Transcript Slide 1

Bama Essentials
A Guide to UA Resources
and Services
Action Card
What is an Action Card?
•It is an official University ID Card.
•ACCESS TO…:
•NCAA athletic events/ ticket pickup
•Campus entertainment events
•Vote in student elections
•Check out books at the university libraries
•University Recreation Center
•Student Health Center
•Computer labs
•Facilities and residence halls
•Parking decks
www.actcard.ua.edu
Action Card
There are three types of accounts on your student’s
Action Card: Meal Plans, Dining Dollars, and Bama Cash.
• Meal Plan: Your student may choose the Meal Plan that is best suited to their
needs.
•Food Card: We call this Dining Dollars.
All undergraduates with 9 or more hours are required to purchase $300 Dining
Dollars each semester. A balance of $300 per fall
and spring semester is automatically billed to
your student’s account. ($100 per summer term)
• It can be a Debit Card:—known as BAMA Cash.
A BAMA Cash account is similar to a checking
account.
www.actcard.ua.edu
Bama Dining
•Freshmen have three meal plans to choose from: unlimited, gold, or silver.
Meal Plan
Total Meals Per
Semester
Average Meals
Per Week
Unlimited
Gold
∞
220
∞
14
Silver
160
10
•Unused meals roll over from the fall to spring semester, unless the student
chooses to downgrade their meal plan.
•Unused meals at the end of the spring semester do not roll over into the
summer or following fall semester.
www.bamadining.com
Bama Cash vs. Dining Dollars
Dining Dollars
•Dining dollars are required for any
student with 9 or more credit
hours
•Accepted at Bama Dining locations
and campus vending
•Typically used to grab a snack or
eat in the Food Court
•Any unused balances at the end of
the fall semester will be forwarded
to the spring Dining Dollars
account.
Bama Cash
•Bama Cash is optional and only
available if money is deposited to your
student’s account.
•Money can be added at anytime during
the semester.
•Accepted at dining and other select
retail outlets on and off campus such as
gas stations, the UPS store and laundry
facilities.
Depositing Money into Bama Cash
Must have student’s Campus Wide ID
(labeled Card Number on website)!!
This campus has everything!
•All-you-care-to-eat
•Food Court
•Grab-and-go
•Diners
•Coffee Shops
•Smoothie Bars
•Convenience Stores
There are FIVE locations that accept meal plans: Burke Dining,
Lakeside Dining, Fresh Food Co., Bryant Dining, and Julia’s
Market.
http://www.bamadining.com/
The Student Health Center
•Appointments are made by calling 205-348-APPT or online.
•Walk-ins are welcome, but an appointment is advisable to
shorten wait time.
•Accept most major health insurance plans.
•Offer affordable health insurance on an open enrollment basis.
•All students are seen, regardless of insurance or ability to pay.
•Co-pays and services not covered are billed directly to student’s
account.
•The Student Health Center works with specialists within the
community including DCH, the local Regional Medical Center, and
UA School of Medicine, Tuscaloosa Campus.
The Student Health Center
Primary Health Care Services:
• Women’s Health, OB/GYN
• Nutrition Counseling
• Health Promotion & Wellness
• Psychiatry Services
• ADHD, ADD
• Sports Medicine
• Pharmacy
Please encourage your student to
visit the Student Health Center
at the first sign of illness.
shc.ua.edu
The Student Health Center
• Quality:
2009 Quality Award Winner and the ONLY student
health center in the state that is accredited.
• Convenience: No cash needed
Pharmacy, Immunizations, Allergy Injections, and
Lab and X-Ray are on site.
On Campus
• Accessibility: Bus route stops at
entrance.
Hours: Mon – Thurs 8AM – 8PM
Fri 9AM – 5PM
Sat – Sun 1PM – 4PM
• Insurance:
shc.ua.edu
Over 15 major
health insurance
plans accepted.
The Student Health Center
• Required: Proof of 2 MMR vaccinations, TB screening –
within the last 12 months, and Meningitis vaccination
before attending classes!
• Recommended: Up-to-date Tetanus and other routine
immunizations.
• Forms are online at: shc.ua.edu
shc.ua.edu
AlcoholEdu
•Required online education course
educating students about alcohol and
its effects on the mind and body.
•Parents should review the alcohol
education program as well, and talk
with your student about what you
both have learned.
•Available for access beginning
July 20th: alcoholedu.ua.edu
Transportation Services
Motorist Assistance Program (MAP):
•Run out of gas near campus
•Need a jump-start
•Need air in tires
•If you lock your keys in your car, MAP will call a locksmith
• 205-348-0121 or 205-348-5454 after hours
Crimson Ride is the University of Alabama's transit system. Students
can track the bus online and see the various routes offered at
http://crimsonride.ua.edu/.
Transportation Services
(205) 348-RIDE is an after hours van service for no cost to help
students move about campus. http://crimsonride.ua.edu/pages/348ride.htm
(205) 348-RIDE Express is a no cost, late night option for students
running Thursday-Saturday. http://sga.ua.edu/expresshome.cfm
Bama Bikes
•Rental program with an annual low cost fee ($10) for students to
be eligible to check-out a bike for use around campus and town.
