How to Tailor a Parent Program to Your Institution’s Unique Needs

Madison, Wis.—July 18 — There’s no one right way to design a parent program. It all depends on the characteristics of the institution, said Marjorie Savage during the July 18 online seminar “Parent Involvement: Matching Parent Services to Campus Culture.”

For instance, an institution that serves primarily traditional-age, residential students and takes a highly interventionist approach to student development is going to interact with parents differently than an institution that serves nontraditional commuter students and assumes that its students benefit most from autonomy.

That’s why when crafting or revamping your institution’s parent programs, Savage said, you need to ask the following questions first:

• What level of parental financial and emotional support do most of our students receive?
• How do you see parents helping their student at the college level?
• To what extent are parents currently involved in your institution? How do you see parents helping your institution?
• To what extent should parents receive information about our institution? Their student?

During the July 18 seminar, Savage also shared national research on how different parent programs at institutions across the country are structured and funded.