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College = Change. Whether your student lives athome or has moved into a residence hall, collegeis a big change for everyone who lives under thesame roof. You are a family unit and whenthere’s a big change to one member of the unit,it reverberates throughout the family. It is important to recognize that change is not anevent but a process. It evolves over time. In thebeginning, a big change is exciting! It’s all new,all fresh. Think of the last big change in your life:a new job, a new house, a new relationship, etc.You were excited to begin your new adventure!But a few days, or maybe even weeks later,there’s a slump. You think, “What made me thinkthis job would be so great?” or “This house ismuch more work than I thought.”UL LAFAYETTES E P T E M B E R 3 , 2 0 2 1TIMES OF CHANGEP A R E N T & F A M I L Y N E W S L E T T E RTHIS NEWSLETTER IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE OFFICE OF ORIENTATION AND THE OFFICE OF FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE.

...September 6 Labor Day Holiday October 7-8 Fall Holiday October 18-29 Advising Session for Spring 2022 November 4 Last Day to Drop with a Gradeof “W” November 25-26 Thanksgiving Holiday December 1-5 Dead Days December 3 Last Day of Classes December 6-10 Final Exams December 10 Semester Ends 2When it comes to your students, you may hearcomments like, “I don't know if I like it here. I haven'tmade any new friends. Everybody’s so different.” Thiscan put you into a fullblown panic! You will want to grabyour car keys, buy a plane ticket – whatever it takes tohelp your child. Chances are, however, that this is partof the change process and in a few hours or a day ortwo, your student will adjust and feel fine again. It islikely that your student is reaching out to you in thedown times, not because they want you to “solve” it forthem, but because they rely on you to be there for them. So what can you do? Take a deep breath, listencarefully, and perhaps make a suggestion or two. Try toencourage them to meet new people with similarinterests or be open to the change that is college.MONEY MATTERSIt’s common for first-year students to experiencedificulties balancing school, activities, and otherresponsibilities. School, of course, should always bethe top priority, especially if your student is receivingfinancial aid, TOPS, or scholarships. There are avariety of factors that students should keep in mindabout retaining their aid and scholarships.FIN A N C I A L AID To retain financial aid, students must meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress(SAP) standards. Failure to meet these standards may cause students to loseeligibility for all types of financial aid. At the end of each semester, your student willbe evaluated according to the following SAP requirements:MUST EARN A 2.0 SEMESTER AND CUMULATIVE GPAMUST COMPLETE 67% OF ATTEMPTED CREDIT HOURSFor the most up-to-date information on SAP and Financial Aid requirements, visitthe Financial Aid Office's website or contact the Financial Aid Office directly atfinaid@louisiana.edu or 337-482-6506.(Subject to change)

3TOP STo remain eligible for TOPS, students must:Have continuous full-time enrollment (12+ credit hour) each Fall and Springsemester.Pass/earn 24 hours each school year. The school year runs from August-July andincludes Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters as well as intercessions. High schooldual-enrollment and advanced placement credits are not applied to the 24 hours.Earn 2.0 cumulative GPA after Fall semester to receive TOPS in the Spring.Earn the required cumulative GPA for the award after Spring:Opportunity Award: 2.3 first-year, 2.5 each year afterPerformance & Honors Awards: 3.0 cumulative GPAFor the most up-to-date information about TOPS eligibility and requirements, visitthe LOSFA website.SCH O L A R S HIPSDifferent scholarships have different requirements, so it is important for studentsto be aware of the eligibility requirements for their particular scholarships.Questions about scholarships can be directed the Scholarship Office atscholars@louisiana.edu or 337-482- 6515.

