ParentNet

It has come down to this, the last week of summer before First-year Michigan Tech students begin their orientation to college. It’s amazing how time flies when you’re enjoying your summer, right? For many this is going to be an interesting time in their life as they get to experience a change that takes them away from home to challenge their intellect and help them grow as individuals. As you, the parents, prepare yourselves for the journey to the Upper Peninsula, there are some important things to remember when getting to campus. Although much of the information in here might seem like repeat information, I think it is important to have all the necessary info for what to do when first arriving to campus.

The first stop needs to be the Rozsa Building, as this is where your student can check-in. Once inside the main lobby of the Rozsa, there will be several check-in desks marked by categories of last name (ex: A-L, M-S, and T-Z). Here students will receive their packet for Orientation Week. This is very important as it contains information to help them get through the week. In addition to having your students Orientation Schedule it also contains their housing schedule, room key, Orientation Team number, Parent Orientation schedule, etc. In addition to checking-in, there will be Student Services tables available. These Student Services are representatives from Financial Aid, Housing and Residence Life, Cashier’s Office, Student Billing, and the Registrar’s Office that will be happy to help you or answer any questions you or your student may have. Here’s the schedule for check-in:

• Saturday, August 22: 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Rozsa Lobby
• Sunday, August 23: 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Rozsa Lobby

Once your student has successfully checked-in, make your way to your student’s assigned Residence Hall and begin moving in. For those students that show up after the designated check-in times listed above, it is still possible to take care of check-in/move-in the day you get in to town. All your student would have to do is go to Wadsworth Residence Hall and check-in at the Reception Desk. The Reception Desk in Wadsworth will handle all check-ins after 7pm on Saturday and after 4pm on Sunday. They will help get you checked-in and explain what you would need to do from there. As a heads up, the Reception Desk is only open until 10 p.m. and so after that time your student would have to get a hold of a Management Assistant (MA) to get them checked-in.

Move-in for each Residence Hall lasts 30 minutes for each family and with the help of student, faculty, and staff volunteers it usually takes less than thirty minutes. In the front and back of each Residence Hall is available parking for unloading all your student’s room materials. Move-in material will be in the check-in packet your student receives, so it will help make things run smoothly if you and your student review the move-in process before heading to the Residence halls. The times for move-in are 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, August 22-23.

After moving your student in completely, you’ll need to move your vehicles to allow the next family to move in. Visitors can park their vehicles either in Lot 9 in front of the Rozsa center or in Lot 10 which is across from the Rozsa Center. If your student is bringing a vehicle to campus, then they should register it early. The online Registration Form will require your student to sign-in with their ISO information (username and password) and then it will ask you to fill out the information about the vehicle. The vehicle decal for the registered parking lot will be included in your student’s check-in packet. Your student should park their car then as soon as possible in the assigned lot (9, 10, 21, or 24). If your student is unable to register their car early, you can still register once you get to campus at the Housing Facilities Office G044 in the ground floor of Douglass Houghton Hall.

One of the most important things that your student will need to pick up when they arrive to campus (I call this item their lifeline to campus as it gets you into just about everything they’ll need) is their Tech Express Identification Card. This ID card is used for meal passes, getting into computer labs, getting into sporting events, purchasing tickets for Rozsa events, etc. Picking it up as soon as possible is highly recommended, especially before August 24. The Tech Express Service Center is where the Tech IDs can be picked up and is located in the Memorial Union Building. Your student will also need a form of photo ID and their M-number to receive their Tech ID. Here is the schedule for getting the Tech ID Cards:

• Saturday 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m./Sunday 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
• Monday-Friday Regular Hours: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Another important thing to remind your student about is a required online program that must be completed by August 20! Students received information about this program in their Orientation Pamphlet page 11 titled “ALCOHOLEDU® FOR COLLEGE”. Students need to finish Part 1, which is approximately 2 hours, before they arrive on campus. For more information visit the AlcholoEdu website.

Some of the common lingo you might hear when you arrive on campus is OTL and RA. To help clarify, these are the acronyms for Orientation Team Leader and Resident Assistant. The Orientation Team Leaders, also being called “agent” to fit this year’s theme, is current Michigan Tech student that will be in charge of an Orientation Team. They will lead the team to events, facilitate discussions and meetings, share their experiences and answer questions. The Resident Assistant is the person in charge of your student’s hall and will lead Hall Meetings, help direct the students if they have questions, need assistance, or anything else that might come up during the school year.

Hopefully this information has helped get you prepared for the upcoming Orientation week. The Orientation team is also able to help you if you have any questions specifically regarding some aspect of Orientation. Again, their email is orientation@mtu.edu and their phone is (906) 487-3558. Next week I’ll be saying my goodbyes as I hand over the ParentNet reigns to my successor who will start on August 31.