December 8, 2010

Happy Holidays from the Chancellor

Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek would like to wish all parents and families Happy Holidays! Click here to see Chancellor Cheek's holiday greetings.

Parents & Families Fund Year End Gifts

Parents, there is still time to get your year-end tax-deductible gifts in to support the Parents & Families Fund! The Parents & Families Fund directly supports student scholarships and programming for students and parents offered through the Parents Association. Thank you to the hundreds of families who have already donated in 2010, helping the Parents Association already achieve nearly 80% of our $100,000 goal! Click here for more information on the Parents & Families Fund. To give, call our office at (865) 974-4546 to talk with one of our staff members now.

Annual Members, Convert Your Membership Today!

If you are an Annual Member, don't forget to take advantage of the discounted conversion rate of $85 through December 31, 2010! After December 31, conversion becomes $100. Call our office now at (865) 974-4546 to talk with one of our staff and convert your membership via phone. Our staff is standing by, ready to talk with you.

Need a Stocking Stuffer for a Hard-to-buy-for Vol Fan?

Get them tickets to the Lady Vols game against Vanderbilt on January 15. There is a very limited number of tickets available for the women's basketball game. Tickets are $15 each, and are located in sections 325, 326, & 327 of Thompson-Boling Arena. Again, tickets are extremely limited and are available to Parents Association Career Members. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis, through Friday, December 10. Simply call the Office of the Parents Association at (865) 974-4546 to purchase tickets over the phone.

The Parents Association will even email you a specially-designed certificate to stuff in your Vol Fan's stocking and tickets can be mailed to your home address.

Fall Semester 2010 Grades Information

Grades for the Fall Semester 2010 will be posted by Wednesday, December 15. The University does not mail grade reports. Students may log in to Circle Park Online (CPO) in order to view their grades, semester Grade Point Average (GPA), and cumulative GPA. Click here for explanations about what each letter grade represents and how the GPA is calculated.

UT's Inclement Weather Policy

As winter approaches, it is important to remind your students about the University's inclement weather policy. The University of Tennessee will remain open except in the most severe weather conditions. The Chancellor (or appointed representative) may officially close or suspend selected activities of the university because of extreme weather conditions. When a decision to close is reached, campus and local radio and TV stations will be notified and the notice will be posted on UTK's main webpage www.utk.edu. If the university is officially closed, certain essential activities, such as Dining Services, will continue to operate. Some facilities such as the Library and University Center will, if possible, continue to function as a service to students. Click here to view the policy in its entirety.

Campus Dining Meal Plan Information

The last day for students to use their fall semester Campus Dining meal plan is Thursday, December 9. As a reminder, remaining Dining Dollars associated with your student's fall semester meal plan carry over to their spring semester meal plan. Additionally, some meal plans allow meals to carry over as well. If your student is currently without a meal plan for spring semester, he or she can add a meal plan at any time. Click here for more information.

Returning Student Scholarships

To be considered for general university and academic college scholarships, students should complete the Returning and Transfer Student Undergraduate Scholarship Application by February 1, 2011. Questions regarding academic college and departmental scholarships should be directed to the appropriate college or department. Click here to download the Application or contact the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships at (865) 974-3131 or [log in to unmask].

The University's Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships is another resource that can aid students in obtaining nationally competitive scholarships. Click here for more information.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Scholarship Program

Supporting students interested in pursuing the basic science and technology innovations that can be applied to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security mission. Applicants must be an undergraduate student and a U.S. Citizen. Funding is available for Fall 2011 and include full tuition and monthly stipends. Program includes a 10-week summer internship at a federal research facility. The deadline to apply is January 5, 2011. Click here for more information.

UT Architecture Program Ranked a Top 20 Program

For the first time, the undergraduate Architecture program at UT Knoxville is ranked as a top Architecture program in the country. DesignIntelligence, a journal produced by the Design Futures Council recognized the program as one of the nation's best. Click here for more information.

Give Haiti Hope

The students of Give Haiti Hope, a new student organization at UT, are selling big orange wrapping paper for the holiday season! The proceeds will be used towards a December mission trip, where we will be working with Partners in Health to distribute medicine and preventative information regarding cholera to patients in Boucan Carre, Haiti. The wrapping paper is $5.00/roll and 50% of that goes directly to Give Haiti Hope! We will have paper available for purchase on campus, or will hand deliver to the Knoxville area with the purchase of at least 5 rolls. For more information, encourage your student to visit http://www.thehaitiblog.org/ or email Katie Riley at [log in to unmask].

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

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 24-31: University Closed for Winter Break

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

January 9: Residence Halls Open at 1:00 PM

January 10: Campus Dining Spring Meal Plan Begins

January 11: Spring 2011 Payment and Schedule Confirmation Due at 4:30 PM

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

January 17: Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday (No Classes)

January 19: Direct Deposit of Excess Financial Aid Sent to Students' Designated Bank Accounts

January 21: Last Day to Add, Change Grading Options, or Drop without a "W" (Full Session Spring Courses)

February 1: Priority Application Date for Academic Scholarships for Returning and Transfer Students (Fall 2011)

February 1: First Day to Apply for Summer 2011 Financial Aid

February 1: Parents Association International Scholarship Applications Available Online