AHEPPP’s first conference was very successful. Below are brief descriptions of our topics and presenters.

We are now making plans for the second biennial national conference in 2012. Watch here for more details! Not a member? Join today!

“Uncharted Territory: Higher Education, Parents, and the New Life Stage of Emerging Adulthood (ages 18-25).” - Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, Ph.D., Research Professor, Department of Psychology, Clark University and author of Emerging Adulthood, will present this interactive session on Thursday morning.

1. Successful Parent Programs – The Importance of an Institutional Philosophy and Interdivisional Partnerships - Jessica Hume, Director of Writing and Parent Communications, Bellarmine University, and Patrick Englert, Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Student Engagement, Bellarmine University, will share how creating a parent/family philosophy allows institutions to clearly communicate their values to parents and families. Learn how designing and communicating this philosophy can help your campus streamline parental interactions, create a unified response across campus reporting lines and departments, and facilitate the realization of both mission and achievement of learning outcomes. This session will emphasize collaboration and methods by which colleges and universities can use assessment to set goals and create cohesive parent programming. This program will address the importance of 1) establishing a parent/family philosophy to frame interactions with this important stakeholder group, 2) institutional support and consistent messaging to parents and families, 3) educating and partnering with the campus community to promote and implement the philosophy, and 4) designing programs and communication that reflect the underlying philosophy.
2. The Costs and Benefits of Communicating with Parents During Campus Medical Emergencies - Ryan Lombardi, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, Ohio University, Jenny Hall-Jones, Assistant Dean of Students for Student Services, Ohio University, and Chad L. Barnhardt, Coordinator of Parent Outreach and Special Projects, Ohio University, will share in their presentation how the meningitis outbreak on Ohio University’s residential campus enabled them to explore the management and distribution of information during medical emergencies. Both the proactive distribution of information and reactive response to parent concerns will be examined. A multi-method approach to information distribution (e.g., interpersonal channels – targeted to student housing units, university-wide announcements, and statewide news inquiries) will be shared to better understand how a university community can deal with a medical emergency. These practical and useful applications include an Infectious Disease Protocol with a procedural checklist, executive staff communication, class roster communication for the classes in which the infected student is enrolled, members of an athletic team, student leaders, and initial and follow-up contact with parents.
3. Parent Associations – Past, Present, and Future- Nancy Hardendorf, Director of Parent Programs, Johnson & Wales University, Rodney Johnson, Executive Director of the Office of Parent Services, The George Washington University, and Toby Davidow, Graduate Student, George Washington University, explain while this current generation of highly engaged families (we know them as the parents of Millennials) have prompted the evolution of the parent associations we work with today, the history of parent groups actually began in the early 20th century. This session is designed to give parent professionals a sense of historical context in which to frame their particular office and  parent organizations(s) with whom they work. Additionally, learn the nuts and bolts of establishing an effective and productive parents’ organization as well as training and empowering your volunteer parent board to better meet the needs of parents and families and to be consistent with university goals.  Knowing the past can help us make more informed decisions about the future.
4. Belt Tightening While Still Delivering Quality Programs - Becky Harlow, Assistant Director – Huskie Family Connections & Volunteerism and Student Involvement & Leadership Development, Northern Illinois University, Emily Lehning, Assistant Vice President for Student Life/Director – New Student Services, Kansas State University, and Alejandro J. Sune, Graduate Student, Kansas State University share their understanding in these tough economic struggles , “Do more with less!” appears to be the battle cry at institutions across the country. Find out how two institutions have used their creativity to keep costs down and still deliver meaningful and beneficial programs and communications to parents and families. The presentation will emphasize the use of new campus partnerships in meeting the needs of parents and families as well as the incorporation and leverage of new social media initiatives.
