From the Parents Program The Georgia Tech Parents Program is delivering something special to our parents this holiday season! First, we are pleased to announce the creation of the Parents Program Forums. This is an online message board designed to help Georgia Tech parents connect with other Tech parents – no matter where you are. While we have listed some topics to initiate conversation, we welcome your suggestions for additional topics.
Second, for parents who use electronic calendars, we are now offering a way to download important campus dates seamlessly into your existing electronic calendar and stay current on key dates such as registration deadlines, financial aid due dates, and holiday breaks. Visit the Parents Calendar on the Parents Program Web site, to download this feature and to view user instructions.
We hope that you and your family enjoy a safe and happy holiday season!
Warmly,
Kim Sterritt Director, Parents Program
Coming Soon
Georgia Tech Bill Pay Suite
Beginning December 18, 2008, authorized parents and other interested third parties will be able to access their student's financial account and make secure online payments directly to Georgia Tech. This new payment portal enables students to initiate authorization for parents and other interested parties to access their accounts, view statements, create and maintain billing profiles and pay online. Students simply need to log into this new portal through BuzzPort and establish the authorization. The authorization simply consists of entering the email address(es) of the person(s) the student wishes to have access to their student account. This action will generate an email confirmation to the authorized user with further user instructions. “It will greatly streamline and simplify the payment process for our students and parents,” says Carol Payne of the Bursar’s Office. “We look forward to adding additional capabilities in the near future.” Visit the Office of the Bursar Web site for more information.
Midnight Breakfast A longtime Tech tradition, Midnight Breakfast is coming to your student December 9, 2008. Open to students only, Midnight Breakfast provides brain-food to students from 10 p.m. to midnight in the Student Center Food Court. Students must bring their BuzzCard and sign-up for a time slot online at www.buzzcard.gatech.edu. The free event has proved to be popular with the student body, as more than one thousand students turn out to fill up before a late-night cram session. The event is made possible by the Student Life Fund and is sponsored by the Student Center Programs Council, Student Government Association, Division of Student Affairs and Dining Services.
Featured Articles
Enjoying the Holidays at Home with Your College Student
Jill Barber, Ph.D. Associate Director, Georgia Tech Counseling Center
As much as the winter holiday break is anticipated as a time of much needed rest and rejuvenation, it can also be a time that brings stress and apprehension for students and their parents. For some, this holiday period is the first extended time that students and their families spend together after the student has left home for college. In some families, this is a time that students and parents experience power struggles. However, there are strategies to help make this a joyous and relaxing break for all. Read entire article...
Exercise to Manage Stress
Christie Stewart Assistant Director of Campus Recreation - G.I.T. FIT Programs
As any college students knows, finals week can be one of the most stressful times throughout the semester. Recent statistics show academic requirements becoming more rigorous and students experiencing more headaches and other physical ailments related to stress. Unfortunately, it is during this demanding time when many physical activities and stress reduction techniques take a back seat to studying. In fact, there are many practical activities that may physically and mentally benefit your student during this time.Read entire article...
Understanding FERPA
Rachael Pocklington Communications, Parents Program
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 is a federal law enacted at the request of institutes, students and parents to protect the privacy of student education records. For your reference, there are numerous sources of information regarding FERPA such as the Georgia Tech Registrar’s Web site and the U.S. Department of Education Web site. But how does it actually apply to students and parents? The following is intended to clarify some very common questions regarding FERPA in the college (post-secondary) environment. Read entire article...
Seeking Help from an Academic Advisor
Rachael Pocklington Communications, Parents Program
It is hard to believe that the fall semester is nearing a close and, before we know it, students will be back from break and ready to start spring semester. For now, most students are busy preparing for their upcoming final exams and thinking about the impact on their final grades. However, it is also a great time for students to think about scheduling a meeting with their academic advisor before the upcoming winter break and spring term begins. Read entire article...
Preventing Crime on the Georgia Tech Campus
Rachael Pocklington Communications, Parents Program
There has been an increase in the overall crime rate on the Georgia Tech campus. According to Officer Ian Mayberry of the Georgia Tech Crime Prevention Unit, this overall increase is due primarily to bike and laptop thefts. Total reported bike thefts from January 2008 through September 2008, are reported at 96 thefts, up from 20 thefts for the same period last year. Laptops thefts are at 80, compared to 5 thefts for the same period last year. However, there are practical, common sense approaches to lessen the likelihood of being a victim. Read entire article...
Student Parking on Campus
Andrea Preininger Intern, Georgia Tech Auxiliary Services
Freshmen who have a car and want to park on campus may do so beginning their second semester at Georgia Tech. Freshmen may purchase parking permits when they finish their fall semester final exams. Because some lots and decks may fill to capacity, we encourage students who want to park on campus to purchase their permits before they leave campus for the holiday break. Read entire article...
