Finals week is December 15th-21st. Every semester during the week prior to finals, the university designates one day as Reading Day. Reading Day is a day that should be left entirely free of any mandatory course obligations for students to use as an opportunity to prepare for their upcoming final exams. This year Reading Day will be on Thursday, December 14^th.

As your student prepares for finals encourage them to take advantage of resources on campus, like tutoring. College tutoring is like having an academic personal trainer and students should know how to take advantage of the possibilities of good tutoring, especially around finals time. To read about areas on campus that provide tutoring, click here.

If your student needs a quiet place to study the university also allows students to reserve rooms around campus in order to secure a spot where they can host study groups with others in the class. To find out more about or reserve a space, click here.

Dial-a-Carol is the longest running tradition in University Housing and it’s run by the residents of Snyder Hall (Ikenberry Commons). For one week only, Dec 14th-21st, people can call (217) 332-1882 around the clock and request any holiday tune. No matter what song is requested, the students do their best to sing it. The best part? It's completely FREE! The phones are manned by student volunteers who generously sacrifice their study time during finals week to share some holiday cheer.

Everyone and anyone is encouraged to call – both the young and the young at heart! Last year, the program logged more than 10,000 calls from all 50 states and around the world. So please call in for your dose of holiday cheer and share this wonderful tradition with friends and family in your own community. The students would love to hear from you!

You can find out more when you click here.

Fall semester is coming to an end and with that comes the opportunity to sell back those expensive books that were purchased at the beginning of the semester. The Illini Bookstore is now buying back and accepting returns of books. This can be done between the hours of 7:30am-9pm Monday - Friday, and 8am-9pm on Saturday and Sunday. There will be an additional location to buy back books in SDRP at Ikenberry Commons. The dates for this location are Monday, 12/18 - Friday, 12/22 from 10am-4pm.

The Career Center's Winter Break Job Shadow Program will help you engage with alumni, professionals, or companies of interest to help develop your professional network and explore career opportunities. Job shadows are typically one-day commitments during winter break.

To read more, click here

The last few weeks of the semester, culminating in final exams, are rough on college students. As a parent, you may have your own memories (I recall shuffling back to my dorm through the snow after an all-nighter spent finishing a history paper), or your student may be venturing into new territory. One thing is for sure: between end-of-term projects and multiple exams, students will be pushed to their limits this month. Here are some of the stress factors and fears our students face during finals, and suggestions for supporting them from a distance.

Too few hours in the day

With the pressure of three or more exams in one week, students tend to get stressed. First and second-year students especially are still mastering time management. Stress can cause students to panic and even feel paralyzed.

To continue reading this article, click here.

The Illini Union Parent and Family Programs Office is committed to providing all University of Illinois families with up-to-date information, resources to assist you in the role that you play in your student’s success, and a point of contact to answer questions or address your concerns. Complete the contact information form and make sure you have access to everything the Parent and Family Programs Office has to offer. Be sure to forward this to other Illini families who are not receiving our updates.

Have you joined the Facebook Group? We created a Group for Parents and Family members of UIUC students to connect and communicate with each other about whatever they would like i.e. sharing tips, have questions, carpools, etc..

To join, click here. 

Parents and family members, just like you, have the ability to make our students’ college experience remarkable. Your contribution supports innovative programs that promote student learning, personal development, and well-being. 

Your unrestricted gift to the Parent Fund helps Student Affairs support alcohol-free programming, such as Illinites, provide personal safety training to students, and more. Your gift also ensures that regular communication and support for all families of Illinois students will continue.

To learn more about Student Affairs, click here. 

GIVE TODAY!

Students at the University of Illinois are responsible for knowing and complying with the regulations of the university and policies within the Student Code. The Office for Student Conflict Resolution (OSCR) supports a safe and secure university environment that is conducive to academic success by administering the Student Code, promoting ethical decision making, encouraging personal and social responsibility, and facilitating the effective resolution of conflict. OSCR offers free and private alternative conflict resolution services to any University of Illinois student who is experiencing conflict with another and wishes to try to manage the conflict with the assistance of a neutral third party. At least one of the parties to the dispute must be a currently enrolled Illinois student.