•3 locations to rent: Rose Towers, Outdoor Recreation office
(located in the Student Recreation Center), and the Ferguson
Center. Bamabikes.ua.edu
University Supply Store
•Four Locations: Ferguson, Tutwiler, Bryant Museum,
School of Law
•Can assist you with…
•Textbooks!
•Apple products
•Clothing, memorabilia, and supplies
•Check cashing
Supestore.ua.edu
FERPA
•The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
•FERPA rights transfer to the student at the age of 18 or when they begin
attending a post-secondary institution regardless of age
•A major goal we have for your first-year experience is to forge a strong
partnership between UA, our students, and the parents of UA students. To
this end, students may sign the record release form found in their
orientation packets which allows the University to communicate with parents
about their student’s educational records
What is protected under FERPA?
•Grades and transcripts
•Academic class schedules
•Information accessed in myBama
•Class rosters
•Any document designated as part of the educational record
http://registrar.ua.edu/privacy.html
FERPA
What can be released?
•Directory information
•Information needed by a government agency
•Some information to accrediting organizations
•Information needed in a health or safety emergency
•Some information to attorneys representing UA
•Information the student has given written consent to release
•Remember your student must sign the release for either 1 year or
4 years in order for you to obtain this information. (In student
orientation packet, NOT parent).
•IMPORTANT NOTE: The university will not disclose grades on the
phone regardless of signed release. The parent must order a
transcript to receive the student’s grades.
http://registrar.ua.edu/privacy.html
Student Life
Getting involved in University life is essential to student
success! Here are some upcoming events your student should
take advantage of:
•Week Of Welcome (WOW) August 13-19
Highlights: Bama Blast, Plaza Live &
•The Ripple Effect August 14 10am-2pm
Community-wide service initiative for new students
•Student Involvement Week August 23-27
Highlights: Get on Board Day, On-Campus Job Fair
Student Life
UA has a multitude of organizations and ways to get involved!
The SOURCE : http://thesource.ua.edu/
The Office of Student Involvement & Leadership: http://leadership.ua.edu
The Community Service Center: http://www.volunteer.ua.edu
Student Recreation Center: http://urec.sa.ua.edu
Freshman Learning Communities: http://flc.ua.edu
Student Employment: http://jobs.ua.edu
Academics—Advising
• Advisors are the faculty or staff member who will assist
students in selecting classes for their degree program.
•Students should get know their advisor and seek their advice.
•Encourage your student to visit regularly.
•Students seeking to change majors should see their advisor.
Academics- DegreeWorks
DegreeWorks allows a student to plan & track time to his or her degree – 24/7.
Student View Audit
•This allows students to be able to view their past and current work to best plan
their future before meeting with an advisor.
Student Educational Planner
•This feature works in conjunction with the Student View Audit to help plan
future coursework.
“What If” function
•“What If” allows students to hypothetically change their major, minor, or
concentration.
“Look Forward” function
•Helps students forecast their time at UA.
GPA Calculator
•Allows students to calculate various GPAs.
Academics- Faculty
•Key to your student’s academic success.
•Students should get to know at least one professor each semester.
This will help when it comes to needing letters of reference.
•Professors are very limited to what they can talk to a parent about,
so many will prefer to communicate with the student directly.
•Mid-term grades distributed to students in 100 and 200 level courses
so inquire with your student around mid-term to ask how they are
doing.
•Office hours- time dedicated to talking to students.
Academic Resources
UA has many academic resources available for all students. If there is
not a dedicated resource, have the student talk to their professor or
advisor about helping them find assistance.
Center for Teaching and Learning
http://www.ctl.ua.edu
Writing Center
http://www.as.ua.edu/english/writingcenter/index.html
Math Labs
http://www.mtlc.ua.edu/
Career Center
http://www.career.ua.edu/
Tide Early Alert
http://newstudents.ua.edu/importantlinks.html
Transition Support
Campus Ministries- comprised of pastors and lay leaders who serve the
UA community by offering students a place to worship and a ready ear to
listen.
Disability Services- If your student has a learning or other disability, they
should register with Office of Disability Services.
Dean of Students- provides a variety of resources to students including
crises assistance and opportunities to get involved and connect to
campus.
Counseling Center- helps students achieve academic success and personal
growth through quality brief counseling and psychological services,
outreach and consultative services.
Emergency Support
• 3 on-call staff members, 24 hours a day
•On-Call Dean- Student Affairs professional on-call 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week
•Partners with campus services (Academic Colleges, Housing
and Residential Communities, Women’s Resource Center,
Counseling Center, and Public Safety)
•Partners with community agencies (DCH Hospital, North
Harbor, and Tuscaloosa Police)
•Call UAPD to contact the On-Call Dean at: (205) 348-5454
How YOU Can be Involved
Office of Parent Programs
•Parent Hotline
•Contact by e-mail, [email protected]
•Sign up for PENPALS
•E-mail listserv that keeps parents informed on
university news and events.
•Parents Association Board
•Online Network- familyconnection.ua.edu
•Don’t forget to join us for Family Weekend
September 3-5 this fall!
•More information posted at parents.ua.edu