Generations September 2023
Welcome from the Parent and Family Council
Dear UArts families,
Welcome! This newsletter is designed to help parents, guardians, and families stay informed, connected, and involved with the UArts community. The content is curated by the Advancement Office, Student Affairs, and Marketing with support from the Parent and Family Council, so you know all information is given with parent and family perspective in mind.
The Office of Alumni and Parent Relations provides a variety of resources that support the professional, personal, and artistic development of our alumni as well as opportunities for parents and families to get involved with UArts. When your student graduates, they automatically become a member of the alumni association. We hope you will encourage your students to take advantage of all that the UArts Alumni Association can offer them.
The UArts Parent and Family Council (PFC) is a group of volunteers dedicated to advancing the University’s educational mission through enrollment efforts, fundraising, and fostering awareness of the University's needs and programs. The PFC actively supports Advancement and the Office of Alumni & Parent Relations. UArts is always looking for energetic and enthusiastic volunteers interested in joining the PFC and supporting the school’s mission of advancing human creativity. If interested in serving, please contact Andrew Pack at apack@uarts.edu.
We all want to collectively extend another warm and gracious welcome to new UArts President Kerry Walk. We are excited about the future and are sharing the reminder that UArts Weekend (scheduled for October 6–8) includes a full slate of fun and interesting events for parents and families. You can register here! We hope to see you there.
Last, but not least, another reminder that everyone is encouraged to visit the UArts campus for events, exhibitions, and performances all year long.
Sincerely,
The Parent and Family Council
Community Safety Guide and UArts Alerts
In any setting, a crisis requires quick thinking and a coordinated, efficient response. At the
University of the Arts, we may be presented with a number of such challenges, including the impact of major stressors such as the loss of friends or family members or loss of a UArts community member, disruptive behavior in classrooms, residence halls, and other parts of the university community, facilities or weather related emergencies, and other crises.The university’s Crisis Management Team leads the response to all campus crises and our team is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to support students.
We recognize that when a student in the university community is facing a crisis, the larger university community may be affected. Our response protocols are critical to enhance coordinated efforts that protect the safety and well-being of the student in crisis and each member of the campus community. The primary goals of our crisis response are to provide support to students, insure their safety, address system-wide issues, and work to prevent similar crises in the future.
University staff members who respond to crises recognize that students have a right to privacy and that, in some instances, they may not wish to have information shared with others. At the same time, there are situations in which it is necessary and legally permissible for our crisis responders to release information. We respond, as confidentiality regulations permit, to the student's parents, legal guardians, and/or significant others. For example, information may be disclosed to appropriate individuals in connection with an emergency when the knowledge of such information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals.
In addition to our Crisis Management Team, we also have a team of individuals that are on-call 24/7 to respond to incidents. This team includes our Administrator On Call (senior level administrator), Professional On Duty (professional staff that live on campus and respond, physically, to campus crises), Counselor on Call (staff therapist from our Counseling Center), and Public Safety team.
As a parent and family member of a UArts student, we encourage you to talk with your student about the campus resources highlighted in the Generations newsletter each month, talk to them about city and campus safety, about safe social and online behaviors and healthy relationships. Parents are also encouraged to sign up for UArts Alerts. The UArts Alerts system sends notifications via email, SMS text message and on the Portal homepage about emergency situations at the University, including closings. Students can sign up additional phone numbers and emails to receive our alerts. Details on how to sign up for UArts Alerts are listed below.
To sign up for UArts Alerts:
Have your student log in to the UArts Portal with their UArts username and password.
Access the link for Emergency Alerts through the Student Quick Links tile.
Your student will automatically be signed into the UArts Alert system and directed to the site to register phone number(s) and additional email addresses. When adding phone numbers, be sure to check “text” to receive text messaging. Your student should save their edits when they’re complete.
If your student has any issues accessing the UArts Alerts system, contact the HelpDesk at 215-717-6677 or helpdesk@uarts.edu.
Save the Date: UArts Day
UArts Day this year is on Friday, October 6. Students do not have any classes scheduled on UArts Day, however various events and activities are hosted on this day that give students a way to connect with one another as well as unwind after a busy start to the semester. A calendar of activities will be shared with students via email as we near UArts Day, but a few highlights include a self-care fair with massage therapists and comfort animals as well as an Open Mic Night.
Getting Involved on Campus
The Office of Campus Life has a full calendar of events for students to get involved in this semester! Not only does our office host weekly events like Late Night Bites and Open Mic Night, but we also sponsor 30+ student-run clubs and organizations that host events regularly. In addition, our office works closely with student leaders to provide more ways for students to get involved. Resident Assistants host events on their floors that any residential student can attend and our First Year Guides host events for First Year students in their First Year Groups throughout their first semester on campus. You can learn more about each of these Campus Life programs on the Campus Life website or view our calendar of events.
Students are notified of these events through Campus Life’s weekly Monday e-newsletter, Keepin’ Up with Campus Life or they can check out the events calendar on the UArts App, on the UArts Portal, or using this link. Events are also often advertised and highlighted through Campus Life’s Instagram @UArts_CampusLife!
If your student is unsure of how to get connected, have them reach out to the Office of Campus Life and we’ll help them find something they’ll enjoy! They can contact Campus Life by emailing campuslife@uarts.edu. You can also encourage them to try a few different activities to see what might be of interest. It can take a little trial and error sometimes to find just the right way for them to be involved. The key is to be open to getting connected in a number of different ways.
Register Today: UArts Weekend
Join us Friday, Oct. 6–Sunday, Oct. 8, for a weekend of programs and events designed to celebrate our creative community, bring alumni together, and connect past and present students and their families. Meet UArts’ new president, Kerry Walk, PhD; visit with professors; enjoy a tour of campus, including our renovated Student Center and School Store; and enjoy performances by current Music students! Attend this year's Alumni Awards, a reception and panel discussion honoring four inspirational alums.
Visit the UArts Weekend webpage or details and registration.
Faculty Spotlight: Stephen Cirino
Stephen Cirino serves as the assistant vice president of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) as well as faculty in the Music, Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology program at the University of the Arts. His experience in community service and involvement in DEI initiatives reflects his passion for promoting diversity and inclusivity in all facets of his professional and personal life. Stephen's notable accomplishments include being a part of the team responsible for developing the DEIA Committee at the University of the Arts and his unwavering commitment to advancing diversity and inclusivity in higher education.