The Madison Family Newsletter is created each month by the Office of Family Engagement in partnership with many members of the JMU community. For more family resources, visit our website.
A Letter from Dr. Tim Miller
Hello JMU families,
We are in the final days of the Spring semester and Graduation is right around the corner. I hope this year has been everything your student and you have hoped it would be. To the families with graduating Dukes, thanks for sharing them with us for these past several years. Your support and partnership help make my role so rewarding, and I am looking forward to seeing each and every one of your Dukes walk across that stage next week. I share in the pride you will feel as you see them take this next step in their journey and head off into the world to make their mark.
Studying and Finishing Strong
If your student is looking for a quiet place to study, JMU Libraries put together this great guide to finding a study spot. There are so many great nooks for studying across campus, and for me, I enjoy hiding out in Wilson Hall second floor and in Rose Library near the big windows on the second floor with the great views of the mountains and campus.
Move Out Reminders
Many of you will be welcoming your Dukes home for the summer! Whether your student lives on or off campus, a little advance planning for move-out can make the process go much more smoothly. For on campus, Residence Life has detailed Check out and Move out Information, which should address any questions you may have. All residence halls close at noon on Friday, May 10.
Off campus, please remind your student to check for emails from their landlord to be sure they know what needs to be done prior to moving out. If they’re going to be gone for a while and then returning, it’s important to lock the doors and windows and to take valuables with them if their place will be unoccupied. They also shouldn’t leave cleaning and other tasks to the end. Remind them about what I told them at orientation: bringing home a pile of dirty clothes is not a gift to your family.
Questions to Ask Your Student
What were your favorite memories/moments from this year?
This will give you a peek into their lives here at JMU, and they’ll get to mentally relive some of their best experiences.
What would you like to do next year that you didn’t get a chance to do this year?
We all change from year to year, so they may find a completely new passion if they choose to try something new. If they need ideas, Be Involved is a great place to start.
Final Thoughts
Looking back on this year, I continue to be grateful for the opportunity to be at my favorite place on earth doing the role I know I am meant to do for a community that I absolutely love. I believe that JMU is more than a place, it’s a feeling and a heartbeat made up of thousands of Dukes in Harrisonburg and around the world who all know how special this experience and life really are here. We feel it the first time we come on campus, we understand after being here, and it remains with us forever. You are each part of this feeling and this community, and I am so thankful your families chose JMU for a lifetime.
This is always an exciting and sad time for me as I say goodbye to so many students who have been an important part of my life and JMU journey. These graduates and I have been through a great deal of adventures and challenges together, and we will always remember these last few years. While I am excited for their futures and I know they are ready for their next adventure, it feels like I have just gotten to know each of them and now we have to say goodbye. Graduation is always a celebratory and sad time for me, and I will be at every ceremony to say goodbye and congratulate our graduating Dukes. Thank you for sharing them with JMU and me for these last several years.
I hope you all continue to keep in touch and stay involved with JMU. Thank you for being amazing partners in JMU’s work, and thanks to all of you for your trust and belief in the power of Madison.
Take care,
Dr. Tim Miller
Vice President for Student Affairs
Graduation Tickets Update
Submitted by: Mary-Hope Vass, Assistant Vice President of Communications, University Communications
As of this week, there have been several reported incidents of graduates purchasing commencement ceremony tickets. Please be aware of possible scams where individuals are selling tickets who are not JMU students.
If a graduate is reported selling tickets, those tickets will be voided, and will no longer be valid for entry into the arena. Each graduate is eligible for the allotted tickets for the respective ceremony. Graduates not using their full allotment of tickets, are encouraged to transfer their tickets electronically to other graduates. Under no circumstances should commencement tickets be sold.
The number of tickets allotted to each graduate is based on the number of graduates, faculty and staff, events staff and the capacity within the Atlantic Union Bank Center.
Closing Time! (Residence Life)
Submitted by: Sydney Wood, Social Media and Marketing Manager, Residence Life
Residence Halls officially close on May 10 at noon! It is recommended that students move out no later than 24 hours after the last final exam to help with the flow of buildings. Have a great summer!
Submitted by: Jenna (Maroney) Gray, Director of Student Engagement, JMU Dining
JMU Dining’s 2024-2025 Meal Plans are on sale now! A culmination of student focus groups, guest satisfaction surveys, and an in-depth 2023-2024 meal plan assessment resulted in some exciting new changes. Look for two new meal plan options, plus they’ve infused even more flexibility into your Duke’s dining experience.
Here is complete list of meal plan options and FAQs
If your Duke secures their spot before they depart for the summer, it comes with rewards! There’s still time -- sign up before July 1st and students will get a 2024-2025 JMU Dining Coupon Book valued at $60. This exclusive offer includes free meals, beverages, and snacks at many of your Duke's JMU Dining locations. Qualifying students will be contacted via email to pick up their coupon book in early September.
