my.CSMD
Important Dates
- Oct. 21: Classes end for Fall 7-Week Term I; registration opens for Winter Term
- Oct. 28: Classes begin for Fall 7-Week Term II
- Nov. 4–7: Spring Priority Registration opens for current students
10-14 Weekly HawkTalk Student e-Newsletter
Announcements
No Tricks, Just Treats: Halloween Events
Student Life and CSM’s Campus Associations bring the thrills and chills to your campus, with pumpkin painting, movies, snacks, and more:
- Oct. 15: Blockbuster and Bites: Rest in peace at the Prince Frederick Campus with a midday break for scary movies, painting with pumpkin ceramics, and braaaaaaains. We mean snacks. Definitely normal snacks. We promise not to eat your brains.
- Oct. 22: S’more Scares: Enjoy s’mores, snacks, and scary short films at the La Plata Campus.
- Oct. 23: Pumpkin Painting: Express your creativity on the spookiest member of the gourd family at the Leonardtown Campus. (Fun fact: Pumpkins belong to the genus Cucurbita, which is Latin for gourd, because botanists are not very imaginative.)
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Apply for Graduation by Dec. 1
If you’ll complete your program of study this fall, remember to apply to graduate! The deadline to apply for graduation is Dec. 1. All graduates are invited to participate in the 66th Commencement Ceremony on May 9, 2025, but participation is not required. All diplomas will be mailed directly to students in January.
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Expanding Hawk Hub: Bringing One-on-One Student Services to You
We’re constantly improving how we support you in reaching your academic and professional goals, and the newest additions to the Hawk Hub make it even easier to get answers to your questions and meet your needs. With the new remote-service booths and stations located on all four campuses, you can connect directly to any student service or college office, no matter which campus you’re currently at.
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Financial Aid Update: 2025-26 FAFSA Available in December
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2025-26 academic year will be available on or before Dec. 1, instead of the usual Oct. 1 date. This updated launch date will help ensure a smoother experience for students and parents as they fill out their FAFSA.
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Hawk Family Connection
Parents, caregivers, and supporters of current and prospective CSM students can stay plugged into their student’s campus community with Hawk Family Connection. Keep up to date with personalized newsletters and get access to important information and resources that will help you better support your student on their educational journey!
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Pick Up Another Class for Fall 7-Week Term II
There’s still time to register for Fall 7-Week Term II! Keep up your academic momentum and get ahead in your program, knock out required classes, or gear up for next semester by completing prerequisites. Classes start Oct. 28.
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Registration Opens Oct. 21 for Winter Term
Winter classes are a great opportunity to get ahead in your program, catch up a bit, or earn extra credits for transfer. Classes begin Dec. 19.
Need to meet with an academic advisor? Sooner is better! Advising services are in high demand in November and December, so don’t delay.
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Enter the Cybersecurity Poster Contest by Oct. 18
Promote a culture of cybersecurity awareness throughout our college community by designing a poster around one of these four themes: multi-factor authentication (MFA); password security; software updates; or recognizing and reporting phishing. The three finalists will receive CSM scholarships, and the winning poster design will be displayed on all campuses and CSM social media. Submit your design by Oct. 18!
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Cybersecurity Events
Check out all these events, resources, and more on our Cybersecurity Month page!
Cybersecurity Events
- Zillow Home Protection: Learn how to protect your privacy and your home information from public view, including how to blur Google Street View at your address, at this information session on Oct. 16.
- Building a Culture of Security: On Oct. 22, guest speaker Dr. Gale Pomper discusses how to make cybersecurity an ingrained habit in our lives, careers, and institutions.
- Makerspace Tours: Visit the Velocity Center Makerspace for a tour in October and print your own “I Got Cyber-Secure at CSM” coaster.
- Defending the Digital World: Complete courses and earn industry certifications that can lead to career opportunities in cybersecurity in this cyber challenge, presented by CSM and the Cisco Network Academy.
Cybersecurity Tip: Strong Passwords
Creating, remembering, and storing passwords can be a pain, but the truth is that strong, secure passwords are your first line of defense against cybercriminals and data breaches. Use these three guidelines to help make your passwords strong:
- Long: Every one of your passwords should be at least 12 characters long.
- Unique: Each account needs to be protected with its own unique password. Never reuse passwords! This way, if one of your accounts is compromised, your other accounts remain secured. Think truly unique—don’t just change one character or add a number or symbol at the end. None of your passwords should look alike.
