Parents

A Message Home is our E-Newsletter for Families of Current and Future Benedictine Students

Stay connected with our family e-newsletters and upcoming events and special announcements!

Dear Parents,

Spring has sprung incredibly early this year and no one has enjoyed the warm weather more than your students.

I'm happy to report, however, that with less than two weeks of classes remaining, I've witnessed many of them resist the urge to bask in the sunshine and instead buckle down in study groups or with tutors in the Student Success Center so they can finish the semester strong.

In this edition, we have an essay from Mark Kurowski, director of University Ministry, offering strategies on how to teach your student to love you. After reading the piece myself, I've found it may be easier than we think. We also have a request from the members of the Benedictine University Class of 2012 Student Gift Committee. Their intentions are admirable. As a parent, I thought you may be interested in the services provided by U.S. Bank to college families. I will finish by listing upcoming athletic event dates.

I sincerely hope you were able to join us on Sunday, April 22 for our Parent Brunch. Parent Programs is all about open communication and information. If not, please contact me for information shared at this event, including how parents may volunteer on campus. Marco Masini, associate vice president for Student Life, provided an update on University building and planning initiatives, and Greg Porod, co-chair of the Parent Association, shared his personal insight and future plans for his voluntary role.

For more information, please contact me at hkeber@ben.edu or (630) 829-1127.

As always, I am only a mouse click or phone call away. Contact me anytime. I'd love to hear from you!

Hope Keber
Parent Liaison, Parent Programs
(630) 829-1127
hkeber@ben.edu
www.ben.edu/parents

P.S. Click the following link for the names of the students who made the Fall 2011 Dean's List: http://www.ben.edu/news/2012/benedictine-university-announces-its-fall-2011-dea.cfm.

A little word or kind gesture makes a big difference

In the midst of one of the darkest hours of my life, an unexpected phone call came from out of the blue and brightened my day. My wife and I were sitting on the bed in our room one Saturday and from across the phone lines came a southern gentlemen’s voice that said, “I love you, friend.”

The kind words I never expected to hear from my divinity school mentor and professor went a long way toward healing my soul.

We never really know how meaningful it can be for a loved one or friend to get a call letting them know how much we love them. I was blown away by the gentleness and kindness in my mentor’s voice. My wife burst out crying with both sadness and joy at the same time. God knows how much a kind word means to others. That is why we, as Catholics, believe the Gospel of John refers to Jesus as “the Word made flesh.” Jesus Christ is God’s kind Word to us in the midst of our humanity.

“You can feel the tension in the whole university as finals week gets near,” said a president of another university. We were eating breakfast and he was giving me advice on how to make a good start in my new job. He said, “People will do the darndest things the closer you get to finals week. The best thing you can do is to relieve the pressure by being kind.”

You may not think so, but a simple phone call to say, “I love you,” may be the best thing for your student. I encourage you to call them when you would not normally call them and say a kind word. They are loaded down with studying and work and are stressed about the challenge of having to perform at a high level in every class. You may want to do something to alleviate the pressure they feel. At University Ministry, we are offering a place for all students, regardless of their religion, to take a break. 

University Ministry, in Room 175 of the Krasa Student Center, is asking parents to send us snacks, cakes, candies, soda pop or monetary donations so that we can share these gifts with students from Monday, May 7 through Friday, May 11. If you would like to provide snacks and encourage students to stop in to relax and watch a movie, please contact us at ministryrequests@ben.edu and we will connect you with our parent organizer. Snacks will be collected from Friday-Thursday, May 4-10.

A little kind gesture or a kind word can be the source of great healing.

Mark Kurowski, M.Div., is the director of University Ministry at Benedictine University. He can be reached at (630) 829-6029 or mkurowski@ben.edu.

