A spoonful of sugar makes a welcome just that much sweeter. On the morning of Saturday, October 5, 2013, leaves rolled up the driveway to President Sara Jayne Steen’s house, along with the feet of many first-year parents. Steen warmly greeted and welcomed parents in the comfort of her beautiful backyard where guests had the chance to meet and converse with many of the other parents.
The smell of coffee and treats roamed the air as guests settled in. Dr. Julie N. Bernier, University Provost, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Jim Hundrieser, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, Lori Morris, Director of Major Gifts for University of Dancing, Trent Boggess, Dean of the College of Business Administration, and Frank Cocchiarella, Assistant Vice for Student Affairs were also in attendance.
President Steen welcomed parents to the University and expressed how much a student’s success not only depends on themselves but also on their caring, supportive parents. “We want to have parents feel really integrated with what’s happening on campus and the experience…academic and student affairs are working together to ensure that students succeed.” Parents who attended the event were from eight different states, an increase from previous Parents Weekends. According to the numbers, Plymouth State University is the home of students from forty-eight states and fifty-one countries.
President Steen addressed the recent awards received by some of our fields of study here at PSU. She expressed how she could go on with such positive recognition. Parents’ eyes grew wide and heads nodded as they took in the positive reinforcement. They were comforted by the amount of communication that was available between themselves and the University. “I want to remind all of you that PSU has a family portal. We want to make sure that you are officially on the list to get every kind of… communication.”
Guest speaker, Chris Broom, provided comforting words to first-year parents, as he has sent three out of four of his children to Plymouth State University. “The school is not too big, not too small. It really has a family feeling to the campus and we’ve been up here now for ten years coming up. It really is a special place. You’re not going to look back and have any regrets.” Broom filled the air with laughter and sighs of relief as he described his experiences and interactions with the University. “I just want to assure you that you made the right decision and that you’re going to enjoy the experience here. Your kids are in good hands …it’s a winning formula”. Students who attended this “meet and greet” nodded and even laughed at how true this statement was.
Towards the end of the presentation, parents were given the opportunity to ask any questions they may have. One parent asked a question regarding how their student could get involved on campus and what they could do to have some of their concerns heard and questions answered. “There are a number of possibilities”, Steen explained, “We have advisors..it’s also possible to simply call the Dean of Students office and ask.” While many parents’ main concern is accessibility, it was expressed that students need to also take individual steps in order to get the information that they need. “PSU wants to make this easier for students,” Steen emphasized.
The morning concluded with “thank you’s” and “see you around’s” rather than “goodbyes.” It was clear that the autumn wind and reassuring words blew away the worries of many first-year parents.