November 21-25 Thanksgiving Break
November 24-25 University Closed
December 2 Last Day of Classes
December 5-9 Finals Week
December 15 Grades Available Online
December 26- January 2 University Closed
January 3 Last Day to Change Major For Spring 2017 Semester
January 16 University Closed
January 17 Classes Begin
Happy Thanksgiving from the Office of Retention and the Falcon Family Association!
With Thanksgiving break fast approaching, it is time to check-in with your student to make sure they are concluding the semester seamlessly. One way you can help your student finish this semester with gusto is by sending them back to campus following Thanksgiving break with encouragement. Your encouragement could be as simple or as extravagant as you wish but the important thing is to reach your student. One example might be placing a note in their laundry basket as they come back to campus. Or, if you student is a commuter, place their favorite candy on their pillow. Since you know your student best, the type of encouragement you choose will be the magic fairy dust they need to finish strong.
If your student has yet to register, encourage them not to wait to meet with their advisor and receive their PIN number to schedule their courses as all registration windows freshmen through senior have opened. It will be important for them to schedule for next term before leaving for winter break to ensure that they have an appropriate schedule. It is important to note that once winter break begins, faculty advisors (who possess the PIN critical to class registration) will in large part be off-campus and unavailable.
Spring 2017 Semester begins on Tuesday, January 17, 2017.
Final Exam week is December 5-9, 2016. We often hear from family members whose students are experiencing stress (both in and out of class). Please rest assured that this escalating level of stress is incredibly common this time of the year and that we implement several initiatives on campus to help combat student woes/struggles, not the least of which is Student Activities-sponsored Stress-Buster Day on Monday, December 5 on Falcon Center Main Street and the Retention Office-sponsored coffee bar being offered Wednesday, Dec. 7 in the Library from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. At the bar and beyond, struggling students are encouraged to reach out for assistance, as needed. Recommend that they chat with us, or do so yourself via the FalconARC portal, so that we can help to determine whether assistance is needed and if so, from whom exactly on campus.
Be sure to remind your student that there is a specific Final Exams schedule to follow--they do not attend their regular class time. They can view the schedule by visiting the Fairmont State homepage then under 'Quick Links' find 'Calendars' and then click 'Final Exam Calendar' is listed on the left side of the Calendar page. You can also use the following link to view the Final Exams Schedule.
The Residence Halls are scheduled to close this Friday, November 18 at 6 p.m. and will reopen on Sunday, November 27 after 1 p.m. If you have not already, be sure your student has a ride home squared away. Please see below the Transportation Fact Flyer to see available local public transit options for both Thanksgiving and the upcoming Winter break. As for Winter break, students are asked to vacate their room within 24 hours of their last final. The Halls close officially on Friday, December 9 at 6 p.m. Following winter break, residence hall students may return to their rooms beginning on Friday, January 13 after 1 p.m.
Established 2013
2, 250 Members
Representing 53 Counties in WV and 21 States
