Dear Trojan Parents and Family Members,

Can you believe how fast the fall semester has flown by? Students are now preparing for finals, writing papers and burning the midnight oil. Please remind your students to check into a variety of study sessions, extended library hours and study break opportunities on campus. Access the Study On! website at http://sait.usc.edu/campuscenter/ for more information. Classes end on Friday, December 7, study days are from December 8 - 11 and final exams are Wednesday, December 12 - Wednesday, December 19. Winter Recess is Thursday, December 20 - January 13. Most students leave campus within 24 hours of their last final exam based on their personal exam schedule. Spring classes begin on Monday, January 14.

A big thank you to Trojan parents who volunteered at the Parents Council booth during Homecoming on Saturday, November 10. Bouquets of appreciation to Carole Bernstein, Barbara Boxley, Connie Buckley, Christine Fine, Marilou Hamill, Judith Harris, David & Ana Galvez Kadin, Rosalie Kumagai, Francine Lis, Sunny & Harry McGahey, Gaye Moses, Kathi Nicolard, Gloria Vogt Nilsen, LaRhonda Shaver, Pat & Tom Turner, Jeannie Mahan Visger and Carolyn Ward. Your time and Trojan spirit is truly valued!!!

As the semester comes to a close, please have a conversation with your student about a USC faculty member that has made an impact on your student. The 2013 Steven B. Sample Teaching and Mentoring Award nomination form is now available online. These awards, a signature program of the USC Parents Association, are the only faculty recognition awards initiated by Trojan parent nominations and comments by their students. Faculty recipients receive a $1,000 honorarium, recognition in the Parent Perspective newsletter and their name inscribed on a permanent plaque at the University Club. The 2012-2013 nomination deadline is Friday, March 29, 2013. Please access www.usc.edu/parent for more information and the nomination form.

Register for the Parents Council Meeting on Tuesday, January 22

All parents are invited to attend the Parents Council meeting on Tuesday, January 22 at the Ronald Tutor Campus Center Ballroom. Dr. Michael Quick, Executive Vice Provost and Professor of Biological Sciences in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, will be the featured speaker. Social starts at 5:30pm; dinner starts at 6pm. Register at http://sait.usc.edu/parent/UpcomingEvents.asp. Over 100 parents attended the November meeting!

We encourage parents to become involved and join the Parents Council. No new membership applications will be accepted after January 15, 2013 for the 2012-2013 academic year. Please access http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/parents/parentassoc.html for the application and more information.

Also, as a Parents Council Safety Committee reminder, please sign up for the TrojansAlert notification system. TrojansAlert is a free alert system that allows university officials to contact you during an emergency by sending text messages to your email account, mobile/handheld devices or a message through a landline（text messages fees may apply from your wireless carrier）. For more information and to sign up, visit https://trojansalert.usc.edu/index.php?CCheck=1.

Buy Your Gayle Roski Scarf- Limited Supply Available

The Gayle Roski scarf is available through the Office for Parent Programs and makes a beautiful gift. This one-of-a-kind, 36” x 36” silk scarf was designed by Gayle exclusively for the USC Parents Association to sell and raise money for its projects. Gayle is a USC alumna, a renowned artist and a strong supporter of the university. Her husband Edward Roski, Jr. is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and they have been major benefactors to the Roski School of Fine Arts. The cost is $65 per scarf and a limited supply is currently available. There is an additional $10 charge for shipping. Contact Beth Saul, Director for Parent Programs, at saul@usc.edu with any questions and/or to order your scarf today!

Important Dates-to-Remember

Classes end：Friday, December 7
Study Days：December 8-11
Exams*：December 12-19
Winter Recess：December 20 - January 13
Spring Classes Begin：Monday, January 14

*Students usually leave campus within 24 hours after their last exam.
Access the 2012-2013 Academic Calendar at http://academics.usc.edu/calendar/2012-2013/.

News from the USC Office for Parent Programs:

Donate to the Parents Council Toy Drive for the Union Mission Rescue
The USC Parents are gathering donations for their first Holiday Toy drive to benefit the Union Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles. Please send a check（made to “USC Parents Council”）, gift card（s）or unwrapped, unopened gifts for children and teenagers to the USC Office for Parent Programs（Attention：Maria Riley）, 3601 Trousdale Parkway, Student Union #200, Los Angeles, CA 90089. Students can also drop off gifts at the office. Make sure all items arrive by Friday, December 7.

Make Plans to Cheer at the Trojan Basketball Parent Event on March 2
Join fellow parents and family members at the annual Parents Basketball event on Saturday, March 2, 2013. Registration cost will include brunch, entertainment by the Trojan Marching Band, a silent auction/raffle and tickets to the men’s basketball game featuring the Arizona State Sun Devils against the USC Trojans. Check the Parent's website soon for registration information!

