family connections winter 2015

12
Family Connections is a publication designed for the parents and families of Robert Morris University students. It is compiled by the Office of Student Life and printed in cooperation with the Office of Public Relations and Marketing. Editions are printed in the fall, winter, and spring of each academic year. We are interested in your feedback about this publication. E-mail your comments and suggestions to [email protected]. This issue of Family Connections is focused on providing parents and families with some advice and recommendations about how to stay engaged with and support your student during his/her college experience. It is a difficult transition to make. Your child, whom you have nurtured and protected since birth, is now considered an adult. They are studying at a university, where quite possibly you are paying the bill. It is a difficult paradox—you want them to become independent, but you still want to nurture and protect them. How do you find a healthy balance? As a parent of first-year college students as well, I understand and share your perspective and emotions. I thank the Office of Residence Life, the Counseling Center and the Career Center for their thoughtful submissions in this issue. I also invite you to read further about the appointment of Dr. Christopher B. Howard as the next president of Robert Morris University. Dr. Howard will serve as the eighth president of the university. He succeeds Dr. Gregory Dell’Omo who departed RMU in June. The Colonial family eagerly awaits Dr. Howard and his wife, Barbara Noble Howard, to arrive early next semester. I hope you have had, or will have the opportunity to visit Moon Township and RMU this Fall. The campus is alive with excitement and energy during this transition from warm weather to the crisp, cool days of fall. We’ve already enjoyed Homecoming and Parents & Families Weekend, fraternity and sorority recruitment, fall sports contests, the annual Career Expo, and numerous academic and student engagement events. We look forward to the Almost Midnight Breakfast, Winterfest, the start of basketball season, and various holiday celebrations all of which will be held later this semester. ADVICE TO PARENTS…HOW TO MAINTAIN A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR STUDENT FAMILY Connections ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY WINTER 2015 ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY FAMILY CONNECTIONS 1

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Family Connections is a publication designed for the parents and families of Robert Morris University students. It is compiled by the Office of Student Life and printed in cooperation with the Office of Public Relations and Marketing. Editions are printed in the fall, winter, and spring of each academic year. We are interested in your feedback about this publication. E-mail your comments and suggestions to [email protected].

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Family Connections is a publication designed for the parents and families of Robert Morris University students. It is compiled

by the Office of Student Life and printed in cooperation with the Office of Public Relations and Marketing. Editions are printed

in the fall, winter, and spring of each academic year. We are interested in your feedback about this publication. E-mail your

comments and suggestions to [email protected].

This issue of Family Connections is focused on

providing parents and families with some advice

and recommendations about how to stay engaged

with and support your student during his/her

college experience. It is a difficult transition to

make. Your child, whom you have nurtured and

protected since birth, is now considered an adult.

They are studying at a university, where quite

possibly you are paying the bill. It is a difficult

paradox—you want them to become independent,

but you still want to nurture and protect them.

How do you find a healthy balance? As a parent of

first-year college students as well, I understand

and share your perspective and emotions. I thank

the Office of Residence Life, the Counseling Center

and the Career Center for their thoughtful

submissions in this issue.

I also invite you to read further about the

appointment of Dr. Christopher B. Howard as the

next president of Robert Morris University. Dr.

Howard will serve as the eighth president of the

university. He succeeds Dr. Gregory Dell’Omo

who departed RMU in June. The Colonial family

eagerly awaits Dr. Howard and his wife,

Barbara Noble Howard, to arrive early next

semester.

I hope you have had, or will have the opportunity

to visit Moon Township and RMU this Fall. The

campus is alive with excitement and energy

during this transition from warm weather to the

crisp, cool days of fall. We’ve already enjoyed

Homecoming and Parents & Families Weekend,

fraternity and sorority recruitment, fall sports

contests, the annual Career Expo, and numerous

academic and student engagement events. We look

forward to the Almost Midnight Breakfast,

Winterfest, the start of basketball season, and

various holiday celebrations all of which will be

held later this semester.

ADVICE TO PARENTS…HOW TO MAINTAIN A POSITIVERELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR STUDENT

FAMILYConnections

ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY WINTER 2015

ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY FAMILY CONNECTIONS 1

2 RMU.EDU

While your son or daughter might not be an

NCAA Division I athlete, they can still gain some

of the same benefits that varsity athletes do by

participating in a club or intramural sport. Club

sports typically differ from intramural sports by

including competition against club teams from

other colleges, while intramural leagues consist of

students within the university. In a 65 item survey

of RMU club sport participants from the 2014-15

academic year, the following were the top five

areas of growth cited by participants:

• Understanding of sport

• Sense of belonging

• Opportunities for unique memories

• School pride

• Leadership ability

Literature supports these types of outcomes for

recreational sports participation. A study done at

Ohio State University in 2012 found that

participation in sports at any level had a positive

outcome towards a student’s self-efficacy and

leadership development.