4EME R G E N C Y NOTI F I C A TION S Y S T E MThe University’s Emergency Notification System (ENS) is designed to provideimmediate alerts for emergencies and threats on campus. All students andemployees must opt in to the Emergency Notification System to receive themessages. The University has the ability to send text messages with its ENS to any and all ofthe following technologies:CELLULAR TELEPHONE CALLSCAMPUS LANDLINES TELEPHONE CALLSUNIVERSITY SOCIAL MEDIA SITESTEXT MESSAGESUNIVERSITY WEBSITEUNIVERSITY HOTLINETo opt in to the Emergency Notification System, your student must register underthe Campus Services tab and the Safety & Emergency Notification System section inULink. Students can register parents and/or guardians for the ENS as well.CAM P U S M APPart of being safe is knowing your surroundings. Please click here to view or printout the UL Lafayette campus map. CAMPUS SAFETYRAV E G U A RDIAN A P PThe Rave Guardian app is available to help keep your student safe on UL Lafayette’scampus. Should your student ever feel unsafe, the app offers a Panic Button, whichwhen pressed automatically connects that mobile device with University Police andprovides them with their information and GPS location. It also allows students toanonymously text information to UL Lafayette campus police if they see somethingoccurring on or near campus. Lastly, if students have to walk across campus late atnight, the app works as a timer, alerting programmed contacts if the user does notmake it to their destination. We ask you to encourage your student to download theRave Guardian app. Click here to read more about the Rave Guardian app.

5The Academic Success Center (ASC), located in Lee Hall, is the best resource forstudents looking for academic support services such as advising and informationabout changing majors. While your student’s academic journey is their own, you can support them by knowing about the various support resources on our campus and encouraging your student to take advantage of them. If your student has a question and does not know where to find the answer, they can start with a counselor in the Academic Success Center. Appointments are not necessary to see an academic counselor. Virtual appointments are also available.STUDENT SUCCESSGRA D E C H ECKSYour student may receive feedback during the semester on attendance and gradesthrough the Student Success Manager (SSM) system. SSM is a web-based studentperformance monitoring system that provides automated student services and communication between faculty, students, and support staff. At UL Lafayette, theSSM system is used to notify students at key times throughout the semester if theyare at-risk of failing a course. As identified by faculty and staff, automated emailalerts are sent directly to academically at-risk students’ University email withimportant resources for student success. Fall 2021 Alert Checks will take placeSeptember 20-25 and October 11-15.*Please note: Not all faculty submit grade check alerts. Ultimately, it is the student'sresponsibility to stay informed of the grade they have in class. If your student everhas questions about their grades, they should contact their instructors directly.Counseling & Testing CenterSaucier Wellness CenterO.K. Allen Hall337-482-6480counseling@louisiana.eduThe Writing CenterH.L. Griffin Hall 107-108337-482-5224writingcenter@louisiana.eduStudent Health ServicesSaucier Wellness CenterO.K. Allen Hall337-482-1293shs@louisiana.eduOffice of Disability Services (ODS)Agnes Edwards 126337-482-5252ods@louisiana.eduDean of StudentsStudent Union, 168337-482-6276deanofstudents@louisiana.eduAcademic Success CenterLee Hall 115337-482-6818asc@louisiana.edu

6FRE E T U T ORINGThe Learning Center (TLC) offers free one-on-one tutoring, study group tutoring,supplemental instruction, computer lab assistance, and other services. TLC will beoffering both in-person and virtual tutoring for Fall 2021. Tutoring is available formost 100 and 200-level math and science courses as well as for accounting,economics, engineering, French, psychology, Spanish, statistics, and more. ViewThe Learning Center’s tutoring schedule. Students should schedule a tutoringappointment on Microsoft Teams or by calling 337-482-6583.ACADEMIC SUPPORTSTUDY GROUPS SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTIONINDIVIDUAL TUTORINGStudy groups aresessions wherestudents can askquestions, workout problems,and seek advicefrom tutors whopreviously passedthe course.Supplemental Instruction is atutoring group led by studentswho have taken the classesneeded to help with and excelin the topic area. SI leaderswork with professors to developmaterials and examples toenhance student understandingof the subject. SI leaders alsoshare successful approaches tolearning the materials andperforming well on tests.Individual Tutoringsessions are 30-60minutes of one-on-one instruction inthe subjectrequested.Students canschedule anappointment onMicrosoft Teams orby calling 337-482-6583THE M A T H LABThe Math Department provides a walk-in tutoring service staffed by mathematicsgraduate students called The Math Lab, which is located in Lee Hall, Room 110. TheMath Lab is offering both in-person and virtual services for Fall 2021. All tutoringservices are free to UL students. Read more about the Math Lab....

