Empty Nest Newsletter - Winter 2024

Help Your Students Fight the Winter Blues

As we move into Spring here in Klamath Falls, the Integrated Student Health Center (ISHC) staff want to encourage you to consider brightening your student’s day. We had quite a hard winter, with more snow than we have seen in many years. The most difficult part, however, was that the wintery cloud cover stayed for weeks at a time. That was unusual, as we typically have more sunny days than not. Now, we have moved into Spring which (unfortunately) tends to be quite rainy, at least through April. Many people are negatively impacted by continued “gray-ness” outdoors, and if your student is one of them, they might be struggling right about now. Of course, ISHC offers counseling at no charge, which we are always happy to encourage. However, sometimes all our students need is a little something fun, or a reminder from home that they are loved, to brighten their mood. So, please consider sending a little something if you can – it can even just be a card or note, but baked goods are always highly sought after, of course. Other popular pick-me-ups are gift cards to local restaurants, flowers, or even an electronic-card through e-mail. This can be a difficult time of the term, and so we would like to request that you reach out from your end with a little encouragement to help our students make it to summer!  Questions? Call 541-885-1800.

Winter 2024 kicked off with the Residence Life team welcoming students back to campus for another term. The start of every term is always an exciting time of joyful reuniting of friends after break and welcoming new students to our living facilities.  

The second week of Winter term, the new Director of Housing and Residence Life, Bonita Bontrager, joined the Oregon Tech community. Bonita has worked in housing at the director level for nine years. Bonita most recently worked at the University of Montana Western. She is excited to be part of Oregon Tech and is working to learn processes as quickly as possible to serve your students well. 

Winter term is when student apply for student staff positions in Housing & Residence Life for the 2024-2025 academic year. We are in full-swing hosting interviews with those who applied for positions. Housing and Residence Life could not function without our incredible student staff members. If your student applied, congratulate them on pursuing this opportunity. Final selections will be made during the Spring term. 
Housing Applications for Fall 2024 are LIVE. Following is some important information and reminders concerning Housing Applications and Room Selection: 

• Even if a student is undecided concerning their Fall 2024 housing options, they should fill out an application to keep their options open until they make a final decision. Students have nothing to lose by signing up for housing right now as they have until August 15, 2024, to cancel their application and have their deposit refunded. 
  •  To apply for housing, students just need to visit  www.oit.edu/housing and follow the instructions to apply found there.
  • BONUS—current residents do not have to pay the $100 deposit or the $50 application fee as their housing deposit rolls over from this year.
  • It helps the student if they apply for housing as soon as possible. If they are placed on a waiting list for a single or a Village space, their application status is part of what determines their place on the waitlist.
•  We are expecting another very full academic year in on-campus housing.
  • Room selection will open April 29, 2024, for returning students.
•  Students with housing applications on file by April 28, 2024, will be eligible to go through Choose My Room and are encouraged to pick a spot and continue to check for openings if they don’t get their first choice until this program closes on May 20, 2024.
  • Seniors get first choice, then juniors and so on. 
•   Housing is guaranteed for applications received by May 1, 2024.

While we are enjoying Winter term we are already looking toward Spring Break and Spring term events. Spring Break will begin March 23, 2024. Student may remain on campus during Spring Break. Housing and Residence Life will be providing shuttles to the Klamath Falls bus or train station. Make sure your student checks their email concerning Spring Break housing and shuttle information. Dining facilities will be closed during the break.

The highlight of Spring Term is the annual Spring Fling event help May 13 – 15 this year. Spring Fling is a week of events including food, arts and crafts, 5k fun run, etc. Student staff have already begun planning the events for this fun week. 

If you have any questions about on-campus housing, please contact us at 541-885-1094 or housing@oit.edu. All of us in the Housing Office as well as the entire Housing and Residence Life team are here to support our residents and help you as you have questions. Thanks for all you do to support your students too-the packages, notes, and email/text messages are often the high point in our student’s day!

Spring Term 2024

Spring Term 2024

It’s been a busy Winter term for the library, and like the hard-working students here at Oregon Tech, we’ve been diligently working toward our goal of creating a more comfortable, useful, and welcoming library environment. 

This term saw the deployment of our newest batch of laptops that are available for any student to borrow for up to an entire term, with the option of renewing through the end of the academic year. With the addition of these new machines to the collection, we're ensuring that every student has the tools they need to succeed in their academic journey. Whether they’re needed for attending online classes, as a loaner while a personal device is repaired, or just to relax with some Netflix after a long day, these laptops are here to support our students in any way they’re needed.

