eNews: Your New at PLU Connection
This week, eNews focuses on campus services and resources at PLU. Read on to learn more about they can help you in your first semester! Also, take a look at the list of To Dos, the PLU fun fact of interest, and the events happening on campus this week.
Where can I find support and information on campus resources and services?
Take advantage of the many people at PLU who are here to answer your questions. The following is a list of some of those helpful people and departments:
Peer-to-Peer
A key resource on campus are student
leaders. They know campus resources and are more than
willing to share their knowledge!
Resident Assistants are
available in every residence hall. The role of each staff member
is to develop an environment in their wing and hall which is conducive
to academic achievement, good scholarship and intellectual stimulation
while promoting the integration of social, emotional, life planning,
political, cultural, and spiritual growth. Although they are assigned
to specific wings, you are encouraged to seek out any RA if you
have a question or need assistance.
Orientation Guides welcome
and support new students as they transition into the PLU learning
community. You will meet with your Orientation Guide (OG)
during Orientation's “Just Ask Me” (JAM)
groups and will continue to check in with you throughout the fall
semester.
Diversity Advocates staff
the Diversity Center
where they plan programs and talks around topics of diversity. The
Diversity Center is open to everyone and is a popular drop-in and
hang-out spot for all students.
Student Involvement & Leadership Interns
work closely with off-campus students, clubs
and our peer leaders. Student
Involvement and Leadership is located in the University Center
(located across from ASPLU!).
Faculty & Staff
Academic Advisors are such a great resource for every first year and second year student! Your academic advisor can help you think through many questions – not just those related to course selection.
Campus Pastors Dennis Sepper and Nancy Connor are available for conversation, pastoral care, consolation in times of crisis, and for all other faith or ministry needs. All pastoral meetings are held in strict confidence.
Additional Resources for First-Year Students:
-
First Year Experience faculty teach Writing 101 and Inquiry Seminars (190 classes). Take advantage of these small classes and get to know your faculty!
- Your Registration Counselor helped you plan your fall class schedule during the summer and continues to be available as you settle in to life at PLU. Did you misplace your Registration Counselors number? Inquire with Academic Advising at aadv@plu.edu or call 253-535-7459.
Academic Resources
Study
Skill Building - Academic
Assistance will help you crest "the learning curve" of being
in college with study skills, note taking, and time management
assistance.
Writing Skill Building -
The PLU Writing Center is a resource for all PLU writers and
teachers of writing. Because we believe that all writers, whether
novice or professional, benefit from feedback, the Writing Center's
mission is to provide a site that fosters a writing community.The
Writing Center
is located in the Mortvedt Library
Research Skill Building -
The Robert A.L. Mortvedt
Library is the central multimedia learning resource center
serving the entire university community.
The Morken Center for
Learning and Technology features computer-equipped classrooms
and laboratories, and labs dedicated to multimedia, electronics
and research.
Future Planning -
Academic
Advising and Career
Development can help with choosing an academic major, career
exploration, internship/summer work plans and more.
Community Action
Interested in volunteering and working within the local and global community? We are, too! Here are just some of the resources available to you:
Community
Service -
Opportunities abound through the Volunteer
Center & Center
for Public Service.
Student Government -
ASPLU
offers committee and New Student Senate opportunities for new
Lutes to get involved right away.
Residence
Hall Government - Residence
Hall Council or RHCs are an integral part of the on-campus
experience at PLU. Each spring students are elected to serve
as leaders in their respective hall's RHC. These RHCs work hard
to program and provide social, educational, and spiritual events
for their residents as well as build their hall's community.
All hall presidents together with an executive board make up
the Residence
Hall Association. RHA is one of the largest student programming
bodies on campus, which will bring you student Homecoming activities,
Diversity Training, and PLU
Idol!
University Congregation
is one of the few student congregations
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. The University
Pastors lead the worship service, but students hold the positions
on Church Council. University
Congregation is open to all members of the PLU community.
If you are interested in attending services of another faith
tradition, Campus Ministry will refer you to a local community.
Clubs and Organizations
- With over 69 active clubs addressing
academic, political, religious, and cultural interests - you
are sure to find a place to explore your interests. Stop by
Student
Involvement and Leadership's New Clubs and Orgs space in
the University center for more info!
