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Freshman Parent & Family Orientation 2013
Description and PurposeParents and family members continue to play a role of the utmost importance in their college student's development and education. Freshman Parent & Family Orientation helps families create realistic expectations and offers a great deal of information to assist families and students in making the freshman transition to Michigan. Each summer the Office of New Student Programs offers approximately 33 two-day orientation sessions for the parents and adult family members of new students admitted for the Fall Term. Parent & Family Orientation, run separately from the student program, focuses on a variety of topics of interest to parents and family members of new students. These include housing, money management, academic requirements, health services, personal and property safety, student life, and family transition. These presentations are given by faculty and staff, and also by current University students. Although parents and family members may attend Orientation on the same date as their student, please remember that the family and student programs are entirely separate; there are no scheduled meetings between family members and students during Orientation. The Freshman Orientation programs and the Parent & Family Orientation programs have separate itineraries and are located in separate buildings. Ranging in size from 80 - 180 parents and family members, each Parent & Family Orientation group is led by three specially trained student leaders. These leaders share their impressions and experiences concerning University life with each group and are available to answer most any question. Information about Parent & Family Orientation 2013 is mailed to the student's permanent address in mid- to late-April. If there are family members who live elsewhere who would like information, please contact the Office of New Student Programs. If your student is unable to attend the summer orientation programs, he or she will attend "Fall Orientation" (see below). Please note that the Fall Orientation Parent & Family Orientation program is not identical to the Parent & Family Orientation program offered during the summer, and no hotel discounts are offered. If your student has been admitted to the Summer-Half Term (they are beginning classes on June 27), there will be a Parent & Family Orientation program on Monday, June 24 - Tuesday, June 25 for parents and family members of summer-half term students. Click on "2013 Summer-Half Term Orientation Brochure" listed below for complete details.
Orientation Brochures & EmailsThe Orientation brochure is mailed to your student's home address. We will begin mailing brochures in mid-April to families who have paid the enrollment deposit. Students also receive an email message with instructions to complete the Online Orientation Information. We understand that it is important for students and family members to communicate about orientation plans, so we will provide links to all of the orientation brochures here when they become available. (Links will be active in mid-April when orientation brochures are mailed.) Students receive the following via U.S. mail:
Students receive the following via email:(OOI = Online Orientation Information)
Parents receive the following via email:
Parent & Family Orientation Check-InCheck-in for the freshman Parent & Family Orientation program takes place between 8:00-9:00 a.m. on the 2nd floor of the Michigan Union, located at 530 S. State Street (except for Sunday, June 9th -- see below). Please note that this is a different location than the freshman Student Orientation check-in location.
Families that are driving to Ann Arbor together will need to drop your student off at Markley Hall at 8:00 a.m. and then drive to the Maynard Street Parking Structure to park. From the parking structure, you will walk about 2 blocks to the Michigan Union for the Parent & Family Orientation check-in.
Families that are taking the shuttles from the Kensington Court or Holiday Inn Express hotels (see below) will take the shuttle from the hotels to Markley Hall, where all students will get off the shuttle. All parents and family members will stay on the shuttle which will then continue on to the Michigan Union for check-in.
ALTERNATIVE CHECK-IN LOCATION ON SUNDAY, JUNE 9
Sample Schedule for Freshman Parent & Family Orientation(subject to change). DAY 1 8:00 Check In & Continental Breakfast Transitions, presented by Counseling and Psychological Services Community Matters, presented by the Office of Student Conflict Resolution, the Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Center and University Health Service Campus Safety, presented by the Department of Public Safety Central Campus Tour, presented by the Office of New Student Programs
DAY 2 Academics at Michigan, presented by the Office of New Student Programs and University of Michigan faculty Meet with Representatives from your student's academic school or college
Timeline for Orientation InformationBeginning Mid-April Details about Parent & Family Orientation will be mailed to the student's permanent address in the spring. Students can sign up parents and family members for an orientation session when they sign up for Freshman Orientation. Encourage your student to type in your email address very carefully, as your confirmation will be sent via email. Family members may also sign up for Parent & Family Orientation at a later date, but space is limited. 24 Hours after Registering for Orientation Online If the student registered a family member for Parent & Family Orientation, a separate confirmation email will be sent directly to the family member to confirm the Parent & Family Orientation date (if the student entered the parent email address correctly). If you have not received an email confirmation, please contact our office at (734) 764-6413 prior to your orientation date, and we can send one to your email address. Please note: Student Orientation is 3-days long; Parent & Family Orientation is 2-days long. After you receive your confirmation emails, please keep this difference in mind as you make your travel plans.
June 3-August 2 If your student is unable to attend orientation between June 3 - August 2, he or she will attend "Fall Orientation" (see below for details).
