Blugold Nuggets - April 2007

Spring is in the air on campus! This month UW-Eau Claire will host Honors Week, Student Research Days and Little Sibs' Weekend. The withdrawal deadline is also in April. We hope the April edition of the Blugold Nuggets is useful as you support your Blugold.

Scholarship Money Available

Scholarship Money

Got Money? 

The UW-Eau Claire Foundation does…..
In the form of scholarships provided to UW-Eau Claire students through the UW-Eau Claire Foundation. The scholarships are made possible by gifts received from alumni, friends, grateful parents, organizations and foundations.

This is the time of year when most academic departments are accepting applications from their majors for the scholarships they award.  Virtually every department has some scholarship funds to award. There also are general scholarships for students who meet specific criteria, belong to certain organizations or who have financial need.  Some scholarships will be awarded for use this academic year. Most scholarship recipients are selected in the spring and the awards are applied to the recipients’ accounts with the university business office to be applied toward tuition and fees.

All the current scholarships available for awarding are listed on the University’s web site at http://www.uwec.edu/finaid/aid/FDNscholarships.htm.  Check out the entire “Paying for College” webpage to see other potential funding sources available to our students.

Withdrawal Deadline

Course Withdrawal

If your student is considering withdrawing from one course or from ALL of his or her courses, this is important information your student needs to know...

Withdrawing from a course -

Monday, Apr. 9, is the last day to withdraw from full-semester courses and receive a "W" grade. Students may obtain a Change of Registration form from the Registrar's Office or print off the form found on-line. Your student should then secure the signature of his or her academic adviser and the instructor of the course, and return the completed form to the Registrar’s Office, Schofield 128, by 4:30 p.m., Apr. 9. Students should note that UW-Eau Claire does not have classes scheduled on Friday, Apr. 6. Your student should plan ahead to obtain the needed signatures for withdrawal.

Note: Short courses that began during the second-half of the semester have later withdrawal deadlines. Students should check the Course Information menu on MyBlugold to find those dates.

Withdrawing from ALL courses –

Monday, Apr. 9, is also the final day to withdraw from the University for the spring semester. Students should go to the Office of Student Development and Diversity, Schofield 240, where your student will obtain a withdrawal form and meet briefly with an Associate Dean of Student Development.

Financial Aid Repayment –

If your student received financial aid, you should be aware of the federal regulations regarding repayment of aid. The amount of repayment is based on the number of days students were in attendance, until a student has completed at least 60% of the semester. Only after that time, may students keep 100% of the aid awarded. For the Spring 2007 Semester, a student will not owe a repayment if officially withdrawn from the University on Apr. 5, or later.

What if your student is unsure about whether or not to withdraw?
1) Your student should talk to his or her professor and/or adviser.
2) Students should also be sure they understand the potential effect of withdrawal upon academic standing. 

Students can also go on-line to learn more information about withdrawal and "W" grades.

Fall Semester Registration

Fall Registration

Registration for fall semester will take place from Apr. 9 - May 4 with most appointment times based on the number of credits a student has. It is, however, important to start thinking about registration much sooner than that. Here is some information you can share with your students.

• During the week of March 12 students were e-mailed their registration materials, including their exact registration time as well as a degree audit that lists all the requirements for their degree.
• All students must pay a $100 deposit prior to registering. This goes toward the fall semester tuition.
• All students with fewer than 60 earned credits and all students in academic difficulty must see an adviser and receive their PAC (personal advising code) prior to registering. In reality, all students should see an adviser before registering. Please encourage your students to make these appointments early.

Registration time often focuses students’ attention on their major. It is a good time to talk with your students –particularly freshmen and sophomores--about whether they are still happy with the major they have chosen. If they are undeclared, they should be encouraged to talk with their adviser early, so they can do some major/career exploration before registering.

• Students who want to change their major should do it before they register so they can talk with their new adviser. Information on how to do that can be found on the Registration Web site.
• Students who are considering changing a major can get a “What-if degree audit” for the major they are considering.
• Students who are uncertain about what they want to major in can talk to a counselor in Career Services. They can call 836-5359 or stop by Schofield 230.