Each year our club and intramural sports grow as

our residential student population continues to

grow. Students can register throughout the year

for intramural sports at imleagues.com/rmu and

club sports at dosportseasy.com/rmuclubsports.

For questions about opportunities in recreational

sports, please have your student contact

[email protected].

THE ROLE OF RECREATIONAL SPORTS ON CAMPUS

• Take a selfie with Bronze Bob

• Walk the Massey Garden

• Head to “The Joe” or “The Chuck” to attend

an RMU Athletic e vent

• Enjoy a Lock N’ Load Sandwich at RoMo’s Café

in the Nicholson Center

• Take a walk on our wonderful Nature Trail

• Have your younger child(ren) attend Little

Siblings Weekend with your student

• Get an awesome milkshake at Yorktown Café

• Enjoy a coffee and relax at the Gazebo

• Go ice skating or hit a bucket of golf balls at

the RMU Island Sports Center

THE RMU PARENTS BUCKET LIST…COMPILED BY CURRENT STUDENTS

ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY FAMILY CONNECTIONS 3

A MESSAGE TO PARENTS OF RESIDENT STUDENTSThe transition of going to college can be

challenging for students and the entire family.

Sending a student to college can be both exciting

and stressful. For a successful transition, your

student will need your support.

The Office of Residence Life would like to help

parents and families make this transition easy

with the following useful tips.

If your student is having a roommate conflict or

does not seem to be engaged in college, before

you contact a Residence Life staff member,

consider the following:

• Students tend to call a loved one when they

are having a stressful day, sometimes just to

talk out their problems. You should

consider asking them what positive things

are going on in their college experience.

• If their roommate conflict needs attention,

suggest that they reach out to their

Community Advisor (CA). CAs are here to

help because they want students to have

the best possible experience at RMU.

• By putting the responsibility of the

situation on your student to make a

decision and take the initiative,

students learn to make better decisions

for themselves and develop

problem-solving skills.

• You can also help by encouraging your

student to speak with their assigned

Area Coordinator (AC) located in the

Office of Residence Life. The ACs

provide supervision to the Community

Advisor staff.

• Students can find more helpful

roommate tips at:

studentlife.rmu.edu/residence-

life/roommate-information

Keeping in contact with your student has

become easier today with technology. In

previous years, a phone call once a week or the

occasional letter or care package from home was

the only contact a student had with their

families. New technology makes it easier to

remain close, which may have a negative affect

on a student’s development. Students who

remain close to family and friends at home often

do not fully engage in their college experience.

Try some of the following tips:

• Try not to be your students “crutch.” Talk

with them regularly, but it may not need to

be daily. Your conversations may be more

meaningful when you catch-up with them

once a week about everything that

happened on campus during that week.

• Send your student a care package so they

know you are thinking of them at home.

• Be efficient in allowing your student to

grow independence. It will be very

rewarding for both of you!

4 RMU.EDU

At the RMU Counseling Center, we understand

that when your student goes away to college,

you will have many questions and concerns

about how best to support him or her during

what can be both a very exciting and stressful

time of transition. We've gathered some tips

and resources we hope will help you figure out

how you can remain involved in your student's

life, while also allowing them the increasing

independence they need to manage the

challenges that come with college and

growing into capable adults.

• Encourage your student to handle their

academic affairs as independently as possible.

It can be tempting to intervene and handle it

yourself when your student has questions

about, or difficulties with, admissions, their

advisor, Residence Life, course registration, a

grade, or a certain professor. When you resist

swooping down into a situation to try to fix

everything, it lets your student develop the

problem-solving skills that will be critical to

their success in college and beyond. You can,

of course, be available for advice!

• Familiarize yourself with campus resources,

and when your student approaches you for

help, before offering suggestions, ask what

they've tried so far to handle the situation on

their own. If they are struggling in a class,

have they sought out tutoring? If they are

having roommate issues, have they talked to

their CA or other friends on campus for

insight and feedback? If they aren't sure if

their major is right for them, have they talked

to their counselor in the Center for Student

Success? This encourages your student to

think creatively and critically when it comes

to life's challenges and allows you to reinforce

that there are supports available on campus

to help them.

