Empty Nest Newsletter - Fall 2020

By Mandi Clark, Director of Housing & Residence Life 

Housing has successfully welcomed our biggest number of residents this fall to date! We are currently housing over 600 students with us. The community in housing is vibrant, active, and full of fun this term, even as our students and staff maintain the appropriate physical distancing as well as wearing our face coverings. As you may know, all students received two free face coverings with the Oregon Tech logo, and I enjoy seeing students proudly showing off their affiliation to Oregon Tech while also participating in efforts to stop the spread! 

In years past, I would use this space to share all the great activities and interactions students have been doing this term as we build a stronger residential community. Even considering the need to remain safe by remaining in rooms, not gathering in large groups (or even small groups), and by doing all meals in a grab and go format. Our residential students have had opportunities to engage with their neighbors and the HRL staff and others throughout housing facilities most often in an online format. For example, this year the student staff hosted the First Annual Snail Races (no snails were harmed in this event and all have found wonderful homes). This was an emceed race by one of our staff members, with all snails given out as an appropriate pet for those who participated (including a quality home and food for the snail).  

Student staff are also hosting “office hours” weekly to be available for students to interact either in person with appropriate distance provided, or via Zoom. Several residents and their roommates have taken advantage of these meetings, showing off their room decorations and how they are managing their classes, especially those online courses.  

Student staff have also been hard at work posting creative and interactive bulletin boards for students to share their thoughts individually and find a light spot of sunshine or “Dad Jokes” as they move through the halls. Students have also had an opportunity to join in the pen pal program and communicate with another on campus resident, as well as Hike to the O as long as they maintained a distance of 10 feet from each other. The pictures that were shared looked like everyone had a good time and enjoyed the outdoors and pretty weather! 

As we head into November, Housing and Residence Life will reach out to our residential students sharing housing and dining related plans to the end of fall term. Even though classes are going remote after Thanksgiving break, Housing will remain open to support students through the entire fall term, closing on Friday, December 11, 2020 at 11 am as planned. For some students the ability to remain on campus helps them academically and we will be here to support them whether they are all online for classes or have a final they need to be in person for. Additionally, Housing and Residence Life will offer shuttles for residential students who need to get to/from the train and bus stations in Klamath Falls. Sign ups to get a ride will be out soon, and the links will be shared with residential students.  

If your student has a need to be on campus over the break, for example they are an athlete and need to be on campus to compete, or have a job they are working, they are eligible to stay on campus for a night or the entire break (both Thanksgiving and winter breaks). The students will need to sign up with Housing and Residence Life so we know who is on campus with us each night of break, and this too will be sent out to all residential students in an email coming soon to their Oregon Tech email. We appreciate the support and encouragement you offer to your students during this time of midterms and getting ready for break periods-we know it is stressful and your kind words, support, and encouragement mean the world to your students. Please gently remind them during this time to take short breaks, and to read and respond to their Oregon Tech email.😊 

If your student shares they need to go into town, please share they can take the Housing Shuttle. Housing and Residence Life runs a shuttle once per month for residential students to go into town and shop or check out a new restaurant. The shuttle will drop them off/pick them up and return them to campus all day on Saturday, November 15, 2020. Even though it is limited in the number of students who can get a ride at the same time, we are still shuttling and enjoy helping our residents explore Klamath Falls and get to know their college community!  

Thanks for reading all about what Housing and Residence Life staff are working on, and what your students may be enjoying! Please know each staff member on our team is dedicated to the safety and success of your student. We are here to partner with you and answer any questions you may have as your student enjoys their time with us in the housing community. Feel free to reach any of us in the Housing Office at 541-885-1094 or via email at housing@oit.edu.  

