Parent and Family News-October 9, 2020

Volume 3 - Issue 4, October 9, 2020

In This Issue:

Family Day—Your Way

Celebrate a visit with your student during Family Day Your Way, a self-guided opportunity to avoid large crowds but still enjoy an October weekend with your Pacer. Have lunch at the Pacer Cafe (pay at the entrance), stroll through the Etherredge Center Art gallery, or take in a Ruth Patrick Science Education Center planetarium show (reservations strongly recommended). Save time to visit one of the South’s most charming small towns—Aiken, S.C.

We hope you will consider an October visit to celebrate Family Day Your Way. Monitor the Family Day web page for updates.

Pacer Care Packages

Order One for Your Pacer Today!

Support your student by sending a Pacer Care Package! These are student-approved and made with Pacer pride by Parent and Family Relations and members of the Pacer Family Advisory Board.

Included are snacks, fun fall/Halloween decorations, school supplies, health items, and more! We will add your name to a “Dream Big, Study Hard” card and deliver to the Housing office for student pick up Oct. 26 - 29. Commuter students can arrange for pick up at the Parent and Family Relations office in the SAC.

Last day to order: October 14, 3 p.m.

Fall Convocation (Graduation)

Great news!

A traditional graduation ceremony is being planned for December degree graduates on November 20. To comply with CDC guidelines and safely accommodate our graduates and a limited number of guests, the ceremony will take place outside at the Aiken High School football stadium. The rain date is the following day, same location.

Details will be emailed to graduates as soon as they are available.

‌

Free Flu Shots

Free flu shots are available to students in the Student Health Center. The center is located just beyond Starbucks in the Student Activities Center.

Appointments are required. Students should call 803-641-2840.

COVID-19 Dashboard

By keeping the UofSC Aiken family safe, we can continue offering face-to-face instruction and support, an essential component of the full university experience.

Please continue to revisit Ready, Set, Return, our comprehensive, campus-wide mitigation plan. The revision date appears on the front cover when new information is added.

We continue to conduct COVID-19 testing for members of our campus community. The number of positive tests remains low thanks to everyone’s compliance with safety guidelines.

Updates on the campus’s condition will be reflected on the dashboard each Friday and will cover weekly updates on Thursday evening each week.

October Tips to Support Your Student

Remind students that tutoring is available through the Gregg-Granitville library.
Career Services is ready and waiting to speak to your Pacer about career and job opportunities.
When visiting students for Family Day Your Way (or any campus visit), let them decide the day's activities, where to eat, etc. They may feel more like talking about their college experience if they are relaxed.
Ask students if they have an advisement appointment to discuss spring classes.
The university is open, but classes will not meet on Election Day, Nov. 3. Talk to students about candidates' platforms and the importance of voting. South Carolinians can check their voter registration status here. Out-of-state residents can check their voter registration status here.

Summer Scholar Institute

Several UofSC Aiken students and faculty, as well as area high school students, were recently recognized for their summer research.

The annual Summer Scholars Institute is underwritten in part from grants provided by WORC, ADP, and SC INBRE. The Workforce Opportunities in Regional Careers (WORC) program is a STEM initiative through the Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization funded by the Department of Energy Environmental Management and the National Nuclear Security Administration.

In addition to research grants, WORC provides a number of scholarships to qualifying Pacers.

Zoom Humor

It's safe to say that COVID-19 has changed our lives. For one thing, people in all age groups and cultures have adapted to new means of communication technology; some with success, some not so much.

If you need a chuckle, take a peek at this Israeli son who is trying to teach his mother how to "Zoom."

The language spoken is Hebrew, but there are captions in English.