• Show your student that you miss them, but

you are doing okay. Students often worry

about how their parents and families are

doing without them, particularly if they are

the last child to 'fly out of the nest.' It's

important that you take good care of yourself

as you and your student both adjust to their

being away from home.

• Reflect on the mistakes you made and

challenges you faced as a young adult and

what you learned from them. This will allow

you to maintain a healthy and balanced

perspective when your student inevitably

makes, what seems like, a big mistake.

Remember that during college, most students

will make some mistakes.

• If your student has any history of depression,

anxiety, grief or loss, or any other mental

health struggle, please encourage them to

come to the Counseling Center. Our services

include crisis/walk-in counseling, one-on-one

therapy, psychiatric medication management,

grief peer support and other

psychoeducational groups, and outreach

across campus.

COUNSELING CENTER ADVICE TO PARENTS

ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY FAMILY CONNECTIONS 5

• Lastly, let your student know that we have

Thrive Leaders, a team of student leaders

who serve as ambassadors for the Counseling

Center and are out-and-about at events across

campus meeting students and explaining

how the Counseling Center can offer them

support. Make sure your student knows to

visit them in their signature light-blue shirts

at events across campus. Our Thrive Leaders

are here to assist the Counseling Center in

educating students on important issues

including underage drinking and drug

abuse, sexual violence prevention, suicide

prevention, and feeling empowered to

intervene and speak out when they see

situations happening on campus that

aren't okay.

SOME RESOURCESWe'd also like to make sure you know about our

social media and internet outreach, to familiarize

yourself with our website, and follow us on

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

TWITTER AND FACEBOOK We publicize

Counseling Center events and share resources

that might be useful for students and parents.

twitter.com/rmu_counseling

facebook.com/rmucounseling

OUR WEBSITE RMU.EDU/COUNSELING We

provide in-depth resources and education on

mental health and wellness topics such as ADHD,

eating disorders, depression and anxiety, suicide,

and healthy relationships.

PINTEREST We have lots of quick, fun, and helpful

tips for your student. We really encourage you

and your student to consider our Pinterest a one-

stop-shop for learning skills and getting ideas to

help them when they are struggling.

pinterest.com/rmucounseling

INSTAGRAM Lastly, our Thrive Leaders maintain

an Instagram where they post lots of pictures

keeping your student up-to-date on what Thrive

and the Counseling Center has going on on

campus. Your student can follow them

@RMU_THRIVE.

6 RMU.EDU

What do these three organizations have in

common: a faith-based health center serving our

neediest neighbors, a storefront selling recycled

craft supplies, and a philanthropic foundation

worth billions? No, this is not a trick question!

These are but three of the Pittsburgh-based

nonprofit organizations that Robert Morris

University students visited during the Nonprofit

Leadership course offered over spring break.

While it might be hard to believe, 10 students

from diverse majors and class years chose this

four-day engaged learning experience over the

traditional spring break vacation. They were not

disappointed!

Led by professional staff from RMU’s Bayer

Center for Nonprofit Management and the Office

of Student Civic Engagement, the students spent

six to seven hours each day, Monday through

Thursday, traveling around the city of Pittsburgh

from the Northside to Downtown to the East End,

scoping out the wide variety of missions,

programs and leaders who make up Pittsburgh’s

vast and diverse nonprofit sector. The four-day

immersion experience included touring the art

studios and job training programs at Manchester

Bidwell Corporation, which now replicates its

program model in cities across the country and

around the world; visiting the cats and dogs at the

Animal Rescue League (ARL) while learning

about the need for such shelters and its plans to

build a new state-of-the-art facility next year; and

catching the vision for community redevelopment

and sustainability at the Kingsley Association,

which is at the forefront of building new housing

and greenspace to replace urban blight and

strengthen the inner city.

Whether exploring the Pittsburgh Children’s

Museum or taking a walking tour of public art,

students were surprised to discover the many

different types of nonprofits doing “really cool

stuff” all across the city. They also were greatly

inspired by the passionate and dedicated

professionals, including RMU graduates, who

led these organizations. As one student put it

at the end of the four days, “I had no idea….”

That was just the reaction we were going for

when Robert Morris University created the

Nonprofit Leadership Association Certificate

Program, which this course is a part of. If your

student is passionate about giving back to the

community and would like to explore career

opportunities in the nonprofit sector, please

encourage him or her to be in touch with Donna

Anderson, director, Student Civic Engagement

at [email protected] for more information.

NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP ASSOCIATION: AN EXCELLENT ADVENTURE!

