Empty Nest Newsletter - Fall 2022

The Key to Supporting Your Student? Communication!

While I have worked in higher education for many years, this fall marks the first time that I found myself in your shoes; my son moved away to college at another institution in Oregon. I helped with last-minute packing, lugged his things up two flights of stairs into his dorm room, gave him one last hug, and then drove away with an emptiness that settled into my chest. I also received a heart-wrenching call a few days later from a very emotional, lonely son on the other end of the line, and experienced the tug between wanting to “rescue” him or encouraging him to connect with other students and use his resources (amazingly enough, I chose the latter and he is all the better for it).

So, I am (for the first time) speaking with the voice of not only someone who supports students on a daily basis, but also as a mother and proud empty nester. As you may remember, we encourage parents from early on (as far back as Preview Days!) to allow their students to take those first steps towards independence. We assure you repeatedly that we are here to support your students, and that they have a multitude of resources at their disposal, they only need to seek us out. We have asked for your assistance in helping your student identify the appropriate resource and then encouraging them to follow-up for support. And we very much appreciate it when that happens.

Today, though, I want to back up a step and point out that not all students are forthcoming about how they are doing. Recently, we have encountered situations that became far more serious and urgent than they needed to be, simply because the students did not tell anyone the extent to which they were struggling. More than once, the parents of these students had turned to their students’ roommates or friends instead of to campus staff, who could intervene much more efficiently and effectively (it is what we do, after all!). So, I want to encourage you to touch base with your student on a regular basis – whatever that looks like and is comfortable to each of you – in order to better gauge how they are doing. Asking open-ended questions can lead to more detailed conversations, so you might try some of these:

• What’s the most interesting thing that you have learned so far?
• How do you spend your time outside of class and labs?
• What are the students like in your ________ class? (i.e., math, speech, etc.)
• What are the students like on your floor (or roommates)?
• What are you doing to handle all the stress?
• How have you connected on campus?

You know your students far better than we do, and if you sense that something is not quite right, we are asking that you talk to your student about it. Remind them of their resources on campus and encourage them to give them a try (examples include Student Health for medical and mental health support; Peer Consulting for tutoring support; Academic Advising for registration and major questions; Student Involvement and Belonging as well as Housing and Residence Life for support connecting with others; and Disability Services for academic accommodations). But, if they minimize or deny the need for help and you continue to be concerned, please reach out to a campus staff member; call a “grown-up!” We may be limited in the information we can share with you due to privacy issues, but you can share anything you would like with us, and then we can follow-up with your student. If we can increase communication, then your student will be better positioned to stay successful (and healthy) during their stay with us. 

If you have questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to me at 541-885-1816.

Enjoy the upcoming holiday season,
Gaylyn
Director, Student Health Center

Student Involvement and Belonging is happy to introduce the Basic Needs Hub on the Klamath Falls campus.

The Basic Needs Hub is a free resource for all students who are experiencing basic needs insecurities.  It is located on the first floor of the College Union.  Inside the Basic Needs Hub is the Bird Feeder food pantry, Owl Feathers Clothing Closet, Book Depot, and Case Management services.

The Bird Feeder is a free pantry where students who are experiencing food insecurity can obtain pantry items to supplement their personal pantries. Thanks to donations from a community partner, the Basic Needs Hub created “Hootie, Meals in a Bag " this fall. Students receive the ingredients, recipe, and instructions for how to cook a quick meal, in a reusable Bird Feeder bag.  The Bird Feeder also provides limited hygiene products for students.  The Bird Feeder relies on donations to assist students in need.  Staff, faculty, and parents have helped by donating directly to the Bird Feeder or through the Oregon Tech Foundation www oit.edu/give.

 

 

 

Owl Feather Clothing Closet is a free clothing exchange for students.  Students, faculty, staff, and parents have donated new and/or gently used clothing for the closet. Students visit the closet, browse through the racks, shelves, and drawers; and take clothing that they need and enjoy.  The closet even has some dress clothing that students have been able to use for job interviews.  Coats and winter gear are also available. The Circle K Club, a club that does volunteer work, has graciously agreed to partner with Owl Feathers and has “popup” events to provide additional campus recognition for the clothing closet.    