For answers to most registration related questions, see “Steps to a Successful Registration.”

Summer Registration and Deposit

Students can now register for Summer Session 2007. Students should check out the Summer Session Class Schedule now to see if a course or two will fit into their plans for this summer.

Summer Session allows students to:

• Complete their undergraduate or graduate degree program more quickly.
• Catch up on missed courses and/or lighten workload for fall and spring semesters.
• Enhance career opportunities.
• Make new friends in small, interactive classes.
• Earn while they learn. Our flexible scheduling options and online local job listings make it convenient to find a summer job while taking classes.
• Enjoy the beautiful Chippewa Valley and all it offers during the summer.

Students who have registered for Summer Session 2007 must have the $100 registration deposit paid by Apr. 27. Failure to pay the deposit by Apr. 27 will result in cancellation of their Summer Session classes.

Many of the summer courses are available online through UW-Eau Claire Online. These are programs and/or courses that will allow students to earn college credit at times and from locations that are convenient for them.

Honors Week and Honors Banquet

Honors Week 2007

The 35th Annual Honors Week will take place Apr. 23 - 29. This is an exciting week designed to celebrate the academic excellence of UW-Eau Claire students. The Honors Banquet, honoring students for their outstanding scholarship, will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Apr. 28 in the Spruce/Tamarack Room of Davies Center. Honor students and their families are invited to attend this wonderful celebration of scholarship and can do so by completing the Ticket Order Form and sending payment to the University Service Center. Ticket orders must be received by Apr. 17. This year's banquet will pay tribute to Honors Week co-founded and longtime supporter- Professor Emeritus, Dr. Roma Hoff.

A complete listing of the events of the week are provided in the in Honors Week Brochure. The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Foundation provides generous support to subsidize the cost of the this special week and banquet.

Little Sibs' Weekend

Little Sibs' Weekend

The National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) of UW-Eau Claire proudly offers Little Sibs’ Weekend 2007. Little Sibs’ Weekend gives 5 to 15 year-old brothers and sisters (or nieces, nephews, cousins, neighbors, etc.) of UW-Eau Claire residence hall students the opportunity to experience a little bit of “college life.” Little Sibs’ Weekend activities cover a variety of ages and provide enjoyment for the entire weekend. Comfortable, student-chaperoned coach buses are available for transportation to and from Green Bay/Wausau, WI, Woodbury, MN and Milwaukee/Madison, WI.

Little Sibs’ Weekend 2007 is Apr. 20 - 22. Registration is due by Wednesday, Apr. 11. Parents can contact Paul Shepherd, Assistant Director of Housing & Residence Life, at 836-3630 or shephepr@uwec.edu for more information.

Coach bus rides home offered for UW-Eau Students! NRHH also offers the opportunity for UW-Eau Claire students to ride the coach buses to Green Bay/Wausau, WI, Woodbury, MN and Milwaukee/Madison, WI for this weekend. If your Blugold is looking for a ride home this weekend, encourage them to stop by the Think Tank in Towers 137 to sign up for the bus. The cost is $10 per rider. Students can also go to the on-line Ride Board for more information.

Illegal Downloading of Copyrighted Materials

Illegal Downloading

UW-Eau Claire is committed to educating students to be good citizens and good scholars, and as such it is not acceptable to steal another's work, no matter what it is. Please encourage your student not to share or serve out files with any Peer-to-Peer software or allow other users to download files from your computer.  Most all Peer to Peer software such as Kazaa, WinMX, BearShare, BitTorrent, Limewire, etc., often introduces adware/spyware onto your machine and can cause many system problems. 

Both the RIAA and the MPAA have stepped up their search of illegally obtained music/movies and users must be aware of the legal action they potentially face.

Those users found downloading and/or sharing out illegal files will have their computer or device banned from our network or have their Internet port shutdown until the appropriate resolution has been fulfilled.

More information on Disabling Peer-to-Peer software can be found here.

