Franklin & Marshall College

Dear Parents,

Despite an earthquake and a hurricane, the launch of the fall semester has gone extremely well. I hope you feel the same way about the start of your student’s semester.

Please send positive thoughts for gorgeous weather at the upcoming Inauguration Weekend, which will include the best of Homecoming and Family Weekend activities and traditions, on September 22-25. We are excited to welcome parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends to mix with students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends for a variety of fun and interesting activities over that weekend.

Some important notes about the big weekend:

• Please register for Inauguration Weekend today. We’d like to know that you will be attending so even if you are not participating in events that require a fee, please register in advance.
• Visit the Inauguration site for a list of hotels in which we have Franklin & Marshall room blocks. And visit the F&M Campus Visit site for an interactive map of local restaurants. Make your reservations today.
• Cobra Starship is the big concert on Saturday night, September 24. Students must purchase their tickets on campus (at $10 each) while parents and families should register for the concert through the online registration process.
• Most academic departments will be represented at the Tailgate Extravaganza on Saturday, September 24, 11:30 - 2 p.m. This is a great opportunity for you to meet your student’s current and/or future professors.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

All the best,

Maura Condon Umble '83
Director of Parent Relations
maura.umble@fandm.edu
717-291-3888

Counseling Services Wants Parents to Know...
Each year, as we welcome the incoming first-year class to our community, we are aware that some students will experience transition difficulties. The F&M Counseling Services office provides the helpful services listed below. If you or your student would like more information, please feel free to call Counseling Services at 717-291-4083.

• Study Skills Workshop: Tuesday, Sept. 20, 7 - 8 p.m., Appel classroom. This program is designed to help students interested in sharpening study skills or improving academic performance. The workshop covers time management, concentration and motivation, reading retention, note taking, overcoming procrastination and test anxiety. Pre-registration is NOT necessary -- interested students should just plan to attend.

• First Year Transition Group: Wednesday afternoons. First-year students may struggle with establishing social connections/ finding a core group of friends quickly, adjusting to the rigors of academic life at F&M, and feeling lonely, homesick, and/or overwhelmed. Counseling Services is starting a group designed to help first-year students ease the transition from high school to F&M. We will focus on identifying coping strategies and enhancing students’ ability to manage typical first year challenges.
  
  The group will meet during the first semester on Wednesdays from 3 - 4 p.m., beginning on Sept. 28, at Counseling Services (lower level, Appel). Counselors will meet individually with potential group members on Sept. 14 and 23 to assess their appropriateness for this group. Interested students should call Counseling Services at 717-291-4083.

Advice from Public Safety
Michael Rossano, Director of Public Safety, recently sent an email to the F&M community offering tips to help our campus remain a safe and enjoyable place. Students and visiting parents are encouraged to following this common-sense advice:

• Protect personal belongings by not leaving them visible in vehicles, and by securing rooms and offices. Small electronic devices, computers and GPS units are popular targets for theft.

• Use F&M’s shuttle or walking escort service, or walk with others during late night hours.

• Use the blue-light phones throughout campus or dial 717- 291-3939 in an emergency.

• You must evacuate any building when fire alarms are activated. Do not return until directed to do so. This is for your safety as well as for the safety of the responders.

• Visit the College’s emergency preparedness Web site at: www.fandm.edu/prepare to view the College’s Crisis Plan.

• Call us if you have questions about our services or if you want to voice concerns. You can also visit our website at www.fandm.edu/publicsafety to find an anonymous reporting site.

• Pay attention to street parking signs as the city issues citations for illegal parking during street cleaning days.

Go Diplomats!
F&M fall sports are off and running, enjoying spirited support from the entire community. Schedules, rosters and news about our teams are available at GoDiplomats.com. You can register for sport-specific emails here.

Enhanced Common Hour Coverage
During President Porterfield’s remarks to new parents on Move-In Day, he announced that F&M’s weekly Common Hour will be recorded and presented on the Common Hour website so that parents, alumni and friends can participate in and comment on each event. He joked that during Thanksgiving break, students will be quizzing their parents on what they learned this semester instead of the other way around. President Porterfield himself was featured as the first Common Hour speaker of the fall semester. Watch and comment here and take a look at the rest of the fall schedule.

Support Franklin & Marshall
Each year we ask every family to support the Franklin & Marshall Fund. You will be receiving a mailing at home asking for your gift to our annual fund. Every dollar donated by parents and families makes a positive impact on the experience of our students. Whether you give at a leadership level by joining the Benjamin Franklin Society, or by making a modest gift, your generosity is valued and appreciated. Please make your gift today.