Your Top 5
We have curated this quick list (called Your Top 5) just for you. These are the key things you need to know (and do) this month to make sure that your 2022–2023 academic year is a successful one.

Sign Up for Fall 2023 Housing
Fall 2023 housing sign-up opens Feb. 10. Review our online housing sign-up process and get ready to sign up for your first choice of housing. Want to live on campus this semester? It's not too late! A limited number of spots are available for Spring 2023. Email reslife@stedwards.edu to check on availability.

File Your 2023–2024 FAFSA
File your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before the March 1, 2023, priority deadline. Need assistance? Stop by Student Financial Services Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. (Main Building, Room 204), or schedule an appointment with your Financial Aid Counselor. FAFSA Fridays on Feb. 3 and 17 are also a great resource for help.

Academic Support for Your Studies
Take advantage of your free academic support services on the hilltop. Need help in a challenging class? Sign up for online 24/7 tutoring or attend in-person or Zoom Supplemental Instruction sessions. Math and writing are at your service through the Math Lab and Writing Center. And staff at the Munday Library can help you with research.

Don’t Miss 2 Important Campus Fairs
Get a jump on professional networking and opportunities at The Bill Munday School of Business Job & Internship Fair (open to all majors): Thursday, Feb. 2; 4–6 p.m., Mabee Ballrooms, Ragsdale Center. Learn about all of the areas of study offered at St. Ed’s at the Majors & Minors Fair: Thursday, Feb. 21; 11 a.m.–2 p.m., Mabee Ballrooms, Ragsdale Center.

How to Get Involved on Campus
There are endless ways you can get involved on the hilltop. Contributing your talent and enthusiasm to campus life is a powerful way to learn, grow, build leadership skills that enhance your résumé, and LiveWellSEU. To get started, check out the many student organizations, RecWell programs and student events you can be a part of.

