Orientation

Parents and Family Orientation

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Parents and Family Orientation

Welcome to the MICA family! As your student joins us on campus, know that you - parents, families, and support systems - are also an integral part of our community.  We look forward to sharing this exciting time and supporting you and your student(s) through the beginning of their MICA experience.  

President Samuel Hoi and our colleagues hope you will join other parents and family members of the incoming MICA Class of 2027 for our annual Parent & Family Welcome Reception. Cap off First-Year Move-In Day with drinks and snacks with fellow first-year parents.

Date: Wednesday, August 23

Location: BBOX, Gateway Building, 1601 Mt. Royal Avenue

Time: 6:30 - 8 p.m.

This reception will take place immediately following the Parent and Family Orientation (5:00-6:30 p.m. in Falvey Hall), and family members of all ages are invited to attend.

 

Parent & Family Handbook

This is an at-a-glance guide to important information you'll need throughout your student's experience at MICA. This is a great resource for you to refer to when questions arise or to familiarize yourself with MICA before your student arrives.

Frequently Asked Questions

The following are some Frequently Asked Questions from Parents and Family Members of new MICA students. If you have any questions that are not answered in this section, feel free to get in touch with us at orientation@mica.edu. We are happy to assist with any questions.

What resources are available for Parents and Family members if we are worried about our student or have questions after we leave campus?

You will receive regular communication from the Parents Office at MICA and please be sure to update your contact information so that we can contact you. For all other questions please email parentrelations@mica.edu.

How do I stay involved at MICA after I leave Orientation?

Stay up-to-date on current info at MICA by visiting the MICA website. For information specifically pertaining to parents and family members, visit the MICA Parents website.

How do I make a gift to MICA’s Parent Fund?

We welcome gifts to MICA to support student scholarships, academic programs and new initiatives.To make a gift to MICA’s Parent Fund, visit www.mica.edu/give or contact at give@mica.edu

What sort of social and community building activities and resources are available in the residence halls for first year students? 

MICA doesn’t wait for classes to begin to do social and community building activities. We wholeheartedly believe that a big part of getting students oriented to campus is to help them meet other students (and staff and faculty) and help them make friends. Therefore, in the first-year orientation program, we have a social/community building event every night. In addition, at multiple times throughout Orientation, they will meet in a small group with their Orientation Leader (a returning student that has been trained to answer their questions). 

MICA has an entire team of students and staff who are ready and excited to be providing events and programs for our students. These events will help them meet other students, get to know Baltimore, and life skills, in fact one of the first programs is “Adulting 101” which will entail things like how to do laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, etc. There is vast research on the importance/correlation of these kinds of events for the first 6 weeks to an effective academic and social transition to college. Thus, at MICA we commit to having an event and program EVERY Friday and Saturday for the first 6 weeks of classes. 

How can my student become more involved and connected on campus?

The Center for Student Engagement (CSE) is a good place for your student to learn about the many options of becoming involved on campus-whether attending a large MICA student function or getting connected with a smaller student organization. There are close to 50 student organizations on campus, which provides many opportunities for students to connect on common hobbies, interests, majors, or identities. The Community Arts and Service program within CSE also offers opportunities for students to volunteer in the Baltimore community, and is another great way to meet people and become connected to other students and the larger community.

Can packages be sent to the mailroom?

Students living on campus should send their packages to their residence hall address, to arrive no sooner than August 25th, when package pick-up will begin at the residence hall package rooms. Students living off-campus can address their packages to MICA Postal & Print, arriving no sooner than August 25th (prior to that and for all letter mail, please use your home or local street address). Postal & Print is transitioning back from pandemic operations and has extremely limited capacity to store packages for students that ship before 8/25. For more information, please refer to the MICA Postal & Print website.  

Are non student guests allowed in dorm rooms/campus housing?

Non-MICA guests will not be permitted this semester, with the exception of on move-in day when a student can have up to 2 non-MICA individuals assist inside the facilities.