- Complex: Each unique password should be a combination of upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers and special characters (e.g. > , ! ?)
But remembering all my passwords is so hard! We all have a lot of online accounts, and because all our passwords should be unique and not reused, that means we have a lot of passwords! A password manager simplifies remembering all those passwords. You just need to remember the one password that unlocks your password manager vault. CSM’s Network Security Team can provide a password manager account for CSM accounts. Please email the Help Desk at help@csmd.edu to request an account.
Hungry?
View the food truck and vendor schedule for the week of Oct. 14. The food truck schedule includes food from Freshly Made 4 U, Grizzly Mountain Grill, Taste of the Tides, and YaYa's Trini Truck. As a reminder: due to construction on the LaPlata Campus, the food trucks will temporarily be located in Parking lot 7, along the fence next to the baseball field.
VIEW SCHEDULE
Upcoming Athletics Events
Check out the calendar for CSM Athletics
Come out and cheer your Hawks on to victory at their next home games!
Oct. 16: Women’s Volleyball vs. West Virginia University Potomac State College
Oct. 19: Women’s Volleyball vs. Washington Adventist University
Oct. 21: Men’s Soccer vs. Community College of Baltimore County Catonsville
ATHLETICS CALENDAR
Happening This Week
Fall Fest Returns
Student Life brings Fall Fest to you Oct. 14 - 17 with a full week of fun, games, snacks, and much more at all four campuses. Get your caricature drawn, create your own custom street sign, and enjoy pizza and ice cream—all for free! Check the Student Life calendar for the schedule of events at your campus.
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Seeking Volunteers for Fall Fest Pop-Up Makerspace!
Do you love creating, sharing your knowledge, and supporting your campus community? Sign up to volunteer at the Pop-Up Makerspace event at the La Plata Campus during this week's Fall Fest! Choose whatever day or time fits with your availability, and join us in introducing students, faculty, and staff to all the cool things the Velocity Center Makerspace has to offer. (No experience required.)
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Next Week's Events
Connections Literary Series: Author Wayne Karlin
On Oct. 21, the Connections Literary Series welcomes author Wayne Karlin to present his latest novel, “The Genizah,” and to discuss the Holocaust backgrounds of the novel and the process of turning family history into fiction.
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Night of Engineering
Explore the pathways, partnerships, and transfer and internship opportunities available to you through CSM’s engineering programs at Night of Engineering on Oct. 24.
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Transfer Services News
Transfer Thursdays
Connect directly with our transfer partners and get answers to your questions, straight from the source! Learn more and register for the sessions you’re interested in at csmd.edu/transferthursdays.
This week, Oct. 17: Sweet Briar College, Old Dominion University – ODU Global
Next week, Oct. 24: George Mason University, Stevenson University, Virginia Wesleyan University
On-Campus Admissions Visits
Meet on campus with admissions representatives from CSM’s transfer partners! Learn more about the institutions, their programs, and the transfer process.
Oct. 17: Frostburg State University, La Plata Campus
Oct. 21: Johns Hopkins Hospital Schools of Medical Imaging, La Plata Campus
Oct. 22: Towson University Education at University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland, Leonardtown Campus
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Meet Our Faculty: Tamara Gibbs-Franklin
This week, HawkTalk features Associate Professor Tamara Gibbs-Franklin from the School of Liberal Arts:
“I'm a former broadcast journalist turned public-relations and marketing professional, and I am a lover of words, people, and processes."
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Student Resources
CSM College Survival Guide
The College Survival Guide is a recurring feature that directs members of the CSM community to free resources and support for whatever challenges they may be facing. At CSM, no hawk has to fly alone.
NEED HELP UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL AID? Figuring out how to keep college affordable—the kinds of financial assistance available and how to apply, just for starters—can be complicated and confusing. We can help! Check out CSM’s FinancialAidTV for short, easy to digest videos on a wide range of topics, including FAFSA, scholarships, 1098-Ts and much more.
Find Your Next Opportunity on College Central Network
Whether you’re looking for an on- or off-campus job, a paid internship, or a potential career path, College Central Network is the go-to career posting site for CSM students and alumni. Upload your current resume or create one using a template and start searching for the position that’s right for you. There’s also a video and print library on topics related to getting and keeping the job, such as salary negotiations, attending job and career fairs, and more!
In Case You Missed It
Make Your Voice Heard: Register to Vote
The 2024 General Election is less than a month away! Decisions get made by those who show up, so make sure you’ve registered to vote.
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