Parents & Families Update for October 2021

Question of the month

How do students transfer transfer meal points to other students?

The two students must come to an agreement on how many meal points to transfer (a minimum $50 meal points per transfer). The student transferring the points should visit this link: https://mpt.qu.edu/ & complete the entire form. IT will receive it and process the transfer of meal points.

If the students agree to a financial transfer, that is done on their own without intervention from Quinnipiac University.

The last day to transfer meal points is May 9th, 2022

Students that may not transfer points:

• Athletes on an athletic scholarship
• Students with a meal plan waiver provided by the Office of Student Accessibility
• Resident Assistants

Announcing the 2022-2023 Senior and Junior Housing Selection Process

The Office of Residential Life is excited to announce the Junior and Senior Housing Selection Process for the 2022-2023 academic year. We are pleased to share that in most recent years, we have been able to provide university-owned housing to EVERY Junior and Senior who participated in our fall selection process. PLEASE NOTE THAT SOPHOMORE HOUSING SELECTION (FOR CURRENT FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS) WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE SPRING SEMESTER.

A personalized invitation will be sent to current sophomore and junior students in the next few days.

To participate, students simply sign the Housing Contract and pay the Housing Reservation Fee ($500). As students know, living in university-owned housing affords them opportunities to live close to their friends, close to their classes, participation in study groups, and easy access to programs/activities and 24-hour support from Residential Life and Public Safety staff. By living in QU housing, students do not have to deal with unfamiliar landlords, 12-month rental contracts, and the hassle of separate monthly utility bills. And there is more - resident students are more likely to be involved on campus, have more contact with faculty, are more likely to graduate on time, and report greater satisfaction regarding their overall college experience.

To Sign-Up for Fall 2022-2023 Housing, Students Complete the Following Steps:

Agree to the Fall 2022/ Spring 2023 Housing Contract. Please note the contract is for the full academic year.

Pay a $500 Housing Reservation Fee (formerly the housing deposit).

To participate in the online housing selection process, students must complete the contract and pay the reservation fee between October 25 - November 7, 2021.

Housing Selection

Selection Numbers: A selection number will be randomly assigned to each student who has paid the $500 Housing Reservation Fee and agreed to the Housing Contract by 11:59pm on November 7, 2021 (the deadline to participate in this Housing Selection Process).

Selection numbers will be posted on MyHousing on Wednesday, November 9, 2021 after 2pm.

Assignments/Selection: Based on availability, students will have the option of selecting individual spaces or selecting an entire living unit. Students in partially filled units may be consolidated.

Senior Housing Selection will be Fri., Nov. 12, 2021

Senior Housing options may include: Eastview, Crescent and university-owned houses on New Road, Lucien Drive, Ives Street, Kimberly Avenue, Woodruff Street, Westwoods Road, and Whitney Village.

Junior Housing Selection will be Wed., Nov. 17 and Thurs., Nov. 18, 2021

Junior Housing options may include: Crescent, Westview, Townhouses and Whitney Village.

Note: Students participating in the fall housing selection process who do not choose a space/unit by Noon on Friday, November 19 will have a space/unit assigned to them.

Amenities: All university-owned housing units are furnished (including the houses) and include Wi-Fi and laundry.

Medical Accommodation: Students seeking a medical accommodation must submit a completed Medical Accommodation Form and return it to the Office of Student Accessibility by 5pm on Friday, October 29, 2021. The form is available on MyHousing, click LINKS to download.

Meal Plans: All residential students are required to have a meal plan. Students living in residence halls on campus will default to the Gold plan, but can change to the Silver, Platinum or Platinum+ plans. Students living in university-owned off-campus houses and Whitney Village will be assigned the Bronze plan.

Important Dates and Additional Information

Cancellation Policy: Students may cancel their Fall 22/Spring 23 housing contract for any reason and without paying an additional fee within 30 days of the date the student signs the contract if they have not moved into the residence hall. Students who submit the housing contract and are registered for class/es will be financially responsible for the full academic year housing contract if written notice of cancellation is not received within 30 days of signing the contract.

Housing Reservation Fees will be accepted on MyQ under the STUDENT LIFE tab, then RESIDENTIAL LIFE, then MyHousing. To complete the contract and pay the housing reservation fee, students will log in to MyHousing and select the HOUSING REQUESTS AND CONTRACTS tab, then select HOUSING CONTRACT. After completing the contract, the student will be directed to the online payment portal.

