From the Dean of Students' Desk
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Ted Hoef |
Welcome to the fourth issue of the 2007-08 academic year for Staying Connected, a newsletter for parents of first-year students. We hope you’ll enjoy the informative articles, some of which have been written by students and staff members and some which were prepared for Webster by PaperClip Communications.
Campus Link
As you probably know, we purchase the Campus Link articles from PaperClip Communication. 99% of the time they contain very useful information. However, we are not able to edit these articles when they sometimes contain information that is not relevant to Webster.
Please note that on page three of this issue of Campus Link, there is a mention about an engineering department. Webster does not have engineering. On page four there is an article about housing. Please be aware that Webster has a two-year residency requirement which states that entering freshmen must live on campus for their first two years, unless they live with their parents within a 35-mile radius of the campus. This means that unless your student is living with you within 35 miles of campus, they do not have the option of living off-campus.
Student Organizations
We now have more student organizations than ever before. For a full list, check out: webster.edu/studlife/stud_orgs/studorgs.html. Hopefully, your son or daughter has found a group that interests him or her.
Athletics
We are the middle of the season for the men’s and women’s basketball teams. And the spring sports teams are beginning their workouts in preparation for their competitive seasons beginning in March. For more information on Webster Athletics, go to: www.webster.edu/athletics/. We are in the process of upgrading the athletics website and the new version should be ready by mid to late January. The new address will be www.websterathletics.com.
Student Writing
By the time you are reading this newsletter, you have probably had a chance to talk with your son or daughter about their fall semester grades. Getting used to the quality of writing that is expected in college courses is one of the big adjustments for many students. I hear many faculty members bemoan the poor quality of writing that they see in their freshman courses. I also hear employers talk about the poor quality of writing that they see from college graduates. Webster University offers excellent help to students who would like to improve their writing skills. My advice is for you to encourage your son or daughter to make good use of our Writing Center. More information about the Writing Center can be obtained at: www.webster.edu/acadaffairs/asp/wc/index.html. Webster also offers writing composition courses that may be beneficial for many students.
Technology and Good Social Habits
Students have been known to answer cell phones, text message friends, and play games on cell phones at the worst times, even during class. Have you talked with your student about the appropriate times to use his/her cell phone? Are you aware of your student’s schedule so that you can avoid calling them on their cell phone during class or other commitments?
Adjustment Survey
Here is a list of some quick questions that can be used by parents to help you get a feeling for how your son or daughter is doing in their first year of college.
- Can you name four friends that you made at Webster?
- Do you have at least one activity that you are participating in at Webster? Hint – there are over 60 student clubs on campus.
- Have you set a goal for your GPA at the end of the Spring semester?
- Do you know your academic advisor’s name and the location of his/her office?
- Do you know a staff person that you could go to when you have a question?
- Do you know the location of the Writing Center?
- Do you like Webster and feel like things are working out well so far?
We hope to have another newsletter out to you before Spring Break. We’d love to get your suggestions for future articles.
Go Gorloks!
Sincerely,
Ted Hoef, Ph.D.
Associate Vice President and Dean of Students
hoeftl@webster.edu
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