News from the Moms and Dads Associations
Important Dates
Flu Vaccine Available
McKinley Health Center Provides Information About MRSA
Room Reassignment for 2008-2009
Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Advising Fair
Biotech Career Fair
University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Pharmacy Visit
Etiquette Dinner for Undergraduate Students
Study Abroad Open Houses
New Minor: Informatics
MCAT Registration for January 2008
Illini TV is Here
University Residence Hall Garage Band Winners
Illinois in the News

News from the Moms and Dads Associations

Please urge your student to log on to the emergency system Web site at emergency.illinois.edu and enter their contact information. The Urbana-Champaign campus of the UI is launching a new emergency communication system that will alert students and faculty and staff members to crisis situations on campus through mass cell-phone text and e-mail messages. Each person can enter up to three e-mail addresses and two text message addresses. Users can change, add to or delete their contact information at any time. Learn More

If you attended the Dads Association Banquet on October 5, 2007, the Association would appreciate your feedback on the event. Please take 5 minutes to complete the Evaluation Form.

Videos of the Conference for Illini Parents are now available online. The videos highlight some of the featured speakers and provide a wealth of information on the services and resources available to your students.

Nominations for the Moms Association Medallion of Honor are being accepted. This award is given to a woman affiliated with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who has helped improve the lives of others through her service and talents. The Medallion of Honor recipient will be recognized at the Moms Association Annual Banquet in April 2008 during Moms Weekend.

County Representatives serve as a resource for other Illini parents in their areas and meet other Illini parents from all over the country. Become a County Representative! If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity email the Parent Programs Office at uofiparents@ad.uiuc.edu or contact a County Representative from your area.

The Dads Association will be awarding four $500 scholarships in January 2008. The application must be completed and returned by November 30, 2007.

Important Dates

October 26-28, 2007 -- Homecoming Weekend
October 29, 2007 -- Priority registration begins for Spring 2008
November 9, 2007 -- Deadline to drop or elect credit/no-credit for a 2nd half session course

Flu Vaccine Available

McKinley Health Center has received its shipment of this season’s flu vaccine. Students who have been assessed the health service fee can receive the vaccine at no additional charge. The vaccine is available on a Monday through Friday basis at McKinley Health Center from 8 until 5 and it is also available at numerous outreach locations throughout the vaccination season.

McKinley Health Center Provides Information About MRSA

Methacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) - often called "staph" - is a strain of bacteria that causes skin and other infections, but is resistant to some antibiotics that have conventionally been used to treat such infections. Learn More

Room Reassignment for 2008-2009

University Residence Hall room reassignments are coming up for the 2008-2009 academic year. For more information, click here.

Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Advising Fair

The Advising Fair is held each semester during the regular time for the ECE Exploration seminars. It is an ECESAC-sponsored forum for students to learn about career options in the various fields of electrical and computer engineering. ECE faculty from the department's different research areas present 5 minute overviews that describe research opportunities and coursework in each area. Faculty and students meet afterwards for informal discussions over refreshments. This program is very helpful for undergraduates to get a better idea of the different areas of research within ECE, and the coursework necessary to learn more about a specific field.

Biotech Career Fair

The job fair provides companies, institutes and government agencies an opportunity to meet science students and researchers at all levels. This is an opportunity for scientists and personnel representatives to talk with students, postdocs, and a few alumni about research and development activities, employment and career opportunities, and lifestyles in your student's location. Students will also be able to discuss the student's research interests, background and goals, and identify potential future employees.

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Pharmacy Visit

All students interested in UIC College of Pharmacy are welcome to visit with Tom TenHoeve, Associate Dean for Student Affairs at UIC College of Pharmacy. He will be accepting drop-ins all day.

Etiquette Dinner for Undergraduate Students

Students interested in learning how to prepare for a lunch or dinner interview are invited to enjoy a four-course dinner while they learn the basics of business dining etiquette. Reservations required. $13 registration fee includes four-course meal and "Dining Skills for Today" tutorial presented by Beth Reutter, etiquette consultant.

Study Abroad Open Houses

Students interested in studying abroad in Spain/Latin America or Uk/Australia/New Zealand are invited to a Study Abroad Open House where they can learn about all the great study abroad programs that UIUC has to offer in these areas of the world. Students will have the opportunity to talk to an adviser about the programs and ask questions to returnees about their experiences abroad.

New Minor: Informatics

An academic minor for students interested in applications of computing technology and its role in society will be offered for the first time in Spring 2008 by the Illinois Informatics Initiative. The minor includes interdisciplinary courses like “Social Aspects of Information Technology,” and “Game Design: Creating Virtual Worlds.”

MCAT Registration for January 2008

Registration for the January 25 and 26, 2008 administrations of the MCAT exam will open Tuesday, October 30.

Illini TV is Here

It's a new approach to offering fun, creative, informative TV programming for residents of University Housing. Along with our movies, I-TV will air on Channel 2 at 6:30pm and 12:30am on designated days.

University Residence Hall Garage Band Winners

The GarageBand Music Festival was held in the Allen Hall Main Lounge from September 21 to 23, 2007. Listen to the winning songs!

Illinois in the News

U of I Moves Up, LAS Shines

The University of Illinois football team isn’t the only program faring well in the rankings these days. When it comes to an undergraduate education, the U of I moved up two spots to being tied as the number eight public university in the country, according to the latest survey from U.S. News & World Report. Full Story

Illinois Among Nation's Top Programs in Entrepreneurship Education

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was ranked 16th among undergraduate programs and 21st among graduate programs in the fifth annual ranking of the nation’s top entrepreneurship educational programs. The rankings are the result of a survey of over 900 schools just released by Entrepreneur magazine and The Princeton Review. Full Story

Grant to Ease Transfer of Community College Students to U. of I.

The University of Illinois has been awarded an $899,000 grant by the Lumina Foundation for Education for a project that aims to help community college students transfer to Illinois and succeed academically. A private foundation based in Indianapolis, Lumina strives to expand access to and success in postsecondary education, particularly for people from underrepresented groups, and recently awarded the grant to the U. of I. for its Transfer Experience and Advising Mentors project. Full Story

20-Year-Old Partnership with East St. Louis Reaps Many Benefits for Residents, Students

When a small group of volunteers from the UI pulled into East St. Louis 20 years ago, ready to help residents clean up vacant lots, they were challenged at every turn, literally. The students and faculty members – among the earliest participants in the university’s East St. Louis Action Research Project – had a hard time figuring out where they were because many of the city’s street signs were missing – stolen for their salvage value. Full Story

Lincoln Hall Still on Track for Renovation

Hopes have been raised, and dimmed, several times in recent years as to whether Lincoln Hall would receive an overdue restoration. They were raised in spring 2006 when the state released the second, and final, installment of funds for architectural studies and other planning work—usually an indication that the project is a priority for the state. Full Story

UIParents E-Update is a compilation of information for parents of University of Illinois Students produced by the Parent Programs Office and the Mothers and Dads Associations at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign