STAR NEWS QUARTERLY OKCU PARENT & FAMILY NEWSLETTER JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2019

In This Issue…

Civic Engagement

Fraternity & Sorority Life

Career Services

Residence Life

Black Student Association

Study Abroad

Diversity & Inclusion

Civic Engagement

The Student Civic Engagement Committee volunteered at the Oklahoma Humane Society on Saturday, February 16th, where they assisted in cleaning the facility for a weekend adoption event. SCEC hosts three off-campus service activities each semester. All OKCU students are invited to attend all SCEC service events.

Fraternity & Sorority Life

The OKCU Panhellenic Council and Interfraternity Council executive committees attended the annual Association of Fraternal Leadership and Values conference in Indianapolis February 7th-10th. The students attended educational workshops on how to be effective leaders in the fraternity and sorority community.

STAR NEWS QUARTERLY OKCU PARENT & FAMILY NEWSLETTER JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2019

Career Services

Hello parents and families! My name is Tiffany Smith, and I am the new director for Career Services here at OCU, as of last July. It has been such a joy getting to know your sons and daughters this year. We have had a lot going on this academic year, including launching a new employment software program called Handshake, which allows your students to interact with potential employers and apply for internships and full-time opportunities across the nation! We currently have 988 (and rising) employers in our OCU portal, which is a 163% increase from what we had with our previous program. Encourage your student to activate and complete their profiles at https://okcu.joinhandshake.com.

Spring 2019 is kicking off with several programs and opportunities designed to help students better prepare for their future! One of our newest initiatives is our Pop-Up Days, where we are physically moving shop to the various schools for a couple of hours one day this spring to offer resume and cover letter assistance, job search advice, and anything else students need. We already hosted one in Arts & Sciences this past month and have events coming up in the Nursing next week, and in the Schools of Music and Theatre in April!

Additionally, here are some further opportunities for your students to partake in this spring. All students in ALL MAJORS are invited and encouraged to take advantage of these programs or initiatives.

Pay Equity & Salary Negotiation Workshop, in conjunction with Women’s History Month

Tuesday, March 19, 5:00-6:00 pm at the Dulaney-Browne Library, Room 214

Learn about pay inequities in the workforce, and how we can combat them together. Additionally, get salary negotiation tips to prepare in advance for those internship or first job offers, and to ensure you get the pay you deserve.

OCU Suit Up! Event, in partnership with JC Penney

Sunday, March 31, 6:00 – 9:00 pm at Penn Square Mall

Students and recent graduates with an OCU ID can shop for career and professional dress items at up to 70% off

The Intern Film Screening, in partnership with Student Engagement

Tuesday, April 16, 5:00 – 8:00 pm at The Great Hall

Come out to see the movie The Intern featuring Anne Hathaway and Robert DeNiro, along with receiving key tips for preparing for your summer internship! Dinner will be provided.

Summer Internship Funding Program

Deadline to apply: Friday, March 22, by 5 pm Learn more: http://bit.ly/OCUinternshipfunding

Established to encourage experiential learning while helping to lessen the financial challenges associated with unpaid or “underpaid” experiences.

STAR NEWS QUARTERLY OKCU PARENT & FAMILY NEWSLETTER JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2019

Residence Life

It is that time of year again when your student gets to decide where they would like to live for the 2019-2020 academic year. It is important for your student to check out our website for building and room layout along with planning whom they will want to live with or if they would like a single room. For the layouts and pricing info please visit okcu.edu/residencelife. Returning students can stay in either 1 of 3 of our facilities and those are Methodist Hall, Draper Hall, and Cokesbury Apartments. Student’s will participate in this process through the OCU Housing Portal which they can log in with their BlueLink Credentials.

The returning student process starts with phase one which is called “Room Retention Week” and it will be March 18 to 24. This is the step where a student can retain their room but only if all the bed spaces in the room or apartment are full. The 2nd phase is “Room Selection Week” and this step is where students will be able to self-select any open spot/bed space available that was not filled during the “Room Retention” period. This phase is broken up by seniority with day 1 being for Grad/Law Students, day 2 for Seniors, day 3 for Juniors, day 4 for Sophomores, day 5 for current Freshman and day 6 and 7 for anyone that just needed a little extra time to decide. The 2nd phase will take place starting March 25 to 31st. Once Phase 2 concludes all remaining students will take part in the general assign-ments process and will need to fill out a housing application again and waives their right to self-assign their room. They will receive a housing assignment June 21st from the housing department to their OCU Email and their preferences will be considered if spaces allows.

