Over the next two weeks, I will be holding Thesis Center Office Hours. Please encourage your students to schedule an appointment if they are submitting a thesis/dissertation manuscript this term and need one-on-one assistance with Thesis Center.

Office Hours will be held on UPC, in STU 301, and on HSC, in CHP 129, between 10/18 and 10/25. Office Hours appointments can be scheduled on the Graduate School website, in the Graduate Events page: http://graduateschool.usc.edu/events/. Please forward this information to your students.

Best,

Samuel Mantell

Academic Services Coordinator

The Graduate School

Dear members of the Rossier community,

Last night, two individuals entered several classrooms in Waite Phillips Hall on our University Park Campus, causing concern for faculty and students who were in class at the time.  USC’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) responded, and the individuals were arrested for trespassing.

We consider the safety of our students, faculty, and staff to be of the highest priority, and we will work with DPS and the appropriate parties in Rossier to review our security protocols.  In the meantime, please remember that our Waite Phillips Hall building on the University Park Campus has evening access restricted, requiring a coded USC ID card after 6:00 p.m., and we should not prop open doors or allow others to follow us inside.  Should you be concerned about any individual or circumstance, immediately call the DPS Emergency Line at: 213-740-4321. I recommend that you add this number to your phone contacts.

Given recent events, we realize that this is a time of stress and anxiety, and that this incident may have been very troubling for those present, and for others who attend class at night. I want to remind you of the support services that USC provides. Students who would like to talk with someone are encouraged to call Student Counseling Services at (213) 740-7711. Faculty and staff members are encouraged to call the Center for Work & Family Life at (213) 821-0800.

As members of the Trojan Family, we also should be mindful of the needs of others.  If you observe a fellow student, faculty, or staff member who may be in need of support, you can reach out confidentially through Trojans Care for Trojans, an initiative within the Office of Campus Wellness and Crisis Intervention: https://studentaffairs.usc.edu/trojans-care-for-trojans-tc4t/.

After our review of USC and Rossier safety practices and protocols, you will hear from us again.

Sincerely,

Jessica

Jessica Gibson

Assistant Dean, Student Affairs

Rossier School of Education

University of Southern California

(213) 821-1515

Hello EdD in Educational Leadership students,

We received a report that two individuals entered several classrooms in WPH last night (10/11), causing some concern for faculty and students in our EDL classes.  Please know we are aware of the incident – the campus Department of Public Safety (DPS) was contacted and responded to the building. The two individuals were arrested for trespassing.

Our facilities manager consistently works with DPS and the appropriate parties in Rossier to review our security protocols. In the meantime, I wanted to share a few tips and reminders below and we will be sure to share any additional updates.

• Always use your U-Card to access WPH after hours – there are card swipe panels at both entrances. Access to WPH is automatically added to your U-Card based on your course enrollment for classes scheduled in WPH. If you have any trouble accessing the building with your card, please feel free to let me know and we can review the access logs.
• Do not prop doors open.  All students who enter the building should swipe their U-Card.
• It is important that all members of our community remain aware of their surroundings, including noticing if anyone tries to enter WPH behind you. If you see something out of place, contact the Department of Public Safety. You may want to program these phone numbers to your cell phone:

UPC Department of Public Safety:

Emergency 213-740-4321
Non-Emergency 213-740-6000

• You may also consider downloading the free app “LiveSafe,” which can be used to initiate contact with emergency responders. Once you set up a profile and set USC as your campus, you’ll have access to report tips, call DPS or 911 from your phone, message DPS, and more. I have it on my phone and I highly recommend it to all of our students. Check out DPS’ website for more information: https://dps.usc.edu/services/safety-app/.

• Never leave your belongings unattended – be sure to secure your belongings such as backpacks, purses, laptops, etc. as these items are often targets for theft.
• We will also continue to post information and at https://students.rossier.usc.edu/edl/. Recent updates include information about scholarship opportunities, campus resources, campus safety, and a couple of recent job announcements – we encourage you to check the site regularly for more information.

As always, feel free to reach out to your academic advisors Evan Williams and Kelly Trepagnier, to our central office e-mail account at rsoeedd@rossier.usc.edu or to me directly.

Thank you – and Fight On!

Terri Thomas

Associate Director,

University of Southern California

Rossier School of Education | EdD in Educational Leadership Program
3470 Trousdale Parkway

Waite Phillips Hall (WPH) 404A

Los Angeles, CA 90089-4034
Phone: 213.821.1516 | Fax: 213.821.1281
thereslt@rossier.usc.edu | http://rossier.usc.edu

October 4, 2017

Dear graduate students,

As we approach the middle of the fall semester, I hope you find yourself learning and growing from your experience at USC, both inside and outside the classroom and laboratory.

While the administrators and faculty want to see all of our graduate students perform well academically and professionally, we also want to remind you of the importance of performing with integrity.  Each of you has the responsibility for creating and maintaining a personal and academic environment in which honesty and ethical behavior flourish.

To ensure your success, we strongly encourage you to do the following:

• Speak with your faculty members to understand the expectations of the classroom, the laboratory, and your profession.  Always ask for clarification if you are unsure of how to proceed with an assignment or task.
• Review the Student Code of Conduct and the Academic Policies in SCampus to understand your rights and responsibilities as a student at USC.  Please note that grade disputes and academic integrity violations will be managed by faculty and administrators within your School.
• Ask for assistance if you are feeling overwhelmed.  Do not be tempted to act unethically if you are struggling academically or personally.  Please contact us so we can help you identify appropriate resources on campus: https://studentaffairs.usc.edu/ssa/ssa-contact/.

Best of luck this fall semester, and be well.

Sincerely,

Ainsley Carry, Ed.D., MBA                                                        Sally Pratt

Vice President for Student Affairs                                          Vice Provost for Graduate Programs