Parent and Family Engagement

Upcoming Events

 

Pride Month

Every June LGBTQ+ individuals celebrate Pride Month in the United States.  This consists of a variety of events hosted by municipalities across the country; parades, parties, informational sessions, etc.  “Pride Month” commemorates the Stonewall Riots that took place in New York City in the 1969.  These riots were a series of spontaneous demonstrations hosted by members of the LGBTQ+ community in response to a police raid which began in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969 at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village.  These events sparked the modern pride events that we see today.  Benedictine University actively welcomes and supports all members of the LGBTQ+ community and wish them well as they celebrate the month and commemorate those within their community who fallen fighting for their rights.

On campus resources:

• GLOW (Gay, Lesbian, or Whoever you are) is a student club that provides support and events related to the LGBTQ+ community.  Want to join? E-mail Mr. Marc Davidson, club adviser, mdavidson@ben.edu
• Safe Space Ally Program trains BenU faculty and staff on how to address LGBTQ+ related issues that our students face. Please reach out to one of our approved allies with any questions you might have about the LGBTQ+ community: https://www.ben.edu/Inclusion-Diversity/committee.cfm

Local Pride events: https://chicagopride.gopride.com/info.cfm

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Helpful Tips for Students Learning Online

 

• Help your student create a study space that limits distractions
• Encourage them to maintain their same study habits
• Support them with their time management
• Establish house rules/boundaries
• Encourage exercise to relieve stress
• Encourage communication to combat fear and anxiety
• Encourage them to stay connected to their friends and family to avoid social isolation
• Be careful no to overindulge in COVID-19 news
• Foster a positive environment
• Follow the CDC guidelines as a family
• Remind them the world is going through this together

Family Fun/Outlets

• Board games
• Cook offs
• Bike riding
• Video games
• Card games
• Karaoke
• Dancing
• Group FaceTime with friends & family
• Reading
• Catching up on a good movie

 

Parent & Family Resources

 

• Academic Calendars
• Academic and Career Enrichment (ACE) Center Parent Resources
• Admissions
• Advising Center
• Campus Dining
• Campus Response Evaluation (CARE) Team
• Contact list during virtual campus
• Coronaviurs Updates
• Counseling Center
• Financial Aid
• Move-in Packet
• Residence Life
• Safe Return to Campus Plans
• Student Affairs

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Important Information

The BenU Learning Center

Our BenU campus is ready for the community to explore and engage—please join us! The campus has extensive signage and barriers to support safe gathering and in-person engagement. Here’s how we plan to safely bring our student community together:

• Study Areas: We will provide campus learning spaces with access to the internet and computer labs. You may use these facilities for private or socially distanced study (room capacity will be capped) or even to log on and take your virtual courses (while still on campus). A variety of classroom campus spaces will be available through an online booking system to reserve blocks of time. Information on the online booking system will be posted on the website by Saturday, August 29.
   
• Experiential: In-person experiential instruction in labs, music and art studies will continue following established safety guidelines including six-foot social distancing, wearing masks and utilizing plexiglass barriers. Class schedules are being updated within MyBenU to reflect these final changes, noting which experiential learning courses will be in-person. Students will receive an updated schedule with class modality on Monday, August 24 from the Registrar’s Office.
   
• Student Activities & Organizations: The Office of Student Activities will maintain a regular schedule of events throughout the semester including Thrilling Thursdays. The community will continue to receive a weekly email (“This Week at BenU”), which will include the schedule of weekly activities and events. At this time, student club and organization meetings and events will be held virtually. Our desire is to move to in-person meetings and events in accordance local guidelines soon. Student organizations are encouraged to recruit new students, meet regularly on a virtual platform and plan events. A virtual Eagle Stop will be hosted by the University to introduce new students to student clubs and organizations.
   
• BenTalks: The Office of Diversity and Inclusion will continue to host our BenTalks throughout the semester for students to participate in important discussions, share their opinions and let their voices be heard.
   
• Athletics: Student-Athletes will be having team activities, strength and conditioning workouts and practices throughout the fall semester. All of these will be conducted in accordance with the NCAA guidelines for Resocialization of Collegiate Sport. We are currently awaiting further clarification from the NCAA on scheduling dates. At this time, we believe we will be starting team activities within the first two weeks of our fall semester.
   
• Tutoring: Access tutoring and virtual academic services through the ACE Center website. The ACE Center learning specialists and peer tutors are available to talk to you virtually about any tutoring needs. To view a current list of tutoring hours and how to contact the learning specialists please visit the ACE website.

Please remember that in any on-campus or in-person scenario, we require masks to be worn at all times and everyone must follow social distance protocols

Lastly, please add the link for commencement, the latest that marketing received as I want to be accurate.

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For questions, please contact:

Lisle Campus

Academics – Colleen Hanna (channa@ben.edu | 630-829-6240)
Athletics – Paul Nelson (pnelson@ben.edu | 630-829-6144)
Housing – Liz Velez (evelez@ben.edu | 630-829-6496)
Return to Work – Kimberly Viehmann (kviehmann@ben.edu | 630-829-6004)
Student Affairs – Marco Masini (mmasini@ben.edu | 630-829-6006)

Mesa Campus

Kevin Broeckling (kbroeckling@ben.edu | 602-888-5507)
Jessica Jelinek (jjelinek@ben.edu | 602-888-5532)