From the Dean of Students' Desk
 |
Ted Hoef |
Welcome to the fifth issue of the 2008-09 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.
Student Organizations
We now have more student organizations than ever before. For a full list, check out:
http://www.webster.edu/students/student_orgs.shtml.
Hopefully, your son or daughter has found a group that interests him or her
Athletics
Congratulations to the women’s volleyball team who won both the regular season and conference tournament championships and
then travelled to Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, where they competed in the NCAA Division III National
Championship Tournament.
Congratulations also to the men’s and women’s soccer teams who qualified for the SLIAC Conference
Tournament. And finally, congratulations to freshman runner Derrick McKee who finished fifth in the SLIAC Championships and
was named to the All-Conference Team
We are now in basketball season and new students are having an impact on both teams, especially
the women’s team with eight first-year students, most of whom are getting significant playing time and helping the Gorloks
to get off to a good start on the season.
For more information about Webster University Athletics, check out:
http://www.websterathletics.com/
Community Spirit
Our president Neil George hosted a free pre-Thanksgiving lunch for students, faculty, and staff on Friday, November 21 in
Marletto’s Marketplace. Over 780 members of our campus community attended this luncheon and brought donations for a local
charity. It was a huge success and an event that was enjoyed by many.
Academics
Before you get the next newsletter from us, your son or daughter will have finished their first semester of college. How
exciting is that! While they begin to enjoying their holidays and the semester break, professors will be finishing up the
grading of final projects, papers, presentations, and exams. Grades are due in from faculty by December 24. All grades
entered by then will be posted in the students’ online academic record. Students received their password for this about a
week after they registered for their initial courses. They can use this password to go on line through the Connections
portal to check their grades. If a grade is not entered yet, it will be after the University reopens on January 5. Campus
offices are closed for the semester break from December 24 through January 4.
Student Writing
Over the semester break, I hope you have the chance to talk with your son or daughter about their fall semester grades. For
some, the grades will exceed your expectations. For many, the first semester grades often are below expectations, especially
when compared to the success students had in high school.
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 have seen this myself while teaching a freshman seminar. 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:
http://www.webster.edu/acadaffairs/asp/wc/index.html.
Webster also offers writing composition courses that may be beneficial for many students. If your son or daughter has
experienced some difficulty with writing assignments, I strongly recommend that he or she consider adding one of these
writing courses in the Spring semester to improve this important skill.
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 such as
their campus job or student group meetings?
Adjustment Survey
Here is a list of some quick questions that can be used by parents to help 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 organizations 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 in January or February. We’d love to get your
suggestions for future articles.
Go Gorloks!
Sincerely,
Ted Hoef, Ph.D.
Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
hoeftl@webster.edu
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