March 2020

Volume 2, Issue 8

• University Updates

  Spring Break Residence Hall Closing
  Residence Halls will close for spring break at 6 p.m., Friday, March 6, and reopen at 1 p.m., Sunday, March 15. Before leaving, residents must:

  • Unplug all electrical cords, including power strips, from sockets (except for refrigerators, which must be plugged directly into the wall).
  • Throw away all expired food.
  • Empty wastebaskets.
  • Close and lock all windows, close blinds.
  • Move everything 12 inches away from the heater.
  • Provide fish with vacation feeder.
  • Turn off all lights in the room.
  • Lock the door behind them.
  • Check out with the front desk of their residence hall.

  Any questions residents may have regarding leaving for spring break should be directed to their hall's resident director. Students should also check their Kutztown University student email for more detailed instructions.

  Campus Update on Coronavirus
  Kutztown University continues to closely monitor the outbreak of the new coronavirus. The status we shared at the beginning of the semester remains the same --- we have NO cases of coronavirus on our campus or in our neighboring communities. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pennsylvania Department of Health are closely monitoring the outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus) as it continues to evolve. KU's Emergency Management Team continues to review all protocols. Additional information and resources can be found online.

• Academic Affairs

  Online Advising Appointments
  MyKU provides the ability for students to schedule advising appointments with their advisor. If your student's advisor elects to use the online advising feature, your student will receive an email informing them how to schedule an appointment in MyKU. The student can easily select a date and time for the appointment, receive reminder emails and have the ability to schedule appointments up to 24 hours in advance.

  Protect Yourself, Protect KU
  As part of the university's technology-security strategy, two-step account verification will be rolled out to all students starting after spring break. Two-step account verification is accomplished using multi-factor authentication - something you have and something you know. More information will be shared in the coming weeks.

  Entrepreneurial Leadership Center Week
  Tuesday, March 17 – Friday, March 20
  Entrepreneurial Leadership Center Week is a celebration of innovators who want to change the world, bring creative new ideas to life or launch a new business. Join the KU Entrepreneurial Leadership Center and the Small Business Development Center to inspire the entrepreneur in us all. This event is filled with various activities, workshops and opportunities for students, business leaders and community members. Learn More.

  Tutoring Services
  Continue on the path of success with Tutoring Services. Whether your student is struggling in a class or just wants to get a better grade, free peer tutoring is available in both individual and group settings. Tutor requests are available online in the student's MyKU account under academic services. If your student has questions, office hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, in 30 Rohrbach Library. To see a complete list of available courses as well as drop-in lab hours, please visit www.kutztown.edu/tutoringservices.

  The Center for Academic Success and Achievement (CASA)
  Help your students spring back into good study habits when they return from spring break. The first few months of the semester can be a time of adjustment to a new way of studying or even the way a course is taught. Some students may even struggle to meet their academic goals or experience stress over their course load. Students may have trouble adjusting to the more independent work-intensive environment of college level course work. If your student needs assistance, CASA provides academic resources. All services are free to Kutztown University students. To learn more please visit the CASA website.

  Career Development Center
  Encourage your student to take advantage of Career Coaching. Our career coaches provide support to help KU students develop realistic career goals, confidently approach their professional internship and job search and secure meaningful employment and personal success. Students work one-on-one with their coaches to identify their unique skills and qualifications, define their brand, refine their networking skills, develop marketing tools and much more. Encourage them to schedule an appointment by calling 610-683-4067.

  If your student needs professional dress for an interview, student teaching or job, please encourage them to visit the Career Closet in the Stratton Administration Center. There is a wide variety of professional clothing for sale for $2 an item.

  KU Job Fair for Educators: more than 80 education employers will be on campus 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday, March 9, in 218 McFarland Student Union. Kutztown students, alumni and the public are invited. Visit: www.kutztown.edu/handshake to learn more.

  Internship and Job Fair: if your student is not an education major, no need to fear, the KU Internship and Job Fair will be held noon to 3 p.m., Wednesday, April 1, in 218 McFarland Student Union. Your student can talk to employers about internships and full-time opportunities. More than 60 employers are scheduled to attend. Visit www.kutztown.edu/handshake to learn more.