The Book Depot is made possible by the generosity of students who donate their used textbooks.  Once used textbooks are received in the Basic Needs Hub, they are entered into a catalog system.  Students are then able to find textbooks needed for the current term and check them out. This is a valuable resource for students, as textbooks can be extremely expensive especially with the degrees offered at Oregon Tech. 

Case Management services are also available to students.  This is a service where students can meet with the Community-Based Resources Coordinator one-on-one to discuss and identify each student’s specific needs. Assistance is then provided to help the student access services on campus, within the local community, as well as state or federally funded programs.

The Basic Needs Hub is a place for students to bridge the gap from where they are currently, to their future full of hope and endless possibilities.

What’s happening in Housing and Residence Life (HRL)?
By Dr. Mandi Clark, Director of Housing & Residence Life

Housing has successfully welcomed our biggest number of residents this fall after a record number of on-campus residents joined us last fall-we are hopping in Housing! We are home to over 700 students in on-campus housing, working to offer a vibrant, active, fun-filled community! This fall, the student staff have hosted a variety of events from an All-Hall Crawl offering residents the chance to wander around the Res Hall to participate in various games, crafts, and fun to study sessions most days in lobbies, and much more. Hall Crawl was so much fun, we hosted a Dessert Crawl for Family and Alumni weekend to allow our residents and their guests an opportunity to check out the various floors and buildings in on-campus housing while playing fun games and doing craft activities. 

As we head into the last weeks of fall term, Housing and Residence Life is reaching out to our residential students sharing housing and dining related plans for Winter Break. Housing and Residence Life will close for Winter break on Friday, December 16, 2022. Residents are welcome to remain on campus if they register with us through the link shared in the Winter Break closing letter. 

Residents using the local (Klamath Falls) train or bus transportation for the break can get a ride on the Housing Shuttle. Monday night December 12 through Friday morning December 16, 2022. They just need to sign up with the link in the closing letter, so we know they are looking for a ride. Then on the return trip, students can sign up for a ride back from the Klamath Falls train or bus station on Saturday night, January 7, 2023, and Sunday morning and evening on January 8, 2023. Housing will re-open Saturday, January 7, 2023 at noon, and the Housing Office will re-open on Monday, January 8, 2023. 

As residents prepare for the last weeks of fall term, they will see invitations to a few events, so please encourage you student to join us! During the last two weeks of fall term coffee, cocoa, and hot tea will be available just outside the Housing Office. And there may be snacks at times as well. 

As fall term’s ending is fast approaching, I want to share how much our residents appreciate your support and caring. The packages they receive, the messages you send and your calls just at the right time, have made so much meaning to them. Your support and encouragement has been amazing to see-keep it up-we know our residents are stressed but see how your kind words, support, and encouragement mean the world to them. Please gently remind them during this time to take short breaks, and to read and respond to their Oregon Tech email-it may just be one about snacks in the lobby that they needed!

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. 

FALL 2022

12/16/22	Final Payment Plan payment due (or ANY remaining balance)
12/16/22	Last day of Fall Term
12/19/22	Late fees assessed on accounts with past due balances greater than $99*
12/19/22	Interest assessed on balances over 30 days @ 1%/month
12/19/22	Final Fall Statements generated (available on Transact Payments Dec. 20)
	* Only one late fee per student per term will be charged.

WINTER 2022

1/7/22	Winter Term Tuition & Fees available on Web for Student after student registers
12/19/22	Winter Term Statements generated (available on CASHNet Dec. 20)
1/5/23	Financial Aid begins disbursing to students' accounts
1/9/23	Winter Term classes begin
1/16/23	No Classes-Martin Luther King Jr Day
1/20/23	Last day to drop courses for 100% refund (Deadline is 5:00 p.m. PDT/PST)
1/20/23	Full Winter Term balance due or 1st Payment Plan payment (at least 1/3 of balance)
1/23/23	Holds placed on accounts for students that failed to pay balance due or 1st payment plan payment
1/23/23	Statements generated (available on CASHNet Jan. 24)
1/27/23	Last day to drop courses for 50% refund (Deadline is 5:00 p.m. PDT/PST)
2/3/23	Last day to drop courses for 25% refund (Deadline is 5:00 p.m. PDT/PST)
2/6/23	Processing of refunds due to students for dropped courses begins this week
2/10/23	2nd Payment Plan payment due (second 1/3 of balance due)
2/13/23	Holds placed on payment plan accounts for students that failed to make 2nd payment plan payment
2/15/23	Late Fees assessed on accounts with balances greater than $99*
2/15/23	Interest assessed on balances over 30 days @ 1%/month*
2/15/23	Statements generated (available on CASHNet Feb. 16)
3/24/23	Final Payment Plan payment due (or ANY remaining balance)
3/24/23	Last Day of Winter Term
3/27/23	Interest assessed on balances over 30 days@ 1%/month
3/27/23	Late fees assessed on accounts with past due balances greater than $99*
3/27/23	Final Winter Statements generated (available on CASHNet Mar. 28)
3/27-31/23	No Classes - SPRING BREAK
	*Only one late fee per student per term will be charged.