The Class of 2012 needs your help

Dear Proud Parents/Guardians,

An important time is fast approaching. Your student will soon graduate and bid farewell to their memorable college experience at Benedictine University. So much has happened these past few years and it is hard to believe that it is time for them to take that next step and go out into the world. Each year, the graduating class presents a gift or donation to the University as a way to honor the memory of their time here. Continuing with this tradition, the Class of 2012 would like to raise funds for something that would enhance the new Neff Welcome Center which is presently under construction. 

Current plans include the addition of a courtyard adjacent to the center made of tiles with the names of each donor who contributed to the project. If we are successful in reaching our goal, the Class of 2012 will have the very first recognition tile in this courtyard.
     
Your donation of $25 or more will enable our class to provide this lasting gift to the University. The Class of 2012 needs to meet our fundraising goal of $3,000, and with your help this goal will be achieved! 

Thank you for everything you have done in support of your student and Benedictine University. It is truly appreciated.

Sincerely,
The Class of 2012 Gift Committee

The BenCard is more than your typical ID

Every student, faculty and staff member at Benedictine University is issued a BenCard, the official University photo identification card. The BenCard is required as identification when using University facilities, as well as participating in University-sponsored events. However, you can also use your BenCard in the following ways:

• As a library card to check out materials at the Benedictine Library.
• To eat in the Krasa Dining Room, the Coal Ben and the Kindlon Coffee Shop.
• To gain admittance to your residence hall.
• To perform banking functions at any Plus ATM or Interlink POS merchant nationwide when you link your BenCard to become your U.S. Bank ATM/debit card.

U.S. Bank is a one-stop shop for all your financial needs on campus

As a true partner, U.S. Bank is committed to providing excellent financial services to your son or daughter as a Benedictine student. Here is what U.S. Bank’s Student Checking has to offer:

• No minimum balance and no monthly maintenance fee.
• Free first order of U.S. Bank logo checks.
• Free U.S. Bank Internet banking with Internet Bill Pay.
• Free email and text alerts.
• Four free non-U.S. Bank ATM transactions per statement cycle.
• Free U.S. Bank ATM transactions at more than 5,300 U.S. Bank ATMs – including the only two U.S. Bank ATMs located on campus in the Krasa Student Center and Kindlon Hall.

Preparing your student for school is a hectic time for you and we’d like to make it easier by providing this valuable information in advance. For specific questions about the program, contact Jon Brunscheen, U.S. Bank customer service manager, at (630) 637-2743, or visit usbank.com/ben for more details or to apply online. There will be U.S. Bank representatives on campus to help you open a U.S. Bank Student Checking account and to answer any further questions you may have.

U.S. Bank also offers free financial wellness seminars throughout the year. We strongly encourage students to attend these seminars to learn the basics of financial independence.

Marco Masini
Associate Vice President of Student Life
Benedictine University

Thomas McCue
Branch Manager
U.S. Bank

Go Eagles!

May Home Athletic Events    

May 4 – Alumni Baseball Game, 6:30 p.m. followed by a reception in the Coal Ben.
May 5 – Baseball vs. Rockford College, 2:00 p.m.

An important announcement from the Office of Financial Aid

The Office of Financial Aid begins awarding returing students in May, so be sure your student's FAFSA is complete and they have registered for Fall 2012 semester classes.

If you have completed the FAFSA and are selected for verification we have an important annoucement for you:

The Department of Education is aware that some students and families may not be able to use the FAFSA-IRS Data Retrieval Tool or to obtain IRS Tax Return Transcripts needed to complete the verification process primarily because of the large volume of tax returns coming into the IRS this time of year.

• Please try to utilize the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.
• If unable to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, then request an IRS Tax Transcript.
• If unable to use either of the two previous steps, then submit a signed copy of the relevant (i.e., student, spouse, or parent) 2011 IRS Tax Return (Form 1040, 1040A, or 1040EX) prior to July 1, 2012.

Please note: We are only able to accept signed tax returns for verification until July 1, 2012.

Encourage your student to visit http://ben.edu/current_students/scholarships.cfm to learn more!

Online Parents Guide