Encourage your student to make sure they are following University Computer Usage Guidelines. If you or your student would like more information about this issue visit www.campusdownloading.com

National Alcohol Screening Day

Thursday, Apr. 5, is National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD). This annual event is designed to provide information about alcohol and health as well as free, confidential screening to assess an individual’s level of alcohol use. This year for NASD, the UW-Eau Claire Center for Alcohol Studies and Education will sponsor an alcohol screening event from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. across from the Service Center in the Davies Center. Students will be able to assess their alcohol use using a free alcohol screening survey called e-CHUG.

The e-CHUG is an evidence-based, on-line alcohol intervention and personalized feedback tool developed by counselors and psychologists at San Diego State University. It is currently in use at over 300 universities and colleges across 42 states. e-CHUG is designed to motivate individuals to reduce their consumption using personalized information about their own drinking and risk factors. The e-CHUG was designed, and is updated with the most current and reliable research available.

e-CHUG takes students 10-15 minutes to complete, is self-guided, and requires no face-to-face contact time with a counselor or administrator. Because it is offered online, the e-CHUG can provide quick, confidential feedback in multiple settings. This also allows a student to complete a personal 'check-up' on multiple occasions to track changes in use and risk behavior. UW-Eau Claire students who do not want to take the e-CHUG at the April 5th event can opt to complete it anytime from any computer on campus.

The personal feedback, provided by the e-CHUG program includes information which has been shown to be particularly motivating to college drinkers:

• Quantity and Frequency of Drinking, Caloric Intake
• Amount of alcohol consumed and peak blood alcohol content
• Comparisons of drinking levels to that of other groups
• Amount and Percent of Income Spent on Alcohol
• Tolerance Level
• Negative Consequences of Alcohol Use
• Personal Family Risk Score
• Explanation, advice, local referral information

Student Health Service Pilots Extended Hours

Student Health Service

Student Health Service will pilot expanded hours beginning Monday, Mar. 26, and ending Monday, May 14. Student Health Service is expanding its hours on Mondays to see patients between 12 - 1 p.m. and 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.

 

 

Rec Fest 2007

Students and parents can sign up now for the Rec Fest Early Birdie Golf Outing! University Recreation sponsors this nine-hole best ball scramble event which will take place on May 11, at the Princeton Valley Golf Course. The cost is $25 per person (4 person teams) and includes 9 holes of golf, t-shirt, lunch, and prizes! For more information download the tournament rules and registration form. If you are looking for a good excuse to spend time with your Blugold and to get out on the golf course- this is the perfect opportunity!

Student Research Day

Student Research Days

The UW-Eau Claire Student Research Day is designed to give UW-Eau Claire students the opportunity to display the results of collaborative research conducted with faculty mentors as well as the results of independent research. The event highlights student research accomplishments and the important role faculty and academic staff play as mentors in the scholarly activity process. The Student Research Day encourages dissemination of research results from all disciplines represented in the UW-Eau Claire academic community.

The UW-Eau Claire Student Research Day is scheduled for Apr. 23 from noon - 5 p.m. and Apr. 24 from 8 a.m. - noon, in the Council Fire Room of Davies Center.

What Is There to Do in Eau Claire?

We often hear from students - "There's nothing to do in Eau Claire." You may have even heard this statement in the past semester, too. That statement is simply not true. There are many things to do every day. And, what's most exciting is that many events are free. All Blugold Athletic events are free with your student's Blugold card. A complete schedule of Blugold Athletic Events is available on the web.

The University Activities Commission - the campus-wide events programming board at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is an all-volunteer, award winning commission of the Student Senate.The UAC welcomes students on any of their six committees, which include: The Cabin, Concerts, Festivals, Films, Higherground and Special Events.

University Recreation offers many opportunities for students to stay busy in their free time. Students should check out the University Recreation schedules for a complete listing of the many events and opportunities available.

The Music and Theatre Arts Department offers hundreds of plays, productions and concerts each year. There is something for everyone on this year's calendar of events.

With spring in the air, we hope you'll encourage your student to take advantage of all of the things to do on campus and in the Eau Claire community!