SEPTEMBER 2009
Volume 10, Number 1

From the Director
Welcome to a new academic year at the University of Maryland!  I hope this finds your family well and that everyone is feeling more comfortable with the transitions all of you have undergone over the past few weeks. While some of you are still coping with the emptiness, I know that others are celebrating the freedom that comes with (finally) having your son or daughter out of the house.

As the beginning of the autumn season draws near, I invite you and your family to make plans to join us for the university's 29th Annual Family Weekend on October 9-11, 2009. October is the perfect time to visit campus, and the events planned for the weekend are sure to leave your family with some wonderful memories. I look forward to meeting many of you during the Terp Family Festival on Saturday and at other events throughout the weekend.  If you have not already done so, you can register for Family Weekend at www.familyweekend.umd.edu.

I hope you find this newsletter to be helpful in keeping you updated during the academic year. You can look forward to receiving eConnection on a monthly basis through April 2010. You will also find important updates, announcements and information on the Terp Parent Web site at www.terpparent.umd.edu. As always, feel free to contact the Office of Parent and Family Affairs via the Parent Helpline at 301.314.8429 or parents@umd.edu if you need assistance in any way.

For those of you celebrating holidays, and to all Terp families, I wish you peace and happiness throughout the year.

Sincerely,

Brian L. Watkins
Director

UMD Alerts
Please encourage your student to register for UMD Alerts—the university's emergency text messaging system. UMD Alerts is a software-based web application that allows the University of Maryland to send emergency text messages to cell phones, pagers, BlackBerries, PDAs, and/or e-mail accounts. When an emergency occurs on the campus, the university will send a text message within minutes to all registered devices. UMD Alerts is a connection to real-time updates, instructions on where to go, what to do, or what not to do, who to contact and other important information. Click here for more information.

Family Weekend
Family Weekend is less than four weeks away!  Visit the Family Weekend Web site to learn more and to register for this exciting weekend of events.

The Terp Externship Program Needs You!
The University Career Center is looking for parents who are interested in hosting a UM student in your company or business for a one or two day externship during Winter Break. The goal of the Terp Externship Program is to provide a shadowing experience to undergraduate students at the University to give them the opportunity to observe and network with professionals, investigate a career field, clarify career goals and interests, and function within a work environment. This is a wonderful volunteer opportunity for Terp Parents and will also provide a great opportunity to a UM student. Click here to learn more.

Nominations for Special Awards
Each year, the Parents Association presents the Outstanding Faculty Educator Award and the Outstanding Academic Advisor Award to a faculty member and an academic advisor, respectively, in honor of his or her commitment to providing an exemplary educational experience for UM students. The student who writes the winning nomination will receive a $200 award.
     In addition, the Office of Parent and Family Affairs will honor a family member with the Family Member of the Year Award. All family members who are nominated for the award will receive a congratulatory letter and a copy of the essay submission. The recipient of the award will receive a plaque and the student who writes the winning nomination will receive a $500 award.
     Encourage your son or daughter to nominate a favorite professor, academic advisor and/or family member. Click here for more information. All awards will be presented during Family Weekend at the Terp Family Festival on Saturday, October 10, 2009.

September Parent Poll
As your student begins the academic year, what is your greatest concern regarding your student's experience? Click here to take the Parent Poll (the poll is located on the right side of the page).

Important Dates

Sept 20	Fall semester tuition deadline
Oct 4	Deadline for Family Weekend online registration
Oct 9-11	Family Weekend
Oct 17	Homecoming
Nov 25	North Campus halls close at 7 p.m.
Nov 26-29	Thanksgiving Break
Nov 29	North Campus halls open at 10 a.m.
Dec 11	Fall semester classes end
Dec 14	Finals exams begin
Dec 19	Final exams end/North Campus halls close for Winter Break at 10 p.m.
Dec 19	University Winter Commencement
Dec 20	Individual college/school commencement ceremonies
Dec 25	University closed for Winter Break
2010
Jan 4	University reopens
Jan 18	University closed for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Jan 24	North Campus halls reopen at 10 a.m.
Jan 25	Spring semester classes begin

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