Dear Parents,
Congratulations on the acceptance and confirmation of your child to attend the University of Portland, and welcome to the UP family! We in the Shepard Academic Resource Center are gearing up for your student’s first year at UP, and we look forward to working with you as well.
Who are we? We are a starting place for first-year questions, concerns, and troubles, both for freshmen and for parents of freshmen. We know there are many great resources to be found on campus and our goal is to help students and families navigate the transition. We are conveniently located in Buckley Center 101, and walk-ins are welcome. We can also be reached at 503.943.7895 and sarc@up.edu. We are available for you Monday through Thursday from 9 – 5 pm, and Friday from 9 – 4 pm. We are happy to help if you need any assistance.
This parent newsletter is the first of several newsletters you will receive over the course of your student’s freshman year; we will send you one each month beginning in the fall semester, and one every other month in the spring. Each newsletter contains information and advice about the transition your student may be experiencing and the resources available on campus to assist them. This first newsletter will highlight some of the important happenings in the coming months, including registration, orientation, and offices on campus.
Parent and Family Information
The Shepard Academic Resource Center is a starting place for University of Portland first-year students to ask questions. However, please also consider it an office for parents of our first-year students as well. We recognize that parents are often the first to hear about a concern from their students, or recognize a problem with which their students are struggling. Therefore, you are one of our best resources for knowing what is happening in the lives of our students, and the Shepard Academic Resource Center is one of your best resources for helping your student to be successful. Parents who have academic, personal, medical, or other concerns about their student are welcome to contact the Shepard Center.
Additionally, these two University websites provide information parents may find useful:
These two sites provide dynamic information for parents on common issues students encounter throughout the academic year, timely campus events and happenings, and answers to frequently asked parent questions.
Transition for Parents
It is important to recognize that as parents you may be experiencing as significant a transition as your student does – whether this is your first or only child to go to college, or you have done this before with other children. There are significant differences from the high school environment to the college environment – both for parents and for students.
Independence and Autonomy
The most significant differences for parents are how information is shared and what parents can do for their students. Parents move from a day to day caretaking role to a coaching role. Students will be expected to take on the responsibility of managing their personal, social and academic lives – going to class, making appointments for tutoring, attending office hours with faculty, participating in events and functions to find their new friends and asking for help when they need it. The students who thrive are those who recognize they need help and have the ability to ask for it. Parents are key in guiding students through the transition of assuming these responsibilities. Please consider those things that you do for your student that they will have to do for themselves when they come to college – work on ensuring that they are able to do those things on their own before they leave home.
Student Records
One of the first transitions students and their parents experience begins now with access to information. Parents may be used to the high school calling with regard to a student’s academic performance, attendance, well-being or financial information. Colleges and universities operate very differently, treating your student as the adult and decision-maker. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student educational records. This means that schools generally must have written permission from the student to discuss anything about their educational record or experience with anyone, including parents.
Parent Access
At the University of Portland, students can use the on-line service called Parent Proxy, located in Self-Serve, to authorize a parent or other individual(s) to have access to information or view certain portions of their UP Self-Serve information. Students will have the option of sharing information regarding Financial Aid, Personal Information, Student Accounts, Conduct or Student Information which includes midterm and final grades. A student can access Parent Proxy and make modifications at any time. If a student has given someone access through the Proxy server, that person must create their own login to access the information. Once they have completed that process they will be able to access information on line (as it is available) or have conversations about that information with University personnel. All University personnel will review the FERPA permissions and Proxy access the student has provided prior to communicating with someone other than the student.
Contacting Parents
Additionally, the University does not initiate calls to parents or family members regarding class attendance or academic performance. Parents are welcome and encouraged to initiate calls to offices like the Shepard Center, Residence Life, Student Accounts and Financial Aid if they have questions or concerns. These offices will work to provide as much information as permitted by the permissions the student has granted. The only exception is the university will initiate contact with parents if a student’s health is in danger.