Personal Health/Wellness
Athletic
Facilities
Names
Fitness Center contains
the latest in weight training and other conditioning/fitness equipment,
including an indoor jogging track. Olson Auditorium
is a multipurpose facility featuring a hardwood gymnasium floor
and an astroturf field house. Activities include basketball, volleyball,
badminton, handball, racquetball, and squash...check
them out!
PLU Pool
The PLU swimming pool features 6 lap lanes
and 2 diving boards. Visit
the Pool!
Golf
Course
For details on golfing at PLU, visit the
golf website!
The Health Center provides immunizations, physicals, allergy shots, birth control advice and more - many services are free for students.
Track,
Tennis Courts and Athletic Fields
The track, tennis courts and fields are open
for PLU student use throughout the day!
Off-Campus
Recreation
Numerous recreational
opportunities exist close to the campus. Spanaway
Park, located by Lake Spanaway, two miles south of campus, features
canoe, rowboat and paddle boat rentals in addition to swimming,
horseshoes, picnic facilities, golf and fishing. Sprinker
Recreation Center, also located two miles south of campus, has
excellent facilities for softball, baseball, broom hockey and an
ice skating arena.
Essential Services
ATM - A Wells Fargo cash machine is located in the University Center.
School supplies and books of all kinds (text books AND fiction!) are in the PLU Bookstore
The Campus Concierge sells blue books (for examinations) and basic school supplies.
Check
cashing - Checks for up to $50
or less can be cashed at the Cashier's
Window in Hauge Administration Building.
Financial Aid
- Student Services can answer your questions about loans and work
study. They can also refer you appropriately for more information.
Student Employment
- Located in Ramstad 112, Student Employment can help you find
employment on-campus or in the local area.
For First-Years Only!
New 1 Credit Course on Leadership & Social Justice
We want to let you know about a new one credit course offered during the fall semester that relates to issues of leadership and social justice. Are you interested in being involved on campus? Do you want to learn more about leadership? Ever wonder about the injustice in our world? Then this course is for you!
The course is for first year students only, so you are the perfect candidate! It will be co-taught by Angie Hambrick (Associate Director of Multicultural Affairs) and Amber Dehne (Assistant Director of Student Involvement & Leadership). Students will participate in 10 weeks of activities, readings, and group projects aimed at further understanding issues of identity and leadership skills in the increasingly diverse context of our world. The course runs through November and is held Tuesday and Thursday from 12:30-1:35. If you would like to learn more about this class, or would like to enroll, please contact the instructors. Angie Hambrick: hambriaz@plu.edu, 253-535-8180; Amber Dehne: dehneae@plu.edu, 253-535-8260.
Emerging Leaders: Your Leadership Connection
The Emerging Leaders program is open to all first-year students interested in learning about leadership. We hold a kick-off event during Orientation, followed by leadership workshops and numerous chances to get involved with clubs and organizations on campus. During spring semester participants collaborate on a campus-event and gain hands-on experience with event planning at PLU. It's the best way to get plugged-in to what's happening at PLU.
In between meetings and workshops the Emerging Leaders get together for snow-shoeing, game nights, and other laid back events. Whether you want to learn about involvement opportunities on campus, meet new people, or further enhance your leadership skills, Emerging Leaders is for you!
Joining is simple. Just follow this link and complete the application. It takes 20 minutes and you'll hear back from us soon. We're excited to meet you and look forward to your application! Questions about the program can be directed to the office of Student Involvement & Leadership, 253-535-7195 or sil@plu.edu.
To Do
NOW! Register for On The Road now through August 8th! On The Road is the PLU off-campus Orientation adventure! Come learn about Tacoma, Pierce County and the world outside of PLU while meeting other new students, faculty, staff and current student leaders. Check out the OTR website now to look over trip descriptions. Contact Student Involvement and Leadership at 253-535-7195.
NOW! Vehicle
Information
· Did you know that if you park in the university parking lots, your
vehicle must be registered with Campus Safety?
· Residental students can register online now!
· Commuter students can register online starting July 30th.
· Student interested in the Tingelstad gated lot can register online at
the Campus Safety website starting August 8th. Lot is available to all students with an additional fee.
· There are designated parking
lots for student and faculty. Did you know that you will be ticketed if you do not comply with the Vehicle
Parking Regulations?
