Good afternoon Students,
YOU did it! I am in awe of you. Simply by completing this academic year, you have achieved so much. Whether you’re a first-year student or a graduating senior, you can be proud.
In this communication, I share the following important information:
- Details about Virtual May Celebrations: Honors Week, Baccalaureate Celebration and Graduation Celebration
- Summer 2020 Courses Reminder
- The University of Olivet CARES Grant Form Deadline Reminder
- eRefund Reminder
- Remote Learning Session Survey Reminder
- Acceptance of Financial Aid Award Reminder
May Celebrations
Virtual Honors Week. In lieu of our traditional Honors Convocation, Student Engagement Awards and Multicultural Awards celebrations, this spring we are launching a Virtual Honors Week celebration the week of May 11-15. Please watch for stories released via the College’s social media and invitations to small virtual awards celebrations for honorees and their families, hosted by academic departments and student engagement team members via Zoom. Awardees will receive personal invitations to Zoom sessions for the live virtual awards celebrations. Names of honorees will also be published on the College’s website after awards celebrations.
Virtual Baccalaureate Celebration. In this student-organized virtual approach, a team of senior students is preparing a pre-recorded baccalaureate celebration around the theme “Defining Comet Pride.” The video will premiere on the The University of Olivet YouTube channel and be shared on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on Friday, May 15 at 7 p.m.
Virtual Graduation Celebration. The University of Olivet has committed to celebrating our 2020 graduates at a future date with a traditional in-person Commencement ceremony, once it is clearly safe to have such a large gathering with our family and friends. Until then, the virtual Graduation Celebration is intended to congratulate and celebrate the degree completion of our May and August 2020 graduates. It is not a replacement for Commencement, but instead, a pre-recorded series of memorable images and messages that will help us mark the date of the Class of 2020 degree awarding. The video will premiere on the The University of Olivet YouTube channel and be shared on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on Saturday, May 16 at 1 p.m.
Graduation Webpage. A special webpage for the Class of 2020 is in development and will be live on Monday, May 11 by 5 p.m. The webpage will provide information on all May celebrations and include a Frequently Asked Questions section for graduates. The webpage will be updated with information about the traditional in-person Commencement ceremony when we are able to schedule a date. Be sure to bookmark www.olivetcollege.edu/commencement.
Graduating Seniors – Send us your best OC photos! May and August graduating seniors are invited to send us your best OC photos for sharing in a video montage celebration of your time at The University of Olivet. The montage will be part of the virtual Graduation Celebration video. Send us up to five photos that show you and your friends in and around campus enjoying your time at OC. Email photos to Taylor Gorr, media communications manager, at tgorr@uolivet.edu by 5 p.m. this Friday, May 8.
Summer 2020 Courses
The University of Olivet is pleased to make available expanded summer course offerings for our students wishing to continue to make degree progress over the summer. Watch for an email announcement soon from Dean Chaney regarding summer 2020 course offerings, which include many new options through Acadeum, a consortium of colleges with which Olivet has joined forces to bring more summer courses to our students.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
The University of Olivet CARES Grant Form – Complete By May 6
For full details on the The University of Olivet CARES Grant program, click here for a link to the original message from the Office of the President. Students who complete and submit this online form before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, will receive the greatest consideration for maximum possible The University of Olivet CARES Grant funding.
You may access the The University of Olivet CARES Grant Form by clicking here. The form should take less than five minutes to complete.
Sign-Up for eRefund
If you have a positive/credit balance remaining on your account, eRefund streamlines the refund process for both you and the College. If you have not already done so, follow these steps to sign up for eRefund:
- Go to the MyOlivet portal at https://my.olivetcollege.edu/.
- Click the “Students” tab.
- Click on the “Student Account and Financial Aid” link on the left side of the screen.
- Click on “Pay Now.”
- Click on the link for “eRefund” on the main screen. You will need to know your checking account number and your routing number to complete the registration process.
Feedback Survey: Remote Learning Session
Per my email on April 20, we want to hear from you about your class experiences during the Remote Learning Session. Click here to complete an anonymous four-question survey. The survey takes the place of our traditional student opinion surveys and will remain open until Friday, May 8.
Accept your Financial Aid Award for Next Year
Our Director of Student Services Ms. Libby Jean asks that you remember to formally accept your financial aid award for next year. Doing so will ensure that your external financial aid awards are represented on your account statement. Follow these steps:
- Go to the MyOlivet portal at https://my.olivetcollege.edu/.
- Click “Students” tab.
- Click “Student Account and Financial Aid” link on the left side of the screen.
- Click on the “Financial Aid” portal on the right side of the screen.
- Review and accept your financial aid award.
Every generation has a particular year that stands out in their memory due to a dire event – where they were, what they were doing, how the event impacted their life. This will likely be your year. It is my hope for you that your memory of this year is one filled with faith, kindness, the love of family and friends, compassion, resilience, determination – and pride in having been an Olivetian at this moment in your life.
As always, your The University of Olivet family is here for you.
Sincerely,
Maria G. Davis, Ph.D.
Provost