribution helps students achieve their goals.
Want to know more about what's going on at Binghamton University? Check us out on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Binghamton-University/51791915551.
Keep your contact information updated in our parent database. If your address, phone or e-mail has changed, send a note to kellis@binghamton.eduto let us know. And if you're looking for more from us, check out some of our pages targeted directly to parents and guardians:
If you no longer have a need to receive this newsletter, you can unsubscribe by sending a message to kellis@binghamton.edu.
