2021 Next Stop GW #2 - Getting Your Bearings

We hope the start of your summer has been fantastic and filled with celebrating your student’s decision to join the GW family. We continue to be incredibly excited to welcome them to campus this fall. As a staff member within the Division for Student Affairs, I am entering my third year at GW after joining the team from Indiana in June 2019. The transition from the Midwest to D.C. was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I didn't know what to expect or how I would ease into the new campus environment. Rest assured, I was welcomed with open arms by students, faculty, and staff members. Our priority is to ensure the same for you and your student.

I imagine there are many things on your mind as you think about your student’s move to campus. Living on campus is one of the most rewarding experiences that your student can take advantage of during their first year. Our Campus Living & Residential Education (CLRE) team is excited to facilitate opportunities for your student to explore their new campus community with fellow residents, boosting their ability to cultivate communities of connectedness. The vast number of programs and events, as well as our Residence Hall Association (RHA) and Faculty in Residence Program, will offer meaningful ways for them to engage with peers and contribute to thought-provoking conversations, all centered to elevate their success. This year, the CLRE team is proud to introduce our newly formed neighborhoods. Led by our full-time Community Coordinators, these neighborhoods will help support your student’s residential experience and connect them with resources to enhance their journey at GW. We will share more information about these neighborhoods upon their arrival to campus.

We encourage you to visit living.gwu.edu to learn more about CLRE. We are here to assist you and your student during their time on campus. We look forward to welcoming you this fall.

Raise High!

Tasks Your Student Should Complete This Month:

• REGISTER for First-Year Fall Orientation
• COMPLETE the GW First Year Academic Interest Survey
• SIGN-UP for a date/time to register for your fall courses.
  • Their session will be virtual.
  • Note: First-year students in the School of Engineering and Applied Science are pre-registered for fall courses. See the online orientation module for more details.
• REGISTER with Disability Support Services, if your student would like additional support to
• accomodate a disability for their classes or living on campus. 
• TAKE placement exams if your student plans to enroll in ECON, MATH, CHEM, or a language course.
• SUBMIT a photo for their GWorld card (GW student ID). An email with instructions was sent to your student from [email protected].
• COMPLETE the Academic Support & Study Abroad, Student Support Services, and Living On-Campus sections of the Online Orientation.
  • Your student should continue working on the Academic Advising & Class Registration sections if they have not yet completed them.
• DOWNLOAD the Buff & Blue Book student edition and start reviewing! Pay close attention to Academics, Student Support Services, and Living On-Campus this month.
  • Note: Students in SEAS, WLP, and UHP are not eligible as they are participating in their cohort programming.
• REGISTER for a Co-Curricular program.
  • Note: students in SEAS, WLP, and UHP are not eligible.
• REVIEW your student’s preliminary tuition, room & board invoice (also called the e-bill). It will be emailed to your student the last week of June by Student Accounts. Discuss with your student who has permission to access and make payments on their behalf. The student is the only one who can grant access. Also, WATCH our recent Tuesday Talk on Financial Matters that provided an overview of the invoice, payment options, tuition insurance and more.
  • Note: This email goes to the student’s GW email.

Mark Your Calendars

The Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) is hosting virtual Orientation sessions in July and August for students interested in accommodations for the fall. 

• Tuesday, July 13 at 1 p.m. EDT
• Tuesday, July 27 at 3 p.m. EDT
• Tuesday, August 17 at 1 p.m. EDT

Links will be provided in the July newsletter.

**Students must attend an Orientation to receive accommodations.**

Important Forms to Discuss with your Student:

Student Account eBill Authorization Form

• If someone other than the student will be making payments to the university, the student should add them as an authorized user on the account. The student is the only one with the ability to grant access to the eBill system.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

FERPA is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

• Once enrolled at GW, students have the right to inspect and review their own education records, as well as designate who has access to their student records outside of GW. We encourage you to have a conversation with your student about FERPA prior to arriving in August. To complete the form visit go.gwu.edu/ferpa. 

Upcoming Important Dates:

We know that some of you are eager to plan ahead. Here are important dates in addition to the academic calendar (i.e. Thanksgiving, finals, and winter break dates) to add to your calendars.

• Aug. 1: Submit mandatory health immunization form to the Health Center's medical portal. NOTE: COVID-19 vaccine documentation must be uploaded in the medical portal by August 1, so campus access is available for your student by the start of the fall semester.

• Aug. 1: Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) waiver period begins and closes on September 12. Review insurance options.

• Aug. 5-7, 9-11 (time blocks vary): Class registration for first-time, first-year students.
  Note: there is an equal distribution of courses and class seating availability among all registration times. Your student should select a date and time that works best for their schedule - there is no advantage for signing up for an earlier date and time.

• Aug. 20-22: First-Year Move-In Weekend
  **Your student will select a move-in date and 3-hour timeslot later this summer. We encourage you to wait to book your flight/train until after you student has a confirmed date & time.

• Aug. 22-29: First-Year Student Orientation Week
  Orientation activities will be in-person with some online components. To help keep the number of guests on campus at a minimum as we return to more in-person campus activities, we will not be offering in-person family & guest orientation activities during this week.

At last...D.C. is reopening!

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has begun to lift many pandemic restrictions that have been in place since March 2020. Starting May 21, the District allowed some museums and restaurants to operate at full capacity, and more limits will be lifted in June. You can read more about the reopening updates online and get excited to explore the city in the fall!

Living at GW

If you lived on campus while in college, you probably have a few fond memories that you think about often. If you are curious about what residence halls look like nowadays check out these virtual hall tours to get more of a sense of what your student will experience when they move away from home.

Also, as part of our bicentennial celebration, we paid homage to one of the great, beloved landmarks of GW --- Thurston Hall.  WATCH this mini-doc that tells the tale of this iconic home for generations of students and what the future will look like when it reopens fall 2022.