For more information about Proxy Access, please review these following websites:
Registration
Registration for Fall 2018 classes for University of Portland first-year students began in May. The registration process differs slightly for each of the professional schools and the College of Arts and Sciences, as each program has different requirements for their majors. All incoming first-year students are registered for classes by the university. Students will generally be registered for 15-17 credits of courses. More information about the registration process, such as typical class schedules, ordering books and credit for AP and IB courses can be found on our New Student Page.
Orientation
Orientation will be here before you know it, so we would like to share a few important things to know so you can prepare. First, you should have received a postcard from the University of Portland asking you to “Save the Dates” for Orientation weekend; these dates are Thursday, August 24th through Sunday, August 27th. Keep in mind that UP’s Orientation is for parents as well. You will find that while your student is in a meeting with his or her fellow classmates, there are concurrent sessions for you, allowing you to get to know the various resources available here at UP. If you are able to attend, we strongly encourage you to do so, as it is a worthwhile Orientation experience for you as well as your student. You can see the tentative Orientation schedule.
A few additional tips: the longest line you will face during Orientation weekend will be at Public Safety, where your student will receive his or her student ID card. If you are local, feel free to stop by over the summer to get this taken care of; if your first trip here will be for Orientation, be sure to take care of this early. Public Safety is open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Also, if you are looking to book a hotel for the weekend, check out our list of local hotels; the list can be found under “Visit UP” on the Admissions website. Finally, understand that the Orientation weekend will be an incredibly busy one, for both you and your student – so try to get as much done ahead of time as possible (think purchases for your student’s residence hall room and ordering books). Check out the Parent Checklist (attached) for more information.
A note from the Health and Counseling Center (HCC) to assist with student transition to the University of Portland.
Our dedicated staff is here to help your student stay well and address their physical and mental health needs while here on campus. We provide confidential medical and mental health services to all full time students. We are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. You can reach us at 503-943-7134.
What we provide:
General Medical Care, including evaluation and treatment of illness, injury and preventative care (e.g., physical examinations).
Health and Counseling Consultation Services for Students, Parents, Faculty and Staff
Short Term Counseling Services for Students - Students requesting weekly/ongoing counseling sessions will be assisted with referrals to an off campus provider.
After hours mental health consultative support for students, parents, faculty and staff. Call 503-943-7134 option 3.
Referral to Community Providers – the following is a list of the most common:
- Psychiatry and Mental Health
- Dermatology
- Orthopedics
- Optometry
- ENT/Allergy
- Endocrinology
- Neurology
- Gynecology
- Physical therapy
- Dentistry
Health insurance is not required to see a professional at the Health and Counseling Center. However, the University believes that a solid health plan providing for urgent and non-urgent care is vital to the wellbeing of our students. As such, all full time undergraduate students are required to carry health insurance. If your personal health insurance does not cover your student for non-emergency care in the Portland area, your student will automatically be enrolled in the Student Insurance Plan. Benefit details of the Student Insurance Plan can be found on the Health and Counseling Center page.
A note regarding Student Employment
If your student is planning on working on campus, jobs will be listed on our Student Employment website beginning August 1st. Encourage your student to apply early and apply for multiple positions. All students will need to complete employment verification documentation (I-9 and W-4), which require documents such as a passport or a social security card to complete the forms. Your student should consider bringing these documents during Orientation and processing the employment forms to plan for eventual employment. For more information, your student can check out this page on our new student site.
And finally…
Attached please find the “Calendar and Checklist” document that may be useful to plan for your student’s freshman year. The first is the fall academic calendar so you are aware of the major events happening over the course of the semester, and the second is a Parent Checklist, which we have compiled to help you prepare for the transition this first semester.
If you find that you have questions for specific offices over the summer, please also know University of Portland maintains an online directory.
If you have any questions at all, please feel free to call us at 503.943.7895 or email us at sarc@up.edu. We look forward to meeting you in the fall!
Sincerely,
Brenda Greiner
Director
Shepard Academic Resource Center
Matt Daily
Assistant Director
Shepard Academic Resource Center
