A generation ago, students were sent a letter of acceptance, a plethora of forms and a room assignment. They were then shipped off to school (without e-mail or cell phones), leaving their parents in the dark about the next proceedings.
The experience of today's generation has drastically changed. With new technologies, children are just a phone call away. A parent can immediately contact their child the minute he or she steps off the plane, checks into the dorms, or finishes a language placement exam.
To alleviate the need for constant communication, Tufts instituted the Parents Program. Through the program, parents have a Web site designed specifically for them, answering frequently asked questions and providing upcoming events and deadlines.
A new feature of the Parents Program is a gift sent during the summer to help alleviate the stress of college preparation. The Parents Program, directed by Jessica Papatolicas, sends parents a tool to aid them and their child with organization. The Captio College Case, designed by Susan Rothstein (J '71), contains an introductory letter, a guideline for students featuring helpful tips, and checklists for all necessary items, documents and deadlines.
Students are then advised to keep information and documents in the appropriate sections of the binder and bring it with them to school. Instead of frantically searching through their duffels for a prescription, students are then able to look at the tab marked health, where they or their parents placed the paper over the summer.
Once at Tufts, freshmen are assigned to two Orientation Leaders, allowing students to rely on fellow classmates for help rather than calling mom every time a problem arises. These leaders, usually upperclassmen, serve to guide freshmen along initial college difficulties such as registration, dorm setup and social events. The leaders continue their relations with the students even after orientation ends.
Senior Ann Riley, a 2005 Orientation Leader, planned a pizza party for her group after the first week of classes. She bonded with her freshmen during orientation and wanted to see how their lives were progressing.
"They would call me about everything from Internet problems to what classes they should take" Riley said. "I really connected with them and felt like I was a major help in their stressful first weeks."
Dean of First-Year Students Jean Herbert said that most students respond positively to the program. One transfer student told her that he felt "'well-taken-care-of at Tufts,'" she said.
Freshman Casey Strong was kept so busy her first weeks of school that she avoided the desire to continuously speak to her parents. "Our time was really planned out because of orientation," Strong said. "We were too distracted to be homesick."
Not wanting to cut off contact between parents and students, the Parents Program sponsors Parents Weekend in an effort to make parents feel a part of "the Tufts family." The activities will be presented free-of-charge the weekend of Oct. 14.
