Parent and Family Relations Knowledge Community

Resources for and from parent and family members

2010-04-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

As you prepare for incoming parent and family members the following resources might be helpful:

1. The Department of Education offers advice for parents as their children head off to college. More information can be found on:
http://www2.ed.gov/parents/landing.jhtml

2. The College Parents of America website offers information for parents to prepare their children for college. More information can be found at: http://www.collegeparents.org/cpa/resource.html

3. About.com:teens suggests 4 books that are "must haves" for parents. More information can be found on the following website: http://parentingteens.about.com/od/toppicks/tp/parent_college.htm

Next month, we will also be introducing a blog from a current parent. The blog will include advice, humorous stories, and general thoughts about college life from the perspective of a parent.

October 2009 Post: Parents of Underrepresented Populations

2009-10-28T07:05:00.000-07:00

What kind of programming do you offer, of have you considered offering, for parents of underrepresented populations?

This question was posed by a member of our KC and has the potential for great discussion. At her institution, there is the concern that parents, who for whatever reason might not have been able to, or understood the importance of, attending summer registration/orientation sessions, or whose knowledge of their student’s college experience is limited, would benefit from some kind of introductory session facilitated by the parent office.

The goal is two-fold. First, introduce the families to our office, services and resources; and secondly, increase the likelihood that they will participate in our programs and events and maybe even volunteer to help with those events. Ultimately, we would love to see more of these families represented on the parent board, as well.

Please share your experiences and feel free to pose follow-up questions!

June 2009 Post: The Economy and it's Affect on College Students/Parents

2009-06-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

We are all aware of the economic uncertainty many families now face, specifically families with one or more college students.

What are you hearing from students and parents on your respective campuses?

How will this affect the message you deliver to parents, activities you plan?

Please share experiences or post questions of your own. This is a timely topic and we can certainly learn from one another.

September/October 2008 Parent KC Post

2008-09-26T13:37:00.001-07:00

This posting focuses on reviewing a recent NASPA Journal article concerning if parenting is one of the predictors of academic-related stress in college students. To participate, log on to the NASPA Journal site and review NASPA Journal, 2007, Vol. 44, no. 3.

The article was written by Tara Smith is a graduate student at the University of Central Florida in Orlando,FL. and Kimberly Renk is an associate professor at the University of Central Florida.

The title of the article is:
Predictors of Academic-Related Stress in College Students: An Examination of Coping, Social Support, Parenting, and Anxiety

The abstract is: This study examined potential predictors of the academicrelated stress experienced by college students. In particular,the relationships among the coping strategies used by
college students, social support, the parenting style used by
college students’ mothers and fathers, college students’ experience of anxiety, and academic-related stress were examined. Ninety-three undergraduate students enrolled in a psychology course at a large southeastern university completed a series of self-report questionnaires that measured the variables under study. Results suggested that anxiety, problem-focused coping, and support from significant others may serve as potentially important predictors of the academic-related stress experienced by college students. Thus, identifying college students’ experience with these variables and addressing these variables in practical settings may help college students alleviate their experience of academic-related stress and have a less stressful, and possibly more fulfilling, college career.

When you complete the reading, be sure to write your thoughts and comments so your colleagues can respond.

July 2008 post - Parenting styles and their influence on student coping skills

2008-07-01T07:12:00.001-07:00

Dear NASPA Parent KC Members,

As we find ourselves half way through the summer and in the midst of administering or planning new student programs, we may not have time to think about how parenting styles influence students academic stress levels. Nonetheless, a NASPA Journal article by Tara Smith and Kimberly Renk (NASPA Journal, 2007, Vol. 44, no. 3) explores this topic. We invite you to take time to read the article to find out how the variables of coping, social support, parenting and anxiety intermix and post your thoughts on the KC blog.

June Post: Positive outcomes associated with Helicopter Parents

2008-06-06T07:55:00.000-07:00

Many of us are in the midst of welcoming new families to our respective campuses. During this time, much of our energy is geared toward helping not only students but many parents and family members also understand campus culture, expectations, and traditions. As we continue to work with parents, it is helpful to know that recent research has suggested high levels of parental involvement correlates with students having positive college experiences.