5. Are You Starting a New Parent Program Office or Continuing to Grow a Young Office? - Colleen O’Connor Bench, Director, Parent Office, Syracuse University, Nancy Sandhu, Associate Director of Visitor & Information Programs, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Patti Lux-Weber, Parent Program Coordinator, University of Wisconsin-Madison, share their expertise on developing a new parent program in this current economic climate. Likewise, if your program is less than three or four years old you too may be experiencing growing pains with questions about “what to do next.” In this multi-faceted presentation, a case study of one campuses’s experience in launching a new parent programs office will be used coupled with a thorough discussion of the generally accepted standards and guidelines for parent offices as determined by both AHEPPP and CAS. Special emphasis will be placed on the importance of campus input and partnership in creating a program that’s embedded in the culture of each institution. This “how to” session will help you build a new parent office or continue to grow a young office as a way of insuring sustainability and long-term growth.
6. CAS Standards and Guidelines- Newly Released for Parent/Family Programs – Mickey Hay, Dean of Student and Academic Support, Southwestern Michigan Collee Chair, CAS Committee on Parent & Family Programs, present a timely and “news breaking” presentation on the recently released standards and guidelines adopted by CAS for Parent and Family Program/Service Offices on college and university campuses. The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) has been the pre-eminent force for promoting standards in student affairs, student services, and student developement programs since its inception in 1979. For the ultimate purpose of fostering and enhancing student learning, development, and achievement in general to promote good citizenship, CAS continues to create and deliver a dynamic and credible book of Professional Standards and Guidelines and Self-Assessment Guides that are designed to lead to a host of quality-controlled programs and services. These standards respond to real-time student needs, the requirements of sound pedagogy – and the effective management of more than 30 functional areas.
7. Anticipating and Responding to Their Needs: Parent University 101 - Sabrina M. Cave, Executive Director, Mountaineer Parents Club, West Virginia University, and Katie Utterback,  Parent Advocate, West Virginia University, share the importance of how orientation sessions are crucial, but can often leave parents on information overload! Based on data and feedback, a special session was designed to highlight important details and define resources and support structures in place at West Virginia University to help parents support their students appropriately. Parent University 101 places parents in the classroom and provides structure to all the information they receive at Orientation. This “class” comes complete with a textbook, tests, and a syllabus! During this conference session, they will guide participants through the development of this “class.” This will include the structure of the parent program offices, the data and feedback that lead them to this method of delivery, discussion of the challenges they encountered and feedback they have received.  In addition you will have an opportunity to review a chapter from the class itself.
8. Communicating in Crisis: How and When Should Parents be Informed? - Branka Kristic, Director of Parent and Family Programs, Hofstra University and Donna Krivoski, Director of Parent Relations, Lafayette University, understand that with so many serious campus incidents in the news – from assaults to shootings to student deaths, higher education administrators are formulating plans on how to communicate, respond, and reach out specifically to parents and families during a campus crisis. This session will focus on what two institutions have learned during their campus crises and how they communicated with parents. Several institutional plans and policies for campus crisis management will be discussed and best practices noted. The purpose of this session is to present the best practices in the area of communication with parents in a campus crisis, based on a literature review of emerging practices in addressing campus violence. The program will also present two case studies and invite the participants to formulate optimal responses to each stage of a crisis.
9. An Academic Affairs Based Parent Program: Creating Opportunities for Campus-Wide Dialogue- Jacqueline Kiernan MacKay, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies/Director of the Providence College Parent Program, Providence College, and Dr. Wanda Ingram, Senior Associate Dean, Providence College, have created a presentation that shares their insight into how faculty and administrators have all observed a change in college students and their families. Understanding that attending college has become a “family affair,” and this realization can contribute to a sense of confusion regarding the many complexities of the student/parent relationship. This presentation will focus on initiatives designed to create a campus-wide dialogue focusing on student development, parent expectations, and implications for the institution. Participants will have an opportunity to review their own campuses. This presentation is geared to administrators who work with parents and are interested in creating campus collaborative partnerships that are mutually beneficial to the parent, the student, and the institution. Through discussion and a small group exercise, participants will have an opportunity to consider developing outreach activities at their own institution.
10. Communicating with Parents – Institutional Survey Results – Ryan Lovell, Director of Parent and Family Programs,  Ohio State University, and Sarah Beale, Student Intern, The Ohio State University, shares how in the Winter 2010, Ohio State surveyed nearly 3,000 parents to gain a better understanding of their needs and desires of communication and programming from the University. The results were a little surprising. This presentation will share the method used for the survey, as well as the results. Presenters will utilize these results to conduct a discussion on possible programming outcomes and communication strategies that could be employed. Changes made per the results of this survey will also be shared.