11/16/20	Late Fees assessed on accounts with balances greater than $99*
11/16/20	Interest assessed on balances over 30 days @ 1%/month
11/16/20	Statements generated (available on CASHNet Nov. 17)
12/11/20	Final Payment Plan payment due (ANY remaining balance)
12/11/20	Last day of Fall Term
12/14/20	Late fees assessed on accounts with past due balances greater than $99*
12/14/20	Interest assessed on balances over 30 days @ 1%/month
12/14/20	Final Fall Statements generated (available on CASHNet Dec. 15)
	* Only one late fee per student per term will be charged.

Winter 2021

11/2/20	Winter Term Tuition & Fees available on Web for Student after student registers
12/14/20	Winter Term Statements generated (available on CASHNet Dec. 15)
12/31/20	Financial Aid begins disbursing to students' accounts
1/4/21	Winter Term classes begin
1/15/21	Last day to drop courses for 100% refund (Deadline is 5:00 p.m. PDT/PST)
1/15/21	Full Winter Term balance due or 1st Payment Plan payment (at least 1/3 of balance)
1/18/21	No Classes-Martin Luther King Jr Day
1/19/21	Holds placed on accounts for students that failed to pay balance due or 1st payment plan payment
1/19/21	Statements generated (available on CASHNet Jan. 20)
1/22/21	Last day to drop courses for 50% refund (Deadline is 5:00 p.m. PDT/PST)
1/29/21	Last day to drop courses for 25% refund (Deadline is 5:00 p.m. PDT/PST)
2/1/21	Processing of refunds due to students for dropped courses begins this week
2/5/21	2nd Payment Plan payment due (second 1/3 of balance due)
2/8/21	Holds placed on payment plan accounts for students that failed to make 2nd payment plan payment
2/15/21	Late Fees assessed on accounts with balances greater than $99*
2/15/21	Interest assessed on balances over 30 days @ 1%/month*
2/15/21	Statements generated (available on CASHNet Feb. 16)
3/19/21	Final Payment Plan payment due (ANY remaining balance)
3/19/21	Last Day of Winter Term
3/22/21	Interest assessed on balances over 30 days@ 1%/month
3/22/21	Late fees assessed on accounts with past due balances greater than $99*
3/22/21	Final Winter Statements generated (available on CASHNet Mar. 23)
3/22-26/21	No Classes - SPRING BREAK
	*Only one late fee per student per term will be charged.

 

Peer Consulting Services (PCS) offers FREE remote academic support to ALL students of Oregon Tech.  

PCS aims to improve student success by providing a welcoming environment where students can work toward their academic goals with peer support. Peer tutors help your student develop effective learning strategies and provide guidance in understanding concepts and solving problems. The consultants who work at Peer Consulting are your student’s peers, have taken the same classes your student has, and have earned a 3.0 or greater. 

As we navigate fall term, PCS strives to support students both in-person and remotely. Students can meet remotely with a Peer Consultant via Zoom and can access our online scheduler through their TECHweb account or by visiting the PCS website. 
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In addition to remote tutoring access, PCS also offers: 

• In-person tutoring (by appointment) in the Klamath Falls campus Peer Consulting Center (located on the 2nd floor of the library, LRC 233). In-person appointments can be made using the link above.  
• The Online Writing Lab (OWL): OWL consultants assist students writing in any discipline and at any stage of the writing process—from brainstorming and researching to revising and citations. Writing consultants work with you to improve your writing skills; they do not provide last minute proofreading and editing services. Students can submit an assignment to the OWL through TECHweb or the PCS website.  
• Group Study Sessions: Students can stay connected with their classmates through Zoom study sessions. A list of open study sessions is available on the PCS website.   

Peer Consulting Services is proud to support students’ remote, in-person, and hybrid courses and be a part of their learning experience. If you have any questions, please email peerconsulting@oit.edu or call us at 541-851-5226.  

Federal Cares Act 

Oregon Tech was awarded $903,637 through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was enacted by the U.S. Congress. These funds are reserved to provide financial support in the form of emergency grants to students impacted by a disruption in campus operations due to the coronavirus. The financial aid office stated awarding these funds by application spring term 19-20, awarding $349,684.  Awarding for the current 20-21 year started with summer term and as of 11/9/2020 the institution has awarded $819,786.

