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Enrollment Services Unveils Web Site For Parents
Parents of today’s college students are so involved in their child’s education, officials nationwide have
coined a new descriptor for this group: “helicopter parents,” because they are always hovering around.
The nickname signals the extent to which
parents now participate in every aspect of
their students’ college careers, from picking
a university to choosing a major and even the
scheduling of classes.
CSU is embracing parental involvement
with a new Web site designed to educate and
inform. Now accessible by clicking on
“Parents & Family” from the CSU home
page at www.colstate.edu, the Web site
includes advice on how to help choose which
university best fits the student, how to apply
for college and what parents can do to help
their children succeed in school and after
graduation.
'When it comes to making decisions about
college, research shows that parents are the
most influential people in a child's life,” said Kathy Carlisle, executive director of CSU’s Enrollment Services office.
“However, knowing what to say and how to impress a teenager can be a daunting task. The CSU parent site
is designed to provide information so parents can effectively talk to their child about how to apply for college
and how to be successful once they enroll. Parents will find up-to-date information on financial aid, visitation
programs, choosing a major and links to valuable resources.”
An online survey of more than 900 parents last year by College Parents of America revealed that parents are
“in consistent contact” with their college children. The survey also showed that parents are quick to take
advantage of programs that colleges and universities design to improve parental involvement.
“Parents of today’s college students have come to be called helicopter parents because of the perception that
you hover, hover and hover some more over the lives of your children, choosing to land whenever and wherever
you want. Though many can disagree about the desirability of parents taking such an active role, our survey
demonstrates that no one can argue with the reality of such behavior,” said the survey’s report to parents.
College Parents of America bills itself as “the only national membership association dedicated to advocating
and to serving on behalf of current and future college parents.”
See the new site at http://www.colstate.edu/parents.
CSU Hosts Dead Sea Scrolls Expert
The CSU Honors Program sponsored historian Shalom
Paul’s visit that included a Feb. 5 lecture to an audience of
about 600 in the Fine Arts Hall auditorium. Paul chairs the
Bible Department at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and is
chairman of the Dead Sea Scrolls Foundation.
The Dead Sea Scrolls are comprised from thousands of fragments
of biblical and early Jewish documents discovered between
1947 and 1956 in 11 caves on the shores of the Dead Sea.
Paul is a much sought-after lecturer throughout North America,
Europe and Asia, and is editor of the “Encyclopedia Judaica’s”
Bible section and has written numerous articles and books on
nature and scientific exploration from a biblical perspective.
“Helicopter Parents” participate in every aspect of their
students’ college careers, from picking a university to
choosing a major and even the scheduling of classes.
CSU orientation events have long-accommodated parents with bus tours to
university facilities beyond the main campus, including RiverCenter, Oxbow
Meadows and the Coca-Cola Space Science Center.
Shalom Paul (standing) greets CSU honor students, from
left: Alicia McCrae, Kindall Scarborough and Alex Acton.
MARCH 2007