11. Theory to Practice: Helping Families Understand & Use Student Development Theory – Jody Donovan, Associate Dean of Students/Executive Director of Parent & Family Programs, Colorado State University , Kacee Collard Jarnot, Assistant Director of Parent & Family Programs, Colorado State University and Hannah Love, Graduate Assistant, Colorado State University will present on sharing selected student development theories with parents and families provides language and knowledge to understand transition, identity development, and the various behavioral/attitudinal changes that occur when students go to college. Experience how Parent & Family Programs at Colorado State University takes theory to practice in partnering with parents and families of current and prospective students. Explore best practices for helping families appropriately support their students. The purpose of the Program is to
    1. Help those attending learn and understand selected Student development theories using a parent and family perspective.
    2. Participants will dialogue about how sharing theory can assist Student Affairs professionals in their work with parents and families. And,
    3. Participants will learn about best practices in applying student development theory in working with parents and families.
12. Flashpoint: Preventing, Surviving, and Overcoming Burnout in Parent/Family Services – Marj Savage, Parent Program Director, University of Minnesota understands how it is easy to be excited and feel creative when gathering with your colleagues, but the real task is to maintain that enthusiasm when you return to your home campus. In this session, you will learn what parent/family program professionals say are the causes of burnout in parent services and their ideas on how to benefit with the support networks of others who work in the filed. And you may discover you are not the only person who dreads the “all-work-and-no-appreciation” event that we have come to call Family Weekend.
13. Relating Parent Program Research: Closing the Assessment Loop. Establishing the Relationship to Persistence and Making Innovative Presentations to Senior Administrators - Allen K. Williams, Director Commuter Services, William Patterson University, Holly Barker-Flynn, Parent Liaison, University at Albany, and Jennifer N. Bell, Associate Director of Parent & Family Services, North Carolina State University, share how a tool is only as effective as one’s understanding and mastery of the tool’s versatility. The tools that develop via assessment data are the Higher Education Parent & Family Program Professional’s surgical instruments. Nurturing our understanding of how to effectively utilize these tools is critical to the advancement of the Parent/Family Program Profession. It is also critical to insuring that your institutional programs are fulfilling their mission and goals. This session will demonstrate how the University of Albany closed the assessment loop by utilizing survey data to directly improve its programs; will illustrate how North Carolina State University utilized retention and GPA data to establish a program relationship with student achievement via a collaborative longitudinal study; and, will demonstrate how William Paterson University of New Jersey utilized data to develop an innovative experience to senior administration.    
14. Parent and Philanthropy - Judy Maggard, Director, Parent Programs, Baylor University will lead a discussion about national budget cuts and shortfalls and how new sources of revenue are becoming increasingly important. Many universities are turning to and embracing parents as partners in philanthropy. Often times a parent’s only connection to an institution of higher learning is the fact that they have a son or daughter who is a current student. As a member of a parent relations team, professionals are in a unique position to identify families who possibly could make a significant financial impact on your university. Identifying and cultivating parents who can become partners in philanthropy has the potential to benefit your university beyond tuition dollars and the annual fund. And what about after graduation – is there a way to retain those relationships with families after graduation day? We will explore simple and effective ways to engage parents as volunteers and ultimately as donors to your institution.  
15. Family Weekend: Balancing Collaboration, Outcomes, and Expectations - Donna Krivoski, Director of Parent Relations, Lafayette College, Sara Hartley, Assistant Director of Parent Relations, University of Alabama, and Nancy Stephens, Assistant Director of New Student and Parent Programs, University of Kentucky understand that hosting Family Weekend can seem like an impossible task, especially in today’s economy.   Managing high expectations of family members to recruiting and educating volunteers for an event like this can cause parent professionals a lot of stress and push time management to the limits. This presentation will bring together three institutions’ ideas of organization, collaboration, inclusiveness, and leadership. In addition, offer tips to make Family Weekend run smoothly, meet intended outcomes, and measure up to our guests’ standards while sticking to a budget.