December 2011 Parent E-Newsletter

Parent E-Newsletter – December 2011

•    Welcome
•    PLNU Dates to Remember
•    Chapel & Time-Out Schedule
•    Study Breaks
•    PLNU News    
•    Offices of Strengths and Vocation
•    Important Student Financial Information
•    Viewpoint
•    Study Tip of the Month
•    Sweet Celebration Treat!

 

Welcome

Hello Parents,

Christmas is just around the corner and your student(s) will be home for all of the festivities before you know it!  But before then, I am sure that they have several final exams, projects, and papers to write.  So, here is an update on what is going on here at PLNU in the month of December.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Office of University Advancement!  We pray that the year ahead is full of many blessings for you and your family.

Blessings,

Cristy Booher
Parent Connection Manager
parents@pointloma.edu

 

PLNU Dates to Remember

December 9 – Classes End
December 12-16 – Final Examinations
December 17 – Resident Halls Close at Noon

Looking Ahead to January:
January 8 – Residence Halls Open at Noon
January 10 – Classes Begin (including Quad I Classes)
January 16 – No Classes, Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 20 – Last Day to Add 15-Week Classes
January 25 – Study Abroad Fair
January 30-February 3 – Spiritual Renewal Week
January 31 – MBA Info Night

 

Chapel & Time-Out Schedule – All Things New

12/2 – Chapel: Praise & Worship
12/5 – Chapel: Faith Stories
12/7 – Chapel: Mark Carter, PLNU Chaplain
12/7 – TimeOut: Stevi Dehoog
12/9 – Chapel: Celebration of Light

To view Chapel via the Live Stream, please visit http://www.pointloma.edu/experience/faith/spiritual-development/chapel/listen-online.

For more information about Chapel, please visit http://www.pointloma.edu/experience/faith/spiritual-development/chapel.

 

Study Breaks – Available For Students

Relax Awhile Study Break:
Students can stop by the Rec Room on Monday, December 12, from 12 - 2 p.m. to enjoy the following:
•    Free 5 minute massages.
•    Use of massage chairs.
•    Guided relaxation sessions.
•    Prayer.
•    Yoma.
•    Coffee, tea, cocoa, and cider.
This event is co-sponsored by the Wellness Center, your Peer Eds, ResLife, the Martial Arts Club, and Spiritual Development.

Paws Awhile Study Break:
Students can come by the Ryan Library Plaza Deck (grassy area behind the library) on Tuesday, December 13, from 12 - 2 p.m. to meet and spend some time with local pet-assisted therapy dogs.  Research has shown that having contact with pets reduces stress and lowers blood pressure.

 

PLNU News

Stay up to date by visiting the PLNU website.  You can always find recent information about what is going on around campus HERE. 

RA Selection Process:
The RA hiring process for the 2012-2013 school year has begun.  There will be an informational meeting in Cunningham from 8-9 p.m. on January 12.  This meeting provides information about the RA selection process and gives you a time to meet and talk with the Resident Directors.
If your student would like to download an application or get more information, please follow the link to the Residential Life portal page: https://portal.pointloma.edu/web/residential-life.

2012 PLNU Senior Women’s Forum Retreat:
For seven years now, the Women's Forum has been a place for PLNU senior females to gather and prepare for life beyond Loma.  It's a time to get away, deepen friendships, connect with other PLNU seniors for the first time, and learn from those a bit farther down the road than you.  The retreat is January 27-29, 2012.
Registration information is online at www.pointloma.edu/womensforum.
For more information visit: http://www.pointloma.edu/experience/faith/spiritual-development/discipleship-ministries/opportunities-women/senior-womens-forum
Contact: MelissaTucker@pointloma.edu

Yearbooks:
This is the last week to order Yearbooks for just $10.  Students need to go to their portal to order your 2011-12 Mariner Yearbook for just $10.  The deadline for this price is this Friday, December 9.  You can't beat that price for the memories of a lifetime!

Holiday Office Closure:
PLNU Offices will be closed December 26-January 2.

 

Offices of Strengths and Vocation

Is your student planning to do an internship during the spring semester?  Now is the time to start looking for the company or organization where he/she will work.  Please encourage them to take advantage of the Online Off-Campus Job Board.  There are typically around 200 jobs and internships posted there at any given time, with more going up daily.  Almost half of the jobs posted are internships!  Local employers have discovered Point Loma Nazarene University students and employers love them!

Students may access the Online Off-Campus Job Board through their PLNU portals or through the public website:  www.pointloma.edu/work and selecting “Off-Campus Job and Internship Board.”  A PLNU username and password are required to view the postings.  Students may save time by using the drop-down menu next to “Job Type” and selecting “Internships.”  This will allow them to view ONLY internships and not try to decipher if the posting is a job or internship.

Once your student finds some possible employers for his/her internship, make sure your student has a polished résumé to use during the application process.  The staff in the Offices of Strengths and Vocation are available to look over all of their application forms, cover letters, résumés, etc. to help them present themselves in a very professional manner.  These services are provided free of charge to students, so use our expertise for their benefit!

Say you “Like” us on the OSV Facebook page and check out all the photos from our events!
Facebook: facebook.com/OSVatPLNU
Twitter: @OSVatPLNU

 

Important Student Financial Information

SPRING 2012 STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT
The first bill for next semester will be sent out this week.  If your student has registered for spring, you should receive a statement of account by mail within the next week.  All future bills for the spring semester will be available electronically, through the student and parent portals.  Payment for Spring 2012 is due January 3, 2012.  Amounts showing as Pending aid will be considered payment, even if they haven’t yet posted.  (Financial aid will not be posted for the spring semester until January 23rd.  Credit balances created by financial aid cannot be accessed until after that date, although a book advance of up to $600 can be granted during the first two weeks of school provided that such a credit will exist when financial aid is posted.)

