Parent pact

USC's Office of Parents Programs is partnering with a new generation of parents who want to be in the know on campus life

When Darlene Krammer's oldest son left the nest to attend an out-of-state university, she was—like many parents would be—a little anxious. She didn't want to be a “helicopter parent,” hovering 24/7 and offering unsolicited assistance to her son Andreas. But neither did she and her husband want to be left in the dark as Andreas began his freshman year at the University of South Carolina.

“Our major concerns were his ability to make the transition to college and be able to balance his schoolwork, live on his own, make new friends, adapt to a dorm environment, adjust to being in a smaller community (Columbia, S.C. vs. Chicago, Ill.), and make decisions along the way,” Darlene said.  

Years ago, parents of college students had to rely on infrequent phone calls or try to read between the lines of cryptic letters to discern how a son or daughter away at college was actually doing. But parents these days often are heavily involved in their children's academic lives from kindergarten through 12th grade—and they don't expect that involvement to stop once their children go to college.

That's why an increasing number of universities, including Carolina, are reaching out to parents to help keep them informed of what's happening on campus.

“The Office of Parents Programs has been around for more than 20 years, but in the past it mainly coordinated Parents Weekend and sent out a newsletter or two every year,” said Laura Page, director of Parents Programs at the University of South Carolina. “Parents want to be involved like never before, and we've begun reaching out to them as partners.”

One thing nearly all parents of college students crave is communication. “They just want to know what's going on,” Page said. Parents Programs gathers parents' e-mail addresses during summer orientation sessions and sends electronic newsletters during the year. Membership in the Parents Association is free and offers volunteer opportunities for interested parents.

The office also has a toll-free Parents Assistance Line through which Page and an assistant field calls that range from the mundane—“When will my daughter be advised for the next semester?”—to the urgent—“I'm worried that my son is getting depressed, and he won't return my calls. Can you check on him?”

“We have a protocol in place with University Housing and the counseling center that allows us to quickly check on students in a way that they don't ever have to know their parents called,” Page said.

For parents who really want to be involved and support the University, there is a new Parents Advisory Council. Twelve parents, mostly from out of state, comprise the council, which meets twice per year with University administrators. “We ask them to be honest with us about whatever concerns they have; it's a great feedback mechanism for the University,” Page said.

Parents Association and Parents Advisory Council members are invited to support a Parents Annual Fund, which underwrites student support initiatives.

Cammie Cox of Louisville, Ky., is a member of the Parents Advisory Council, and her daughter Carter is a sophomore early childhood education major and Honors College student.

“Parents Weekend is beautifully run and well organized, and communication from the office has been excellent,” she said. “Having put a son through college and having toured other colleges, my husband and I give high marks to USC. People there are so welcoming and friendly, and they communicate very effectively with parents of students.”

Darlene Krammer joined the Parents Advisory Council and is grateful for the linkage with the University where her son is now a thriving sophomore majoring in business.

“The e-mail newsletters are very helpful, and I like the way they keep you in the loop in terms of not only dates but programs that are being featured,” Krammer said. “I feel that if I did not know where to go to solve a problem, the Parents Programs office would be a good starting point.

“You definitely get the feeling that Carolina wants to help the students succeed and reach out to the parents to give them the information to share with their children to assist them to succeed, as well.”