November 10, 2010

2011 Winter Family Day Registration

Registration begins on Tuesday, November 16, 2010! Winter Family Day includes the opportunity for your family to see the Vols and Lady Vols take on Vanderbilt inside Thompson-Boling Arena. This rare doubleheader and competitive SEC matchup promises to be exciting! Don't miss the fun on campus in January over the long weekend. Tickets for these basketball games are limited, and are offered on a first come, first served basis. Other activities will include a pancake breakfast and an Italian-themed dinner. (Last year, we sold all basketball tickets on the first day of registration, so be sure to register early!) Click here for a complete schedule of events and for more information about Family Day.

Please Note: You will need your email address and Parents Association Member ID in order to log in to the Family Weekend registration system. If you need assistance locating your Member ID, please feel free to call the Parents Association office at (865) 974-4546 prior to online registration beginning Tuesday, November 16.

Reserve your hotel room now to utilize your Parents Association Member Benefits at our partnering hotel properties! Click here information on Winter Family Day travel and accommodations.

Annual Members, There's Only a Short Time Left to Convert Your Membership

If you're an Annual Member of the UT Parents Association, there is still time to take advantage of a unique opportunity to convert your membership to a Career Membership for a discounted rate of $85. Conversion to a Career Membership will allow you to take advantage of Parents Association member benefits and discounts as long as your student is enrolled as an undergraduate student at UT. This discounted conversion rate is only valid through December 31, 2010. In order to take advantage of this discount, simply complete the envelope enclosed in the fall edition of the TENNESSEE Family magazine you recently received via US Mail. Converting your membership will ensure you continue to receive benefits and services of membership, without having to renew annually.

Important Registration Deadline Approaching

Wednesday, November 17 is the last day for students to drop second session courses with a "WP/WF." This will not affect your student's GPA. Click here for more information on withdrawing from a course, as well as a complete explanation of possible course grades and marks.

Spring Course Registration Information for Students

Students began registering for courses for spring semester on September 30, when the priority registration period began. All students are assigned a date on which they may register for classes. This date is determined by the total number of credit hours earned, and does not depend on academic college or major.

Encourage your student to click here for information on how to register in the new MyUTK/Banner System for Spring 2011.

Your student may be required to get advised prior to registration. Undergraduate students with fewer than 30 hours earned at UT or on Academic Review are required to meet with an advisor during Fall and Spring terms. All other students are required to meet with an academic advisor at least once during the academic year. Click here for more information on UT's academic advising policy.

Important End of Fall Semester Information Distributed to Students

On November 9, the Office of the Provost sent an email to all UT Knoxville students containing important end of semester information regarding final exams, grades, FERPA, and more. All students are responsible for the information contained in the email as the fall semester comes to a close. Click here to read this email.

VOLWALK of Life

The Academic Affairs Committee of the Student Government Association, the Student Success Center, and UT Athletics will present the second annual VOLWALK of Life in the University Center Ballroom on Wednesday, November 17, from 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Encourage your student to come learn all about the great resources UT has to offer! The VOLWALK of Life is an interactive experience based off the game of LIFE. Your student will get to spend about 15 minutes learning about campus resources that can help him or her succeed! There will be free food provided by Volunteer Dining as well as great door prizes including a Kaplan test prep course, a Gateway Netbook computer and signed UT memorabilia. In addition, the first 100 students will receive a FREE T-shirt! For more information, encourage your student to contact Cynthia White at [log in to unmask].

First Year Studies Peer Mentor Interest

The Student Success Center is seeking Peer Mentors for First Year Studies 101 courses in fall 2011. Students will gain 1 credit for the training course and 1 credit for the First Year Studies course. Students will mentor freshman during their transition to college. Click here for more information.

Medic Orange and Blue Blood Drive

The annual competition between the University of Tennessee and the University of Kentucky will begin next week. This annual blood drive is a friendly competition between the two SEC rivals to see who can donate the most blood. It will run Monday, November 15 through Friday, November 19 from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM in the University Center and at other locations around campus. Click here for more information.

Student Basketball Ticket Info

Students will be using an online system to claim student tickets to home basketball games. There is no charge for student basketball tickets to home games, but students will need to log on to the student ticketing system to claim a ticket to each home game during each game's claim period. By logging on to the system to claim a ticket, the system will activate your student's VolCard to allow them entry into each game. Students who do not claim a ticket during the claim period will not be able to gain free admission to that game. Click here for more information on student basketball tickets.

Parents & Families Fund Update

To date, tax-deductible gifts to the Parents & Families Fund in 2010 have exceeded $62,000. Thank you to the more than 700 families who have already supported the Fund! The Parents & Families Fund not only supports Parents Association scholarships, but also supports other important initiatives within the Parents Association and the Division of Student Affairs. If you have recently made a financial pledge to the Parents & Families Fund, we encourage you to fulfill your pledge soon! We still need your help - if 1,500 more of the 6,000+ member families support the Fund with only $25 each, the Parents Association would exceed our $100,000 goal to fully endow this Fund! To give a tax-deductible gift online, click here.

The fall edition of the TENNESSEE Family magazine was mailed in October to all active members of the UT Parents Association. This edition contained valuable information about career planning, services for students, safety, financial resources and important dates. The magazine also contains an envelope inside which you can use to support the Parents & Families Fund and/or convert to a career membership.

Arts and Sciences Pre-Game Showcase

The College of Arts and Sciences continues its Pre-Game Showcase series this week on Saturday, November 13, and will feature Soren Sorensen, Professor and Hea of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and is titled "Nature's Legos: The Building Blocks of the Universe." Each presentation is free and open to the public and begins two hours prior to kick-off in the University Center Ballroom. Complimentary light refreshments are provided. For more information, click here.

UT Professor to Display, Discuss Auschwitz Photos

Photographs of the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp taken by Rob Heller, a UT Knoxville photojournalism professor, will be on display at UT's Ewing Gallery from November 15 to December 13. Heller will present a lecture on the photo exhibition at 5:30 PM on Monday, November 15, in the McCarty Auditorium of the Art + Architecture Building located at 1715 Volunteer Blvd. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.

THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE OFFICE OF THE PARENTS ASSOCIATION
412 STUDENT SERVICES BUILDING, KNOXVILLE, TN 37996
http://parents.utk.edu  ::  [log in to unmask]

Important Dates

November 16: Spring 2011 VolXpress E-Statements Available

November 17: Last Day to Drop with a Grade of "WP/WF" (Second Session Fall Courses)

November 25-26: Thanksgiving Break (No Classes)

November 30: Fall 2010 Semester Classed End

November 30: Total Withdrawal from the University Deadline (Fall Semester)

November 30: Summer 2011 Graduation Application Deadline

December 1, 4-5: Study Days

December 2-3, 6-9: Final Exam Period

December 9: Campus Dining Fall Meal Plan Ends

December 10: Residence Halls Close at 5:00 PM for Non-graduating Students

December 11: Fall 2010 Commencement

December 11: Residence Halls Close at 8:00 PM for Graduating Seniors

December 11: Fall 2010 Commencement

December 24-31: University Closed for Winter Break

January 1: First Day to Submit Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for Fall 2011

January 5: Spring 2011 Payment and Schedule Confirmation Due at 4:30 PM

January 9: Residence Halls Open at 1:00 PM

January 10: Campus Dining Spring Meal Plan Begins

January 12: Full and First Session Spring 2011 Semester Classes Begin

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Address or email change?

Please let us know if you have recently changed, or are planning to change your mailing and/or email address. Just email us at [log in to unmask].