  Act 101/RISE
  The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) knows that college can be a bewildering experience. That's why the agency underwrites the Act 101 program for students with financial and academic needs. We are experts in getting answers to students' questions and making sure that our students get the help they need to be successful. Act 101/RISE students have access to financial and academic assistance, special programming and one-on-one advising. If you are interested in seeing if your student qualifies for Act 101/RISE, please contact Dr. Lisa Weckerle, faculty director, at act101@kutztown.edu or have your student visit 5 Rohrbach Library.

• Administration and Finance

  Summer 2020 Registration and Costs
  Summer 2020 registration opens mid-March. Summer costs are published online as well as this page dedicated to summer session payment information. Due dates are assigned based on the date the registration occurs. A payment plan opened March 1 for summer. We encourage planning in advance to get the most payments. Students do not have to be enrolled yet to sign up for the payment plan.

  Fall 2020 Payment Plan Update
  Fall 2020's best payment plan, six payments, will open Monday, April 6. As time goes on, the number of payments in the plan decreases. Please read about the payment plans on our website by clicking on the semester or session you are interested in learning more about. Payment plans are set up on the Payment Dashboard only. While costs are not billed until July, you can use estimates that we will have posted later this month, to set up a plan. You can adjust this plan, increase or decrease, as needed with no fee or penalty. MyKU > KU Financial Account tile > Payment Dashboard.

  Graduating Seniors Exit Interviews
  Students planning to graduate in May will want to ensure they have cleared all balances in MyKU, including recent ones such as health center visits, parking tickets and ID replacements. Students that have received a Perkins loan at any time during their enrollment will require the completion of an exit counseling session online with ECSI. This is in addition to an exit interview for Stafford loans. Different repayments. If you decide to consolidate and you had a Perkins loan, do not forget to include it.

• Enrollment Management and Student Affairs

  Fee Waiver
  Do you know someone who would be a great addition to the Golden Bear family? Our application is still open for the Fall 2020 semester. The code KUPARENT will waive the $35 fee.

  FAFSA Completion
  If your KU student hasn't completed their FAFSA for the 2020-2021 academic year, take a moment to visit www.studentaid.gov and click on the link “apply for aid.” If your student receives any university-related scholarships, be reminded that they should complete their FAFSA before Wednesday, April 15, to continue eligibility. Scholarship-renewal requirements are a 2.75 GPA and completion of 24 new credits by the end of the year.

  Food Pantry
  The Bear Essentials Food Pantry is requesting breakfast items (granola bars, cereal, Pop Tarts®...), non-perishables (ramen, soups, Chef Boyardee/SpaghettiOs®/etc., canned vegetables, peanut butter, pasta, mac-n-cheese), snacks (fruit snacks, chips, pretzels) and hygiene products (toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, razors, body wash, feminine products). Please, no fresh produce or frozen products.

  Esports
  Kutztown University's esports team has a new home. The university dedicated its Esports Arena in McFarland Student Union in mid-February, with state-of-the-art equipment, to serve as the new home of KU's esports team. Learn More.

  Voting
  All eligible students must be registered to vote in order to participate on Election Day. Deadline Alert: Monday, April 13, is the last day to register before the April 28 election. Voter registration, mail-in ballots and absentee ballots can be requested now at https://www.votespa.com/.

  Census
  Census 2020 workers are needed. Check out paid opportunities here:  https://2020census.gov/en/jobs.html.

• Equity, Compliance and Legal Affairs

  Disability Services Office
  Thursday, March 19, students participating in the MyPlace program and members of the Kutztown (Borough) Rotary will share a meal and evening of networking and learning. Kerri Gardi, director of the Career Development Center, will be facilitating this etiquette dinner where participants will learn proper business dinner etiquette and tips and strategies for networking and engaging in dinner conversation. This is the second joint activity between the MyPlace program and the Kutztown Rotary.  