Signing up for Parent & Family OrientationInformation about signing up for Parent & Family Orientation will be mailed to the student's permanent address in the spring. Students can use the online registration form to sign up parents and family members for Parent & Family Orientation. If you do not receive the orientation information, please call the Office of New Student Programs at (734) 764-6413 and we will register you by phone. The Parent & Family Orientation program can sometimes accommodate a small number of walk-ins, but not always. Walk-in spaces are generally more available for programs beginning on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Parent & Family Orientation FeeThe Parent & Family Orientation program is a self-supporting program and receives no tuition dollars. As a result, the Office of New Student Program charges a fee to all parents who attend the program, and the fees are designed to cover the entire cost of the program. The fee covers overhead costs, including room rentals, technology rentals and fees, student staff salaries, meals, beverages, program materials, invitation postage, and publications. Parent & Family Orientation fees are collected at check-in. We do NOT accept any orientation fees in advance. When you arrive at Parent & Family Orientation check-in, please be prepared to pay the program fee. We accept cash, checks, Visa, or MasterCard. We do NOT accept American Express. Please Note: The orientation fee is different than the $200 Enrollment Deposit that students pay in advance to the University to secure their place in their freshman class. The fee for Parent & Family Orientation 2013 is as follows:
Parent & Family Member AccommodationsKensington Court & Holiday Inn Express Hotels Although students are permitted to stay in Markley Hall during the length of their orientation program, we are unable to provide housing for parents and family members in Markley Hall. Instead, the Office of New Student Programs has made arrangements with the Kensington Court and the Holiday Inn Express to provide discounted rates for students’ families attending Summer Orientation (programs beginning Monday, June 3, 2013 - Wednesday, July 31, 2013). The Kensington Court and the Holiday Inn Express are both located on the same property, approximately 22 miles west of Detroit Metropolitan Airport and just 2 miles south of the University of Michigan near I-94.
Services and amenities for both facilities include an indoor pool and whirlpool. Each room features a hair dryer, coffee maker, full-size ironing board, premium cable, 2 telephones and data ports, a $10 dinner voucher at Graham’s Restaurant, and complimentary high-speed internet access. Accessible rooms for people with disabilities are available.
The Kensington Court, in addition to the amenities and services listed above, features a full-service restaurant and lounge, room service, pillow-top mattresses, complimentary bottled water, exercise room, bell service, business center, mini-fridge, and sauna. Complimentary breakfast at Graham’s Restaurant and complimentary copies of the New York Times are also provided. The Holiday Inn Express is more limited in amenities and services than the Kensington Court Hotel but does feature a complimentary deluxe continental breakfast served in the lobby as well as room service from the Kensington Court. A limited number of rooms are available at each hotel for a flat rate of $78.00 for either a single or double at the Kensington Court or a flat rate of $68.00 for a single or double at the Holiday Inn Express. Please note that this rate does not include applicable taxes and applies only to Parent and Family Orientation participants attending summer orientation programs starting between June 3-July 31. Rooms must be reserved no later than one week in advance of your planned arrival. Reservations made less than one week before your arrival date and extended stays are subject to availability. The Office of New Student Programs is not responsible for making hotel reservations. You can make reservations at either the Kensington Court or Holiday Inn Express by phone at 800/344-7829.
Reservations for the Kensington Court can also be made online at https://booking.ihotelier.com/istay/istay.jsp?groupID=998812&hotelID=4505 using the group booking code ONP2013.
Reservations for the Holiday Inn Express can be made online at http://www.hiexpress.com/hotels/us/en/ann-arbor/arbmi/hoteldetail?groupCode=pso
Free shuttle services will be provided for all parents and family members (attending the summer orientation program between June 3-July 31) at scheduled times to and from the hotels to campus. The hotel will provide schedule information for this shuttle. Please note: The discounted rates and shuttle services apply only to families of students participating in the summer orientation program. If your student is attending International Orientation (August 23-27) or Fall Orientation (August 27-29), there are no discounted rooms available.
Traveling to Ann ArborTraveling to Orientation by Car and ParkingStudent Drop-Off Only Markley Hall is located at 1503 Washington Heights. Due to its proximity to the UM Hospital, Washington Heights is a heavily-traveled, one-way (west to east) street, and no public parking will be available during student orientation drop-off. Because of this, parents will be allowed to drop off their student(s) outside of Markley between 7:30 AM and 8:30 AM but will not be able to park. Similar to the departure area in front of an airport, this is a DROP OFF area only. PARKING will NOT be allowed at any time, and drivers are expected to remain near their vehicles during the drop-off process. Drop-off and unloading time is limited to 5 minutes. Please plan in advance for a swift drop-off. There will be student staff and security officers on site to assist you. Families that are attending the Parent & Family Orientation program will then drive from Markley Hall across campus to the Maynard Street Parking Structure (see details below). Click here for driving directions to Markley Hall. The Parent & Family Orientation program is 1 ½ days in length. The Student Orientation program is 3 days in length. If you are picking up your student at the end of his or her orientation program, you should arrange a time and place to meet on the third day of his or her program. Be sure to finalize plans for communication and transportation prior dropping your student off at Markley Hall. We recommend meeting in front of Markley hall; it will again be similar to a quick airport pick up area as mentioned above. Most students finish registering for classes by noon on the third day of orientation. All students must check out of Markley Hall by 5:00 p.m. Those who have not checked out by this time will be charged a $50.00 late check-out fee. If you are flying, please allow time for transportation from Ann Arbor to the airport and to pass through airport security. Plan to schedule a return flight after 3:00 p.m. If your student will audition for Marching Band during orientation, auditions occur on the third day beginning at 2:30 p.m. If you are flying home with your student, don’t schedule your return flight before 7:00 p.m.