If your student has provided you with financial information releases, you will receive a postcard each month that a bill is generated if there is a balance due, to let you know that the bill is available to be viewed online through your parent portal.  You can choose to receive notification by email instead, or you can choose to not be notified at all, if someone else is handling the account.  Please be sure that we have a valid email address on file for you if you choose to be notified by email.

To view your student’s bill online and/or to change your bill notification preferences, simply:
•    Log in to your portal at my.pointloma.edu
•    Click on PARENTS at the top of the page
•    Click on “Financial Services” in the column on the left side of the webpage
•    Click on “Statement of Account”
•    At the top of the page is a link entitled “Change My Bill Notification Preferences”.  Below that, you will see an account summary for any student who has given you financial permission. 
•    To see the most recent detailed statement, click on “View Bills”.  You will see a list of all Official School Statements and a list of any statements that have been generated by you or by your student.

You also have the ability to generate your own online statement at any time in order to see up-to-the-minute posted transactions.  NOTE: You will need a PDF viewer to view the statement.  You likely already have this on your computer, but you will be able to install a free Adobe Reader from our website if necessary.  If you have any difficulties in viewing the statement, please contact our support staff at 619-849-2222 or studenthelpdesk@pointloma.edu.

DE-ENROLLMENT
If your student has not registered for spring due to a balance owing for fall, s/he is in danger of being de-enrolled from PLNU at the end of this semester.  Please contact our office as soon as possible to let us know how you plan to resolve the balance; we can help you work through your options.  If you haven’t already, you may want to apply for a Parent PLUS loan at www.studentloans.gov, or have your student apply for an Alternative loan with a co-signer at www.elmselect.com .

TUITION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
If you have a spring monthly payment contract set up with Tuition Management Systems (TMS), please compare the amount of your contract to the amount owing on your spring statement of account.  If you need to make any adjustments, please contact TMS directly at http://www.afford.com/ptloma or 888-285-3052.  TMS does not have access to your PLNU account balance, but they can help you adjust the amount of your contract based on information you provide to them from your statement of account.  You’ll want to be sure to keep an eye on your PLNU statement of account, in case there are any changes to registration or any additional charges added to the account (such as fines).

CHAPEL AND DORM FINES
Chapel and dorm fines are often posted to student accounts after the end of a semester, (after the last chapel service and after students have left the dorms for the holidays).  This means that you would not see the fines on your most recent statement of account or on the initial spring statement.   You will be able to see these fines if you generate an online statement in early January.
1098-T TAX FORMS
1098-T tax forms will be made available online (through the student portal) by the end of January.  PLNU has partnered with ECSI to provide you with your 1098-T tax forms.  ECSI has been providing other services to PLNU for many years, and is a trusted partner.
 
To access the 1098-T, have your student follow these steps, beginning in February:
1.    Log into your my.pointloma.edu account.
2.    Click on the “Students” tab.
3.    Click on “Financial Services”
4.    On the left hand side navigation bar, click on “1098-T”
5.    The instructions will direct you to your 1098-T forms at ECSI’s website.

CHRISTMAS BREAK
Our offices will be closed December 24th through January 2nd, for the Holiday Season.  The online services will be available for making payments during this time and will post immediately when a payment is submitted.  Any checks sent through the mail will be processed when we reopen on January 3rd.

If you have any questions regarding your student’s statement of account, please feel free to contact the Student Financial Services Office at 619.849.2538 Monday through Thursday, 8:30 AM-5:00 PM or 8:30 AM-4:30 PM on Friday.  You can also email us at sfs@pointloma.edu.  We are here to serve you!

HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS SEASON!!

 

Viewpoint

PLNU is celebrating 110 years!  The latest edition of the PLNU Viewpoint shares 110 favorite things about PLNU.  Check it out today.

To learn more about the Viewpoint and to see previous editions, visit HERE.

 

 

 

 

Study Tip for the Month

Steps to Avoid Exam Burnout
1.    Before the Test:

• Attend Class faithfully.
• Ask about study guides or other pertinent hand-outs.
• Review in short chunks everyday.
• Check syllabus for specifics about the test.
• Study actively, not passively---create flashcards; highlight notes/text.
• Make-up practice test questions; study with a partner.

2.    During the Test:

• Do easy questions first; stick with your first answer unless you misunderstood the question the first time.
• Begin essay question with a clear statement (thesis) responding to the essay question.
• Re-read entire paper/test; check scantron forms carefully.

3.    After the Test:

• Analyze what you did wrong.
• Note what you did right.
• Ask your professor for clarification if you have questions.
• Ask your tutor to review the graded exam with you.

Send a Celebration Treat - Plan Ahead for the Spring Semester

Point Loma Nazarene University Women’s Auxiliary
Would you like to send your student some homemade desserts? For a $25 donation, the Women’s Auxiliary of PLNU will lovingly bake homemade cakes, cookies, or brownies and have them delivered right to your student’s residence hall!

You can order and pay online at www.pointloma.edu/cake.

Proceeds from this fundraiser are going toward Women’s Auxiliary’s NEW fundraising efforts to update the resident halls’ lounges. So, it is a double benefit for your student!
Please note:  Two weeks advanced notice is appreciated.