Visit the College Board's webpage http://www.collegeboard.com/parents/plan/getting-ready/155044.html to learn more as well as the benefits of parental involvement and a discussion about keeping a healthy balance. The webpage also includes a quiz for parents to assess their level of involvement.

This information might be helpful to use as you help parents and family members create positive relationships with their college students and the campus community.

May Post: Summer Activities for Parents -- Orientation, etc.

2008-05-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

As the semester winds down and we say goodbye to some of our students, most of us are also gearing up to welcome new students and families to campus!

Some institutions offer a separate “parent track” at summer orientation, and others choose to keep students and parents together for certain sessions.
What specific orientation programs/sessions have been successful at your institution?
Are there some that were unsuccessful?
Are there other summer activities planned to incorporate parents and families into your campus community? Specific mailings, intentional contacts or events?

April Post: FERPA Myths and Truth

2008-04-14T14:09:00.000-07:00

FERPA -- a term we all use frequently in conversation with one another, and with the parents of our college students. But do we really understand and interpret it correctly?

In the April 18 print edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education, Steven J. McDonald addresses seven myths and the truth about FERPA.

Click here to access the article online: http://chronicle.com/weekly/v54/i32/32a05301.htm

If you do not have access to a Chronicle subscription, please email Laura Page at pagel@missouri.edu and the article text will be sent to you electronically.

Enjoy the read and please post questions or responses afterwards!

March Post: Parent Advisory Councils/Boards

2008-03-05T10:11:00.000-08:00

Most institutions have chosen to involve parents through some type of advisory group. However, the structure of these groups differ from campus to campus.

If you currently: 1) work with a parent group 2) are creating a parent group, or 3) are interested in restructuring, please provide feedback on the following questions.

1. How do you promote serving on the council/board to parents? How do parents "apply"?

2. How often do you meet and what does the group do throughout the year?

3. How do you balance the board socioeconomically, so ALL parents feel their input is welcome, while also increasing fundraising among parents & families? Basically, is your board primarily based on parent feedback/sharing or development, or both?

February Post: Parent Involvement Wanted

2008-02-05T06:52:00.000-08:00

With so much talk about parent involvement on college campuses, let’s finally hear from the students.

According to the annual survey of college freshmen, recently released by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles, most students are happy with the "hovering": http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/01/24/frosh

Are you surprised by the data?

Is this reflective of what you see on your respective campuses?

Please share your reactions to the article!

January Post: Communicating with Parents

2008-01-22T08:35:00.000-08:00

On your campus, what "works" in regards to parent communication?

How do you intially collect parent contact information (admissions, orientation, other)?

Are you sending hard-copy publications only?
Have you moved completely to electronic formats? Or...are you using a mix of both?

How did you determine what communication methods to use, the frequency, content, etc?

Positive Parental Involvement

2007-11-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

The most recent NSSE report found students who reported more campus engagement and experienced a higher level of satisfaction with college positively correlated with their parents’ frequent interventions on campus. However, the report did note these interventions did not positively correlate with higher grade point averages.

Given the realities of our work and the information in this study what are your thoughts on the following question?

What are some of ways parents are successfully engaged on your campus?

Please post your comments.

November Post: Is In Consortio Cum Parentibus the New In Loco Parentis?

2007-10-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

Gavin Henning (2007) Is In Consortio Cum Parentibus the New In Loco Parentis?, http://publications.naspa.org/naspajournal/vol44/iss3/art9

NPR Podcast

2007-09-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

Click on the following link to access the September 13 podcast aired on NPR's Talk of the Town:
"Do Your Kids Need More of You, or Less?"

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14386629

Feel free to post feedback!

September Post: Technology

2007-09-16T14:51:00.000-07:00

1) How are institutions currently using technology to communicate with parents? What is being considered for the future?

2) How are parents utilizing social networking sites? (example: Facebook and MySpace to check out their student’s roommate, then demanding a roommate change)

3) What responsibility, if any, does the institution have in educating parents about the positives/negatives/misrepresentations of these sites?