  Department of Public Safety and Police Services
  Public Safety and Police Services, in conjunction with the KU Department of Criminal Justice, hosted mock police board interviews Wednesday, Feb. 19. Members of the Kutztown University Police Department, Kutztown Borough Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Quakertown Police Department and Warrington Police Department conducted interviews with criminal justice students to prepare them for the police hiring process. Students received feedback and had the opportunity to ask the panelists any questions in order to prepare them for their law enforcement careers.

  New Hire
  Patrick O'Connor has accepted the position of police officer at Kutztown University. Officer O'Connor will be undergoing field training and receiving his Governor's Commission in the upcoming weeks.

  Defense Class
  Public Safety and Police Services will be conducting a Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) class, which is free to female faculty, staff and students. This is a 12-hour class that teaches self-defense techniques. The class consists of three evening sessions and participants must attend all three nights to complete the RAD program. The sessions will be held, as follows:

  • Session 1: 6 p.m., Monday, March 16, 22B Old Main
  • Session 2: 6 p.m., Tuesday, March 17, Georgian Room in Old Main
  • Session 3: 6 p.m., Thursday, March 19, Georgian Room in Old Main

  Those interested in participating can sign-up by emailing calhoun@kutztown.edu or calling 610-683-4861.

• Housing and Dining

  2020-2021 Returning Student Room Selection Process
  Step 4: Room selection will occur this month. Students who are eligible to participate will receive information in their student email with their assigned selection time and instructions. Any student who still wishes to complete the application process and be assigned housing for the 2020-2021 academic year, should reach out to the housing office at housing@kutztown.edu or 610-683-4027. Any student required to live on-campus, according to the residency-requirement policy, who did not complete the housing application process or a residency exception, will be assigned a housing assignment (based on availability) and the housing processing fee at the end of the process. 

  2020-2021 Incoming Student Networking Opportunity
  New Golden Bears are being invited (via email) to join the Golden Bear Network powered by My College Roomie. Although this platform will be where our students match with future roommates, both on-campus and commuting students are invited to create a profile, match with friends and engage in this online Golden Bear community. The invitation and login information will be sent to student’s personal emails. If your new student does not receive the email, please have them contact the housing office at housing@kutztown.edu or 610-683-4027. 

  2020-2021 New Student Room Selection Process
  New students room selection process begins as early as April 1. The process will be complete by the beginning of July. Below is the incoming student room selection timeline:

  • April 1 through June 12
    • Step 1: Make Housing Decision
    • If living on-campus, complete My College Roomie profile
    • If living off-campus, complete residency exception
  • April 1 through May 8
    • Step 2: If interested, complete special interest housing application
  • May 1 through June 12
    • Step 3: Create roommate pair
  • June 17 (9 a.m.) through June 19 (3 p.m.)
    • Step 4: Complete special interest housing room selection during assigned selection time, if eligible.
  • June 23 through July 2
    • Step 4: Complete room selection during assigned selection time.

  Fall 2020 Incumbent Meal Plan Selection Timeline
  April 1-July 15: Returning students can select a meal plan by completing the meal plan application on their MyKU Housing page. More info at www.Mykuhousing.kutztown.edu.

  Fall 2020 New Student Meal Plan Selection Timeline
  July 1-15: New students can select a meal plan by completing the meal plan application on their MyKU Housing page. Students living in traditional-style halls must select a MyTime Dining 24/7 meal plan option. More info at www.Mykuhousing.kutztown.edu.

• University Relations and Athletics

  Friend Fest 2020: Saturday, March 7
  The 10th Annual Friend Fest Beer and Wine Tasting event is this Saturday, March 7, in Beltzner Hall on the Kutztown Fairgrounds. Featuring beer, wine and spirits tasting, music, delicious food, various vendors, games and silent auction. All proceeds help the Optimist Club of Kutztown’s children’s programs in local communities, as well as assist Friend, Inc. end poverty and hunger in rural Northeastern Berks County. Also, The Optimist Club, through Friend Fest proceeds, awards a scholarship to a Kutztown Area High School student who will attend a trade school, supports local children battling cancer and Friend, Inc. Local wineries, breweries and distilleries in Pennsylvania and along the East Coast will showcase their products to hundreds of attendees.