NOW! LUTEWORLD! Get all your books in just 2 clicks! Log on to LuteWorld and avoid the lines. Simply log onto the LuteWorld web site any time day or night and order your textbooks and supplies for fall. Take advantage of the QuickSearch feature and find all the books you need when you enter your student ID number. Hurry - don't wait! Fall textbooks need to be ordered by the end of August to be ready in time for school. Don’t miss this opportunity to save time. Log on at luteworld.plu.edu. Questions? Contact the PLU Bookstore at 253-535-7665.
DUE! Health History Form: Required for Attendance! Complete Health History Form and return to Health Center by August 1. Questions? Contact the Health Center 253-535-7337.
Student Health Insurance! Medical health insurance is required for all domestic full-time undergraduate students and all full-time and part-time international students. The PLU Health Insurance Plan provides basic health care coverage and can be a beneficial supplement to an existing health insurance plan (covering co-pays and deductibles). Students will be automatically enrolled and billed in the PLU Health Insurance Plan if they do not waive-out of the insurance plan by midnight on September 19, 2008. No waivers will be accepted after this date. There are no exceptions. If you have a comparable primary health insurance plan, you may waive-out online at www.plu.edu/health. You can also view the costs, plan and details at the website!
Eating
and Sleeping -- Housing Contracts and Meal Plans!
First year students, who will be living on-campus,
are required to sign a Housing Contract and Meal Plan online here.
When you electronically sign your housing contract, you are automatically
signed up for the meal plan The Lute Choice.
It offers approximately 3 meals a day. If that’s okay with
you - you're done and you don't have to do anything else. However,
there are other options! If you'd like to choose one of them, you'll
also need to complete a 2008-2009 Optional Meal Plan
Contract online.
Read these contracts carefully before you submit them! There are
deadlines for changing or canceling meal plans.
Did
you sign and return your 08-09 Payment Contract? If you need to submit a copy, go to the SSVC
website and click on Downloadable Documents.
· If you selected the Monthly
Payment Plan, did you contact Tuition Management Services
to set up payments?
· If you selected Payment
in Full, did you know your payment is due on August
25, 2008?
· If you selected Financial
Aid and Other Resources Cover Costs Plan,
did you know you are responsible for your financial aid and other
resources being applied to your student account by September 30,
2008 for Fall?
· If you will have a credit
balance for fall and would like a refund, please go
to the section below titled Refunds.
· Did you submit an Address
Confirmation Form? If not, go to the Student
Services Center and click on Downloadable Documents. Questions? Contact the Student Services at 253-535-7161 or 800-678-3243.
Request your final high school
transcript, AP scores and/or college/university
transcripts be sent to PLU. Questions? Contact the Registrar's Office at
253-535-7131.
"I wonder who my roommate is..." Roommate assignment letters will be mailed from Residential Life the first week of August. Questions? Contact Residential Life 253-535-7200.
Plan for New Student Orientation! Residence Halls open at 9 am on Thursday, September 4 and Orientation events begin at 3:30 pm. Parents and families are invited for special programs on Thursday and Friday. Check out the online orientation schedule and click here for local hotel information.
What about info on Orientation? You will receive an Orientation Brochure in the last week of July. This will contain information about student and family orientation programs. Your response will be needed, so watch your mail for this important information. Questions? If you have not received your orientation brochure by August 1, then contact Student Involvement and Leadership (SIL) at sil@plu.edu or 253-535-7195.
In the area? Visit the LuteCard and Information Center located on the main level of the University Center and get your LuteCard. Getting your LuteCard today is one less thing to worry about on check in day! Questions? Contact the Lute Card and Information Center at 253-535-7457!
Fun Fact of Interest
On
October 25, 1894 PLU opened for classes
with the following faculty: Professor Meyer Brandvig -
Greek, German, English and literature; Professor Sophie Peterson,
grammar, mathematics and art; Professor W. Shahan, commercial
or business subjects; Pastor Carlo Sperati, music. PLU
now has over 280 full-time and almost 130 part-time faculty. Check
out the online
archives for some more peeks into PLU's past.
Next Week in eNews
Next
week find out more about student
leadership and student activities
at PLU!
Happening @ PLU
Summer
is quite an exciting time on campus! With great fruit festivals
and cool jazz concerts, check out the PLU Events Calendar for what's
happening this month:
The PLU Events Calendar
Campus Voice
Jazz Under the Stars
Contact
Us
Feel free to contact Student Involvement
& Leadership if you more have questions or if you would
like to suggest how eNews can better serve you! See you next Monday!
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