These funds go to eligible students that complete the online Federal CARES Act Grant application (or whose academic program was directly impacted) and demonstrate eligible expenses related to the coronavirus (and school disruption) such as medical, food, housing, course materials, technology; and other unexpected expenses included in the student’s cost of attendance.  

 

Scholarship Night 

Scholarship Night will be December 3rd at 6pm.  A Zoom link will be sent out to students soon and we will draw for 1-$500 scholarship, 10-$250 scholarships and 2 Barnes and Noble gift cards.  Please tell your students to mark it on their calendars.  

On that note, the Oregon Tech Foundation winter scholarship process opens soon. All students will be sent an email to their Oregon Tech email when it opens at the beginning of December www.oit.edu/scholarships.  

 

New Staff at Portland Metro Campus 

We are excited to announce Kendal Marks as the Financial Aid/Registration coordinator as well as VA certifying official on the Portland Metro (PM) Campus.  Kendal started her new position on October 26th. Kendal is not a stranger to Oregon Tech or PM, having served as the Associate Director of Admissions for 8 years. If your student has questions please have them contact Kendal, Kendal.Marks@oit.edu. 

Just a reminder as the Portland Metro campus continues to be remote and the Klamath Falls campus has adjusted operations and hours, we are available via phone, email and Zoom.  

Oregon Tech's mission to prepare students for rewarding health, engineering, business, technology, and applied arts and sciences careers is unwavering. As fall term began in the wake of devastating wildfires throughout Oregon and other western states and the continued challenges of the global pandemic, faculty and staff are continuing to do everything they can to assure our students do not see an interruption in their studies and to keep our community safe. In response to the desire to help during this time, we have several opportunities in which you can help provide immediate support for students. Gifts have already made a difference to students as you can see below.

“I received a very generous $1000 emergency aid assistance. I wanted to thank you and the people responsible for this assistance during these trying times. I hope to pay it forward or donate to this scholarship program when I have completed my degree and start my career.” ~Macey Frost

Make a Gift Today

The Oregon Tech Foundation and Alumni Association are here to show support for your students! Through initiatives that fund priorities such as academics, classroom upgrades, student projects, faculty development, capital projects, athletics, and scholarships, we work to further the goals of the university and enrich the educational experience for all students, supporting the greatest needs of the University. This year we are thrilled to have awarded over $838,000 in scholarships to very deserving students, helping each one get another step closer to achieving their degrees and their dreams.

Our job at the Foundation is to support the mission of Oregon Tech, especially students. One of the ways in which we strive to do so is through our scholarship program. What this means for students is that nearly 300 young people will have a brighter future, a boost in morale and a vote of confidence. This milestone is possible through the generosity of individuals, including faculty, staff, alumni, students, industry partners and community members, and foundations, organizations, and businesses who believe in our exceptional students.

Applications for the Oregon Tech Foundation scholarship program will open again in December and details will be available through the Financial Aid Office. We hope you will encourage your student to apply! For more information regarding the scholarship program or the Oregon Tech Foundation, please contact Mira Wonderwheel at 541-851-5679 or mira.wonderwheel@oit.edu.

Oregon Tech is participating in #GivingTuesday! #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide. Every year, on GivingTuesday, we mobilize the globe to show up, give back, and change their communities. The goal is to create a massive wave of generosity that lasts well beyond that day, and touches every person on the planet.

Following Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday (or maybe you #OptOutside on Friday!), Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, this year’s #GivingTuesday will take place on December 1st and kicks off the giving season by inspiring people to collaborate and give back. At Oregon Tech, we will be encouraging alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends of the college to support a program, initiative, or club that they care about!

Are you interested in being a #GivingTuesday Social Media Ambassador? Please contact Mira Wonderwheel at mira.wonderwheel@oit.edu or 541-851-5679 to share your interest and learn more about the role.