Winter Term 2023

Date	Event
Nov 7-18	Registration for Winter Term
Jan 2	New Year's holiday observation
Jan 9	Classes begin
Jan 13	Last day to use Web for Student for all registration changes
Jan 20	Tuition and Fees due
Jan 20	Last day to drop without a 'W'* must request by 5pm
Jan 20	Last day to register without late charge
Jan 16	Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday
Feb 20 - Mar 7	Registration begins Spring Term
Feb 24	Last day to withdraw from an individual course*
Mar 17	Last day to completely withdraw
Mar 20-23	Final Exams week
Mar 24	Winter Term ends

Peer Tutoring offers FREE academic support to all students of Oregon Tech. The mission of Peer Tutoring is to champion academic success by providing services and resources that foster the development of personalized learning. Tutors help students develop effective learning strategies and provide guidance for understanding concepts and solving problems.

In-person peer tutoring sessions are held downstairs in the Learning Resource Center (LRC) and can be scheduled at the student's convenience utilizing the Tutoring Scheduler in TECHweb. Walk-in appointments are also available but limited to the focus areas of the staff working at the time.

Students can also access online tutoring support by utilizing TutorMe. TutorMe is a FREE service for Oregon Tech students that provides Live Lesson tutoring on 300+ subjects available 24/7. TutorMe also provides Writing Lab services that allow students to upload any paper and receive feedback within 12 hours guaranteed. 
Peer Tutoring strives to strengthen skill building, enhance understanding, and achieve learning outcomes both in-person and online. For more information, please email peerconsulting@oit.edu or call 541-851-5226.  
 

Career Services jumped right into the new academic year by hosting five in-person fairs, kicking off the fall term with an On-Campus Student Employment fair! At this fair, we had 58 open positions, 13 departments and 137 students attend! In October, Career Services hosted our first-ever targeted fair. This was the MIT & Respiratory Networking and Information fair, focused on students networking and learning about the externship sites. Eleven employers and 183 students attended this fair. Due to its success, we are excited to begin working on more targeted fairs for additional majors. Career Services also hosted a Business, Government, & Non-Profit career fair in-person. This fair traditionally has been only hosted virtually, doing so brought in a lot of local employers from Klamath County and Southern Oregon. Furthermore, in past years only a handful of students would attend virtually versus the 35 students who attended in person this term.

Finally, Career Services also hosted a traditional Engineering and Technology career fairs on the Klamath Falls and Portland Metro campuses. Klamath Falls hosted 45 employers and saw a spike in student attendance from past years with 219 students! The Portland-Metro career fair had 24 employers and 66 students in attendance. It was the first time that both career fairs had sold out within weeks of employer registration opening and had a waitlist for each of 8+ employers hoping to connect with our students!

To help students prepare for the fall career fairs, Career Services hosted two, two-day resume review marathons, one at the Portland Metro campus, and one at the Klamath Falls campus. Students were able to get one to one time with a career professional to review their materials. Moreover, Career Services visited many classrooms and club meetings hosting prepare for the fair workshops in areas such as resume creation, cover letters, elevator pitches and LinkedIn profiles. Appointments with Career Services are made through our job board platform, Handshake.

Handshake is a unique tool for our students because all the jobs posted on the platform are received from employers hoping to recruit Oregon Tech students specifically. When students fill out their Handshake profile, Handshake will give personalized job recommendations that match their interests and skills. In addition, the Handshake platform is also used to apply for on-campus student employment, register for virtual and in-person events, and schedule appointments with the Career Services Team.

