Aggie Quick Connection

Inside...2 Disability Services3-4 Upcoming Events4-5 General Resources5 Upcoming Dates

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July 2010 Family Edition

Welcome Family Members,

Howdy! Summer is well underway, and we hope that you and your student(s) have been enjoying all that the season has to offer. The fi rst summer session is wrapping up and the new one is about to start – summer months can fl y by so fast! We hope the information in this message will be helpful as you and your student(s) prepare for the coming academic year. All of us here in Student Life would like to wish you and your family a happy and safe Fourth of July!

We encourage you to visit the Aggie Family web site for additional updates and helpful resources. You can visit us at http://parents.tamu.edu/. Please feel free to contact the Offi ce 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!

Message from the Office of New Student and Family Programs

October 15-16, 2010Texas A&M University v. University of

Missouri Football Weekend

Purchase Your Tickets Now!A family pack of tickets for the weekend is $40 and includes materials for the weekend, the Friday night dessert reception, and the Saturday tailgate BBQ for a student’s immediate family. Purchase tickets (does not include football ticket) from the MSC Box Offi ce by visiting http://boxoffi ce.tamu.edu/ or http://studentlife.tamu.edu/NFW, or call (979) 845-5826 for more information.

Sports Pass Option Holders:Family members, as a part of the New Family Welcome, your student can purchase up to 4 half-price tickets for the A&M vs Missouri football game using his or her sports pass here: http://MySportsPass.tamu.edu.

Explore Aggieland!Visiting with Faculty & Administrators!Yell Practice!Aggie Family Tailgate!Aggie Football for Special Ticket Pricing!Quality Time with your Aggie!

Make your hotel reservations & reserve game tickets now!

••••••

Save the Date! New Family Welcome

2010 CalendarThe 2010 Family Calendar is now available online at http://parents.tamu.edu/publications.Please feel free to download it for more information this year!

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Featured Services: Does Your Student Have a Disability That Requires Accommodations?

If your student has been previously accommodated for a disability (or has been recently diagnosed with a disability and may now require accommodations), it is in your best interest to start planning early for your student’s needs.

The responsibilities towards students with disabilities in colleges and universities are very different from those of high schools. High schools are required under IDEA to identify the educational needs of students with a disability and provide a “free and appropriate education”. This responsibility is not required of colleges and universities. Colleges and universities institutions are required to provide appropriate academic accommodations to ensure that a student with a disability is not discriminated against. The student is responsible for disclosing his or her disability to the institution and must provide acceptable documentation of his or her disability in order to be accommodated.

Since the student is now in charge of his or her educational planning, it is strongly encouraged that students develop these self-advocacy skills if they have not done so already:• Understanding Their Disability: A student should be able to articulate what his or her disability is.• Communicating Their Disability: A student should also be able to describe how the disability limits his or her functioning (functional limitations). A student should also be able to express some ways that he or she could be accommodated.• Being Proactive: A student should provide acceptable documentation to the Department of Disability Services and request accommodations. A student should learn to work collaboratively with professors to ensure his or her success with the accommodations. A student should also be able to identify if his or her accommodations are not being met.

Students who have been accepted to Texas A&M University and would like to request accommodations should follow these steps:

1. Submit current and comprehensive documentation of a diagnosed disability which requires accommodation

July 2010 Family Edition

to the Department of Disability Services. • Documentation can be submitted at any time, but it is recommended that it be submitted at least 2 weeks prior to any accommodation need. Incoming students for the fall should be submitting their documentation well before classes begin. • See the Disability Services website for documentation guidelines.

2. Once the documentation is reviewed by the Documentation Review Committee an Accommodations Counselor (a staff member from Disability Services) will contact the student to begin making arrangements for facilitating their accommodations - or if the documentation was not suffi cient, they will let the student know if any additional documentation or information is required prior to being able to set-up accommodations.

3. The student will then meet with their assigned Accommodations Counselor to discuss their needs and to learn how to set up their approved accommodations. The student is responsible for delivering their accommodations letters to their course instructors and discussing their classroom and testing accommodations needs.

For more information please visit the

Disability Services website or contact:

Disability Services(979) 845-1637 (v/tty)(979) 458-1214 (fax)disability@tamu.edudisability.tamu.edu

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3July 2010 Family Edition

Upcoming Events & ProgramsI LOVE AMERICA CELEBRATION For the 12th year, the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum will host the College Station Lions Club’s annual Fourth of July Celebration, “I Love America.” This is the 50th year for this community event. The museum will be open from noon to 8:30 p.m. with free admission for everyone all day. Historical characters will be mingling with the crowd to pose for photographs and answer questions about their distinguished careers. Live entertainment, concessions and games for the children will all begin at 5 p.m. The evening will culminate with a spectacular fi reworks display and concert by the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra. People are encouraged to come early and bring their lawn chairs, picnic baskets and blankets. Please, no pets or glass containers!

Parking is available to the public at the West Campus Parking Garage on the Texas A&M University campus. Shuttles will begin running at 4:30 p.m. from the garage to the Museum. Handicapped parking is available in Lot 41 in front of the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum entrance.

For more information, please call (979) 691-4014 or visit http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/museum/events.php?id=469.

PARKING PERMIT REGISTRATION Students can register for Fall 2010/Spring 2011 parking permits now through July 13, 2010. For information on permit pricing and policies, please visit http://transport.tamu.edu/parking.aspx.