In honor of the James and Shirley Rippey Family Foundation’s strong investments in student financial support and project initiatives, Oregon Tech is proud to unveil the James and Shirley Rippey Family Foundation Concrete Laboratory in Cornett Hall.  A small ribbon cutting ceremony took place on October 22, 2020 to celebrate this amazing and generous gift.

The Oregon Tech Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that promotes and funds the educational, cultural, charitable, and service functions of the Oregon Institute of Technology. We work not simply to help Oregon Tech grow, but to grow with intention and in ways that foster a better education and experience for students and a brighter future for Oregon.

OREGON TECH TOGETHER EVENTS

In August 2020, the Oregon Tech Alumni Association and the Oregon Tech Foundation created a monthly speaker series called Oregon Tech Together. Each month, a distinguished member of Oregon Tech’s leadership team engages in conversation with a member of the alumni association to provide viewers with in-depth, all-access insight into their specific departments and programs. All Oregon Tech Together events are recorded live and available to view online.

Oregon Tech Together events occur on the third Thursday of each month at 5:30PM. To register for upcoming events and submit a question for the speakers, please visit https://alumni.oit.edu/. Our special guest for November is the dean of the College of Engineering, Technology and Management, Dr. Tom Keyser, He will be joined by alumna Jessica Schmidt ’19, a mechanical engineering graduate who was part of the famed student group, The Reclaimers, who swept the competition at the 2019 Invent Oregon competition. The special guest for December is Dr. Erin Foley, Vice President and Dean of Students and she will be interviewed by alumnus Allan Snippen ‘07, CSET graduate and Senior Director of Software Engineering at International Game Technology (IGT) in Reno, NV. 

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT STORIES

Each month, alumni are featured in Alumni Spotlight Stories on the alumni website, in the alumni newsletter and across all social media channels at . The two spotlights here represent an alumna from the Medical Lab Sciences program, Danielle Garcia ’19, and an alumnus from the Software Engineering Technology program, Richard Hensley ‘86. Both are great examples of how an Oregon Tech education help graduates realize the careers they always dreamed of. View other impressive alumni online. 

Oregon Tech Campus Life has a whole new look!  

The Klamath Falls and Portland Metro professional staff have embraced a team-based, one-university approach to who we are and what we do, to become: Student Involvement and Belonging. We aim to: 

1. Promote the holistic growth and development of all Oregon Tech students (Klamath Falls, Portland-Metro, Online, and at all campus locations) through student involvement and individualized support, and  
    
2. Create a community where all students feel a sense of belonging. 

We kicked off the year with a university-wide Week of Welcome! With over 300 students in attendance at our Week of Welcome events in Klamath Falls, our year opened with sunny skies, bright smiles, and wide-open wings. All students were conscientious of social distancing guidelines and policies. Masks were required at all in-person events - the new Owls used their six-foot “wingspans” to maintain a safe distance. Students engaged in a full day of welcome activities on Saturday, September 19th, including three sessions with a long time Oregon Tech special guest, David Coleman. Mr. Coleman guided our new owls through a two-hour mixer that lead into small walking groups designed to help students get to know each other. In the virtual experience, students from all campuses joined us in 14 different live Zoom events where we introduced ourselves, shared resources and engagement opportunities, and laid the foundation for our virtual community. The Week of Welcome program is centered on belonging. It is our goal to provide opportunities for students to build connections with each other and Oregon Tech in an environment that welcomes and celebrates the uniqueness of each individual.

The SIB team was joined by members of the Oregon Tech staff to host a Welcome Booth during the first week of school. All students were invited to learn about key university resources and pick up the daily swag item in the Welcome Kits. We encourage all family and friends to be familiar with these resources and share them with the students you support. 