We've also been analyzing library usage data and are excited to report a significant upward trend in the use of our group study rooms. In recent months the library’s 3 group study rooms have seen 20% more uses compared to the ’22-‘23 academic year. It's fantastic to see more students taking advantage of these spaces for group discussions, collaborative projects, and focused study sessions. We're committed to providing environments that foster productivity and teamwork, and these rising usage numbers tells us that we’re focusing on the right things.

Relatedly, we’re also excited to announce that in recent weeks we’ve put the finishing touches on our collaboration with Portland-based design firm Hyphn to reimagine the lobby of the Learning Resources Center and redesign the furniture in that space. The goal? To create a more comfortable and inviting space for informal collaboration, small events, and casual gatherings. We're excited about the plans we've developed together, which include easily reconfigurable modular seating, and are looking forward to debuting the new space near the start of the Spring term.

While it may still be dark and quiet outside, it’s always bright and bustling here in the library. We’re open 7 days a week to meet the information needs of our students, and we love company, so next time you’re on campus, swing by and say hi!

Career Services will be hosting two professional Etiquette Dinners later in the Winter term. The dinner for Klamath Falls will be held on February 28, 2024, in the college union. The following week, March 7, 2024, we will host the Portland-Metro Etiquette Dinner at the Grand Hotel, just minutes from campus! We are offering transportation to students who need it for this event. These events are free to students and staff who will serve as speakers or table hosts.

For Spring Term, Career Services will host a Business Management Student & Employer Mixer on the Klamath Falls campus April 23rd in the Center for Excellence in Engineering & Technology (CEET) building. Students will be able to meet with employers from various industries interested in Oregon Tech students enrolled in the Business Management, Communication Studies, and Psychology departments. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to start building their professional network and make connections with employers that may be able to assist with senior project needs, internships, and of course, job opportunities. Career Services collaborated with the Business Management department on this unique event. On the Portland-Metro campus, we will also host a Social Sciences Career Fair on April 17th and an Engineering, Technology, & Management Career Fair the next day. For the Klamath Falls campus, we will host a Health, Arts & Sciences Career Fair on April 24th and an Engineering, Technology, & Management Career Fair on April 25.

As we come upon the close of the Winter Term, Career Services continues to visit many classrooms and attend club meetings to present on various career development topics, such as resume creation, cover letters, elevator pitches, and LinkedIn profiles. The Career Services team also continues to meet with students one-on-one to help them review application materials, career or major exploration, interview preparation, job search strategies, and USAJOBS advising appointments. Over the course of the Winter Term, we have met with 26 students on these topics. 

Students graduating this Spring are encouraged to contact the Career Services team by making an appointment through Handshake. Students can also access our online Canvas course called “Internship and Job Search Resources.”  There they will find all our Career Services resources.

A reminder to parents of our graduating students and returning students, the Career Services team is available throughout the summer. Please use Handshake to make an appointment with a staff member. Virtual and email appointment mediums are available! Summer break is an exciting time to work on creating or updating resumes, building a LinkedIn profile, or searching for upcoming internship opportunities.

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. 

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. For the 2023-2024 academic year, we are thrilled to have awarded over $1,030,000 in scholarships to over 320 very deserving students! Each scholarship represents a student who receives assistance towards getting another step closer to achieving their degree and their dream, having a brighter future, a boost in morale, and a vote of confidence. This is only 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 and support Oregon Tech’s mission to provide hands-on education for real-world achievement.

Applications for the 2024-2025 Oregon Tech Foundation scholarship program are open through March 1, 2024. Details are available at www.oit.edu/otfscholars and through the Financial Aid Office. A second application process will open in July. 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.

Participation is easy! Below are the top 4 ways to participate in Give A Hoot Day!

1. GIVE - Support your passion and make a donation all-day April 17, 2024, when the event is live for 24 hours!
2. WEAR - Sport your Blue & Gold and Oregon Tech gear on Give A Hoot Day!
3. CARE - Spread kindness and generosity through volunteer action.
4. SHARE - Post pictures, share links, and spread the Give A Hoot Day message with alumni, friends, and family via email and on all of your social networks.

Learn About Give A Hoot Day

2024-2025 FAFSA Changes and Award Notifications

The Department of Education opened a "soft launch" of the 2024-2025 FAFSA on December 30th. There have been issues accessing the FAFSA application for some students and families, leaving them unable to log in or complete it. 

