We just finished Thanksgiving, and things move quickly now at the end of the semester. The Fall 2015 semester is in the closing week with December finals upon us.. This edition has important information for you and your student as we near the holiday seasons and is a preview of events and activities over the next month.
Classes start Aug. 24, 2015 (Mon)
Last day of registration Aug. 24, 2015 (Mon)
Last day to drop/add Aug. 28, 2015 (Fri)
Labor Day holiday Sept. 7, 2015 (Mon)
Last day to apply for degree Sept. 16, 2015 (Wed)
Mid-term break Oct. 5-6, 2015 (Mon-Tues)
Last day to withdraw Oct. 26, 2015 (Mon)
Thanksgiving break Nov. 25-29, 2015 (Wed-Sun)
Last day of classes Dec. 7, 2015 (Mon)
Reading day Dec. 8, 2015 (Tues)
Final exams Dec. 9-15, 2015 (Wed-Tues)
Commencement Dec. 18, 2015 (Fri)
The last day of classes is December 7 and finals will run from Dec. 9 – Dec. 15. The official winter break for students will run from Dec. 15- Jan. 5.
After finals are complete and commencement is over, the campus begins preparation for the holiday season. The campus will shut down for the Holiday winter break from December 24 - January 1.
Classes begin on January 6 for the Spring 2016 semester!
Finals Fest to help your students prepare!
Students can take a break from studying and join FYI, SAB, REACH, and Health Promotions in the Ekstrom Library basement from 7PM to 9PM on December 1st & December 2nd!
On December 1st there will be FREE food including pancakes, eggs, bacon, and fruit!
On Dec. 2nd there will be FREE Mellow Mushrooms Pizza and Wings, Buffalo Chicken Dip, Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Insomnia Cookies and a live stream of the Men's Basketball game vs. Michigan State!
Both nights will also include a coffe bar, flash naps, massages, study tips, and finals survival gear such as free pencils, pens, and Red Bull!
Finals Preparation
Pause for Paws
Join First Year Initiatives and the Honors Advising Center for a break with some puppies! ALL STUDENTS WELCOME!
Whether your student rented or purchased their textbooks from the campus bookstore, there are procedures to return or sell those books back at the end of the semester. Below is the link for the UofL bookstore. Follow the link to check out the rental return and sell back policies:
Check in with your student to see if they have enough funds to get them through finals. If they need a boost, you can help by depositing funds online. If your student is in the opposite boat, remember all remaining points after fall finals will roll over to be added to your student’s spring meal plan. Campus resident meal plans include meal swipes. These swipes do not roll over to the spring semester – they expire when the dining hall closes after finals. Opportunities to use extra meal swipes include the guest meal program, where a student may use one meal swipe for his or herself and one meal swipe for a guest.
Traditional residence halls: Miller, Threlkeld and Unitas will close for winter break on December 16, 2015 at 10:00AM and will reopen on January 4, 2016.
Louisville Hall, University Tower Apartments,Kurz Hall, Community Park, Billy Minardi and Bettie Johnson Hall will remain open for Winter Break.
Residents who need residence hall accommodations after the closing date OR need to arrive prior to the opening date must complete the Winter Break Housing request form. This includes students who are graduating in December 2015.
We encourage students to take any valuables with them. Items such as laptops, medications, cell phone chargers, goldfish, textbooks for studying, and so on should be considered.
Be sure to prepare the room. Unplug any unused electronic equipment including power strips, turn the room thermostat to the lowest setting, turn off all lights, remove all perishable food and remove all trash from the room.
Make sure students take any dirty/damp laundry with them – pay close attention to bath towels!
Students living in the closing traditional halls may request to stay in their room through Friday, December 18 at noon.
Students who want to arrive early can do so starting on Friday, January 1. Students who extend their housing will be charged $25 a night, which will be posted to their student account.
Any requests to stay on campus later than Friday, December 18 or earlier than Friday, January
1 will need to request full Winter Break Housing.