Find out more about how to get involved with OSCR and sign up for services here!

The Moms Association is a great way to be involved with the university and learn more about the exciting events, scholarships, and opportunities available to you and your student. While everyone is automatically a member of the association, the Board of Directors is looking for interested moms and mother figures to join the leadership team.

Board members participate in several meetings on campus (in person or by teleconference), are engaged in numerous activities during Moms Weekend, form a closer connection to the university, make new friends with other Illinois moms, and have a great excuse to visit campus a few times a year to see their student! Those with creative, organizational, and/or business skills and experience are encouraged to apply.

If interested, please complete the online application on the Moms Association website here.

You can also support the Illini Moms Association by getting Illini Moms Merchandise from the official Moms Association Online Store. All proceeds will go towards supporting our students and the campus community.

The Moms Association at the University of Illinois is looking forward to an exciting year. Be sure to like the Facebook page for the latest Moms news, events, and advice.

Looking to get involved while your student is at U of I?

We are always looking for fathers and father figures to join our Board and serve on various event committees. If you have experience and skills in event planning, organizing outings, philanthropic causes, marketing, communications, or just plain want to help out on Dads Weekend, then please click here to join the board and we will be in touch.

Whether you are interested in joining our board or not, please click here to activate your free membership with the Illini Dads Association.

All proceeds coming into the Illini Dads Association supports our students and the campus community. Founded in 1922, IlliniDads has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships and grants to U of I students and the Champaign-Urbana community. We look forward to hearing from you and meeting you at our next meeting!

For more information about the Dads Association, click here.

For parents whose students live in university residence halls, please remind your student to complete the winter break checklist. Their RA will provide them with a detailed list. Checklist items may include:

• Windows closed and locked
• Drapes open
• Trash and recycling emptied
• Dishes washed
• ALL electrical appliances unplugged (except for refrigerator)
• Holiday decorations removed from door and windows
• Turn lights off
• Lock closets
• Pet fish being taken home (if applicable)
• Medications, passports, I-20, and I-94 Forms, and other important items taken home
• Lock room door.
• Check your mailbox before you leave for break!

For students who live in apartments, have them check in with their landlords for specific instructions on how to leave their apartments for winter break.

Does your student need to stay on campus for a few extra days or the entire winter break? Make sure they sign-up for winter break housing! The deadline to reserve a room in the residence halls is December 22, 2017 by 10:30am. Students will be billed to their student account at a rate of $40/night.

For more information on winter break housing, click here.

Want to surprise your student with an unexpected gift? Maybe a little something for good luck before finals or a boost for midterms? If you love gathering your kid’s favorite treats and don’t mind the trip to the post office, shop and ship away!  But don’t let lack of time hold you back. If you want to get something in the mail right now the University Housing's Leadership Coalition is proud to sponsor a care package program for residents. Options include baked goods, snacks, stuffed animals, and healthier options as well.

For more information, click here.

• Wednesday, December 13^th | Last Day of Instruction of Fall Semester
• Friday, December 15^th | Fall Semester Final Exams Begin
• Friday, December 22^nd| Winter Break Begins
• Monday, January 15^th | Martin Luther King Jr Day (No Classes)
• Tuesday, January 16^th | First day of classes

On Nov. 14, the International and Area Studies Library at Illinois hosted a ceremony to celebrate a new Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies. 

The center was established through a memorandum of understanding between Illinois and the National Central Library of Taiwan. Illinois joins fellow Association of Research Libraries member institutions, the University of Washington, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Toronto in hosting a center. The center will serve as a platform to share both Taiwanese and Chinese studies with faculty, scholars, students, and the community surrounding the university.

 Read the rest of the article here!