Students will receive a selection number once they have agreed to the housing contract AND paid the $500 housing reservation fee.

• Monday, October 25 - Sunday, November 7, 2021 - Submit the $500 housing reservation fee and complete the housing contract.
• Sunday, November 7, 2021 - Deadline for submitting the $500 housing reservation fee and the housing contract.
• Tuesday, November 9, 2021 after 2 pm - Selection numbers will be posted on MyHousing.
• Once students have completed the application/contract process, they will be able to select roommates. Click on the ROOM SELECTION tab, then SELECT ROOMMATES/SUITEMATES. Students will only be able to select others who have completed the housing contract and paid the $500 housing reservation fee.

Additional information will be sent to assist students in familiarizing themselves with the various housing options. If students or families have any questions about the Housing Selection Process, Res Life staff are available in the Res Life offices on the 4th floor of the Rocky Top Student Center weekdays from 9am to 5pm. Questions may also be emailed to ResidentialLife@qu.edu.

FAFSA for 2022/23 Available

The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) required to renew need-based financial aid for next year is available at studentaid.gov. This must be completed each year for students who receive or wish to be considered for financial aid that is based on financial need

Outside Scholarships

We encourage students to apply for outside scholarships to assist with expenses that are not covered by financial aid. Many scholarship agencies open their applications for next year in late fall/early winter. To maximize eligibility, students should start searching now and mark their calendars with application due dates. A list of reputable scholarship agencies can be found on qu.edu.

What have we been up to?

• Flu Shot Clinics: Flu shots were available on all 3 campuses for students to get from 9/27-10/13
• Fresh Check Day: On 10/5 students and faculty gathered to take part in Fresh Check Day (FCD). FCD is an uplifting mental health promotion and suicide prevention event for colleges that includes interactive expo booths, peer-to-peer messaging, free food, entertainment, and exciting prizes and giveaways. FCD aims to create an approachable and hopeful atmosphere where students are encouraged to engage in dialogue about mental health and helps to build a bridge between students and the mental health resources available to them.
• National Depression Screening Day: a free depression screening was available for all students from the Counseling Center on October 7
• Spinning® is my Self-Care: an outdoor Spinning® event with swag and prizes! All the Spinner® bikes were moved to the brick patio outside of the Rocky Top Student Center cafeteria for a full day of workouts.
• Women’s Wellness Night (September 29): A night full of female empowerment, fitness classes, strength training demos and certified advice from a personal trainer, available to all women on campus.
• Women’s Self Love Workshop- a 4 week series that used the "Self-Love workbook for Women" to fine tune self love and self care (September- October)

Upcoming Wellness Programs

Reflective Hike to Yoga program:

Promotes balance in the mental, spiritual and physical aspects of our lives. The program is comprised of guided reflection, yoga and hiking. To participate, students can meet at Sleeping Giant Park at 4:30pm on Oct. 25. Sign up on www.imleagues.com

Sweet Dreams!

Come rest (and nap!) at our guided yoga relaxation session. A great way to: Destress, boost your energy, and improve your memory, productivity, mood and alertness
Sign up in: www.imleagues.com or email: tami.reilly@qu.edu
Oct. 13th: 3:30-4:15pm / Nov. 4th: 2:00-2:45pm
All sessions are in the Athletic & Recreation Center studio B (207B)

Fitness Classes:

Fall schedule runs from Sept 7th – Dec. 11th.
All classes and registration is on: www.imleagues.com
You can sign up 24 hours prior to the start time of the class (the class will have a green circle and be “open”)
Yoga, Zumba®, bootcamp, Butts & Guts, Spinning®, Kick It By Eliza® and more!

Wellness Wednesdays:

Each Wednesday we cover a different Wellness topic, focusing on how to have not only a healthy body, but a healthy mind! We will provide educational materials (Outside Starbucks from 10am-12am at our table), let you know where to go to learn more, and open a dialogue for communication with an expert in the topic! To stay up to date with Wellness Wednesday events this year follow @quwellness on Instagram.

Help us help your students!

The following are Health and Wellness Resources your Quinnipiac student has access to but may not be fully utilizing. In the case that your child comes to you with questions about how to sign up for a fitness class or a health services appointment, you now have answers!

Fitness hours on Main and York Hill are M-F: 7-10 / Weekends:10-4. Hours for North Haven are M-F: 9-10 / Weekends: Closed

Student Health Services:

• Schedule an appointment by calling SHS or through your Patient Portal
• Contact- Email: studenthealthservice@qu.edu/ Phone: 203-582-8742
• Hours of Operation for Mount Carmel Campus: M - F: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m/ S - S: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. York Hill Campus hours are M - F: 12 p.m. - 8 p.m.
• Most routine services and supplies are provided without charge.
• For medications, prescriptions ordered by a health center provider may be sent to local pharmacies to be filled at the usual and customary fee. In some cases there may be an option to purchase prescribed medications through Student Health Services.

Counseling Services:

• Hours: M-F: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Mount Carmel, York Hill Health Center and North Haven Campus).
• Services available to all undergraduate and graduate students at no cost include individual counseling, diagnostic evaluation, medication management, group therapy, urgent visits, mental health referrals, consultation to faculty, staff and medical staff and telehealth services
• To make an appointment complete a confidential counseling request form through MyQ or the Quinnipiac App OR call Counseling Services at 203-582-8680, choose option #1, and schedule an appointment by talking to the counseling center secretary.
• In the case of a mental health crisis, speak with a licensed mental health provider by calling 203-582-8680 and choose option #3. For emergency Services: 911/ Department of Public Safety: 203-582-6200.

NAMI

NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) is an active club on campus and an amazing resource for parents! If you suspect that your child may be struggling mentally or emotionally, remember the five Ts: Tell, Test, Teach, Talk, Take Action.

1. Tell Your Child They Can Come To You With Any Problem
2. Test Their Academic Health By Checking Their End Of Semester Grades
3. Teach Them How To Recognize Depression And Anxiety
4. Talk With Them More Often Or Visit If They Are In Distress
5. Take Action If Your Student Is Experiencing High-Risk Mental Health Concerns

To learn more and for additional resources, visit NAMI

Recreation

Women's Wellness Night will be on Wednesday 10/27. We shut down the Mt. Carmel Fitness Center for a Women's Only Event encompassing Fitness, Nutrition & Wellness!

Greek Life

Students or family members with general questions can email fslife@qu.edu.
Panhellenic Formal Recruitment occurred over Labor Day Weekend where many students joined National Panhellenic Conference Sororities.

Ongoing recruitment activities include:

• Pi Beta Phi is re-establishing its Connecticut Gamma Chapter at QU and is still meeting with prospective members! Contact Dorothy Ruoff at ldcdorothy@pibetaphi.org for information.
• Some NPC sororities may have additional recruitment activities at this time.
• Delta Chi fraternity is opening a brand new chapter at QU and recruiting from all class years! Contact Taylor Anzivino at tanzivino@deltachi.org for more information.
• Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority, Inc., Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. will continue to recruit throughout the fall semester.

Fraternit & Sorority Life events:

• Sorority New Member Week was hosted by Panhellenic Council September 13-17.
• National Hazing Prevention Week with educational events and activities was celebrated September 20-24.
• All fraternity/sorority new members take the FOUNDATIONS: New Member Experience program that orients them to Quinnipiac Fraternity & Sorority Life.
• Hundreds of students participated in the Greek Day of Service with administrators on September 25th at various locations in our surrounding community.

School of Communications

Parents are invited to join us on Oct. 29th from 2-3:15pm for the SoC Dean’s Speaker Series -- Washington journalist Eric Garcia on "Changing the Autism Conversation toward Acceptance."

CCE 118 (in-person) on the Mt. Carmel Campus and Zoom.

SOC Parents Showcase show is Nov. 10 where you can learn more about the diffreent programs at the School of Communications at 7 p.m. The show will feature students from each of our majors, as well as presentations about the Quinnipiac Podcast Studio, the School of Communications Career Development Center, and Ability Media. There will also be an opportunity for parents to ask questions.

Help your student: Here's how

The semester is flying by! As we approach registration advising season and gear up to begin meeting with our advisees over the next month, here are some specific questions to ask your student to provide support and open dialogue from home.