Parent Information:

Important Information Regarding Student Health Insurance
In order for students to request a waiver of the USC student health insurance for Spring/Summer 2013 only, using the online system, the deadline is February 1, 2013. The online request site opens December 3, 2012. Students must be registered for Spring classes for at least three days to begin this process. Students must login to their OASIS account（not a Guest Account）, select “Other Services”, then select “Student Health Insurance” and follow instructions to request a waiver there. A confirmation email will be sent upon completion of this process. If you requested and received a waiver for Fall 2012 you DO NOT need to request again for Spring/Summer 2013. Please do not request again until Fall 2013.

If you missed the Fall 2012 request deadline and have not received an approval for Spring/Summer 2013 only, you may request in the online system at this time. If you are a new incoming student and you wish to waive the student health insurance for Spring/Summer 2013 only, you may request in the online system at this time. New waivers must be requested at the beginning of every academic year（in the Fall）by the deadline date. For any questions regarding insurance waivers, please email b.well@usc.edu.

Give Your Student the “Gift of Fitness” from USC Recreational Sports
Give the “Gift of Fitness” to your student, family and friends this holiday season with Trojan Private Training including personal training, pilates reformer, group exercise classes, and private yoga classes. USC Recreational Sports has gift certificates available for purchase at the Online Store on the USC Recreational Sports website. Memberships and gift certificates can be purchased for both the Lyon Center and HSC Fitness Center online. All personal training sessions must be redeemed within four months of the date of the first meeting. Please call 213.740.5127 or access www.usc.edu/recsports for more information.

Parents Needed to Host a Trojan SCupper in February
The USC Alumni Association and Society 53 are planning to expand their successful dinner program to host students for dinner in the homes of USC parents and alumni. Now in its fifth year, this unique Trojan Family tradition brings students, alumni and parents together in a fun, relaxed environment.

Parents and alumni will host a dinner for 10-15 students at either their home or in a local restaurant within 25 miles of campus. As students register, the Alumni Association does their best to pair up students with hosts that best fit their interests, major and/or career goals. If you are interested in hosting or co-hosting a SCupper, or have any additional questions, please email Kyle Usselman, Society 53 Director of Trojan SCuppers at society53@alumnicenter.usc.edu.

Engemann Student Health Center Offers Hard Hat Tours
Engemann Student Health Center is currently offering group Hard Hat Tours of the new facility which is planned to open in Spring 2013. The five story, 101,000-square-foot building is located along Jefferson Boulevard, next to Fluor Tower. To arrange your tour, please contact Elizabeth McCann at 213.821-3516 or at emccann@usc.edu. For more information about the Center and to view a live webcam, visit http://engemannshc.usc.edu/.        

Start planning for Your Family’s 2013 Graduation Events
It’s not too early to start planning for your student’s 2013 USC Commencement celebration on Friday, May 17, 2013. Many of the local hotels and restaurants will start to book up soon, so start making your plans today. If you need assistance with your travel arrangements, contact STA Travel at 213.254.2662（www.statravel.com）.

Stop by the 2013 USC Grad Fair on Tuesday, February 12 - Thursday, February 14 at the Ronald Tutor Campus Center Ballroom for your one-stop event to plan for your student’s commencement, purchase commencement-related items and ask questions. Graduating students and their parents are encouraged to attend. You might want to brainstorm a “to do” list with your student during the winter break. Vendor tables will be set up so students are able to do everything from ordering caps and gowns to buying announcements and class rings.  By attending Grad Fair, your student can be measured and pre-pay for their cap and gown. In addition, your student will avoid long lines at the bookstore by receiving these items one day prior to other graduating students. For more information, email gradfair@usc.edu.

Finally, the 2013 El Rodeo yearbook may also be purchased online for $70. Reserve your student’s copy at www.uscelrodeo.com. The yearbook is a great present to remind students of their time spent at USC, friends and events

USC Summer Programs for High School Students – Live the Trojan Experience!
USC Summer Programs offers 2-Week and 4-Week college immersion programs for high school students. Courses are taught by USC faculty and members of the academic community. Students engage in the university experience through a combination of lectures, hands-on workshops and labs, guest speakers and academic field trips to locations throughout Los Angeles. Students will also receive 3 units of USC elective credit upon successful completion of the 4-Week course. For more information and to view our extensive selection of courses, please visit http://summer.usc.edu/parent.

Information to pass on to your student:

Information from USC Housing on Spring Move-In
Winter Break begins at 5pm on Wednesday, December 19. Residence halls and suites（but not apartments）close for the break and all residents must move out. Residence halls and suites re-open at 8:30am on Thursday, January 10 for students to move back in. New residents for the spring semester may check-in at 8:30am on Thursday, January 10. Students will receive check-in information by mail.

