Welcome to the first edition of UNI's e-newsletter for parents and guardians! You'll receive updates three times per semester featuring university events, deadlines and tips from the UNI Parents Association.
 

NEWS

Your one-stop shop - the Parents' Page

See http://www.uni.edu/resources/parents for all the information parents or guardians may want. From care packages to Family Weekend, from the calendar of events to the student job board, the Parents Page is designed to help you support your UNI student.
  

Parental online access to grades and bills -- COMING SOON!

Parents soon will have online access to a variety of your student's information, including grades, u-bill and class schedule. Located on the Parents Web page, the new parent portal will be password-protected and completely controlled by your student. They will decide who has access to their information and what information will be shared; it can be changed at any time. Watch for the new parent portal later this fall.

EVENTS

Move-In Aug. 16-18

When you and your student arrive at UNI, look for the student volunteers in the green T-shirts. They're part of the UNI Move-In Crew. Their job is to lend a helping hand getting all your student's "stuff" into the residence halls. They also can give you directions. Check out http://www.uni.edu/dor/SmoothMove/moveinday.htm for more info.
 

Make plans to attend Family Weekend, Sept. 15-17

Mark your calendar for Family Weekend. It's a great time to learn how your student is doing, meet their friends and professors, and take in a football or volleyball game. Visit http://www.uni.edu/familyweekend/ for specifics.

Upcoming events

  - Homecoming week - Oct. 2-7
  -Thanksgiving break - Nov. 22-26
  -Finals week - Dec. 11-15
  -Commencement - Dec. 16
  -Holiday break - Dec. 16-Jan. 7
  -Spring semester begins - Jan. 8
  -Spring break - March 10-18

TIPS

Letting go

Sending your student to college is a transition time for the whole family; expect some bumps along the way. Here are some quick tips from the UNI Parents Association to help you through.

1. Get to know UNI and the resources we have -- so if your student calls worried about a challenging class, you can suggest contacting Academic Advising for help.
     

2. Let them be in charge of themselves -- college is only one step away from the real world. Now is the time to encourage self-sufficiency -- make their own oil change appointments, do their own laundry, handle their own finances, etc.
     

3. Support them, but don't do it for them. Issues will come up throughout the year, from roommate disagreements to sickness to registration problems. As tempting as it may be to call and handle things yourself, this is a crucial time to step back and let them deal with it. Encourage and support them to use the various resources UNI has in place to help students with issues.

Parent-to-parent tip: Calling to wake them up every morning for their first class -- even if they need it -- is a bad idea.
  

A Parent’s Reading List

You’re On Your Own (But I’m Here If You Need Me): Mentoring Your Child During the College Years by Marjorie Savage (Simon & Schuster, 2003)
 
Letting Go: A Parents’ Guide to Understanding the College Years by Karen Levin Coburn and Madge Lawrence Treeger (HarperCollins, 2003)
 
The Launching Years: Strategies for Parenting from Senior Year to College Life by Laura Kastner and Jennifer Wyatt (Three Rivers Press, 2002)
 
Don’t Tell Me What to Do, Just Send Money: The Essential Parenting Guide to the College Years by Helen E. Johnson and Christine Schelhas-Miller (St. Martin’s Press, 2000)

RESOURCES

Emergencies

If your family has an emergency and needs to contact your student immediately, call the Dean of Students Office at (319) 273-2332, or after hours, UNI Public Safety at (319) 273-2712.
  
In case of a university-wide emergency, such as a tornado or health risk, you will be contacted at this e-mail address. Please keep your e-mail address current through the Parent Survey on the Parents' web page.
  

UNI Parents Association

All parents/guardians of UNI students are automatically members of the parents association, which works as an advocacy group. Benefits include e-newsletters each semester and a parents' booth at orientation. Contact James O'Connor, UNIPA Liaison at (319) 273-6728, or james.oconnor@uni.edu with questions. The parents association also supports the Parent Fund, which supports student scholarships and activities on campus.
  

UNI Parents Association
103 East Bartlett Hall
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA 50614
(319) 273-6728