Department of Orientation & Commuter Student Involvement
Family Weekend 2023 provides you the opportunity to visit with your student and take part in numerous activities and events that are planned for your enjoyment. The schedule, packed full of fun and interactive events, is available on our website.
Online registration is now open through Thursday, September 21, and on-site registration will be available. To register online, family members must set up a CaneLink proxy account. For more information, email familyweekend@miami.edu.
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Office of Emergency Management
During orientation, we had many great conversations with new students, family members, and loved ones. Ensuring our campus community is prepared for emergencies is our top priority, and we need your help ensuring your student is prepared. Please ensure that your student’s mobile number is up to date in CaneLink so they can receive emergency messages from the University. If you would like to opt-in to receive these messages, you can find instructions at prepare.miami.edu/enn/faqs.
As we approach the historical peak of hurricane season, we emphasize that worrying about a hurricane takes more energy than preparing for one. The most important step to be completed is ensuring your student has a hurricane evacuation plan. Students living on-campus will be directed to self-evacuate if a category 3 or greater storm is forecast to impact Miami. Students living off-campus should also find out if they live in an evacuation zone. Taking a few minutes to determine options for where your student will go if forced to evacuate from a major hurricane will allow you to enact that plan if an evacuation is ordered.
A virtual Hurricane Preparedness Training specific for students and family members will be offered via Zoom on Wednesday, September 13. The training will review facts and features of hurricanes, the University’s hurricane plan, and steps your student should take to be prepared for hurricanes. Anyone is welcome to attend and can register here. Additional training sessions are listed at events.miami.edu/OEM.
The University of Miami, and more importantly, our community, is resilient, but resiliency is only possible through preparation. Thank you for working with us to ensure your student has a plan for rare but potentially impactful events.
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Department of Wellness & Recreation
Studies show that being physically active benefits one’s physical, mental, and emotional health. This also translates to improved stress management and academic performance for many students.
Family members possess a unique and exciting opportunity to assist their students with reaping the many benefits of incorporating more physical activity throughout the day.
Here are a few recommendations for how family members can assist their students with increasing daily physical levels.
Lead By Example
One of the most effective ways to inspire your student to become more physically active is to lead by example. Seeing someone that they admire or look up to prioritize their health in this way will help students to see the value in taking such action for themselves.
Serve As an Accountability Partner
For many, just having someone to periodically touch base to confirm that you’ve completed some form of physical activity for the day serves as a major motivating force. Assist your student with prioritizing daily physical activity by serving as their accountability partner.
This partnership will be beneficial for all parties involved, as you help keep each other encouraged on the days when motivation is lacking.
Utilize Your Resources
Knowing where to start is among the most challenging parts of increasing daily physical activity levels. Fortunately, the Herbert Wellness Center offers many fitness and wellness classes, programs, and services available for students, members, and non-members.
With instructional classes such as Pilates reformer, ballet, hip hop, and tennis available, you and your student are bound to find something to increase your interest in becoming more physically active.
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Office of the University Registrar
The degree planner is a crucial tool for family members to effectively support their student’s educational journey. This strategic roadmap guides students from enrollment to graduation, streamlining their path toward educational success.
Students gain clarity on required courses each semester using the degree planner, minimizing unnecessary diversions. It aids in balancing studies, part-time jobs, and extracurriculars, honing time management skills critical for the future. The degree planner is also a jumping-off point for students to have productive conversations with their advisors before registering for classes.
Open dialogue about the degree planner with your student is pivotal. It aligns academic goals with course selections and encourages ownership of their education. Regular conversations about progress keep students motivated and on course.
For comprehensive insights into the benefits and implementation of the degree planner, consult the informative tip sheet: Degree Planner Tip Sheet. By actively encouraging your student to use this tool, you empower them to take charge of their education, paving the way for success in academics and future careers.
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Senior Vice President for Student Affairs and Alumni Engagement
The start of a new academic year is always an exciting time! Welcome to our family members who are joining us for the first time. Welcome back to those with a student who is returning. Our students are quickly getting into the rhythm of the semester.
As a family member of a student myself, this is often the time I begin to encourage my student to create a plan for the semester. Identify when they may have multiple competing assignments or exams. Use resources to help them succeed academically like those at the Learning Commons. Think about how they can keep themselves healthy regularly and where to take breaks. This time also encourages students to connect with their academic advisor. They can also see important dates in the academic calendar. There is a flow to the semester; the sooner our students create a plan, the more likely they are to complete their goals.
We are looking forward to an eventful semester in Miami. As always, we are prepared for unexpected situations, such as hurricanes. Please encourage your student to put a current phone number for a family member or guardian within CaneLink. We rely upon this in urgent situations and want to be sure that we can support our students and you.