• Are you checking your e-mail? E-mail is our official means of communication at Quinnipiac, so it is important that students are checking e-mail daily, staying organized with their e-mail accounts, and being responsive to outreach. Students should be especially attuned to outreach in October from faculty advisors to set up mandatory registration advising appointments.
• Do you have any holds? Students will register for spring courses the first week of November. In the meantime, remind your student to clear any holds that may prevent them from registering. Any unpaid parking tickets, bursar holds, advising holds, etc. should be handled well in advance of your student’s registration date. Your student can check for holds on Self Service.
• Are you taking advantage of support services early? There are so many wonderful resources on campus. Students should be proactive about taking advantage of any necessary support from advisors, academic coaches and learning specialists, the Learning Commons, the Counseling Center, the Office of Student Accessibility, and more.
• How is your time management going? Time management is one of the most common student concerns and struggles. How does your student feel they are doing with time management?

Dining feedback

Send your student every other Tuesday at 5pm to the Dining Services Advisory Board on the 2nd floor of the student center – commuter lunge. Nov. 2nd is the next meeting.

Get Involved

Take an Active Role in Your Student’s Education

A valuable way to share in your student’s QU experience is to join the Quinnipiac Parents Council, whose members provide philanthropic leadership for the university. Members of the Parents Council make leadership gifts in support of programs that enhance the educational experience for their children, their classmates and future generations of Bobcats.

Quinnipiac has long regarded parents as partners in the education and success of our students. We value your contribution to our joint mission of providing our students with a meaningful education in an innovative learning environment. When we make an impact on campus, we set our students up to make an impact on the world.

Bobcat Weekend

Join us at Bobcat Weekend, October 29-31, for a weekend offering a variety of events for the whole family.

Reconnect with your student as you experience what it means to be part of Bobcat Nation. Hear from President Olian who will share her State of the University Address and “The Pulse of Quinnipiac,” meet and talk to the Deans, attend an insight-filled presentation and learn strategies to help your student succeed at QU. Enjoy an outdoor movie, cheer on your Bobcats at an athletic game, and gather with us for a family Halloween picnic with food, fun and trivia.

More information about Bobcat Weekend or to register

Bobcat Challenge

Support our Student-Athletes

The Bobcat Challenge is back! During the 2021 Bobcat Challenge, which runs from October 26-30, our 21 Division 1 athletic teams are competing to raise money for their programs in the fifth annual Bobcat Challenge. 100% of your gift goes directly to the team(s) of your choice! Our student-athletes and coaches are counting on you—now more than ever—for your support to stay strong. Make a gift to the Bobcat Challenge October 26-30 and ensure our Bobcats continue competing for championships

Spring Registration

Quinnipiac undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled in the Fall 2021 semester may register for January Term 2022 and Spring 2022 classes using Student Planning within Self-Service on their appointment dates. selfservice.quinnipiac.edu

Registration Appointments Assigned by Credits Completed
Registration date based on credits completed:
- Graduate Students: October 25
- 87 credits plus: November 1
- 57-86.9 credits: November 2
- 27-56.9 credits: November 4
- 0-26.9 credits November 5

To ensure a smooth registration process we recommend the following:

• Students should work with advisor to add course sections to course plan within Student Planning. Once sections have been loaded students can use the Register Now button at the start of the student’s registration period to quickly add class sections.
• For a short overview of how to use Student Planning students can click on the link at MyQ or here: https://myq.quinnipiac.edu/SelfService/default.aspx
• Additional registration information is available at qu.edu/registrar

Other important registration dates:

• November 8 - 21: Open registration
• November 29, 2021 - January 4, 2022: Open registration for J-Term
• November 29, 2021 - January 28, 2022: Open registration for Spring

Proxy Access

All students are able to grant their parent or authorized payer access to a proxy version of Self-Service, which enables the parent or authorized payer access to academic and/or financial information for the student. As such, students can assign proxy users with access to grades, account activity and student statements. Proxy access to Self-Service will also allow Quinnipiac University to include the email address of the parent or authorized payer so that the university will be able to communicate important billing information with students, as well as the parties authorized by the student, via email. Learn more about proxy access.