As a parent, the success of your student is an

important goal. However, sometimes what you

see as being helpful can be perceived as

interfering or pushy. So, you must walk a fine

line in helping your student attain their career

goals. With that in mind, however, you can be

an asset and positive support to your student’s

career development in the following ways:

• Listen to your student’s dreams, goals,

challenges and plans in an open, non-critical

way. Provide suggestions to help them

clarify, realistically evaluate, and reach

those goals.

• Choose your words thoughtfully while

engaging with your student. For example,

instead of saying “Have you found a

job/internship yet?,” you may ask “How is

your job/internship search going?” While

the former can be perceived as critical and

puts pressure on the student, the latter is an

open-ended, non-judgmental conversation

starter. Also, your awareness that the typical

length of a job search can vary by fields will

help you have more empathy with your

student as they pursue their career goals.

• Encourage them to visit the Career Center

from their freshmen year on to take

advantage of resources, programs, and

individual counseling.

Some upcoming fall programs offered by the

RMU Career Center include the following:

JUMP-START YOUR JOB SEARCHWednesday, Nov. 4, 4–6:00 pm; Sewall Center

VETERAN NETWORKING EVENTWednesday, Nov. 11, 4–6:00 pm; Sewall Center

PATHWAYS TO FEDERAL EMPLOYMENTThursday, Nov. 12, 1–3:00 pm; Sewall Center

CAREERS IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCESMonday, Nov. 16, 12–3:00 pm; Sewall Center

POSITIVE CAREER CONVERSATIONS YIELD POSITIVE RESULTS

ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY FAMILY CONNECTIONS 7

In addition to these programs, individual

advising and resume reviews, job and

internship postings through the online

ColonialTRAK system, practice interviews

(by career counselors and local employers),

and a career resource library are available to

students on an on-going basis.

• Recognize that employers are not only

looking for candidates who possess the

necessary job-specific skills.

Communication, interpersonal, leadership

and other soft skills are also very important.

Many times these skills are developed

through part-time jobs, volunteer work and

contributive involvement in a student

organization. If your student is not currently

pursuing these avenues, suggest the

importance of becoming a well-rounded,

results-oriented individual during college.

• Emphasize the importance of internships

and practical work-based experiences.

Although an internship or other work-

related learning experience may not be

required for your student to graduate, in

today’s world however, it is almost always

required for them to get a job in their field.

In addition, completing multiple career-

related experiences will not only build

additional skills, it will help your student

clarify their career goals.

• Help your student to network. Making

connections is an important part of the job

search, and you can be an important first

step in that process. Through your personal

contacts, you may arrange an informational

interview or job shadow experience for your

student to help them learn more about their

field as well as start to build their

professional network.

• Become involved with the Career Center.

Posting jobs and internships, conducting

practice interviews, serving on panel

discussions, and networking with other

students are just some of the opportunities

available for you to help RMU students

and show your student your commitment

to the university.

While you cannot force your student to take

advantage of the opportunities available to

them, your positive support and encouragement

are critical to help them understand and develop

their job search skills and professional presence

while at RMU.

Contributing Resource: Denham, Thomas J.

(2013, September 12) A Parents’ Guide to Career

Development. Courtesy of the National

Association of Colleges and Employers

8 RMU.EDU

Christopher B. Howard, D.Phil., has been

named the eighth president of Robert Morris

University. Howard, 46, is a distinguished

educator, dedicated public servant, and

decorated Air Force veteran who is currently

president of Hampden-Sydney College, a

private Virginia college for men and one of the

nation’s top liberal arts institutions. He will

join Robert Morris on February 1.

“Dr. Howard is a high-energy, charismatic,

and visionary leader who believes in the power

of mentorship – a perfect fit for RMU,” said

Gary Claus ‘74, chairman of the university’s

Board of Trustees.

“In the future, it is those higher education

institutions truly committed to providing

the foundational tools of critical thinking,

written and oral communication, and a deep

understanding of the world we live in, coupled

with the opportunity to delve deeply into the

professions, that are poised for success,” said

Howard. “RMU is an ‘all of the above’

university bolstered by an exceptional faculty,

able staff, engaged alumni, dedicated board,

supportive friends, and bright and motivated

students.” Howard added, “Just as importantly,

members of the RMU community have

demonstrated a willingness to innovate in a

manner rarely seen in the academic world,

resulting in remarkable growth and success.

I am both honored and humbled by the

opportunity to serve as its eighth president.”

Richard Harshman ‘78, vice chairman of

the RMU Board of Trustees and chairman

of its Presidential Search Committee, said

Howard rose to the top of a national list of

candidates because of his vision, energy,

and charisma, as well as his record of success

at Hampden-Sydney.