One unique part of the fall semester is our football season. We just hosted our first game of the season against Miami Ohio, and have more to go in the Florida heat. Encourage your student to drink water, seek out shade, and wear sunscreen and attend our Student FanZone before the game. This is a fun way for students to get out of the heat and enjoy water and food before entering the stadium. This semester promises to be a great one. I hope to see many of you at Family Weekend next month! Feel free to reach out if you or your family ever need something.
Dr. Patricia A. Whitely began her service as senior vice president for student affairs in 1997 and is an adjunct faculty member in the School of Education and Human Development. Dr. Whitely is responsible for oversight of residential life, leadership development, diversity and inclusion initiatives, service learning, orientation, student organizations, student activities, student facilities, student counseling, Greek life, the Dean of Students Office, the Camner Center for Academic Resources, and alumni engagement.
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University of Miami Alumni Association
On behalf of the University of Miami Alumni Association, and the more than 200,000 living alumni in our global ’Canes network, welcome to the University of Miami!
The UM Alumni Association supports students on your journey as a ’Cane. Throughout their experience at the U, I encourage them to connect with alumni leaders and join a local ’Canes community. The Miami 'Canes Community is a great way to get involved locally. We also have 40 regional communities to connect with when they return home during breaks.
Family members are also part of our UM network. We have vibrant 'Canes Communities throughout the country for you to plug into from your “backyard.” Family members are always welcome to attend events to connect with other families and alumni.
Below are a few upcoming activities on campus:
Consider the UM Alumni Association your family away from home! Please visit us at the Newman Alumni Center when you are on campus.
Welcome to your ’Canes family network!
Go ’Canes!
Maribel Wadsworth, B.S.C. ’93
President, UM Alumni Association
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Department of Orientation & Commuter Student Involvement
Welcome to the Fall semester ’Canes! Classes are in full swing as new and returning students revive campus.
As students come back to campus, I am reminded of the passion I have for UM. The community comes together in a way that is electric and synchronistic. Starting the semester after seeing the joy and excitement of ’Cane Kickoff always has me motivated for the season. I feel this, especially after speaking with new students and families about what they’re looking forward to, and their experiences.
Fall is full of energetic events such as the UM football season at Hard Rock Stadium, and now the new implementation of a Fall Sportsfest. These events can be a great way for students to balance academics and socialization while interacting with student organizations such as Category 5. The ’Canes spirit is infectious, and seeing it present always fills me with pride for the U and our community.
Hope everyone has a great start to the semester, and as always, Go ’Canes!
Eliza Lee is a junior majoring in Political Science and Religious Studies with a Pre-Law track. She is a commuter student from Miami, FL. On campus she serves as a Commuter Assistant and Copywriter for Student Government. Additionally, she shares her time and talents as a Staff Writer with The Miami Hurricane.
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Department of Housing & Residential Life
Visit our website, www.miami.edu/housing/employment, to learn more about student staff positions with Housing & Residential Life. Now hiring Security Assistants and recruiting soon for 2024-2025 Resident Assistants and First Year Fellows.
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RESOURCE GUIDE FOR FAMILIES
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Produced by Orientation and Commuter Student Involvement, the Family Resource Guide is designed specifically for families of current undergraduate students and includes a variety of resources for academics, student life, campus safety, and other critical resources.
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Admissions and Enrollment
Application season brings with it the dizzying task of tracking deadlines for all schools on your college list. Let’s go through a bird’s-eye view of first-year fall application plan options at the University of Miami and who could benefit most from each one.
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Arts and Humanities
From Florida and the University of Miami to California, Dustin Romero brought his artistic talents, ambitions, and dreams with him. And now he is a character layout artist for “The Simpsons.”
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Faculty and Staff
Nicholas Armas and a team of designers in the University’s Distance Learning Institute worked with the Panthers to build a “play-by-play” educational course for hockey newcomers.
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Grants and Funding
With dangerously high heat and humidity still scorching South Florida, a team of University of Miami graduate students has implemented a variety of strategies—from deploying heat sensors in households to interviewing dozens of residents—to learn more about and help mitigate the effects of extreme heat.
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Health and Medicine
A new collaborative study serves as a first step in teaching children how to use faces to determine whether it is safe to interact with others.
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People and Community
The recent assassination of Fernando Villavicencio, a presidential candidate who was a journalist and a fierce critic of the powerful and the corrupt, brought to light the challenges facing the country.
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Science and Technology
As marine heat waves caused by climate change increase in severity and duration, certain species of fish will suffer the consequences. University of Miami marine biologists explain the impacts of rising ocean temperatures on fish.
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