AGGIE FOOTBALLAggie Football games can be exciting times for the entire family. The Aggies have eight games at Kyle Field this season (game times may change when televised): • 09/04 vs. Stephen F. Austin TBA @ College Station • 09/11 vs. Louisiana Tech TBA @ College Station • 09/18 vs. Florida International TBA @ College Station • 09/30 vs. Oklahoma State 6:30 p.m. @ Stillwater, Oklahoma • 10/09 vs. Arkansas Southwest Classic TBA @ Arlington, Texas • 10/16 vs. Missouri TBA @ College Station • 10/23 vs. Kansas TBA @ Lawrence, Kansas • 10/30 vs. Texas Tech TBA @ College Station • 11/06 vs. Oklahoma TBA @ College Station • 11/13 vs. Baylor TBA @ Waco, Texas • 11/20 vs. Nebraska TBA @ College Station • 11/25 vs. Texas 7:00 p.m. @ Austin, Texas

More information about the football schedule, tickets, and Aggie athletics can be found at http://www.aggieathletics.com/sports/m-footbl/tam-m-footbl-body.html.

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Alcohol & Drug Education ProgramsSummertime is a great time to catch up with your students and chat about the upcoming academic year. As you are setting class schedules, and buying books, don’t forget to talk with your student about alcohol anddrugs. Keeping the lines of communication open on these issues is important. For more information about how to have family conversation about alcohol and college life see: http://studentlife.tamu.edu/adep.

Student Health ServicesYou’re packing up your student, sending them off to college and away from the nest. Now what do they do if they become ill? Rest assured that your student’s health needs will be well taken care of by Student Health Services. When packing all your student’s essential dorm amenities, make sure to include a fi rst aid kit complete with a thermometer, bandages, antibiotic ointment, pain reliever and tweezers. For more information on Student Health Services, visit http://shs.tamu.edu.

ATMENTORS ATMentors are TAMU faculty, staff, and administrators who volunteer extra offi ce hours to make themselves available to students who have specifi c questions or who just want to talk to someone. We currently have about 165 mentors on campus.

• Mentors advise students in their area of experience and competence. • Mentors stay informed about current TAMU services so they can act as effective referral sources to students whose problems are outside the Mentor’s expertise. • Mentors provide a caring, nonjudgmental ear when a student just needs to talk. • Mentors provide a smile, a helping hand, and eagerness to serve as stepping stones instead of stumbling blocks – these are the nuts and bolts of Mentoring.

More information about the ATMentor program can be found at http://atmentors.tamu.edu/. Students can also request a Mentor by calling the ATMentors program offi ce at 979-845-5826 or emailingATMentors@tamu.edu.

General TAMU Resources

More Upcoming Events & Programs

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July 2010 Family Edition 4

SUMMER COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES Many parents are preparing for the graduation of their student on August 13, 2010. For those parents and students, we would like to take this opportunity to say congratulations on your accomplishment! Now is the time to be making fi nal arrangements for ceremony regalia and accommodations. More information about the ceremonies can be found at http://graduation.tamu.edu.

HOTEL RESERVATIONS Hotels in Bryan/College Station tend to fi ll up during busy times like Parents’ Weekend and Graduation. If you are planning to attend either of these events next year (Fall Graduation December 17-18, 2010; Parents’ Weekend April 15-17, 2011; Spring Graduation May 13-14, 2011), we encourage you to make arrangements as early as possible. The Convention and Visitors Bureau website provides links to most area hotels: http://visitaggieland.com/.

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July 2010 Family Edition 5

General TAMU ResourcesTHE DEPARTMENT OF RECREATIONAL SPORTS Exercise and recreation can be a great way for students to relieve stress, meet friends, and stay healthy. The Department of Recreational Sports provides students with various opportunities to stay in-shape and active.

• Rec Center – Registered students have free access to the Student Rec Center. http://recsports.tamu.edu/facilities/.• Aquatics – both indoor and outdoor pools are available. http://recsports.tamu.edu/programs/aquatics/.• Fitness & Classes – Students can register for various fi tness classes and training sessions. http://recsports.tamu.edu/programs/fi tness_classes/.• Intramurals – Students can join a variety of intramural sports teams. http://recsports.tamu.edu/programs/intramurals/. • Outdoor Adventures – Outdoor services seeks to provide students with positive outdoor experiences. http://recsports.tamu.edu/programs/outdoor_adventures/.

STUDENT EMERGENCY SERVICES Student Life at Texas A&M University provides a number of services to assist students with medical and personal emergencies, and in the event of hospitalization. To access these services, students or their families should notify Student Assistance Services at (979) 845-3113 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or via e-mail at studentlife@tamu.edu. To learn more visit http://studentaffairs.tamu.edu/SAS.

Important Upcoming Dates:July 2 (Friday) - Last day of fi rst term classes.

July 5 (Monday)- First Term Final Exams.- No 10-week classes. - 5 p.m. Last day to register for the second term and pay fees.

July 6 (Tuesday) - First day of second term classes.

July 8 (Thursday. Noon.) - First term fi nal grades due in Offi ce of the Registrar.

July 9 (Friday. 5 p.m.) - Last day for adding/dropping courses for the second term. - Last day to apply for degrees to be awarded in August for students completing degree requirements in the second term or 10-week semester.

July 26 (Monday. 5 p.m.)- Last day for all students to drop courses with no penalty for the second term (Q-drop).- Last day to change Kinesiology 198/199 grade type for second term.- Last day to offi cially withdraw from the University for second term.