Thank you to those of you who joined us for the September 8 Bengal Family Network Town Hall. We discussed important topics to talk about with your students at this transitional point in the semester--topics including the importance of connecting to peers, faculty, and campus; why checking in with an advisor is a success strategy; Covid, vaccination, and face covering updates; Bengal Family Weekend (coming soon!), and more. Watch the Zoom town hall recording and check out the PowerPoint slides. If you have any questions about the town hall or other support for your student, please contact us at bengalfamilynetwork@isu.edu. We’re happy to help!

Hungry? We’ve got you covered!

The Friday night BFW dinner will feature bacon-and-cream-cheese-stuffed chicken breast, parmesan-garlic mashed potation, roasted veggies, salad, and rolls. Vegetarian and Gluten Free options will also be available. Come meet our University President at dinner. See some of the great things ISU students are doing, and enjoy trivia and ISU-branded prizes over cheesecake with our Vice President of Student Affairs.

We also still have openings for the Bengal Family Tailgate featuring a nacho bar. Yum!

Dell is once again offering a Back-to-School promotion for students looking to upgrade their technology. Click on the attached flyer to find more information and the promo code.

Congress recently passed the American Rescue Plan (ARP) which provides COVID-19 relief grant funding for students enrolled in higher education. This funding under ARP is often referred to as the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III). This legislation requires that Idaho State University prioritize grant payments to students with the highest demonstrated need. These funds can be expended on anything related to the cost of attendance or educational expenses, such as daycare, food, housing, medical fees, etc. ISU distributed its allotment of over $11.5 million for the Fall 2021 semester on September 8, 2021. If your student has a question about the CARES funding, contact the Financial Aid office at (208) 282-2756 or at finaidem@isu.edu (students should include their Bengal ID in their email). READ MORE

The number of young adults reporting thoughts of suicide to mental health professionals has increased sharply during the pandemic. At Idaho State, we have a number of services and dedicated staff ready to provide help and support. These services are available to students year round, but during September, we are emphasizing the importance of being able to talk about these feelings and training in how to help their peers who are in distress. READ MORE

At Idaho State, we are working diligently to protect your students’ health and safety as we continue to navigate higher education during the Covid-19 pandemic. Faculty have been asked to make accommodations for students who are “absent because of illness, quarantine, or other extenuating circumstances,” and we encourage you to stay in touch with your students about their role in helping to protect our ability to keep campus open and offer the richness of an in-person learning experience. Face coverings are required in all campus buildings (status will be continuously evaluated and updated on our Roaring Back web page). Encourage your students to stay home if they are experiencing any symptoms of illness, but to keep their faculty informed. We appreciate all of the effort our faculty are making in this regard, knowing that making individual adjustments is time-consuming and that faculty must still find a way to protect the quality of the academic content and experience. Idaho State has the benefit of faculty that are deeply invested in our students, in their wellbeing, and in their academic and professional success. Encourage your students to work with their faculty.