USC Housing Renewal（UHR）begins in mid-January. Information about the process will be mailed to residents’ permanent addresses in December. Watch for it in your mail.
If you have questions or need additional information, please contact USC Housing at 213.740.2546.

Free Parking and Airport Shuttle Service for Winter Break
The USC Department of Public Safety and USC Transportation Services will offer free parking and free airport shuttle service for the winter break. Take advantage of the GIFT program（Group Initiative For Theft-Prevention）to you. If your student plans to leave a vehicle parked on or near the USC campus during the holidays, the GIFT program can make your student’s holiday experience a little more enjoyable by providing peace of mind. Since 2005, the use of GIFT by students, faculty and staff has reduced vehicle related crimes on both campuses during the holiday break by 65%!

Free parking will be available at the Parking Center（UPC）and the Biggy Parking Structure（HSC）from Wednesday, December 11（after midnight）through Monday, January 14（before noon）. There are a limited amount of parking spaces available so have your student register soon.

Free shuttles to LAX will be available from the tram stop at the JEP House（801 W. 34th Street）on December 17-20. Daily departure times are 10am, noon, 2pm and 4pm. Your student must be registered for the shuttle by Friday, December 14. In addition, please make sure your student arranges for return service from LAX.

More information and registration for free parking and the airport shuttle service is available at http://capsnet.usc.edu/dps/.   

Applications Are Now Available for USC Alumni Association Scholarships
The USC Alumni Association and its related entities, both domestic and international, award more than $2 million in alumni scholarships to continuing USC students each year. The deadline to submit applications is February 1, 2013 for the 2013-2014 academic year. For more information, please visit http://alumni.usc.edu/students/scholarships/.

Have Your Student Check Out the Career Center for Job Opportunities
There are a lot of great events from the Career Center coming up for spring 2013! Parents can encourage their students to start prepping for these events by doing research on companies and industries and by attending the events below so they know who to approach beforehand on http://careers.usc.edu.

Career Fest：January 28-February 1- A week-long series of career development workshops and events bringing together all the career services on campus, employers, and student groups. Don't miss out on the Employer Resume Review, Diversity Networking Mixer, and Explore@4 workshops during this week.

Career Fair：February 7- USC's largest career fair every semester brings over 150 employers to Trousdale Parkway. Go to connectSC for the most up-to-date list of attending employers.

Internship Week：February 11-14- Have you ever wanted to meet recruiters from the consulting industry, business management or software development? Representatives from many of these companies will be here looking for interns this week.

The Career Center team is ready to help Trojan students get the jobs and internships they want! In addition to cover letter and resume help, the Career Center has many programs to guide your student in their career path. Please have your student check http://careers.usc.edu for a full calendar and other resource help. The Career Center is open from 8:30am - 5pm Monday-Friday and is located in the Student Union（Suite #110）.

Center for Women and Men offers Support Group for Women
The Center for Women and Men（CWM）runs a weekly drop-in Women’s Group. This support group is for women who have experienced gender-based violence, such as assault, harassment, stalking or abuse. The sessions will be supervised by a CWM counselor and will be safe and confidential. It’s a place to connect with other survivors, gain support and continue healing. Like all of their counseling services, this group is free and no appointments are necessary. The meetings will be held at 4pm on Thursdays at the Student Union, Suite 202.  To find out the start date or for more information, contact Sheetal Chib at schib@usc.edu, 213.740.4900 or stop by CWM.

Does Your Student Need a Ride Home for the Holidays?
Zimride, a private ridesharing network for USC, is a fun and easy way to catch a ride or share the seats in a car. USC Zimride helps your student offer or request rides for commutes, events and road trips. If your student has a car, they can help split costs by offering rides to fellow USC community members. If your student doesn’t have a car, this service will help find rides to where they need to go. Your student will save money, help protect the environment, and when sharing a ride, receive access to priority carpool parking.

Membership is free. The Zimride Rideshare Community is open to all USC students, staff and faculty with an @usc.edu email address. You can also sign in with Facebook if you are part of the USC network. Please access http://zimride.usc.edu for more information.

Check out these upcoming events:

Free Monthly Tours of the USC Shoah Foundation
Discover how the life stories and memories of Holocaust survivors and witnesses are being used to overcome prejudice, intolerance, and bigotry through visual history and education programs all over the world. If you enjoyed the demonstration of the archive during Trojan Family Weekend, this tour will show you how testimonies are digitized and translated into the Shoah Foundation archived format for translation into ten languages, indexing and preservation. The next tour is currently scheduled for 11am - 1pm on Wednesday, December 5. Learn more at http://sfi.usc.edu/.

Parents Invited to La Posada on December 7
Celebrate Latin American holiday traditions at the 13th annual La Posada on Friday, December 7. Hosted by Sigma Lambda Beta, Sigma Lambda Gamma and Lambda Theta Alpha, La Posada will begin at 7pm at the United University Church and will continue with a procession across campus ending in McCarthy Quad. Sweet bread and champurrado will be served.
For more information contact Fabian Sanchez at fabiansa@usc.edu or access https://www.facebook.com/events/468758896498729/?fref=ts.