It is very important that your student read through their housing contract for the upcoming year to read for any updates and what they are being held accountable for by living within OCU Housing. As a reminder all students who will be under 21 before the first day of Fall 2019 classes will have to live on campus and stay for their entire lease term unless they are graduating, no longer a full time student at the school, or meet an housing exemptions that is officially approved by the Director of Housing and Residence Life which is only for medical accommodations (approved by disability services), military duty, Commuting from Parent/guardian’s home within a 30 mile radius, married, or living in one of the Fraternity housing next to campus.

During these sign up periods your student will also be able to sign up for MayMester term or Summer Term to live in housing. For MayMester term students will remain in their Spring 2019 semester room and move out 5/23 by 5pm. For Summer term 1 and 2 or full summer all students will live in Cokesbury Apartments. Move in for Summer 1 or the full summer term is 5/6 to 5/10 for returning students and 5/11 and 5/12 for new students from 9am to 5pm. For Summer 2 term move in is on 6/19 from 9am to 5pm. Move out for Summer 1 is 6/18 by 5pm and Summer term 2 or full summer on 7/25 if not returning of the fall semester or on 7/26 to 7/28 to move to their Fall 2019 assignment.

As we are approaching the end of the Spring 2019 Semester I also wanted to let you know quickly that students will need be moved out of their room/apartments by May 5th by 5pm. Your student will sign up with their RA to check out of their space and have a staff member walk it for damages and cleaning assessment. If you have any questions about the above information please check out our OCU Residence Life Website or email us at Residencelife@okcu.edu.

STAR NEWS QUARTERLY OKCU PARENT & FAMILY NEWSLETTER JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2019

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

The OKCU Black Student Association and the Student Civic Engagement Committee partnered to host the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Monday, January 21st. 75 students volunteered their time to help make more than 600 sandwiches for the Oklahoma City Homeless Alliance Day Shelter.

STAR NEWS QUARTERLY OKCU PARENT & FAMILY NEWSLETTER JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2019

Study Abroad

A Few Words From Senior BFA Acting Major Adelaide Ross

My first study abroad experience was a faculty-led program through OCU. I attended the On-Camera Acting in Paris program led by Professor Tim Fall, and I had a wonderful time. I was able to take an acting class for my degree, and earn six credits of French language in the heart of Paris, and explore one of the most beautiful cities in the world. OCU's faculty-led programs are a great way to experience another country with the guidance of an OCU faculty member, especially for majors that are more difficult to be abroad for an entire semester. Our upcoming faculty-led trips for Spring and Summer 2019 are Art of Chamber Music in Madrid, Spain; British Media in London; Community Health Nursing in Oaxaca, Mexico; LGBTQ Advocacy and Leadership in Greece; London Theatre; On-Camera Acting in Paris; and Spanish Language and Literature in Oaxaca, Mexico.

After falling in love with studying abroad, I decided to go abroad for a semester as well. Last spring, I hopped across the pond to study at Edge Hill University in Ormskirk, England. Being in England afforded me the chance to meet students from all over the world, who all decided to study at EHU. The cross-cultural experiences of studying in another country are valuable for personal growth and unique to the experiences students receive at OCU. IES Abroad conducted a survey that concluded 96% of students who have studied abroad report an increase in self-confidence upon return to their home country. Studying abroad provided me with friendships, knowledge of the world, and an understanding of other cultures that I could only gain from venturing outside of the US.

See Adelaide’s digital story about her experiences studying at Edge Hill University: https://www.okcu.edu/academics/global/studyabroad/programs/semester-programs/semesters-in-the-uk/england-edge-hill-university

Learn More about Semester Programs Available for OCU students:

https://www.okcu.edu/academics/global/studyabroad/programs/semester-programs

STAR NEWS QUARTERLY OKCU PARENT & FAMILY NEWSLETTER JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2019

Student Diversity & Inclusion