7THE W R I T ING CE N T E RThe Writing Center offers academic assistance, particularly for any writingassignments. The Writing Center is located in HL Griffin 107 and is operating bothin-person and virtually for Fall 2021. Information about accessing the WritingCenter’s services is available online. View The Writing Center FAQs. The Writing Center will assist students at any stage of the writing process, including:HELPING STUDENTS ENHANCE THEIR WRITING SKILLSFOCUSING ON THE WRITING PROCESS AND THE VALUE OF CREATING MULTIPLE DRAFTSHELPING STUDENTS SEE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES IN THEIR WRITINGHELPING STUDENTS LEARN TO PROOFREAD THEIR WRITINGEMPOWERING STUDENTS TO OWN THEIR WRITINGNURTURING CREATIVE IDEAS IN STUDENTS STUDENT TRIBULATIONSTransition to college can be tough. Here are some typical issues students face:"I thought I'd have freetime, but I can't findtime to do anything! I'mstressed by the amountof work".Time management may be one of the biggest challenges thatnew students face. Encourage your student to use a planner andschedule their days including time for class, work, and studytime.“My classes don't seemall that hard... we nevertalk about the assignedreadings.”Students often underestimate the difficulty of the collegecurriculum. Encourage your student to take notes in class,complete assigned readings prior to class, participate in studygroups, and make academics their top priority. Often, professorsexpect students to absorb reading material outside of class.“I don't understandwhat is going on inclass, but I'm afraid totalk to my professor.”Students often feel intimidated by professors. Encourage them toask questions in class or after class, to go to the professor’soffice hours, and to participate in study groups. Students canalso receive tutoring assistance for free at The Learning Center.“ I’m not getting alongwith my roomate. Wejust don’t click. ”Adjusting to life with a roomate can be difficult, but can also beone of the most rewarding experiences your student can have.Click here to read an article from Collegiate Parent on what todo if your student experiences roomate difficulties.

8THE SEPTEMBER STUDENTIt is common for September to bring uncertainty for some students. They may bestruggling to find their place on campus or are experiencing new challenges. At thispoint in the semester, students may also begin to encounter roommate issues.Learning to support your new college student can be adjustment for you as well, so hereare a few things that you can do to help your student during this time:SCH O O L F IRSTSUP P O R TEncourage your student to stayon top of their schoolwork andto get ahead. While Septembermay not be as academicallychallenging as other months,many students will have theirfirst tests or projects due soon.Be there for your student when they need to rant orvent. Remind them of the campus resources availablefor them. Rather than solving their problems for them,ask your student, “What are you going to do aboutthat?” When navigating roommate disagreements,encourage your student to talk to their roommate one-on-one and remind them that their ResidentAssistant is there to help mediate, if needed.ENC O U R A G E CAMP U S I NVOLVM E N TEncourage your student to step outside of their comfort zone by attending events andjoining organizations. One of the best parts of college is meeting new people. As anadded benefit, research shows that students who get involved perform betteracademically. Encourage your student to check out ENGAGE (located on the “CampusServices” tab in ULink) for a full list of student organizations and events.PARENT-TO-PARENT ADVICEHere's what former freshman parents and guardians have to say:"Give your child a chance to figure it out on their own. Use the newsletter to ask the rightquestions at the right time and let them do it.""Totally encourage your student to get involved on campus. UL Lafayette offers some reallygreat opportunities.""Trust the process. Sign up for the newsletter and read them. Keep communicationopen with your child. Don't be judgemental. Let them commit mistakes.""Keep communication open and be ready to listen when they are happy and when they aresad. Celebrate their success! Help them see difficulties (working hard to obtain a C in a class,roommate drama, etc) as real life situations they may encounter one day in the working world"