RSVP to Grand Opening and Dedication Mass of Our Savior Church and USC Caruso Catholic Center on December 9
The Trojan Family is invited to join the USC Catholic community for the grand opening and Dedication Mass of the new Our Savior Church and USC Caruso Catholic Center starting at 1pm on Sunday, December 9. The seating in the Church is reserved and limited. Additional seating in the Center will be provided with a live video-feed of the Mass celebrated by The Most Reverend Jose H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles. Other special guest speakers include President and Mrs. C. L. Max Nikias, Tina and Rick J. Caruso（USC Trustee）and Gail and Joseph M. Boskovich（USC Trustee）. The Mass will be followed by tours and refreshments. Our Savior Church and USC Caruso Catholic Center is at 844 Thirty Second Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007（at the corners of University, Hoover and 32nd ）. For more information, contact 213.516.3959 and RSVP to Rose at rose@catholictrojan.org.

Speaker Series Focuses on Lung Cancer on December 13
Join fellow Trojans at the Indian Wells Country Club（Indian Wells, CA）Wellness Center Health Speaker Series for “The Five Misconceptions About Cancer” starting with a special reception at 4:30pm on Thursday, December 13. The discussion features speaker Michael Wong, M.D., Ph.D., a professor at the Keck School of Medicine. Tickets are complimentary. For RSVP information and other event information, visit https://secure.www.alumniconnections.com/olc/pub/SCA/event/showEventForm.jsp?form_id=132207.

Join in the fun of the Newport Harbor Boat Parade on December 21
The USC Alumni Club of Newport + Irvine invites you to spend an incredible evening aboard the 140' long, four-story Eternity yacht during the 104th running of the world famous Newport Harbor Boat Parade starting at 6:30pm on Friday, December 21. Hailed by the New York Times as "one of the top ten holiday happenings in the nation," you and your guests will have the opportunity to partake in this event while cruising the harbor as holiday decorated houses, multi-million dollar yachts and whole landscapes sail by. Enjoy Trojan Family camaraderie while dining in one of the Eternity’s salons and dancing on the expansive lounge deck. Take in the sights and sounds of the parade on the top deck/lounge while savoring the fresh night air. Tickets are $90（if purchased prior to December 7）and include a fully catered first class dinner. For more information and to register, please visit http://alumni.usc.edu/yacht.

Dads & Daughters Basketball Day on December 22
Join in the fun for a Dads & Daughters Day featuring the USC Women’s basketball team versus Duke starting at noon on Saturday, December 22 at the Galen Center. A $25 package is available which includes two tickets to the game, two lunches（hot dog and soda）, one Nike duffle bag and one USC hat. Visit www.gettrojantix.com/dads to purchase tickets.

Upcoming Save-The-Dates…

• Thursday, January 17, 2013- “Breast Cancer Treatment in the Genomic Era”, part of the Indian Wells Country Club Wellness Center Health Speaker Series https://secure.www.alumniconnections.com/olc/pub/SCA/event/showEventForm.jsp?form_id=132210.  
• Tuesday, January 22, 2013- USC Parents Council meeting at the Ronald Tutor Campus Center
• Saturday, March 2, 2013- USC Parents Association Basketball event        
• Monday, March 18, 2013- Marv Goux Memorial Golf Tournament and Luncheon at The Classic Club Golf Course and Bellatrix Restaurant in Palm Desert, CA. Contact Linda Ward, President-Trojan Club of the Desert  at Lingosc@dc.rr.com.
• Saturday, March 23, 2012- 2nd USC SCervice Day http://alumnigroups.usc.edu/scervice/
• Tuesday, April 9, 2013- USC Parents Council meeting

Visit USC Parent Website and Facebook page for Event Information

All of USC’s upcoming parent event information（both on and off campus）and Parent Association meetings can be found on www.usc.edu/parent. Check back often as this website is a great resource for new and up-to-date information. Also, please “like” the “USC Office for Parent Programs” Facebook page（https://www.facebook.com/USCOfficeforParentPrograms）for additional information, pictures, campus events and more.

Feel free to contact our office if you need assistance or if you have any questions. Our phone number is 213.740.2080 or e-mail us at scparent@usc.edu.

Finally, as a reminder, if you change your personal information such as mailing address, email and/or phone numbers, please make sure you update your information through the guest function on OASIS. Also, we recommend that your student also checks and updates OASIS with any changes. For more information, access http://fbs.usc.edu/depts/sfs/faq.aspx?faq_id=229.

Happy Holidays and FIGHT ON!!
Beth Saul, Tina Orkin, Maria Riley and Lily Ball
Office for Parent Programs