Feed a Student - Buy a Meal Plan!
Andrea Preininger Intern, Georgia Tech Auxiliary Services
It’s time to renew student meal plans! While there are a variety of meal plans offered, the most popular plan is the Unlimited Plus 5, which debuted last fall semester. “The Unlimited plus 5 delivers by far the most value for the money. This meal plan also offers a great deal of flexibility in terms of where a student can eat on campus – they are no longer limited to eating only at the dining halls,” said Dori Martin, marketing manager, GT Dining. Read entire article... Student Perspectives
As we close the year and look forward to being with family over the holidays, we thought it would be appropriate to include a little perspective from one of our own Tech parents - enjoy!
Life as a Georgia Tech Parent and Employee
Mark Demyanek AVP, Environmental Health & Safety
Life as the parent of a Georgia Tech freshman student, and as an employee who also happens to be an alumnus, is a wonderful conundrum...It is a very comforting feeling knowing that while I spend my time working here on campus, somewhere within these same boundaries my son is enjoying life as a Georgia Tech student. Read entire article...
Top 10 Things I Love about Tech
Laura Stiltz Fourth-Year Applied Mathematics, Chair of Women’s Leadership Conference 2008
Ever wonder what students love most about Tech? Read on to discover the real reasons students flourish at Georgia Tech. Read entire article...
Important Dates & Upcoming Events Dec. 5 Last Day of Classes Dec. 8 - 12 Final Exams Dec. 12-13Fall 2008 Commencement Dec. 22-Jan. 9 Late Registration (Phase II) for Spring Term 2009 Dec. 25-31 Campus Closed Jan. 1 New Year's Day School Holiday Jan. 5 Spring Term 2009 Begins At the Ferst Center Dec. 6 Dirty Sock Funtime Band Dec. 6 Eileen Ivers An Nollaig - An Irish Christmas Dec. 7 Navidad Flamenca By Flamenco Vivo/Carlota Santana Dec. 13 A Peter White Christmas
Undergraduate ceremonies will be held Saturday Dec. 13, 2008, at the Alexander Memorial Coliseum. Times will vary based upon college. Tickets are not required. Please see the Fall 2008 Commencement Web site for more details including parent and visitor information. Congratulations!!! Georgia Tech Observatory Nights FREE to the public, don't miss this awe inspiring opportunity to experience some of the solar system’s celestial bodies up close, courtesy of the Georgia Tech Observatory’s 16-inch aperture telescope. The moon, Venus and Jupiter are expected to be in view. Date: Dec. 4, 2008 Time: 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Location: Howey Physics Building Contact: James Sowell at the School of Physics 404-385-1294 Tech In The News More Georgia Tech Students Studying Abroad Georgia Tech students are part of a growing trend within the University System of Georgia as they continue to increase their participation in study abroad programs. Georgia Tech has almost doubled its student participation since the 1999-2000 academic school year. More info...
New Generator Produces AC Current by Stretching Zinc Oxide Wires Researchers have developed a new type of small-scale electric power generator able to produce alternating current through the cyclical stretching and releasing of zinc oxide wires encapsulated in a flexible plastic substrate with two ends bonded. More info...
Urban Sustainability Leader Joins Georgia Tech John C. Crittenden, Ph.D., an accomplished expert in waste management, pollution prevention and sustainable and environmental engineering, will join the Georgia Institute of Technology as a Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) Eminent Scholar in Sustainable Systems. More info...
Georgia Tech Launches Center for Music Technology Georgia Tech today launches the new Center for Music Technology with more than 20 researchers from the arts, sciences and engineering. “Our goal is to build an international center for creative and technological research in music that will redefine the way we create, perform, listen to and consume music,” says Dr. Gil Weinberg, co-founder and director of the Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology. More info... Tech Links Visitor Parking Home Page
throughout the semester. Recent statistics show academic requirements becoming more rigorous and students experiencing more headaches and other physical ailments related to stress. Unfortunately, it is during this demanding time when many physical activities and stress reduction techniques take a back seat to studying. In fact, there are many practical activities that may physically and mentally benefit your student during this time.
students will be back from break and ready to start spring semester. For now, most students are busy preparing for their upcoming final exams and thinking about the impact on their final grades. However, it is also a great time for students to think about scheduling a meeting with their academic advisor before the upcoming winter break and spring term begins. 
According to Officer Ian Mayberry of the Georgia Tech Crime Prevention Unit, this overall increase is due primarily to bike and laptop thefts. Total reported bike thefts from January 2008 through September 2008, are reported at 96 thefts, up from 20 thefts for the same period last year. Laptops thefts are at 80, compared to 5 thefts for the same period last year. However, there are practical, common sense approaches to lessen the likelihood of being a victim. 