“The Search Committee was impressed

with the way Dr. Howard was able to build

on the traditions of his current institution and

to translate those traditions to contemporary

and more diverse generations of students,”

said Harshman, the chairman, president,

and CEO of ATI. Howard has been president

of Hampden-Sydney since 2009, during which

time enrollment and retention have grown,

alumni giving has reached 33 percent, and the

grade-point average of the incoming freshman

class has risen. In 2011-12, Hampden-Sydney

LEADERSHIP FOR THE FUTURE

ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY FAMILY CONNECTIONS 9

climbed 17 spots in the U.S. News and World

Report rankings, the largest jump among any

Top 100 liberal arts colleges. During Howard’s

tenure as president, Hampden-Sydney

produced its first Truman and Goldwater

scholars in 20 years, as well as a Rhodes finalist

and numerous Fulbright and Rotary scholars –

thanks in part to the Office of Fellowship and

Advising the college created under his

leadership. Hampden-Sydney received the

largest gift in its 240-year history under

Howard, and the college will soon break

ground on a new student center.

“Dr. Howard has experience both within and

outside of higher education, having worked in

the corporate world and having a distinguished

career in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve,”

said Claus. “He has experience with and

insights into different models of education,

from Ivy Leagues to large publics, from small,

liberal arts institutions to military academies.

And, on the more personal side, his own

background reflects the character and values

we see in RMU’s students and alumni.”

Howard was raised in Plano, Texas, where he

was a star running back in high school and

captain of the state championship football team.

He is a Distinguished Graduate of the United

States Air Force Academy and received the

Campbell Trophy, the nation’s highest academic

honor for a senior college football player. He

earned an M.B.A. with Distinction from the

Harvard Business School and a D.Phil. in

politics from Oxford University while on a

Rhodes Scholarship.

Howard served as a lieutenant colonel in the

Air Force Reserve, and earned a Bronze Star for

military service in Afghanistan. He served as

U.S. Reserve Air Attaché to Liberia and as

intelligence operations and places officer with

the elite Joint Special Operations Command. In

2011, President Barack Obama appointed

Howard to the National Security Education

Program Board. Howard previously was vice

president for leadership and strategic initiatives

at the University of Oklahoma, and has worked

for General Electric and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

He is the co-author of the book Money Makers:

Inside the New World of Finance and Business

and a member of the Board of Directors of the

10 RMU.EDU

ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY FAMILY CONNECTIONS 11

American Council on Education, the NCAA

Division III Presidents Council, the Baylor

University Board of Regents, and the

prestigious Young Presidents’ Organization.

Howard co-founded the Impact Young Lives

Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that

brings South African students of color to the

U.S. for summer educational and cultural tours.

His wife, Barbara Noble Howard, is the

foundation’s executive director; she is

originally from Johannesburg, South Africa.

They have two sons, Cohen, a senior at the

University of the South, and Joshua, a freshman

at Middlebury College.

Howard succeeds Gregory G. Dell’Omo, Ph.D.,

who left Robert Morris in June after 10 years to

become the president of Rider University in his

home state of New Jersey. Since Dell’Omo’s

departure, RMU has been led by David

Jamison, J.D., who is also the university’s

provost.

Join the RMU Residence Hall Association and

Office of Residence Life for Siblings Weekend

2016! This is a fun opportunity for residential

students at RMU to bring their little siblings to

campus for a weekend filled with events and

activities for all ages! More information will

be made available in January, including dates,

a tentative schedule, and how to register siblings

to join their student.

LITTLE SIBLINGS WEEKEND…..COMING IN WINTER 2016

FAMILYConnections

STUDENT LIFE

Robert Morris University

6001 University Boulevard

Moon Township, PA 15108

RMU.EDU

UPCOMING EVENTSVisit rmu.edu for the university’s full calendar of events.

NOVEMBER Native American Heritage Month4 Pittsburgh Speakers Series presents Dr. Sanjay Gupta,

8 p.m., Heinz Hall4-5 RMU Band Recruitment Weekend9 Diwali Celebration,

8 p.m., PNC Colonial Café19 Diversity Speakers Series presents Native American Heritage Month

Celebration, 4:30 – 7 p.m., Sewall30 2016–17 Community Advisor Information Session,

7 p.m., Salem Meeting Room

DECEMBER1 2016–17 Community Advisor Information Session,

7:30 p.m., Salem Meeting Room3 Cram Jam, 9 a.m.–9 p.m., Center for Student Success4-5 Winterfest (Various events scheduled)7-12 Final Exams8 Almost Midnight Breakfast,

10 p.m.–Midnight, PNC Colonial Café