Parent & Family Orientation Parking For those not staying at the Kensington Court or Holiday Inn Express, parking is available in the Maynard Street Parking Structure located at 324 Maynard Street. The rate is $1.20/hour (except during Art Fair). You will take a ticket upon entering the Maynard structure, and you will pay the parking attendant upon exiting the structure. Parking is free on Sundays. Please pay attention to the signs at the parking structure, as some spots are restricted. This structure is approximately 3 blocks from the Parent & Family Orientation check-in at the Michigan Union. Click here for a printable map. Parking rules are enforced Monday through Saturday. On Sundays, there is no charge to park at street meters or in the Maynard Street Parking Structure. Please note: If your student is driving separately from you, he/she will receive different parking instructions that allow for overnight parking near Markley Hall, where the Freshman Orientation program is located. These instructions are only for students who are parking overnight and do not apply to Parent & Family Orientation guests.
Driving from Markley to the Maynard Street Parking Structure:
Art Fair (July 12-20) Parking for orientation during the Ann Arbor Art Fair will be very difficult. We recommend you arrive by 7:00 AM to secure a parking space. Traveling to Orientation by PlaneDelta Airlines will provide a discount from any point of origin that Delta Airlines services in the United States and Canada to Detroit Metropolitan Airport for all new Michigan students and their families attending Summer Orientation. Travel will only be permitted between May 31, 2013 & August 5, 2013. Summer Orientation Program discounts are based on availability and may range from 5% to 10%. Some restrictions apply. For further details and reservations, call Delta at 800-328-1111 daily between 8:30 am and 8:30 pm EST. Please refer to the Group Ticket Designator NG87M and the Michigan Orientation Delta File Number NMFKS when making your reservations. The University of Michigan is not responsible for delays, cancelled flights, damaged or lost belongings, personal injury or loss of life due to any incident involving Delta Airlines. As part of this arrangement, and to help offset orientation program costs, the University receives promotional tickets that are used solely for normal University business travel. If you purchase your tickets from a travel agent using this discount program, you or your agent must make the reservations through Delta Airlines. The Office of New Student Programs provides this arrangement with Delta Airlines as a convenience for new students.
Using a Bidding System for Airline Tickets ONSP strongly recommends that you do not use airline ticket services that do not allow you to pick specific arrival and departure times. If you cannot choose specific travel times, you may end up with an itinerary that causes you to miss a portion of the orientation program. You are required to attend the full orientation program, and we may require that you attend another program if you cannot do so. Do not purchase a ticket where the company determines flight times. We will not make any special accommodations, and ONSP will not be responsible for costs associated with attending another orientation program and/or booking another flight. Getting to Ann Arbor from Detroit Metropolitan AirportThere are many shuttle services and cab companies that provide door-to-door service from Detroit Metropolitan Airport to Markley Hall in Ann Arbor. A list of these services will be available online at the Ann Arbor Convention and Visitors Bureau.
If you are staying in the Kensington Court or Holiday Inn Express hotels, the low-cost AirRide shuttles drop off at the Kensington Court parking lot. Other Means of TravelAnn Arbor is accessible by both Amtrak train service and Greyhound bus. To inquire about train schedules or make reservations, you can call 800-USA-RAIL (800-872-7245) or you can book online at www.amtrak.com. The telephone number for Greyhound is 800-231-2222 or you can book online at www.greyhound.com. For directions from the train station or bus depot to Markley Hall, please contact our office. NOTE: Most students finish registering for classes by noon on the third day of orientation. If you plan to fly home with your student, we recommend you do not make return flight/travel arrangements prior to 3:00 pm due to traffic and/or airport security check-in. If your student is auditioning for Marching Band, do not make return flight/travel arrangements prior to 7:00 pm as the ending time varies.
Fall Orientation: August 27-29If your student is unable to attend a summer orientation session between June 3-July 31, he or she will be assigned to attend Fall Orientation on August 27-29. There is a corresponding 1-day Fall Parent & Family Orientation on Tuesday, August 27. Please note that this is not an identical program to the Parent & Family Orientation programs offered during summer orientation. Families of students who are attending Fall Orientation will receive a mailing in early August with details about this Fall Parent & Family Orientation program.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I communicate with my student during Orientation? Will we have any joint programs with the students? May we attend Parent & Family Orientation at a different time than our student's session? Is there housing provided during the Parent & Family Orientation program? Where may we park during the Orientation program? What if I never
received/threw out my registration materials for Parent & Family
Orientation? May we eat in a residence hall during the program? How many families attend Parent & Family Orientation? Your question not listed here? |
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