Don’t wait – LOCK IT IN TODAY!
For more information, contact JMU Dining at 540-568-6751 or email: dining@jmu.edu.
Family Engagement Feedback Survey
The Office of Family Engagement would greatly appreciate your participation in this survey. We are committed to your student's success through cultivating a supportive and inclusive community of families, and your feedback will ensure that we serve this community effectively.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Submitted by: Jessica Hopkins, Assistant Director of Compliance, Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships
All students must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements to receive financial aid. Federal regulations require each institution to have a SAP policy, which establishes the minimum academic standards for financial aid eligibility. Academic progress is measured once per year (after spring grades have posted) and there are three components of the evaluation process that must be met:
- GPA – GPA standards mirror the university’s academic suspension policy
- Pace – Students must earn credit for at least 67% of the hours they have attempted. This calculation is performed by dividing the number of credit hours earned by the number of credit hours attempted. Withdraws, “F” grades and incompletes are all scenarios that will lower a student’s pace percentage.
- Maximum Time – Students may not receive financial aid for more than 180 attempted hours. However, once 150 hours have been attempted, we conduct a degree audit to determine if it is mathematically possible for the student to meet graduation requirements before reaching 180 hours. If it is not, the student will be identified as not meeting SAP at that time. If a program(s) requires more than 180 hours, an appeal may be submitted for review.
If a student is unable to meet SAP requirements, their eligibility for federal financial aid, including loans (both student and parent) will be lost. An email regarding the area(s) of noncompliance will be sent to the student and a reminder will appear on the “To-Do” list in MyMadison. Students may appeal the SAP denial if they experienced extenuating circumstances.
2024-25 SAP Appeal Deadlines
- Summer 2024 – July 1, 2024
- Fall 2024 – September 2, 2024
- Spring 2025 – February 3, 2025
Note: If a student is identified with a GPA issue for SAP and has been placed on Academic Suspension with the university, two separate appeals will need to be submitted.
For a description of JMU’s requirements, as well as more information regarding the appeal process and to use the online estimator, visit our website.
JMU Football Season Ticket Priority Deadline is May 15!
Submitted by: Melissa Wyant, Assistant AD for Creative Services & Fan Engagement, Athletics
Have you renewed your 2024 JMU Football Season Tickets yet? Don't forget the priority deadline to lock in your same seats and parking location is May 15.
Didn't have season tickets in 2023 but are interested for 2024? Join the waitlist today! Waitlist members are not guaranteed tickets, but will be given a timeslot based on their Duke Club Priority Point Order.
Single game tickets will go on sale to Duke Club Members during a pre-sale beginning on June 24th. Public sales for single game tickets will begin on July 1.
For more information click through the link below or call the JMU Ticket Office at (540) 568-3853.
Summer Session Deadlines and Tuition Charges
Submitted by: Brandon Cline-Taskey, Director, University Business Office with contributions from the Office of the Registrar
Summer semester is different from fall and spring in a lot of ways.
The first way that summer is different is that students can choose among twelve different academic sessions. Some sessions start as early as May 13 and others end as late as August 20. The first four-week session is the most common and runs from May 20 through June 14. Your student may be taking classes during zero, one or multiple sessions during the summer. Summer classes cover the same amount of material as a fifteen-week fall or spring class, so students should be prepared for an intensive learning experience.
All those sessions mean there are a lot of add/drop dates to keep up with. Make sure that your student checks their enrollment status. If they think that they might need to add or drop a summer class, have them review the summer Dates and Deadlines published by the Registrar’s Office to ensure that they adjust their enrollment in time. If a student withdraws from a class after the Add/Drop Deadline for the respective session, they will be assigned a “W” for that class and the tuition will not be refunded. Not knowing the deadline is not grounds to have the grade or tuition adjusted. Summer sessions are shorter than fall and spring sessions, so some of the deadlines are just one or two days.
Another important difference is that all summer tuition is charged per credit hour. Be sure to take that into account when thinking about payment arrangements for the summer. Tuition and other summer charges can be reviewed in Madison Money Manager (M3).
Submitted by: Jessica Savoie, Associate Director, Alumni Relations
Register for the Dukes Hike and then hike anywhere, anytime between May 24-June 5. We'll celebrate the great outdoors and how far Dukes can go together. Get outside, explore and enVISION the adventure! The registration fee includes exclusive Duke gear to commemorate the event.
Join 10,000+ fellow JMU parents and guardians in the official Facebook group! This group was created by the Office of Family Engagement in an effort to provide a safe online environment for parents & family members to engage with one another. Request to join the group here »
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