BONUS: Study Abroad in Fall 2023
Studying abroad is an enriching opportunity to live and learn in another country for a few weeks or a semester. St. Edward’s offers more than 50 approved programs to choose from. Follow these steps to get started for Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 study abroad programs. Schedule a meeting with the Study Abroad office to learn more!
Save the Date for Spring Commencement!
We’re excited to celebrate our undergraduate and graduate degree recipients with a full day of festivities on campus, Saturday, May 6, 2023. Mark your calendar! And we’re honored to have newly elected Austin mayor, Kirk Watson as our 2023 commencement speaker. For three decades, Watson has been immersed in public policy, spanning local and state government in Texas.
Important information about GradFest, the commencement ceremony and all other activities will be available on the Graduation Festivities webpage. Please check periodically as the list of activities and information are updated. NOTE: If you missed the Jan. 25 deadline to apply for graduation, submit a Petition for Exception to Current Semester Deadlines.
Take the Student Success Survey!
Don't forget to complete your Student Success Survey. This allows us to learn about your current educational experience and helps us support you in achieving your goals. You can find the survey in your recent SEU email. Thanks for participating!
Apply for the St. Edward’s Presidential Award
If you graduated in August 2022 or will graduate in Dec. 2022 or May 2023, you may be eligible for the Presidential Award! This prestigious recognition is given to outstanding seniors who embody the principles of our Holy Cross mission and have demonstrated excellence in leadership, academic performance and service. Applications are due Feb. 4, 2023, by 5 p.m. Access application criteria, materials and a video describing how to fill out and submit the application. Meet our 2021 award recipients.
Biden-Harris Student Debt Relief Plan
The Biden-Harris administration has announced that borrowers who had a Federal Direct Loan disbursed on or before June 30, 2022 could potentially qualify for loan forgiveness through the Student Debt Relief Plan. Student Financial Services has compiled helpful links to information about the plan and how to identify your student loan servicer, apply for debt relief and view your Pell Grant history.
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Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Monthly Updates
January 9, 2023
Dear Hilltopper Community,
Welcome to the Spring 2023 semester! For new students, faculty and staff, this letter is likely the first time you have heard about St. Edward’s University’s sexual misconduct policy, process and resources. For returning students, faculty and staff, please review this letter and recognize it is a good reminder!
As the university’s Title IX Coordinator, I am responsible for the overall Title IX compliance program of the university. Title IX addresses issues of sex/gender equity (access to programs, athletics, scholarships, etc.), sexual harassment (including sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence and dating violence), protecting the rights of pregnant/parenting students, and the rights of LGBTQIA students and employees to be free from discrimination. I am supported by our dedicated Title IX Team, and we will be using this message and future monthly updates to share information about sexual misconduct policies, processes and resources.
While the Title IX regulations were significantly changed in August of 2020 and remain in effect while the current Department of Education continues the final stages of their comprehensive review, it is our goal to emphasize the best parts of the current regulations while working to minimize the potentially negative impact of some of the more challenging provisions. We comply with all requirements, but there is some latitude for how universities interpret the current rules, and how they are implemented. Importantly, the university provides a number of procedural protections that are important to all members of this community, including:
- Providing clear notice to anyone accused of misconduct along with a presumption of innocence;
- Protections and accountability for students and employees (including faculty and staff);
- Conducting a process that is transparent to the participants, where all evidence is known and shared prior to any final decision;
- Providing a strong set of supportive measures to all parties that are designed to effectively bring an end to any hostile environment;
- Delivering resolutions to complaints as promptly as possible;
- Strong sanctions for violations of policy;
- A clear brochure offering guidance on all resolution options;
- Flowcharts within policy to make options clearer and more user-friendly;
- Appropriate informal resolution opportunities.
The process includes a hearing but isn’t the same as an adversarial trial. In fact, nothing requires the parties to be in the same room with each other, at all, and all parties have the right to an advisor of their choosing throughout the process. At the hearing, most questions are asked by a neutral hearing decision-maker, and if there are remaining questions, they may be posed by the advisors to the parties, not the parties themselves. And, before a witness responds to a question from the other party’s advisor, the decision-maker first determines whether the question is relevant and ensures that it is not abusive. This approach to questioning is humane, and trauma-informed, while also helping the hearing decision-maker to have access to all the information they need to make a fair decision. Also important to note, more recently the DOE determined that a decision-maker may now consider statements and evidence brought forward during the investigation regardless of whether the parties or witnesses submit to cross-examination during the live hearing.
We are dedicated to a process that respects the dignity of all members of the university community. We respect the right of someone who experiences sexual misconduct to process it in the way that is best for them and their healing process. We respect their right to choose to bring a report forward for a university formal resolution, or to seek a response from the university that is primarily centered on supportive measures and resources available from St. Edward’s and/or the larger community. Fair process is a priority, as is repairing harm and facilitating healing and safety for all members of the community irrespective of race, sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, age, ability, religion, socio-economic status, or the other qualities/identities that we value within a diverse community.
To learn more about the university policies and procedures, please go to our Title IX webpage—we continue to update it as we make improvements. If you have questions about the process or wish to speak to someone about your options to report or seek support, students may contact the Dean of Students Office (Main Bldg, G16, 512-448-8408, dos@stedwards.edu) and employees may contact the Office of Equity and Employee Relations (Equity Hall, Rm. 131, 512-448-8540, melissaesqueda@stedwards.edu).
As a reminder, faculty, staff and resident assistants are mandatory reporters and required to report incidents of sexual misconduct they witness or receive information about and cannot provide confidentiality. Mandatory reporters are required to provide the Title IX Coordinator with all relevant details, including the names of those involved in the incident. You can read more about mandatory reporting, as well as who is a confidential resource here. You can request additional training by emailing me at lisak@stedwards.edu.
We wish you a healthy and safe semester and remind you that the Title IX Team is here for you if we are needed. I will share monthly updates with you, so watch for future emails! As a reminder, you can make a complaint or express concern about a student or employee and it can be anonymous if needed. You can also see SEU’s Annual Security Report with crime statistics and Daily Crime and Fire Logs.