As of January 30, 2024 the US Department of Education estimates that they will begin transmitting FAFSA information to schools the first half of March 2024. It is anticipated that students will also be able to make corrections to their FAFSA starting the first half of March. We apologize for the confusing and cumbersome process that has been created by the US Department of Education's changes to the 24-25 FAFSA application. This is a struggle for students, parents, and schools. Once schools are able to receive FAFSA records it will take some time to process these and then notify students and their families of their financial aid package for the upcoming 24-25 award year. We will keep our website updated with news as we receive it. 

Check out these helpful videos from the Department of Education

 

Oregon Tech’s Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Klamath Falls chapter hosted an annual Engineer for a Day event Feb. 20, inviting community youth and families to campus as part of Engineers Week celebrations.

Organized by SWE, Engineer for a Day offered participants a unique opportunity to explore engineering through interactive workshops, demonstrations, and projects led by more than two dozen Oregon Tech students from various programs.

From building bridges to programming robots, attendees had the chance to immerse themselves in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in a fun and engaging environment. The event inspires the next generation of engineers, particularly encouraging girls to pursue careers in STEM fields where they are traditionally underrepresented.

Lane Hughes, President of Oregon Tech’s Society of Women Engineers Klamath Falls chapter, said Engineer for a Day is not just about introducing kids to engineering concepts; it's about encouraging exploration and discovery that can lead to future careers in STEM.
“This is an important event because it gives younger students an idea of what engineering is like so they know they have options for things to do when they grow up,” Hughes said. “This event teaches younger students early on that engineering is an option and that it can be fun. It is also a way for our school to give back to the community as this is a free event for younger students to attend.”

The event was designed for Klamath County kindergarten to sixth grade students but welcomed children from pre-kindergarten who attended with older siblings.
It is the second year Hughes has participated in the event. “Both times I have loved seeing the younger students enjoy making the projects,” Hughes said. “I loved seeing them smile as they finished the project and then seeing them play with the project and try to understand how it works. I also enjoyed seeing the Oregon Tech students interact with the younger students.”

Oregon Tech remains committed to promoting STEM education to younger generations and looks forward to continuing collaborations with organizations like the SWE to empower future generations of innovators and problem-solvers.

“SWE is a model for how our Oregon Tech student organizations prepare for their future career in industry and shape the lives of future engineers to ignite their STEM curiosities,” said Thomas Arce, Director of Student Involvement and Belonging (SIB) at Oregon Tech. “Student organizations at Oregon Tech can engage in leadership-building opportunities, to grow as an individual and sharpen skills to ensure they are career-ready. Student Involvement and Belonging supports the leadership development of our student organization leaders through offering events and activities for leading change.”
 

MEN’S BASKETBALL – Trailing 66-60 inside the final seven minutes against the 5-time defending Cascade Conference Tournament champion and defending NAIA champs, Oregon Tech made play-after-play in crunch time – closing the game on a 19-10 run, stunning No. 3-ranked College of Idaho, 79-76, in the title game of the CCC Championships, presented by U.S. Bank.

Oregon Tech secured their first CCC Tournament title since 2012 – their seventh in program history. It was the Owls first-ever victory over C of I in a title game in seven tries, while ending a 6-game losing streak to the Yotes on their home floor.

Fresh off a thrilling Cascade Conference Tournament title, the Oregon Tech men's basketball team earned additional hardware, as three players were selected to the 15-player All-CCC Team, announced by the league office.

Juniors Jamison Guerra, Kam Osborn and Keegan Shivers were honored in balloting from the 12 CCC head coaches.
 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL –  For the first time since 2019, Oregon Tech will compete in the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship, earning one of 25 at-large bids to the 64-team tournament.

The Lady Owls (26-4) earned the No. 7 seed in the Helena (Mont.) Bracket – meeting regional foe, No. 10 seed Jessup University, in a first-round game on March 15. Game time for the match-up has yet to be announced.

The winner of the OIT-JU game will meet the winner of No. 2-seed Carroll and No. 15-seed Embry-Riddle on March 16 for a spot in the 16-team NAIA Championship final site in Sioux City, Iowa.

Olivia Sprague became the 13th women’s basketball player to surpass the 1,000-point mark, hitting the mark in a home win over Multnomah…the junior currently is the only Cascade Conference player this season in the league’s Top-10 in scoring average, rebound average, assists average, steals average and blocked shots average. 

SOFTBALL – The Lady Owls open the 2024 season ranked No. 1 in the NAIA Preseason Top-25 poll. 

BASEBALL – The Hustlin’ Owls were picked third in the Cascade Conference preseason poll and received votes in the preseason NAIA Top-25 poll for the first time in program history.

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