What new programming should I consider for families? Am I charging too much for Family Weekend? How does my office budget compare to other parent offices? Is my office situated in the right division?

A highlight of the AHEPPP membership experience is the learning from peer institutions and colleagues. As the premier association for Family Engagement at the collegiate level, AHEPPP is pleased to recognize excellence in programming, communication, research, and service at our National Conference each fall. Nomination/Application information is available here. Congratulations to last year's individual award winners!

A highlight of the AHEPPP membership experience is the learning from peer institutions and colleagues. As the premier association for Family Engagement at the collegiate level, AHEPPP is pleased to recognize excellence in programming, communication, research, and service at our National Conference each fall. Nomination/Application information is available here. Congratulations to last year's institutional award winners!

As parent relations professionals being a strong and timely communicator is essential. Communications are one of, if not the, best tools for supporting the individuals standing behind our students championing their success. And as the organization standing behind you championing your success, we are here to provide you with expert information and key strategies to help maximize your work. That is why we have designed a series of member resources that will enhance and positively impact these efforts; and we are excited to begin with the launch of the AHEPPP Communications Calendar and Planning Guide (member login required).

It is hard to believe that we are at the one-year mark of COVID-19 taking over our world and shifting our lives. Individually, professionally, and as an association, we have pivoted through the pains of this pandemic and have come out stronger. We have explored new modalities, developed dynamic resources, and achieved successes we may not have reached had we not been forced to think differently about our work. 

It’s safe to say that in February 2020, we were all living the dream. Everything was open, on-campus activity was a buzz. And, for the most part, life was as normal as it can get. 

Our association is a community of family engagement experts, but did you know that we’re also a community of family engagement scholars? Many of our members have recently completed their Ph.D. or Ed.D. or are in the process of their doctoral work. Perhaps you’re deciding whether or not to “go back to school.” The following is a Top Ten Tips list to consider when deciding or preparing to pursue a doctorate.

I hear the clock, it's 6am, I feel so far away from where I've been... I hear the clock, it's 6am, I feel so far away from where I've been...I hear the clock, it's 6am...

I don't know about you, but I love finding new (and free) technology that can help me be more productive, work better with my team, and help me in the long and short term. In our current global pandemic, technology has become more necessary than ever before as we navigate a new world of virtual meetings and working remotely. While I began using all three products before the pandemic began, each has been an invaluable tool as our digital needs increase.

Are you thinking about nominating someone for a National AHEPPP Award?  Have you ever wondered what the impact is for someone winning the award?  

Following the murder of George Floyd this summer, our Division of Student Affairs was charged with adding or enhancing anti-racisism work in every department.  For some, such as the Office of Housing and Residential Education, it was not a difficult task, as the department was already doing a marvelous job of comprehensive anti-racism programming and training with Resident Assistants and the on-campus population.

For me (as I’m sure for you), fall is typically a time of exhaustion and excitement. Those feelings are folded together into a series of programming that helps my team and I connect with students and families. The events are generally joyful and the exhaustion is typically acute; bound to four or five solid days of early mornings, late nights and countless conversations with strangers (that drain the introvert in me). My anxiety is usually high during this time of year, but I have found ways to control it and find comfort in keeping busy - and in banking my 20K daily steps running around campus. 

We all will certainly have very distinct memories of life during COVID that will last a lifetime. There are many experiences from the last several months in my personal and professional life that I know will stick with me—including my newfound responsibility as a COVID test observer. 

Hello Friends and Colleagues! It is difficult to write a blog about AHEPPP Cares without reflecting on just how much I care about AHEPPP. Like many of you, I often describe the Family Engagement in Higher Education experience as much more than a professional development opportunity or a mere higher-ed organization. Yes, the work being done is phenomenal and the resources are in abundance, but it’s so much more. We build relationships here. We are familial here. We lean into this community. We rely on one another. Never has this been more prevalent than during the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost immediately we saw our colleagues and friends turn to this community for support through social media, Zoom meetings, phone calls and daily check-ins. The connections here are strong and the impacts are very real. It may have been the profession, the resources or maybe even the conference that brought you here, but it is without a doubt, the people and relationships that have connected you here. 

As colleges and universities across the world become increasingly globalized communities, parent and family programs professionals must be creative with the ways in which we engage parents and families and strengthen their connection to our institutions. Often, it is simply not feasible for families to get to campus or, in return, to bring campus staff and faculty to families across the world. In determining how to fill this gap at UCLA, our Parent & Family Programs team recognized that the digital resources at our fingertips presented us with a great opportunity: to create a virtual discussion space where UCLA parents and families can feel personally connected to the individuals and issues their students encounter the most. 

All of our universities exist within a community, from small and quaint to large and urban. Establishing bridges between the university and community can reap benefits for both entities, especially in parent programming.

On our recent AHEPPP call, I was reminded of the importance of resources. Hopefully we have all been connecting with the resources on our campuses and those available remotely as well. One of the resources I was connected to early on by our Counseling and Psychological Services department in this crisis is the Active Minds website. There are not only articles that you can share, but there are also webinars that have been offered this week, including one today for "Young Adults, Parents, Remote Workers, Neighbors/Community Members" that might be of interest. You must sign up for the webinars, but they are free and you can sign up here.

We know that partnerships on campus are fundamental to a successful family program. Some form naturally, such as joining Admissions or the First-Year Office for summer orientations, while others may develop from a single conversation or, in our case, an opportunity that has been right under your nose.

If I had a dollar for every time a parent contacted our office saying, “This is the first time I’m hearing about this” or “Where was that information” or “I don’t think I ever received that email,” let’s just say I would be on the fast-track to retirement. In today’s busy world, campuses are continually challenged to find ways to get important information out to our student and parent/family populations in a timely, relevant and engaging fashion. As emails pile up and attention spans wane, enter the dynamic content options of social media. 

University student populations continue to grow and become more diverse. As such, so do the parent/family populations they "bring with them" to our campuses. Many span the globe, with some never being able to step foot on campus more than once or twice over the entirety of their student’s educational career. UCLA Parent & Family Programs (PFP) is no stranger to this challenge and, in response to a request from families to “build community among other Bruin parents,” produced Parent & Family Coffee Socials, which occur in a number of locations around the world on a single designated date. In 2009, the program began with only a handful of locations in Southern California; however  as word has spread and enthusiastic parents have stepped up to host a social in their area, the Parent & Family Coffee Socials program has grown exponentially each year. In 2017, UCLA Parents’ Council members and volunteers hosted a record-breaking 56 locations with 21 out-of-state and 9 international locations.