Winter term begins internship season, thus making it a great time for students to focus on their resumés and other career planning. We highly encourage students to make appointments with our staff and visit our online Canvas course called “Internship and Job Search Resources” where they will find extensive information on resumé building, writing cover letters, job and internship searching tips, building a LinkedIn profile, and much more! Additionally, Career Services will host at least three more career fairs and an etiquette dinner on both campuses during the winter term. 

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT STORIES

Each month, the alumni newsletter and website feature an Alumni Spotlight story, highlighting alumni who are doing great things in their careers and for their communities. These exemplary models of Oregon Tech graduates bring us so much pride and are inspiring for current and future students. Recently we featured Noah Sharrot ‘22, a dual graduate in Renewable Energy Engineering and Electrical Engineering who landed his dream job at Tesla right after graduation; Andrea Whetsell Rodberg ‘06, who spent the first half of her career serving in the military before attending Oregon Tech to become a radiologist; and Dave ‘82 and Quinn ’09 Hummel, a father-son team who both earned degrees at Oregon Tech. Dave is a retired biology teacher and his son Quinn has his own dental practice. Read about these and more owl-mazing alumni at: https://alumni.oit.edu/stories

YOU’RE INVITED

Various regional events for alumni take place almost every month. Whether it’s a barbeque for alumni in Reno, a wine tasting event in Seattle, or the annual Blazers game in Portland…parents are always invited to attend alumni events! This is a great opportunity to meet graduates from Oregon Tech to get to know the people who will soon be in your student’s personal network. For upcoming event info, visit the recently remodeled alumni website at: https://alumni.oit.edu or contact the Director of Alumni Relations at rebecca.burkeen@oit.edu. We love to have parents at our events! Go Owls!

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, in honor of Oregon Tech’s 75th anniversary, we are thrilled to have awarded over $1,030,000 in scholarships to very deserving students – our largest single award year in history! Each scholarship represents a student who receives assistance towards getting another step closer to achieving their degree and their dream.

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 over 340 young people will have a brighter future, a boost in morale and a vote of confidence. This year’s 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 2023-2024 Oregon Tech Foundation scholarship program are open now through March 1st, 2023 and details are available at www.oit.edu/otfscholars, and 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 Executive Director of Development, Mira Wonderwheel, at 541-851-5679 or mira.wonderwheel@oit.edu.

The Oregon Tech Foundation surpassed a historic milestone this year, awarding $1,030,000 in scholarships to Oregon Tech students. The new record was celebrated October 29 as participants gathered at the Klamath Falls campus and live-streamed to a gathering at the Portland-Metro campus for the Annual Scholarship Awards Banquet. This special event honors the achievements of scholarship recipients and recognizes the philanthropic donors who make scholarships possible. Click here to read more. 

 

• Scholarship Night - January 11th at 6 pm
• Investing - February 16th at 3 pm
• Identity Theft Prevention - February 22nd at 3 pm

All events will have scholarship drawings for attendees and all events will be virtual. For information, upcoming events and Zoom links please see our webpage at: www.oit.edu/owls-worth.

Just to name a few fun, exciting AND educational events that happened during fall term!

• Treehouse Open House and Karaoke
• Hispanic Latinx/a/o Heritage Month Celebration
• Pride Week Celebration/ Queer Brunch
• Native American Heritage Month Presentation
• A workshop from a Klamath Tribal member about water conservation

Student Involvement and Belonging, The Treehouse, and the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Cultural Engagement works tirelessly to put forth and promote the opportunities for students and the overall campus community to attend. These opportunities helped engage our students in feeling a sense of belonging and  learning about new things they never knew before. These students really leaned in and stretched their perspectives to build community.

New student programs have had a busy fall term by welcoming one of the largest incoming classes to Oregon Tech! With 463 new students, we launched a new orientation program called "S.O.A.R.ing into Success," which focused on finding support, exploring opportunities, achieving academic success, and building resiliency. With the development of this program students and their supporters were able to gain valuable information that helped start the fall term off strong. With the help of over 30 departments across campus, we were able to not only had over 700 guests attend but also but had one of the largest orientation turnouts in university history.

