The Department of Safety and Security at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg is a full--service campus police department. All of the officers are trained and certified under the Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission. The officers receive annual update training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, automated external defibrillation and basic first aid and emergency response.

The University has also instituted a new Emergency Notification Service that will be used to communicate though voice and text messages as deemed appropriate in the event of an emergency. Faculty, staff, and students can sign up for this service by visiting my.pitt.edu. and logging into their account and clicking on the “Emergency Notification” tab. Subscribers can enter up to three cell phone numbers.

The University is able to send emergency e-mail simultaneously to all faculty, staff, and students.

If the University cancels classes due to severe weather, faculty, staff, and students can go to the following Pittsburgh TV stations: WTAE, KDKA, and WPXI. We will also post the cancellation on our Web site at www.upg.pitt.edu and send out an e-mail. We have also established an emergency hot line number at 724-836-7780.

Starting college is stressful. It’s an adjustment to many changes, and changes cause stress - even positive changes. This is particularly true for incoming freshmen who live in the residence halls, but it is also true for transfer students, upperclassmen, and commuters. New schedules, new instructors, new hall, new roommate, new major, new job, and making new friends – all these adjustments can feel overwhelming. And being overwhelmed and surrounded by the unfamiliar can lead to homesickness.

Feeling homesick is a normal emotional response to the stress of starting college. Again, this is especially true for resident freshmen, but returning students can be homesick too, when facing adjustments at school after a summer at home.

It’s hard to receive sad phone calls asking to come home, and it’s tempting to come to the rescue, but the best way to manage homesickness is to just tough it out. The more you can encourage your student to stay on campus the first few weeks of this semester, the easier it will be for her/him to fit in socially and acclimate to college. Everyone is a little homesick at first, and everyone is eager to make new connections. If your student comes home during this time and misses that period where everyone is reaching out, it may be harder for her/him to make those connections later on, when other students have already begun to form friendships.

Instead, encourage resident students to attend campus events, find an organization to join, and talk to others in their residence halls. If you get a tearful call, suggest that your student focus on the positives, even going so far as to list 3 good things that happened each day. Remind resident students to rely on the support of their RAs. Sending cards and occasional care packages, and even coming to take your student out for a meal in the area – but not home overnight – are good ways to offer support.

Commuter students may not experience homesickness, but they may feel really intimidated by the process of fitting in and finding comfortable places to hang out on campus. Family members may see reluctance or resistance to coming to campus instead of homesickness. Encourage commuter students to stay on campus between classes, study in common areas, join a club, and attend evening events. Remind them Pitt Greensburg’s student body is over 50% commuters – they are not alone! As with residents – the more commuter students stay on campus early on this semester, the more likely they are to develop a sense of belonging here.

Of course, no one knows your student like you do. If you feel the homesickness or resistance your student is experiencing is beyond what’s normal, please contact the Counseling Center. We can discuss your individual situation and determine if other interventions are appropriate.

Gayle F. Pamerleau, LCSW
Director of Counseling,
724-836-9870
gaylep@pitt.edu

Patty LaMantia RN, BC, MNEd.
Director
Student Health Center

Flu and Meningitis Clinic

Passport Health
Annual Flu and Meningitis Clinic
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
3 p.m. - 7 p.m.
214 Chambers Hall

The flu vaccine which is available to all faculty, staff, students and their families will cost $23.00 per injection.

The Menactra (meningitis) vaccine will cost $130.00 per person. Meningitis vaccines should be ordered and paid in advance by contacting Passport Health, 412-372-4007.

Flu vaccines may not be ordered, reserved or prepaid.

Please remind your son/daughter about the clinic; especially if you have paid for a meningitis vaccine. Thank you.

Please join us in celebrating our 45th Anniversary. All events with an asterisk are open to the public.

September
Pitt-Greensburg at play:
Follow all the action as cross country, golf, soccer, and volleyball swing into action. For rosters, schedules and scores, visit www.upg.pitt.edu/athletics.

16 La Cultura Lecture Series* First lecture in series Dr. Frank Wilson, Asst. Professor of Sociology and Administration of Justice “The Cold War and It’s Hot Consequences” 7 p.m.

The Mary Lou Campana Chapel &
Lecture Center

September 20
Walk for the Cure*
Walk to cure Diabetes 10 a.m. To register for this two-mile walk on campus, call
412-471-1414, Ext. 13

21 45th Anniversary Celebration
Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the University gather to kick off the celebration. 5 p.m.
24 Composer, lyricist and music producer Thomas Tierney presents “The Art of Business Theater”* 7 p.m. Ferguson Theater
27 Pitt-Greensburg Golf Outing 2008*
At Cherry Creek Golf Club 10 a.m. shotgun start Benefits Pitt-Greensburg