Madison Family Newsletter: January 2024

Hello JMU families, 

Happy New Year! I hope your year is off to a great start and that you have enjoyed some quality time with your Dukes.  

Thank you all for the birthday wishes! My 50th was made extra special by all the amazing people in my life and celebrating with thousands of Dukes at the Bowl game in Texas! I appreciate your well wishes, and I am looking forward to this next decade of my life.   

Supporting Dukes  

Jones Miller Student Emergency Fund 

As many of you know, Jamie and I have created a Student Emergency Fund named in honor of our parents to support Dukes who struggle with unexpected costs while enrolled at JMU. While there are many scholarships for costs like tuition and fees, there is no fund to help students with other costs that may occur during the semester. I have spent most of my career on issues of students’ basic needs and working to support students in these moments. Research and my anecdotal experience have shown that the final financial straw for students is often less than $100 that might take the form of a flat tire, a costly book or an emergency trip home to support family.   

Jamie and I have committed $50,000 to the creation of this fund so that no JMU student will be alone in facing these issues. We hope this fund will keep Dukes here through graduation and we appreciate the Dean of Students for agreeing to host and administer these funds starting in the Fall of 2024. We are proud that 109 people have already donated $14,000 to this fund and our hope is that we will continue to raise money to support students. If you want to learn more or support this fund, please go to the Jones Miller Student Emergency Fund. 

Support the JMU food pantries 

Many of you have been great supporters of our on-campus food pantries, and I want to let you know of a fun way you can help while also building school spirit. Beginning Feb. 1, JMU will be participating in the Schools of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) Food Fight. We’ll have more information in next month’s newsletter about how you can get involved but you can learn more at the link above. 

For students who may be struggling academically 

Transitioning to college can be a challenge, so please let your Duke know that they are not alone. We know that some students were placed on academic probation after the Fall semester, so the Dean of Students and I are hosting our Spring Rebound course again. This will be a weekly course that students attend where we help them build skills like studying, time management and test taking. In addition, they meet one on one with either Matthew Hunsberger in the Dean of Students office or me where we would create some accountability for their efforts.   

Another opportunity is the Academic Mentor Program, which involves mentorship working with a fellow Duke who can provide guidance and support. This includes three one-on-one meetings before Spring Break to develop a plan to succeed academically. 

To sign up for either of these programs, have your student go here. 

The other resource is Learning Success Strategies, which offers a number of resources and one on one trainings for students and has been highly effective for many years. Students can go to the link above to learn more and sign up for an appointment. 

Reminders 

There are so many things for students to do here at JMU. Be Involved is a great place to learn what groups exist on campus. For students who could use a little help finding the right fit, Explore Madison can help with that connection. This program will give them an opportunity to meet one on one with one of our staff in Student Life who will guide them through their involvement options at JMU. 

Questions to ask your student 

What are you looking forward to this semester? 

Tip: Encourage them to explore new experiences they may not have considered before and broaden their options and their mind. 

What are your plans for Spring Break? 

Tip: This is a chance to be sure you’re on the same page regarding travel, who’s paying and if getting a job may be in their near future. 

What are your academic goals for the Spring Semester? 

Tip: Many students fail to succeed academically because there are no shared goals between them and their families. It’s appropriate for you to have some expectations and for them to work hard to achieve those goals. 

What are your plans for the summer? 

Tip: I saw a Chinese proverb today that I really liked, and I think it’s applicable here. “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” The same planning is appropriate for internships, summer jobs, summer school or summer study abroad. Help them start thinking about this now and not in May. 

Upcoming Events 

Beginning Jan. 15 | Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Week events 

Jan. 18 | 7 – 9 p.m. | Festival Ballroom | Student Org Night 

There are also weekly events for students to drop in and enjoy such as Tea Time, Crafternoon and Underground Sound Concert Series.

Winter Is Coming! 

Finally, I wanted to remind you all to talk with your Dukes about winter at JMU. For some of them, this will be the first winter where they must clean off their own car, clear their parking spot so they can get out, and clear their sidewalks and driveways. Please talk to them about these responsibilities and make sure they know how to clear their car off, so they don’t endanger themselves and others on the roads. I would also ask you to make sure they have the right equipment with them when they come back, including a scraper/brush as well as a snow shovel. Too many winters I see our students trying to get their cars out with pots and pans and struggling to get to class on time. This is a good time for them to learn these skills and be safe driving this winter. Also, please remind them that they can clear off the car next to them and maybe clear an extra sidewalk or a driveway for a neighbor. That’s what Dukes do. 

Enjoy these remaining days with your Duke, we’re looking forward to having them back on campus for the Spring semester. We are also so excited for our many Dukes who are entering their final semester and can’t wait to celebrate them this May! 

Go Dukes! 

Dr. Tim Miller

Vice President for Student Affairs

Submitted by: Justin Roth, Senior Associate Director, Marketing Design and Strategy

More than 1,000 alumni, parents, students and fans celebrated and cheered on the Dukes in Fort Worth at the Armed Forces Bowl against Air Force as the football team made history by playing in JMU’s first bowl game ever. The rest of us celebrated at home or at watch parties to catch the action. Catch up on the celebration.

Learn More

Submitted by: Jessica Hopkins, Assistant Director of Compliance, Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships

The Department of Education has started a “soft launch” of the 2024-25 FAFSA where the form will be available for periods of time. During the soft launch period, the Department will be monitoring site performance, conducting planned pauses for maintenance and making updates to improve the applicant experience. For more information about this “soft launch”, please refer to this portion of our website dedicated to the new FAFSA changes.

To ensure you receive priority consideration for all types of financial assistance, the federal government must receive your 2024-25 FAFSA by March 1, 2024. This is JMU’s priority filing date. In some cases, filing later can reduce your chances of receiving certain types of financial aid, including state grants.

Please note that meeting the priority filing date does not guarantee that you will receive university or state grant dollars. The number of eligible students and the size of our annual funding allocations are significant factors in determining whether sufficient funds are available to award all those who qualify. Submitting a FAFSA comes with no strings attached. The application is free and available online at studentaid.gov.

Learn More

Submitted by: Tiffany Corbin, Communications Coordinator, University Career Center

The University Career Center is hosting a Winter Clothing Drive for our Career Closet! This resource provides students with FREE business attire for interviews, internships, jobs, presentations, and more.

We rely on donations to keep the closet running. If you have any gently used business attire, consider sending it back with your Duke after break. They can drop off all items at the Career Center on the 3rd floor of the Student Success Center.

Accepted Items: (All apparel and footwear sizes are needed!)

• Business suits
• Dress shirts
• Blouses
• Slacks
• Jackets
• Skirts
• Dress shoes
• Ties
• Belts
• Scarves

The JMU Career Closet CANNOT accept the following: Winter Coats, Trench Coats, high-heeled shoes over 3 inches or strappy sandals.

For those who want to support students through the Career Closet but don't have clothes to donate, or for those who might be too far to drop off items, we've curated a wish list of work attire essentials. Click the link below to make a difference today!

Learn More

Join 10,000+ fellow JMU parents and guardians in the official Facebook group! This group was created by the Office of Family Engagement in an effort to provide a safe online environment for parents & guardians to engage with one another. Request to join the group here »

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