As the school year began on September 28th, we launched Weeks of Welcome, two weeks of programs designed for all students to be welcomed back to campus. Together we celebrated 75 years with Hootie and offered over 20 activities/events spread over the first two weeks. Students were welcomed back with donuts, opportunities to find resources, and plenty of Oregon Tech spirit. Student Involvement and Belonging was so excited to welcome students back to campus for the fall 2022 term. 

Together, New Student Programs worked with the Alumni Association to put on "Family and Alumni Weekend" the first weekend in November. We welcomed over 300 guests to campus to help celebrate 75 years of Oregon Tech and 40 Years of Phi Delta Theta. From an exciting tailgate and basketball game to breakfast with the president and food from local vendors in town, we enjoyed getting seeing Oregon Tech students and alumni. As the 2022-2023 Academic year continues, New Student Programs looks forward to welcoming new students in the winter and spring terms as well as all the fun and exciting events coming up on our campus.

Fall Service Day 
Saturday, October 8th Oregon Tech hosted a Fall Service Day. We had 11 students participate in different service projects around the Klamath Falls community. We had their service sites and partnered with the Klamath Food Bank, Pacifica Senior Living, and Treasures Thrift Store. Students helped collect 413 pounds of food donations for the Food Bank which will provide 3,304 meals to the Klamath Falls community. At Pacifica, students participated in and facilitated Bingo and also spent time getting to know the residents. Volunteers also provided support to Treasures Thrift Store by helping move merchandise between thrift store locations. 

 

Fall Get Involved Expo
Wednesday, October 5th was Student Involvement and Belonging's Fall Get Involved Expo, an opportunity for new students to meet clubs and find ways to get involved on campus. We had 32 of our registered student organizations showcased at the expo and had over 200 students in attendance. 

Leadership
Student Program Leadership Retreat

Saturday, October 22nd Student Involvement and Belonging coordinated a leadership retreat for our student employees who work for a Student-Led Program. At the retreat, 16 students had the opportunity to learn about themselves as leaders, their identity, their impact on others, and how they can foster good collaborations while at Oregon Tech and in their future careers. We have ten student programs and they are listed below. 

• Associated Student of Oregon Institute of Technology (student government)
• Campus Activity Board
• The Edge (student newspaper)
• KTEC 89.5 (student radio)
• Oregon Tech Broadcasting 
• Oregon Tech Gaming
• Outdoor Program
• Residence Hall Association 
• Student Veterans Program
• Treehouse (diversity and belonging)
   

 

National Association of Campus Activities Conference

Eight student leaders attended the National Association of Campus Activities' Regional Conference in Spokane, WA. At the conference, they were able to attend educational sessions which gave the students resources and tips to support the growth and management of their student groups. They also had the opportunity to attend showcases that featured a variety of acts ranging from comedians, musicians, hypnotists, speakers, and more. Here the students were able to find new ideas for what kinds of activities they would like to bring to campus and connect with students from different institutions across Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and the Canadian Province of British Columbia. 

CROSS COUNTRY: First-year head coach Mike Anderson led the Oregon Tech men to their seventh-straight trip to the NAIA National Championships, earning a 21st finish overall. Senior Nick McMillen and junior Jonas Hartline each earned All-Cascade Conference and NAIA All-America honors. Women’s runner Kira Morrow earned All-CCC honors and represented Oregon Tech at the National Championships.

 

VOLLEYBALL: Lady Owls recorded their third-straight winning season, finishing the year with a 15-13 overall record. Nicole Reyes became just the second Oregon Tech player to record 1,100 kills and 1,100 digs in a career – earning her third-straight All-CCC honor.

MEN’S SOCCER: Tech earned their second-straight trip to the NAIA National Championships, finishing the season with a 13-3-4 overall record. The Owls placed second in the CCC regular-season and advanced to the CCC Tournament championship game, before dropping a tough, 1-0 decision in Olathe, Kan., in the first-round at Nationals. Six players earned All-CCC honors, including first-team picks Brock Rideout and Cade O’Neill.

WOMEN’S SOCCER: The Lady Owls battled injuries throughout the season, finishing the campaign with a 6-5-5 overall record – advancing to the quarterfinals of the CCC Tournament. Senior Maddie Miller was honored with her third-consecutive All-Cascade Conference award.

ACADEMIC AWARDS: Oregon Tech led all Cascade Conference schools with 48 selections to the Fall CCC All-Academic Team. 

 

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