Can parents pick up their child to take them out to dinner for visits?

Absolutely! Our limitations focus on entering the buildings; any student can meet up with a friend or family member to go to dinner, go shopping, or whatever at any time.

What are the room dimensions for Leake Hall?

Single bedrooms are typically about 9’ x 11’, doubles about 10’ x 14’, but there is variance; this is one of the reasons we strongly encourage students to wait until they arrive to decide what desk they might need. We personally recommend students wait until they've been through the first week of classes to see what their assignments will be and what type of desk they may need (computer vs drafting etc).

What if my student doesn't get along with their roommate?

For all Housing-related questions, you can visit the Residence Life website. You will find detailed information about living on or off-campus at MICA, including a packing list, important dates and deadlines, and helpful contact information for the Residence Life staff.

How does my student's meal plan work?

In general, students are able to use their meal plan at the Meyerhoff House Dining facility, Café Doris in the Fox Building and Glace Grill in Founders Green.

Four meal options are offered each day, from breakfast (at Cafe Doris), lunch (Meyerhoff and Cafe Doris), Dinner (Cafe Doris, Meyerhoff and Glace Grill) and late night (Cafe Doris and Glace Grill), so your student can eat according to his or her schedule. Students should choose which meals they will eat since they have a limited number of meals on their meal plan. If your student runs out of meals, they can contact Student Accounts to determine how many more meals they desire for the semester, and then you can place additional meals on your student's account. For more information about the MICA meal plan, please contact Parkhurst Dining Services at 410-225-2577.

How are first year students assigned advisors? How often do they meet with them?

MICA has a single first-year advisor, and that individual serves the entire cohort; there is a separate (and similarly dedicated) advisor for transfer students who enter MICA with 12 or more credits. At roughly the midpoint of their second semester first-year students are assigned to an upper level advisor and will work with that individual for the duration of their undergraduate career. During the first year, students will meet with their advisor in various settings: in group advising sessions (for registration); in their Forum classroom; and through individual meetings. Once the student reaches upper level advising, the expectation is that they'll meet with their assigned advisor at least once per semester; most students tend to interact with their advisor more frequently than this.

How do first year students manage the challenge of scheduling eating and homework while taking 6-hour classes?

Breaks are provided by faculty; please note that classes last 5 hours; a class that runs 9-3 will take a break from 12-1pm for lunch.

Is there additional information and support for transfer students who had their freshman year online?

MICA has a dedicated transfer advisor; this individual works closely with the Associate Director of Transfer Admission to understand the unique experiences and background of every transfer applicant, and to coordinate registration upon matriculation. Unlike traditional first-year students, who are assigned to an upper level advisor during their second semester, transfers remain with the same advisor for the entirety of their MICA career. This is to promote continuity and to ensure that the student is working with someone who is uniquely attuned to the needs of transfer students. The collaboration between Academic Advising and Undergraduate Admissions has given rise to new programming designed to support transfer students' transition into the MICA community and to celebrate the achievements of this population; such opportunities are generally advertised through a regular newsletter sent to transfer students by the Associate Director of Transfer Admissions.

How can I see my child's grades online?

In order to view grades (and other academic and financial information related to a student's MICA career), parents need to establish a proxy account through the MICA portal. Instructions for accomplishing this are provided on the MICA website. The Office of Enrollment Services makes the FERPA release form available to students and/or other interested parties upon request. A copy may be obtained by emailing enrollmentservices@mica.edu, or by visiting the department's office on the second floor of the Bunting Center.

Are the students expected to buy their own textbooks?

Faculty will sometimes assign articles that are available as PDF or electronic resources and sometimes assign textbooks. It really depends on the course.

Are galleries available to view online?

MICA is opening in Operational Mode 4 so that means our fall exhibitions will be available primarily to our on campus community.  Generally, documentation is made of each show, and depending on the context, some shows are featured online.  Our spring senior exhibition and our graduate exhibition are prominently and proudly displayed online for the public. There will be some currently "on view" art to look at online - the New Black Vanguard show will be featured prominently.