  Celtic Thunder Star Brings his Golden Voice to Kutztown University March 18
  Widely hailed as Ireland’s most exciting young tenor, Emmet Cahill has turned heads with audiences throughout North America. His debut album went straight to No. 1 on Amazon, iTunes and Billboard World Music Album charts. Cahill and the Emerald String Quartet take the stage at Kutztown University, 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 18, in Schaeffer Auditorium. Tickets can be purchased online at www.KutztownPresents.org or by calling 610-683-4092. KU students can access $10 tickets by using their MyKU login.

• KU Campus Store

  Graduation Festival
  11 a.m. to 7 p.m., March 23-24, in the McFarland Student Union Multipurpose Room

  The Graduation Festival is a one-stop-shop for graduates to verify the status of their applications, purchase cap and gown, receive graduation tickets and much more. Please encourage your graduating senior to attend. For more information, click here.

• KU Foundation

  1866 Minute Giving Challenge – Save the Date
  Save the date for the second 1866 Minute Giving Challenge, April 16-17. Last year, more than $151,000 was raised to support Kutztown students like yours. Follow the Kutztown University Foundation and Alumni Relations on Facebook and Instagram for more information.

  Connect with Us
  The KU Foundation has been raising funds to support the students, faculty, programs and capital needs of Kutztown University since 1983, and the Alumni Relations team works hard to enhance the experience of KU grads. With the generous support of KU alumni and friends of the university, we have raised millions of dollars for student scholarships, endowment, building projects, academic programs, athletics and more. Check out our website, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

• Dates to Know
  • KU Central Calendar
  • 2019-20 Printable Academic Calendar

  KU Orchestra and Studio Orchestra 7:30 p.m., Schaeffer Auditorium	Thursday, March 5
  Residence halls close at 6 p.m. for spring break	Friday, March 6
  Friend Fest 2020, Kutztown Fairgrounds	Saturday, March 7
  First-half communication design courses end	Sunday, March 8
  Spring break begins	Monday, March 9
  First clinical experience assignment ends	Friday, March 13
  Spring break ends	Sunday, March 15
  Residence halls open at 1 p.m. after spring break	Sunday, March 15
  Second clinical experience assignment begins in schools	Monday, March 16
  Second-half communication design courses begin	Monday, March 16
  Materials for Summer Session 2020 become available and summer registration begins (on or about this date)	Monday, March 16
  KU Presents! Emmet Cahill and the Emerald String Quartet 7:30 p.m., Schaeffer Auditorium	Wednesday, March 18
  Percussion Ensemble 7:30 p.m., Georgian Room	Thursday, March 19
  Graduation Festival 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., 218 MSU	Monday, March 23
  Graduation Festival 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., 218 MSU	Tuesday, March 24
  Student Senior Recital, Adrianna Howden, piano 7:30 p.m., Georgian Room	Tuesday, March 24
  Clarinet Studio Recital 7:30 p.m., Schaeffer Little Theatre	Wednesday, March 25
  Student Recital II 7:30 p.m., Schaeffer Auditorium	Thursday, March 26
  Student Senior Recital, Brock Heckman, trombone 3 p.m., 114 Schaeffer	Saturday, March 28
  KU Summer Music Festival Winners 7:30 p.m., Schaeffer Auditorium	Sunday, March 29
  First day students can completely withdraw from the spring semester without having the federal financial aid adjusted.	Monday, March 30
  Flute Studio Recital 7:30 p.m., 14G Schaeffer	Tuesday, March 31
  Undergraduate advisement for Fall 2020. Students meet with advisors for assistance in building their schedule. Web registration by appointment will be April 13-30.	Wednesday, April 1 - Thursday, April 30
  Last day to withdrawal from a class for Spring 2020 and receive a grade of "W".  There is no withdrawal from individual courses after this date.	Friday, April 3
  Last day for undergraduate students to make up "incompletes" from Fall 2019 and Winter 2020	Friday, April 3