Parents as Partners in Higher Education

1. Parents as Partners in Higher Education Sandy Calvert, Ph.D. Melissa Verb Getty College of Arts and Sciences Ohio Northern University

2. Ohio Northern University • Located in Ada, Ohio • Rural setting • 5 colleges • 4 Undergraduate • Law College • Undergraduate enrollment • 3666 across the 4 colleges Photo by Ken Colwell

3. Getty College of Arts & Sciences • 1,526 total students • 298 true first year students • Challenges • Student identity • Assisting students with very different interests • Working with parents who have trouble seeing the endpoint Photo by Ken Colwell

4. Why Embrace Parents? • Hands on parenting is the nature of parenting today • 28 million google hits for helicopter parents • Cell phones are everywhere • Recruitment efforts continually show we are “here to help.” • Makes parents comfortable with contacting University • Helicopter vs. gut feeling • How can parents • help us to help • their student

5. Set Expectations from the Start • Orientation • Explain differences in being a college student (and parent) today • Costs • Books • “Necessities” • Provide resources on who specifically to contact with concerns

6. Set Expectations from the Start • Orientation • Putting it in perspective • http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/2013.php • Provide expectations to parents • Encourage students to be independent and responsible • Ask for assistance • Make mistakes • Explain FERPA guidelines • Encourage completion of FERPA waiver

7. Relationship Once Classes Start • Happy trails…..parent send-off • Parent e-mail updates • University provides e-mail newsletters about events on campus • We take it one step farther • ONU Parent’s Updates

8. ONU Parent Updates • Parents sign up at summer orientations • E-mail newsletter sent approximately twice per month • Simple, plain-text e-mails • Update on important academic events • Registration • Last date to withdraw • Financial aid deadlines • What to do if not returning

9. Parent Contact Throughout Year • Parent calls… • Always make an effort to address concerns • Our response • Check FERPA • Discuss concerns with parents • Check with professors • Respond to parents • Work with students

10. Our Thoughts • Less phone calls from parents concerning basic information • Parents feel comfortable discussing concerns • Can put a “name with a face” • Better tracking of students • Less “my student didn’t know…” • Better results on student plans for the sophomore year • Some parents do take advantage of this direct link to our office

11. Response To Our Efforts from Parents • “As a parent of a first time college student, your emails are so welcome! There is something in them always that makes me feel like I can be in touch with my son while he is away at school.” • “Our kids tell us everything. Yeah right. If it wasn’t for this letter I would have been lost this year. I even forwarded every email to my student to make sure she knew what was going on, being that she was new on campus. She agreed that it is awesome.”

12. Ideas for the Future • E-mail newsletters for each “year” of parents • More “tech-savy” approach • Veteran college parent advice to parents of incoming students • At orientation and in e-mails • On campus activities on certain weekends for parents

13. Questions?