How safe are the dorm rooms and the surrounding areas at MICA?

The MICA residential spaces and dorm rooms are extremely safe and secure. Each room has its own key. There are uniformed officers at each entrance of the dorms, and everyone who enters is required to swipe to gain access. Only those authorized are allowed to pass through. The surrounding area of the college is relatively safe and MICA campus safety has a strong uniform patrol presence on campus and in the Bolton Hill neighborhood in addition to Baltimore City Police making frequent patrols of the area.

Are there escorts or security available to walk students from class to dorms at night?

Yes! safety escorts are available to students anywhere on campus including dorms, parking lots and other academic buildings. However, most students who walk to our residential buildings from classes rarely request an escort mainly because of the heavy uniform presence that MICA Campus Safety has in the areas in which they need to travel to get to their dorms, but every student is eligible to ask for an escort regardless of their comfort level. If students are traveling outside of the campus and the immediate adjacent area, they are encouraged to take the MICA Safety Shuttles which can be ordered from their smartphone.

Can my student receive an immediate cash-advance in the case of a dire financial need?

Students can receive an urgent cash advance from Student Account Services if their account has a positive balance. You can wire money to Student Account Services to help your student in this type of situation.

What healthcare is provided by MICA and how do you get it and if it requires full payment?

MICA’s Student Health Insurance Program (SHIP) is provided by AETNA this academic year.  All students are auto-enrolled and are able to opt out with proof of comparable insurance. Students have been sent emails from QM services detailing the process.  The Cost is $1787 for the year (Aug 1, 2021- July 31, 2022) and is applied to the student’s account. 

 

For any questions about enrollment/waiver, students can go to the QM website at www.qmservicesinc.com/myinsurance.

Will masks be required in certain areas of the college?

Please review the Fall 2022 Campus Guide.

When will health services be open for the mandatory flu shots?

Once the flu vaccine is available at the Student Health Center, an announcement will be shared with all students who can then schedule an appointment for their shots. 

What is the best place to have my students fill their prescriptions?

The majority of prescriptions given at the MICA student health center can be electronically sent to a pharmacy at the student’s request.  Chase Brexton has a pharmacy located within their Mt Vernon Center (close to campus) which is available to all students. 

Does MICA have any resources for therapists on campus or in Baltimore?

Students have free access to mental health services through our on campus Student Counseling Center.  The center is staffed with licensed clinicians and should a student need treatment outside of the scope of services, we do provide an extensive community referral list. 

What do the daily health checks look like?  

The #campusclear app can be downloaded from Android/Apple and is a daily symptom health checker for the MICA community.  The app provides guidance for community members on their health status and recommendations for subsequent access to campus. 

What happens if my student becomes ill while at MICA?

Each student pays a health services fee that allows them to receive medical attention at MICA Student Health Services health care center, located on Mount Royal Avenue across from Founders Green. If your student is too ill to walk over to the healthcare center, they can contact the residence hall front desk and ask for Campus Safety to provide transportation. If your student is urgently ill during the evening, they should go to the nearest hospital emergency room. Campus Safety can also assist in transporting your student to the hospital, but cannot stay and wait for the student to be seen. Students are urged to bring a roommate or other friend in the case of an emergency room visit.

How will health insurance work for my student?

 

MICA has adopted the following policy that applies to our students; all students are required to maintain health insurance coverage that is in place every day of their higher education career.

Our health insurance is offered through AETNA. The cost of the insurance plan includes all administration fees. Students are automatically enrolled in the MICA-sponsored health plan, but they can choose to waive out of or confirm enrollment. Any waivers requested after the deadline will be assessed a financial penalty. Please note, International students are not allowed to waive MICA student health insurance. You will receive information in the mail about how to opt out of the insurance plan over the summer. If you have questions about MICA's insurance coverage including steps about opting out, please call QM Services at 1-800-273-1715 ext 2. 

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