You can find the Winter Break Housing Request form below:
Fall 2016 Campus Housing Returning Student Application
Campus Housing does offer availability for returning students for Fall 2016 based on specific criteria. See below for qualifications:
Engineering students
Students currently residing in a Living Learning or Themed Community
Students under the age of 18
Co-op and Study Abroad Students
ADA Requirements
Campus Housing Student Leaders
Students with Dependents
Special Circumstances
The Campus Housing Returner Application opens on January 26, 2016 and remains open until February 2, 2016. Students should check their university email in December for more information and
details on how to apply. Learn more at the link below:
As graduation is upon us, your student has an exciting opportunity to leave their legacy in perpetuity on the UofL campus. Give a gift that of lasting UofL pride!
Getting to Graduation: Talking about your student's academic Flight Plan
When your student comes home for the holidays be sure to ask him or her about their Flight Plan. Your student’s Flight Plan is their map for graduating in four years.
Ask if they are on their plan both for the just completed semester and for the coming semester.
Be sure they are taking 15 hours each semester (30 for each year) or have a plan to use summer classes to stay on track. All degrees require at least 120 credit hours so taking at least 15 credit hours each semester is a must to get out in four years.
The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Educating has a program called 15-To-Finish. Same goal with a different name. Have a look at their video at http://15tofinishky.org/
We all have the same goals. We want your student to become a successful alumni after a four-year career at UofL. Go cards!
Congrats December Grads & Tools from the Career Center
The UofL Career Development Center can assist students, graduating students and alumni to create successful career plans and action steps to reach their career goals.
Professional jobs, summer jobs, part-time jobs and internship jobs related to majors are posted on-line at: Cards CareerLink at: www.louisville.edu/career
LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Indeed, FlexJobs’ Annual List of 100 Major Companies w/remote jobs, Higheredjobs, Louisvilleworks, and Snagajob are major job listing websites.
Students, recent graduates and alumni who register with the Career Development Center may also schedule career coaching appointments on-line at: www.louisville.edu/career
UofL Fire Marshal's Holiday Fire Safety Suggestions
Before leaving on holiday vacation please observe the following holiday fire safety suggestions:
Please do not decorate more than 25% of doors and walls with combustible items to reduce the overall fire load
Avoid wrapping stair banisters with electric lights or decorations that may hamper gaining a firm grip on hand rails and/or create shock hazards
Do not decorate main exit doors, ceilings along hallways, sprinkler heads or pipes, fire extinguishers, or other safety equipment
Cut Christmas trees, hay bales, or other dried vegetation are prohibited for use inside university buildings
Use only electrical equipment including extension cords and Christmas tree lights, that bears Underwriters Laboratory (UL) approval tags or other recognized test laboratory designation
Electrical powered equipment including space heaters, decorative light sets and figurines, coffee pots, battery chargers, desk lamps, and other non-essential energy consuming appliances should be unplugged before leaving on holiday vacation
Dismantle holiday decorations and stow away properly
Unblock exit paths in rooms and along hallways
Have unwanted furniture and equipment picked up by Surplus Property go online to: http://louisville.edu/surplus/forms
Lower room temperature thermostat setting to 55◦F
Remember to give each of your home battery operated smoke detectors the gift of a fresh battery
Encourage your student to download New CardSafe app
UofL is implementing several new programs to enhance campus safety this fall. Those new programs and many of the university’s existing safety efforts have been merged into one comprehensive program, CardSafe, and featured on a new safety website Louisville.edu/CardSafe.
Have you been wanting to display your dedication and your pride in your Cardinal student? Pick up a Proud Parent or Proud Grandparent shirt for $10! We have them available daily in our offices on the 3rd floor of the Student Activities Center (SAC) W302. Send your student over at any time from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm and pick one up. Cost is $10. We have red or black and sizes ranging from S-4X.
Family Resources
Parent Guide
Download the Parent Guide for information about the UofL community.
