Madison Family Newsletter: June 2023

I hope you’re having a great summer and getting some time to spend with your Duke. This is always an amazing time of the year as we just sent one group of Dukes off into the world at Commencement, and we will welcome the Class of 2027 to JMU in a few short weeks.   

Updates 

Plans are under way to replace the residence halls in the Village. This will take many years and will be done in phases so we can accommodate all first year students and upper class students who want to live on campus. The first phase is beginning now with the replacement of Ikenberry Hall, which will take two years. We have engaged our students in the designing of this hall and the others that are coming soon so we can exceed their expectations. There are many different innovations in this new building that we expect students will love, and they will set the stage for future buildings. These are bittersweet moments in our community because so many students live in the Village each year, and replacing these will be both exciting and sad. We will keep all of you updated as this construction progresses and we make plans for the rest of campus housing in a Housing Master Plan we will release this fall. 

We are also really excited about the plans for the new Carrier library renovation and expansion. This will impact one of the most popular places to study, so the university has been working to create and identify all the places to study on campus. This interactive map will continue to be updated throughout the summer as we add more locations for students to utilize all across campus. We also created this student spaces page to give a little more information about some of the places students use to hang out around campus. 

Reminders 

Please remind your student to check their JMU email and follow the instructions to access it after the recent Dukes Microsoft 365 migration. This transition will really improve their experience and communication across campus. We use their email addresses for most of our communication with them, so it’s important they are checking this daily. This will also be good training for life after JMU when they will be using email or some other form of regular communication method for work. 

Topics to discuss with your student 

How did you do academically this semester? 

Tip: This is an important conversation to have regularly and especially at the end of every semester.  I often hear from parents who are surprised to find out that their Duke is on academic probation or even academic suspension after a semester that doesn’t go well. If you haven’t gone over your Duke’s semester grades with them yet on Canvas, I would recommend doing that first. If they have a cumulative grade point average below a 2.0, then there is a possibility this could impact their academic standing.  Here is more information on what all of this could mean for them. If their academic standing has changed, they would have received an email notifying them of this and making them aware of the steps they need to take. I share this with all of you because, as noted above, many of our students are not regularly checking their email, so we want to encourage you to have them make this check. Most questions are answered within the letter, so it’s important that you read this fully before calling any university offices. This only impacts a small number of students, but I still wanted you to be aware and to encourage this conversation.   

When do you plan to return to JMU? 

Tip: Now is the time to confirm those dates to be sure they don’t conflict with vacation plans, family celebrations, and summer jobs. Also, I am always concerned about how some of our students are returning earlier and earlier before classes begin without anything constructive to do. While I know the students enjoy “Frog Week” parties, this rarely provides much value to them, and it causes significant disruptions in the local community before classes begin. 

Have you talked to your roommate(s) about who is bringing what for the house/apartment/room this fall? 

Tip: While many students know their roommates well already, they haven’t often planned to furnish and fill up a whole house or apartment before.   

For students living off campus, even if their place is furnished, they will still need a vacuum cleaner, cleaning supplies, and everything for a kitchen like spices, dishes and cooking utensils. Unfurnished places will need even more discussion to identify furniture for a whole place. Make the move-in process easier with some of these early conversations over the summer. 

Finally, enjoy your time with your Dukes this summer if they are with you. I often think back to summers when I stayed at JMU working, and those were some of my favorite times. We always made time to go on vacation as a family each summer, and those weeks in the Outer Banks are memories I will always treasure. Jamie, Duke Dog, and I will just be getting back from the beach when you all get this letter, so I am reminded of those trips as a kid. I hope you all can make time to be together as families this summer and make those memories together.   

For the families of the Class of 2023, congratulations on your shared achievement, and I wish you and your new JMU Alumni luck in the next chapter of their lives. For all of you, enjoy your summer, and we’ll see you soon. 

Go Dukes!

Dr. Tim Miller

Vice President for Student Affairs

Submitted by: Sydney Wood, Social Media and Marketing Manager, Residence Life

Have you ever wanted to go inside each and every residence hall to explore all your student's options? Has your Duke picked their Residence hall, and now you want to look at how to move their furniture? Want to measure a piece of furniture or see if something you found on Amazon is going to fit? YOU CAN! Residence Life now offers you fully interactive and virtual tours of all our residence halls, room types, and even bathrooms!

Learn More

Submitted by: Emily Blake, Communications & Marketing Coordinator, Libraries

Construction is underway for the renovation and expansion of Carrier Library! Get a sneak peek at new images of the future Carrier Library, expected to reopen in Fall 2026.  

Learn More

Submitted by: Kate Burke, Director of Internal Development, Duke Club, Athletics

Looking for a unique and lasting gift to celebrate a JMU student, grad, alum or fan? JMU Athletics and the Duke Club are proud to continue the Duke Dog Paver tradition — a legacy brick campaign that offers the JMU community the opportunity to personalize and memorialize the people, places, and experiences most important to them with a custom engraved brick on campus. Get your personalized brick ordered today.

Learn More

Join 9,000+ fellow JMU parents and guardians in the official Facebook group! This group was created by the Office of Parent Relations in an effort to provide a safe online environment for parents to engage with one another. Request to join the group here »

Connect with the JMU Family!