Parking

All parking decals requested as of the end of September have been distributed or available for pick up. Parking decals which have not been picked up as of 10/6/21 will be expired. At this time all vehicles must have either a recently requested temporary permit or active decal prominently affixed to the dashboard and must adhere to all parking regulations and posted parking signs. Only those with state issued permits may park in accessible parking. Public Safety will begin ticketing all vehicles for any violations. Appeals for students without valid parking decals will not be considered. Unpaid tickets will result in financial holds on student accounts. Students can login to the My Parking application to request a permit or view permit(s) previously requested and issued.

Parents Advisory Council

Highlights of actions items from September 2021 meeting

Can additional resources be allocated to Student Health Services?  

Yes. Student Health Services has seen a 23% increase in patient volume this semester compared to last year, driven by a combination of COVID-related testing and the increase in non-COVID upper respiratory infections. In response, the university has added temporary staffing resources to Student Health Services, including medical assistants, registered nurses and advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants. 

Can we have more staff to answer phones and get back to students? 

Yes, we are looking to hire temporary clerical staff. Temporary clerical assistance is expected to start this weekend and hopefully next week we will have an additional temporary worker assigned Monday-Friday afternoons. 

Can we look at students in the Nursing program to have clinical placements in the student health center to assist with the high volume and give students a positive experience for their learning? 

Yes, now that we have APRNs at the Student Health Center we can provide clinical oversight for students on clinical rotation. The Director of Student Health Services and the Dean of the School of Nursing are working together on how to deploy this model. This may take some time to put into action since clinical rotations have been set for the semester.

Are we using telemedicine at QU for students to be seen by a provider? 

We are doing this when we can. More often than not, the students need to be seen in person so a provider can listen to lungs and evaluate them, so this option is available but may be limited depending on how the students are presenting. The majority of our visits recently are for upper respiratory infections that require in person exams for testing, lung, ear, nose and throat assessments.

Can Student Health Services create automated phone options so when students call, they can choose an option based on the health issue they’re having to get quicker response if needed? 

The nurses are answering the calls live and triaging them to make appropriate appointments and/or referrals. We have enabled self-check-in for those arriving for appointments. Calls that are for questions about fees for missed testing or rides to a local pharmacy or clinic could be re-routed; we will explore that. Most often, however, callers do not follow the prompts, and everyone tries to speak with the nurse live. We also request students leave a message for a callback if they do not get to speak with someone on their first call. The staff does call back anyone that left a message.  

Is there a chat feature that can use instead of calling that can then escalate to an in-person call? 

We do not currently have a chat function to render medical advice or diagnosis. Given the volume of calls we are currently receiving and the importance of discerning COVID-related health needs from cold/flu/other illnesses, we are triaging the calls with live nurses.

Students are finding long lines for food after night classes. Can we add food trucks at night?  

Food trucks are on campus three times a week (twice on Mount Carmel and once at York Hill). The Dining Services Advisory Board met recently and requested we change one of the food trucks on Mount Carmel to a night option and that will be in place in the coming weeks. In addition, “On the Rocks” Pub and Grill will open on October 18, where food will be provided (using meal plan card for food items).

The line for online ordering can be hours-long at night. Can students just walk in and not use the app for their food orders?

Chartwells is working to make the following changes the week of Oct. 11 for the following items at Bobcat Den, which we hope will improve wait times. A communication will go out and be posted on the app:

• We are adjusting the menu platform at the deli in the Bobcat Den to include our top selling panini sandwiches and customized, made-to-order sandwiches beginning Monday, Oct. 11. We are also adding hot and ready to Grab & Go options off the Diner menu. Both of these options will increase menu variety and increase our speed of service, especially later at night in the Bobcat Den. 
• We are looking into whether it would be preferable to stop use of the app and revert back to a walk-up kiosk ordering system that will increase our output. Chartwells is currently working with IT to get a kiosk system up and running.
• This all was discussed at our October 5th Dining Services Advisory Board meeting with students, which is held every other Tuesday at 5pm on the second floor of the student center. ALL students encouraged to attend. 

Is there a possibility of serving breakfast and lunch at Bobcat Den? Are there other ways to alleviate lines in the main cafeteria?

Unfortunately, we are not able to support additional breakfast hours in Bobcat Den. Many of the changes noted above will start to address wait times and lines, but there are certain hours that tend to be more popular for students to use the cafeteria, which naturally produces longer lines. Whenever feasible, based on class schedules, we encourage students to try to avoid the peak times when they notice larger crowds and lines in the cafeteria.