Two Oregon Tech students spend their summer painting a new mural in Purvine Hall depicting electrical and renewable energy engineering.  Read more about it here or meet the artists below: 

Watch the time lapse video: 

 

Our educational programming continues with Native American Heritage Month social media campaigns, featured guest speaker Monica Yellowowl from Klamath Tribal Health & Family Services. We will be distributing Grab N Go boxes (in-person and by mail) which provide educational materials and resources on Native American heritage, tribal governments and sovereignty, the 9 federally recognized tribes that make up the state of Oregon. Read the Oregon Tech Land Acknowledgement here. 

The Department of Student Involvement & Belonging strives to be the place where students connect! We are always interested in hearing from students about events and opportunities that they want to see. If your student has a great idea, or one that might become great, please let them know that we’re always open to new ways to engage.  

We encourage all students to download and stay tuned in to the Oregon Tech App. We post all event announcements, virtual event links, and important news in the app. There are many features within the app to support a student's academic success including: 

• View Courses 
• View Grades 
• View Assignments 
• Connect with Classmates  
• Schedule Study Time 
• Canvas remote learning integration 
• View & Respond to Holds 
• View & Respond to Financial Aid Awards 
• View Student Account information  
• Book a Peer Consulting (tutoring) Appointment 
• Book an Appointment with the Professional Advising Center 
• Search free Book Depot inventory to borrow textbooks 

Watch this video to find out more!  

Every fall, the CSET department at Portland-Metro hosts a “Freshman BBQ” to welcome incoming students to the program. This year’s event required some thinking out of the box in consideration of COVID safe-food precautions – lunch boxes that is. In partnership between the teams of Student Involvement and Belonging and Professors Phong Nguyen, Sherry Yang, and Paula Hannan, almost 100 lunch boxes were safely delivered to campus and distributed throughout the day. Students were given a short reprieve from a Saturday’s lab to enjoy a meal and conversation that mixed incoming students with upperclassmen in their major. Interactions between new and experienced students provide informal networking opportunities and builds camaraderie within CSET – keys to ongoing student success and persistence.  

Whether this is a student’s first-time at college or they are transferring from another university, Portland-Metro provides a support team to help students navigate their journey at Oregon Tech. With specialized knowledge in the areas of academic advising, peer consulting, registration, financial aid, and student success and belonging, our cross-divisional team collaborates to provide holistic student support and a seamless transition from one resource to the next. 

As the campus moved to remote learning, the Student Transition Success Team used a variety of communication tools to keep students stay connected to campus. Through weekly texting, emails, and Oregon Tech App posts, the team provided reminders of important due dates, virtual events to promote community and inclusion, and pathways to connect with student resources. Whether it is forming study groups led by experienced tutors or providing students a heads up about registration, the team looks for ways to make processes easier for students.  

Located on the Klamath Falls campus is Oregon Tech’s three-story Recreation Center that has been newly remodeled (2020). The Center houses the athletic offices located on the second level, Danny Miles Court located on the upper level, and a brand new Fitness Center located on the lower level that includes; men and women's locker rooms, a weight area, aerobics studio, and a full sports court (Pictured above). This center is based on the vision of Oregon Tech students, who modernized the space into what it is today.

All brand new equipment in the fitness center includes:

• Free weights
• Select drive machines
• Yoga and functional training accessories
• New cardio equipment (by the end of the year)
• “State of the art” audio/video equipment (by early to mid Nov.)
• Open night volleyball, basketball, badminton, futsal nights (when COVID allows)
• IM volleyball, futsal, basketball (when COVID allows)
• Martial arts club, Yoga and spin class (when COVID allows)
• Virtual classes

COVID-19 Precautions

Re-Opening the fitness center and the Oregon Tech campus has been a multifaceted operation (FULL PLAN HERE) The center is fully sanitized several times throughout each day.

Oregon Tech has been in alignment with the framework provided by Oregon’s governor and the Oregon Health Authority in its re-opening.  In accordance with the recent statewide two-week freeze guidelines (November 18-December 2), gym access will be for instructional purposes only.

 

 

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